Whodunnit? – The Appeal by Janice Hallett

It is difficult to review a book if you are not sure what happened in it. This is where I stand with Janice Hallett’s whodunnit concerning the murder of Samantha Greenwood. The Appeal is not so much a story as a very long puzzle. As such it would have helped if the answer, as in those puzzles in the Sunday papers, was printed on the final page. Anyway, unsure if my guess is correct, I find myself rather frustrated after four hundred odd pages of careful (although clearly not careful enough) reading. So instead of a review this is a request for clues from those who are sure they have figured it all out.  First, let me explain where I was left at the end – then hopefully someone nudge me towards what I missed.

I assumed that somewhere in all these texts and e-mails there would be proof-positive of the guilty party. But if it’s there I didn’t find it. I saw quite a few clues that to me pointed to one person. Nothing though that would stand up in a court of law. Part of the problem is, as QC Roderick Tanner himself noted, that what is written in all this correspondence need not necessarily be the truth. Are we actually meant to be able to come up with one culprit or is ambiguity part of the game ?

So, I think the justice system got it wrong – an innocent person is in jail. I won’t say exactly why because I don’t want to give too much away until I hear some other ideas. But the only real clue, it seemed to me, comes down to two texts which contain the same phrase ‘sixth sense’. There is also an exchange of messages between James Hayward (eventually jailed as the guilty party) and Isabel Beck on July 5 (after the murder but before the body is discovered) that seems to me to prove he is innocent. Or am I mis-reading this?

One other thing that bothered me but that I never resolved. James’ announcement of the birth of his twins spells his name wrong – Haywood not Hayward.  Meaning ???

Anyway can people first post up what they think are the key clues to see if we can all get to the right answer ? Once we are agreed on that we can add comments.