Description: The students of Royal Hastings University’s new Multimedia Art course have been trouble from day one. Acclaimed artist Alyson wants the department to revolve around her. Ludya struggles to balance her family and the workload. Jonathan has management experience but zero talent for art. Lovely Patrick can barely operate his mobile phone, let alone professional design software. Meanwhile blustering Cameron tries to juggle the course with his job in the City and does neither very well. Then there’s Jem. A gifted young sculptor, she’s a promising student… but cross her at your peril.
The year-long course is blighted by accusations of theft, students setting fire to one another’s art work, a rumored extra-marital affair and a disastrous road trip. But finally they are given their last assignment: to build an interactive 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’ essays and coursework, he becomes convinced that a student was killed on the course and that the others covered it up. But is he right? And if so, who is dead, why were they killed, and who is the murderer? Only a close examination of the evidence will reveal the truth. Your time starts now…
Review: Janice Hallett’s “The Examiner” is, as we’ve come to expect from her, a unique reading experience. Hallett remains the queen of the modern epistolary style; the story is told entirely through emails, text messages, transcripts, and official documents. Although this format is once again ingeniously crafter, this book managed to captivate me not as much as her earlier work, such as “The Appeal” and “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels”.
The book follows six students pursuing a master’s degree in Art at the University of Royal Hastings. Their project is closely monitored by an external examiner, who soon notices that behind the artistic expressions lies a web of jealousy, passive-aggressive emails, and a dark secret.
It remains impressive how Hallett can weave a complex murder mystery using only digital communication. It feels very relatable and modern. The tension among the group of students is, at times, delightfully uncomfortable. The passive-aggressive tone in the group chats is spot-on.
Unlike her other books, I found it difficult to really connect with the characters. This time, they felt more like “types” than real people, which made the final resolution less impactful for me. The middle section drags a bit and it takes a while before the true stakes of the mystery become clear.
“The Examiner” is a solid whodunnit for lovers of the genre and fans of Hallett’s distinctive style. It’s a cleverly constructed puzzle, but for me it lacked the urgency and sharpness that made some of her previous books so spectacular. A good read, but not a standout.
Rating: 3/ 5
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