The Killer Question

Hallett (The Examiner) continues to stretch the limits of the epistolary mystery in this playful tale of murder at a weekly trivia night. The Case Is Altered is a struggling pub on a British back road that relies on its quiz crowd to keep the lights on. When a new team shows up and trounces the regulars, accusations of cheating escalate until somebody’s found dead in a nearby river. This being a Hallett novel, much of the story comes together through trivia categories, WhatsApp messages, police interviews, and emails. The focus is on Dominic Eastwood, nephew of The Case Is Altered’s owners, who is pitching a true crime documentary to Netflix about an earlier tragedy at the pub. Those familiar with Hallett’s brand of puzzle-solving will have a ball piecing together the meticulously placed clues. Some choices—like the decision to list the pub’s trivia categories but not any questions or answers—feel like pulled punches, but for the most part, Hallett is at the top of her game. It’s a wickedly satisfying ride. Agent: Markus Hoffman, Regal Hoffman & Assoc. (Sept.)