The Examiner: A Novel By Janice Hallett

In Janice Hallett’s gripping novel, told through a collage of emails, text messages, and essays, the stakes are as high as the tension is palpable. University professor Gela Nathaniel is under immense pressure to make her new multimedia art master’s program at Royal Hastings University a success. With funding on the line, she has assembled a diverse group of six students, each bringing their own unique strengths and weaknesses to the course.

The students include a driven young sculptor aiming for top marks, a former gallery owner with questionable artistic prowess, a single mother who views the program as a means to an end, a tech-challenged people pleaser, a burned-out marketing executive, and a highly accomplished artist who seems overqualified for the program. As the academic year progresses, tensions simmer and conflicts arise among the group.

When the examiner arrives to assess their final project, he is confronted with a disturbing reality: if someone in the course isn’t in mortal danger, then they are already dead. The examiner must delve into the students' coursework, messages, and final essays to unravel the truth. Each piece of correspondence and every project reveal hidden agendas and personal motives, creating a complex web of intrigue.

Hallett’s novel blends suspense and mystery with a keen examination of human ambition and deception. As the examiner sifts through the evidence, readers are invited to piece together the clues and uncover the chilling outcome of this high-stakes academic experiment. 📚❤️