Told in emails, text messages, and essays, this unputdownable mystery follows a group of students in an art master’s program that goes dangerously awry, from the internationally bestselling “new queen of crime” (Electric Literature) Janice Hallett.

Gela Nathaniel, head of Royal Hastings University’s new Multimedia Art course, must find six students from all walks of life across the United Kingdom for her new master’s program before the university cuts her funding. The students are nothing but trouble from day one.

There’s Jem, a talented sculptor recently graduated from her university program and eager to make her mark as an artist at any cost. Jonathan, who has little experience aside from running his family’s gallery. Patrick manages an art supply store, but can barely operate his phone, much less design software. Ludya is a single mother and graphic designer more interested in a paycheck than homework. Cameron is a marketing executive in search of a hobby or a career change. And Alyson, already a successful artist, seems to be overqualified.

When the examiner, the man hired to grade students’ final workssifts through the students’ final essays, texts, and message boards, he becomes convinced that someone is in danger…or already dead.

With her trademark “witty, original” (The New York Times) voice, Janice Hallett weaves a fresh and mind-bending page-turner that will keep you guessing until the final page.

About The Author

Gaia Banks

Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. She lives in London and is the author of The Examiner, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal, and The Twyford Code.

Product Details

Publisher: Atria Books (September 10, 2024)
Length: 480 pages
ISBN13: 9781668023426

Raves and Reviews

"Hallett’s unconventional novel proves both creative and astute. Dare we say it? A tour de force.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Hallett again proves to be a master of the dysfunctional-group dynamic, which she deploys first to comic and eventually more sinister effect… The Examiner is closer to the Saturday crossword puzzle than Monday’s; readers who are up for a challenge will find its complexity exhilarating.”
—Air Mail

“Were I twice as clever as I am now, I'd still be only half as clever as Janice Hallett. Everything she writes, almost impossibly, is original; think Agatha Christie, only more daring. In a century of photocopied crime novels, of been-there characters and done-that plot twists, her books feel urgently necessary; they sharpen the blunted brain like whetstones. If you want your fiction bold, witty, sophisticated, and fun, then stop reading this sentence and start reading Janice Hallett.”
—AJ Finn, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

"Gripping... Hallett builds intrigue with a cast of unreliable (though consistently intriguing) characters, which means the twists keep coming. Recommended for fans of academic mysteries and those who enjoy puzzle-within-a-puzzle mysteries such as Cara Hunter's Murder in the Family and Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders."
—Library Journal

"A remarkable book from a talented author and a good choice for readers who like the quirky and unusual."
—Booklist

“This utterly clever page turning novel will keep you reading until the very last page—this might be my favorite Janice Hallett book so far!”
—C.L. Miller, author of The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder

“Insanely readable. Hallett is an absolute original, a complete one-off.”
—Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses

“Another compulsive page-turner from Janice Hallett. Excellent fun! And at least three twists I didn't see coming.”
—Alex Pavesi, author of The Eighth Detective

“Cleverer and twistier than ever! This is Janice Hallett at her very best.”
—Elly Griffiths, author of The Locked Room

“Janice Hallett has done it again. The Examiner is a witty and clever whodunnit that will keep you gripped and guessing until the end. With a wonderful cast of memorable characters, and lots of unexpected twists, I couldn't put it down. Absolutely brilliant.”
—Alice Feeney, author of Daisy Darker