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The AppealJanice Hallett

Epistolary mystery

The Appeal

by Janice Hallett

Two law students are asked to review a bundle of emails, messages, and documents connected to the Fairway Players, an amateur theater company in a small English town. The correspondence follows a frantic fundraising appeal for a seriously ill child, simmering rivalries within the group, and events that eventually lead to murder and a contested conviction. Because no conventional narrator explains what happened, every omission, contradiction, and change in tone becomes potential evidence. Clever and interactive, this epistolary mystery is made for readers who enjoy community theater, unreliable correspondence, hidden motives, and solving the case alongside the investigators.

Paired for this story

Pear Lemon Sparkler + Cucumber Mint Gin Cup

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At a glance

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Spice0 of 5
Suspense2 of 5
Creepy0 of 5
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No surprises at chapter twelve

Content notes

Murder · Fraud · Child illness · Manipulation · Occasional mild language

Alcohol-Free Pour

Pear Lemon Sparkler

A bubbly distraction while everybody lies.

What you'll need

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How to mix it

  1. Fill a glass with ice. Add pear nectar and lemon juice, top with sparkling water, and stir gently.
  2. Garnish: Pear slice or lemon wheel.
  3. Glassware: Highball glass.
21+

Cocktail Pour · 21+

Cucumber Mint Gin Cup

For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.

Cucumber and mint give this gin cup a fresh, garden-side sparkle.

What you'll need

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How to mix it

  1. Gently muddle cucumber and mint with lemon juice. Add gin and ice, shake briefly, strain over fresh ice, and top with soda water.
  2. Garnish: Cucumber ribbon and mint sprig.
  3. Glassware: Highball glass.

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