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* THE HUGELY ANTICIPATED SEQUEL TO THE SMASH-HIT BESTSELLER, THE APPEAL *

‘The pinnacle of modern crime writing’ – IAN MOORE
‘An absolute joy from cover to cover’ – CHRIS BROOKMYRE

A New Play. Another Murder. A Town Full of Secrets…

It’s a new theatrical season in Lower Lockwood, and the amateur thespians of the Fairway Players are starting rehearsals for their production of Agatha Christie’s The Hollow. Despite troublesome new arrivals, countless petty squabbles and a gruesome accident with the lighting rig, surely this will be their greatest show to date?

But someone is hiding a devastating secret… and they won’t make it to opening night. Could it be Sarah-Jane’s sister, back in Lockwood after twenty years abroad? New member Lucas, whose shady business dealings may be his downfall? Or is it Issy, out of prison but still up to her old tricks?

Lawyers Charlotte and Femi must sift through the evidence to identify the victim and find out why the convicted murderer refuses to speak in their own defence… Will they uncover the truth in time? Will you?

‘A superlative mystery’ – ALEX PAVESI
‘Be prepared to put life on hold’ – J.M. HALL
‘An absolute triumph’ – ROSS MONTGOMERY

Publisher Review

So fun, so funny, so twisty, so clever – utterly original and endlessly entertaining, there is nobody like Janice Hallett. Genius — Andrea Mara, author of NO ONE SAW A THING Classic Hallett. A superlative mystery, full of surprises and hilarious as always. A worthy sequel to the mighty The Appeal — Alex Pavesi, author of EIGHT DETECTIVES An absolute joy from cover to cover… Ingeniously structured and relentlessly compelling. Janice Hallett has pulled off the rarest of feats: a bounteously enjoyable superior sequel to a brilliantly original first novel — Chris Brookmyre, author of BLACK WIDOW Layer upon layer of tantalising mystery… Be prepared to put life on hold and for your mind to be completely taken up and taken over — J.M. Hall, author of A SPOONFUL OF MURDER This is pure catnip for mystery readers, like the national treasure she is, Janice Hallett has done it again. This is the absolute pinnacle of modern crime writing — Ian Moore, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTS An absolute triumph: wickedly clever, laugh-out-loud and utterly ingenious. Hallett is a maestro of devious, dastardly plotting, but what sets her apart is her expert handling of voice… A total pleasure — Ross Montgomery, author of THE MURDER AT WORLD’S END Comedy gold. Razor sharp cuts inflicted with gentle wit — Emma Curtis, author of ONE LITTLE MISTAKE Hallett perfectly delivers her signature wit and sharp observations of character in her new brilliant novel. I have never read a writer who is so adept at capturing people – their traits, flaws and how they communicate with others. Absolutely stunning — L.V. Matthews, author of THE TWINS The mystery is so good that I failed at almost every step. It twists and turns, it made me laugh many times, and gasp at others… Another absolute triumph from one of my all-time favourites — Chris Frost, author of THE KILLER’S CHRISTMAS LIST Hallett at her utterly ingenious best… Right from the start I felt like I was part of the eclectic, intriguing, fabulously infuriating cast and actively involved in trying to decipher the cleverly crafted clues about the latest murder in Lower Lockwood. Absorbing, creative, original, I was thoroughly entertained from the beginning until the end — Louise Minchin, author of ISOLATION ISLAND So many laugh out loud moments with Hallett’s classic wit. Truly one of our best modern crime writers — Heather Darwent, author of THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS Brilliant characterisation and A twisty-turny plot that kept me entertained and amused all the way through. This is Janice Hallett at her finest — Philippa East, author of LITTLE WHITE LIES A brilliantly observed, utterly gripping mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end — A.J. West, author of THE BETRAYAL OF THOMAS TRUE Clever, unique, addictive, and very special — Louise Swanson, author of LIGHTS OUT Clever, unsettling, and laced with that delicious sense that everyone’s hiding something, The Silent Appeal pulls you in and dares you to keep up. Gloriously compelling — Joanna Wallace, author of YOU’D LOOK BETTER AS A GHOST