21 May 2025
The Examiner is Janice Hallett’s fifth Sunday Times bestseller. A clever mixed-media thriller full of twists, this is your masterclass in murder – out now in paperback.
Six students. One murder. Your time starts now…
‘Hallett is an absolute original, a complete one-off’ MICK HERRON
‘I love Janice Hallett beyond words‘ INDIA KNIGHT
‘A slice of genius’ LOUISE CANDLISH
Readers are fascinated by your writing process – with such complex books you’d think they’d take a lot of planning! But you’ve previously said you’re more of a pantser than a plotter, how do you manage to keep track of all the intricate threads and subtle clues as you write?
I like the first draft to be as free and experimental as possible, so I don’t keep detailed notes, just a pad beside me as I write. I’m supposed to jot down ideas so I don’t forget them, but usually I forget to read the notes back! The hard work begins after that first draft. When I read over what I wrote – sometimes months earlier – I’ll gradually reacquaint myself with the early part of the story and then make sure the beginning fits the ending that I only thought of when I got to it. It can mean quite a big re-write at that stage. The grass is always greener and I envy plotters who must surely have an easier structural edit than us pantsers.
The Examiner is set on a Multimedia Art course at the fictional Royal Hastings University. What inspired you to write a murder mystery among a cast of students?
I returned to education myself in my late 30s and took an MA in Screenwriting for TV and Film at Royal Holloway. I really enjoyed and appreciated the whole experience (the name of the fictional university in The Examiner is a tribute) but was struck even then by the potential pitfalls of the situation. You’re thrown into a competitive environment with a group of strangers, who are all embarking on the same intense journey for a strictly limited time. No one knows you, so it’s an opportunity to reinvent yourself, which can be liberating and cathartic. But at the same time, other people on the course may have reinvented themselves too – and given that everyone has a personal agenda, that’s a more sinister prospect…
Royal Hastings University is full of interesting characters, from hapless Patrick to ambitious Jem, not to mention the determined course leader, Gela. Which is your favourite character and why?
I love them all, but Jem has a special place in my heart. I’ve based her burning ambition on my own and I absolutely understand her focus on being successful at her chosen art. We gradually learn more about all the characters as we move through the story. Each has survived something and they’ve all dealt with it in different ways. Their individual stories affect how they each ride the perfect storm – the killer mystery at the heart of the story.
Across the academic year, the students tackle everything from sculptures to 3D drawings to binaural soundscapes. What kind of research did you do into multimedia art forms?
In The Examiner the students’ artwork provides vital clues to the mystery, as well as insights into their characters and backgrounds, so it was important to get it right. However, I was never exposed to high aesthetics growing up so failed to develop a natural understanding of or appreciation for things like fine art, architecture, sculpture or classical music. I’m a TV and pop music kinda girl whose favourite artist is Banksy, so for The Examiner I had to take a deep dive into the world of contemporary art. Luckily my two oldest friends from school are art teachers and one of their daughters is an art student now, so I had a ready-made source of information to hand. I visited a fascinating exhibition at The Design Museum in London too – Weird Sensation Feels Good: The World of ASMR – which was a great introduction to the art of sound.
Can you drop any hints about your next book…?
That’s the killer question! You don’t have to be a taskmaster or the weakest link to know a tenable answer – and in the chase to be a mastermind it would be pointless anyway. Still, the countdown has begun and for all you eggheads out there: have I got news for you! It’s on shelf in September 2025 – let’s hope it’s a blockbuster!
