The Examiner
the Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Appeal
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
*** THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ***
*** THE INSTANT TIMES BESTSELLER ***
*** A FINANCIAL TIMES CRIME AND THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR ***
'The queen of cosy crime' - DAILY TELEGRAPH
'A joy to read' - SUNDAY TIMES
Six Students. One Murder. Your Time Starts Now...
The mature students of Royal Hastings University's new art course have been nothing but trouble. From accusations of theft and setting fire to one another's artwork, to a rumoured extramarital affair and a disastrous road trip, course leader Gela Nathaniel is at her wits' end. But finally they are given their last assignment: to build an art installation for a local manufacturer. With six students who have nothing in common except their clashing personal agendas, what could possibly go wrong?
The answer is: murder. When the external examiner arrives to assess the students' coursework, he becomes convinced that a student was killed on the course and that the others covered it up. But is he right? Only a close examination of the evidence will reveal the truth. Your time starts now...
'I love Janice Hallett beyond words' - INDIA KNIGHT
'Dark, twisty, funny, intelligent and so unpredictable' - CLAIRE DOUGLAS
'Janice Hallett serves up another winner' - TOM HINDLE
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Combing through emails, essays, texts, and chatroom messages, a mysterious "examiner" uncovers the hidden motives of six graduate students enrolled in a multimedia art course at London's Royal Hastings University, in the convoluted latest epistolary mystery from Hallett (after The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels). With varying degrees of skill, the students—established artists Ludya and Alyson; gallery owner Jonathan; bored executive Cameron; art supply store owner Patrick; and emerging audio artist Jem—create elaborate art installations while forming friendships and rivalries that mask their true reasons for taking the class. As the communications wear on, it becomes clear that there's been a murder among the group, and that many of the students are concealing secret identities. With her colleague's help, class instructor Gela Nathaniel attempts to follow the clues to uncover the killer, but her efforts only propel the narrative to a tangled, unsatisfying conclusion. The initial novelty of the format collapses under the plot's increasingly intricate mix of climate activism, nuclear threats, and latent Cold War intrigue. This is likely to leave readers lost.
