The Examiner: A Novel BY Janice Hallett

In Janice Hallett's gripping novel, told through a mosaic of emails, text messages, and essays, a seemingly routine master’s program in multimedia art spirals into chaos and danger. Professor Gela Nathaniel is under immense pressure to make her new program a success; its survival hinges on the performance of her six diverse students. The stakes are high, as Royal Hastings University threatens to cut funding if the course fails.

The students she’s assembled are a mix of personalities and motivations: a driven young sculptor aiming for top grades, a former gallery owner lacking artistic flair, a single mother more focused on financial stability than her assignments, a technology-challenged people pleaser, a burned-out marketing executive, and an overqualified artist whose presence raises questions.

As the academic year progresses, it becomes clear that the course is anything but ordinary. When the time comes for the examiner to assess the students’ final project, he is confronted with a chilling discovery: if someone from the course isn’t in immediate danger, they are already dead. The examiner’s investigation into the students' coursework, texts, and final essays reveals a web of intrigue and hidden agendas.

Nothing about this course is accidental, and each student harbors their own secrets and motives. Hallett’s innovative narrative style invites readers to piece together clues and unravel the mystery, as the line between success and catastrophe becomes increasingly blurred. This thrilling page-turner explores themes of ambition, deception, and the lengths people will go to achieve their goals.