Book Review: ‘The Examiner’ by Janice Hallett

Book Title: The Examiner
Author: Janice Hallett
Publisher: Viper
Number of Pages: 480
ISBN: 978-1800810464
Date Published: Sept. 5, 2024
Price: INR 478

Book Review

Ahoy! Janice Hallett has done it again! She knows exactly how to hook her readers, reel them in, and keep them guessing until the very last page. This time, she’s serving up a twisty, turny whodunnit with a modern flair—“The Examiner”. It’s quirky, it’s clever, and it’s pure Hallett magic. If you love cracking puzzles, diving into digital drama, and sifting through juicy secrets, then buckle up because this one is a wild ride you won’t want to miss!

This book is a captivating multimedia whodunnit that follows six students enrolled in a master’s program in multimedia art, led by Professor Gela Nathaniel at Royal Hastings University. As the academic year concludes, an examiner is brought in to review the student’s final projects. But what he uncovers through emails, texts, and essays is far more sinister than bad grades—one of the students may be in grave danger, or perhaps even dead. The clever narrative told entirely through digital communications, creates a suspenseful mystery that grips readers from start to finish.

“The Examiner” showcases Hallett’s distinct storytelling approach, which uses emails, text messages, essays, and chat group transcripts to piece together an elaborate jigsaw. The approach seems fresh and modern, enabling readers to play detective by piecing together clues from the characters’ interactions. The author skillfully creates distinct voices for each individual, making the digital discussion entertaining and vivid. The suspense rises as you dive further into the students’ exchanges, exposing layers of drama, treachery, and danger hidden beneath their seemingly commonplace words.

The ensemble of characters in the book is both broad and imperfect, which adds to the mystery. From the ambitious young sculptor Jem to the tech-challenged art supply business owner Patrick, each student has a different purpose and reason for enrolling in the course. Gela, the professor under pressure to ensure the program’s success, faces her issues as she tries to supervise the rambunctious group. The kids’ interactions are fraught with rivalry, secrets, and betrayal, and their individual stories intertwine to provide a complicated story that keeps readers guessing.

The way Janice Hallett deftly combines mystery with speculative fiction themes and dark academia is one of “The Examiner‘s” most notable features. The students’ art project—an installation for a tech company—becomes the main focus of the narrative, complete with ulterior intentions and perhaps hazardous outcomes. This book is a page-turner because of its dark turns and shocking revelations. Despite the plot’s rising complexity, Hallett does a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing and keeping them in suspense.

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All things considered, “The Examiner” is an exciting, perplexing mystery that offers amusement as well as stimulating reading. Modern mystery readers will like the new reading experience that Janice Hallett creates with her inventive and engrossing storytelling through multimedia formats. This book is a must-read for everyone who appreciates deft storytelling, well-developed characters, and an abundance of shocking turns, even though the finale may feel a little chaotic for some. The journey is worth taking.

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