Janice Hallett

Author

Janice Hallett is a British author whose ingeniously constructed novels have brought a thrilling new format to crime fiction — stories told entirely through emails, text messages, letters, and other documents, in which the reader must piece together the truth from the evidence. Her books are puzzles as much as they are novels, and they... have earned her a devoted and rapidly growing readership. Hallett studied English at University College London and spent several years working as a journalist and magazine editor, as well as in government communications, before earning a screenwriting MA from Royal Holloway, University of London. Her experience in journalism and communications gives her an ear for how people really write in different contexts — formal emails, casual texts, passive-aggressive notes — that makes her document-based format feel utterly authentic. The Appeal (2021) was her debut — a novel presented as a collection of emails, texts, and messages surrounding an amateur dramatic society and a child's illness, in which law students must determine who committed a murder. The book was a critical and commercial hit, praised for its cleverness, its addictiveness, and the way it turned readers into active investigators. The Twyford Code (2022) used audio transcripts, text messages, and other documents to tell the story of a man investigating a decades-old mystery connected to a children's book author. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels (2023) and The Christmas Appeal (2023) continued her exploration of the format, each finding new ways to tell stories through documents. Hallett's novels are genuinely interactive reading experiences — readers compare notes, form theories, and debate solutions. The format is not a gimmick; it is an essential part of how the stories work. The audiobook editions of Hallett's novels are brilliantly produced, with multiple voice actors bringing the different characters' emails, texts, and messages to life. Her books and audiobooks are essential for crime fiction fans who love a puzzle and enjoy fiction that makes them work — and rewards them for it. Read more Show less