I have yet to meet a Janice Hallett book that I was able to put down before finishing it and I'm so glad that The Examiner continued that trend. Full of Hallett's usual dry wit and a mystery that I can never guess the extent of until the end, The Examiner is yet another jewel in her "Queen of Mystery" crown. This mystery follows an MFA class that the teacher is desperately trying to get off the ground with 6 handpicked and varied students that seem to not quite fit the brief of the program. As the students are thrown into close proximity in the studio and required to work as a team on a stressful project, tensions rise and someone (maybe) disappears. Told through Hallett's usual medium of emails, texts, and group messages the story takes turn after turn as we uncover the snares of relationships and motivations that our seven main characters attempt to keep hidden and the titular external examiners attempt to bring to the light. 

Overall, this book was a twisty and humorous joy with deep character lines and enough intrigue to keep this book in my hands and my butt in a seat for 5 hours straight until I finished. I cannot recommend it enough and cannot thank NetGalley enough for providing me with the ARC!