Forget heists, kidnapping, murder, and malice aforethought. The ultimate tension for anyone living in dear old Blighty lies in the great British pub quiz. In this strict bubble of trivia, Google is banned, and all phones are put away well before the MC checks the level on his mic.
This tale begins with a family member making a pitch for a Netflix series on the whole story ahead before we are plunged into a whirlwind of WhatsApps, secret text groups, and pub quiz sheets.
In Janice Hallett’s ‘The Killer Question,’ a team called The Shadow Knights infiltrates quiz night at a rural boozer called ‘The Case is Altered’ and commits the ultimate quizzers’ crime: they keep winning.
The pub is fairly remote—you go past Morrisons and it’s on a road called Bell End!— so criminal behavior is as rare as a pickled egg without mustard.
All the publicans unite regularly via the Ye Olde Goats Brewery WhatsApp group, which comprise of all the other pubs across the region who compare quiz rules and standards. They also share hysterical one-star reviews thrown at their hostilities from disgruntled punters.
Meanwhile, we are taken back in time to a police investigation called Operation Honeyguide, where a tale of kidnapping, blackmail, and bribes all come into play while we still wonder what the questions will be for sitcoms of the 1970s and how to get two million pounds cash into the back of a Vauxhall Corsa?
The answer could lie with amiable landlord and landlady Mal and Sue, who have a shared history—a very crafty rug pull a quarter into the book— and suddenly find themselves back in the criminal spotlight after an unwanted customer is found murdered not a darts throw away from the pub.
Like in Hallett’s previous novels, we play voyeurs to her world of well-earthed characters who drop clues in an entertaining stream of consciousness, be it via police interview transcripts or witness statements; they all blend together in a perfect hotpot of intrigue.
This cozy crime novel, with its self-aware dialogue and intriguing premise, offers a refreshing take on the genre. It’s almost impossible to put down, and I still marvel at how the author weaves together seemingly random pieces of information into a cohesive narrative.
Since her debut, ‘The Appeal,’ in 2021, avid readers can’t get enough of playing the detective themselves as a new twist appears that you didn’t see coming, like spotting a leather clad biker choosing a Michael Ball track on the jukebox.
Every time I crack the spine of a new book, I hope to learn something. This novel is no exception, packed with fascinating trivia that will expand your knowledge and help you become the font of all knowledge at dull dinner parties.
If you’ve ever been hesitant to pick up a Janice Hallett book due to the patchwork of information rather than conventional chapters, I strongly recommend giving it a try. After just ten minutes in her company, you’ll likely become a high scorer and win on your next visit to the local quiz night.
However, I must warn you that winning too often can be murder.
‘The Killer Question’ is released in September 2025 by Viper.
Review Tony Fisher