The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
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- Create Date：2023-01-21 07:51:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Janice Hallett
- ISBN：1800810407
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Summary
Open the safe deposit box。 Inside you will find research material for a true crime book。 You must read the documents， then make a decision。 Will you destroy them？ Or will you take them to the police？
Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult-like group who were convinced one of their member's babies was the anti-Christ， and they had a divine mission to kill it - until the baby's mother， Holly， came to her senses and called the police。 The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison， and Holly - and the baby - disappeared into the care system。
Nearly two decades later， true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels。 The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed - if Amanda can find them， it will be the true-crime scoop of the year， and will save her flagging career。 But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart， better connected， and is also on the baby's trail。
As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate， they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong， and the truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined。
This story is far from over - and it won't have a happy ending。
Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult-like group who were convinced one of their member's babies was the anti-Christ， and they had a divine mission to kill it - until the baby's mother， Holly， came to her senses and called the police。 The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison， and Holly - and the baby - disappeared into the care system。
Nearly two decades later， true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels。 The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed - if Amanda can find them， it will be the true-crime scoop of the year， and will save her flagging career。 But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart， better connected， and is also on the baby's trail。
As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate， they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong， and the truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined。
This story is far from over - and it won't have a happy ending。
Reviews
Amanda （The Book Geek Boutique）
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4。5/5
Marie
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I would let Janice Hallett step on me。 I would let her feed me baby food。 I would let her call me a weasel。I'm currently sad because I have now finished all of her books and now I'm at a loss。 The Alperton Angels was just as gripping - a story that is not what it appears to be。 A multitude of stories that converge so perfectly。 Please someone fucking read these books so I can gush over them with you。I would let Janice Hallett comb my hair。 I would let her use my breath and the ends of my shirt t I would let Janice Hallett step on me。 I would let her feed me baby food。 I would let her call me a weasel。I'm currently sad because I have now finished all of her books and now I'm at a loss。 The Alperton Angels was just as gripping - a story that is not what it appears to be。 A multitude of stories that converge so perfectly。 Please someone fucking read these books so I can gush over them with you。I would let Janice Hallett comb my hair。 I would let her use my breath and the ends of my shirt to clean her apple。 5/5 stars 。。。more
T。HiggsReviews
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5 StarsCAWPILE = 9。14
Evelyn Brown
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Review to come！ Read this in a day because I was literally unable to put this down
Amanda
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I was a huge fan of Janice Hallett's previous novels， but I have to say that Alperton Angels is by far my favourite！ There is something about this style of epistolary thriller that just works so well with her storylines， and combining this with both true crime and cult elements meant that I didn't stand a chance - I was hooked before I turned the first page！ A collection of texts， emails， transcripts and various other forms of communication are used to pull together all of the different strands I was a huge fan of Janice Hallett's previous novels， but I have to say that Alperton Angels is by far my favourite！ There is something about this style of epistolary thriller that just works so well with her storylines， and combining this with both true crime and cult elements meant that I didn't stand a chance - I was hooked before I turned the first page！ A collection of texts， emails， transcripts and various other forms of communication are used to pull together all of the different strands of the story but at the same time this keeps you slightly in the dark。 You can only gain so much information from a trail of texts so your mind starts racing， trying to fill in the gaps - the result is that as the reader。 you end up playing detective alongside the main character， which is always a lot of fun。 What I love the most about this book is that it is so clever - the book within a book trope is used not just once， but multiple times。 The main character， Amanda Bailey， is trying to find answers in a selection of books previously written about the Alperton Angels case， and these range from non-fiction and fiction to YA fantasy。 The way Amanda uses her knowledge of the case to pick out truth from these reimagined versions of the case is just brilliant。 I loved everything about this book。 It might only be January， but The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is already a serious contender for my top reads of 2023！ 。。。more
Victoria
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I read The Appeal last year on holiday and absolutely loved it， so when the opportunity arose to read this， I took it and I'm so glad I did as we are led into a new mystery brought to us by an innovator of the genre， Janice Hallett。 As brilliantly written as her previous books， TMCOTAA leads us again into emails， messages and correspondence to grab us by the shoulders and delve into a new mystery that brings these characters to life in a unique way once again。 I really appreciate howhow the auth I read The Appeal last year on holiday and absolutely loved it， so when the opportunity arose to read this， I took it and I'm so glad I did as we are led into a new mystery brought to us by an innovator of the genre， Janice Hallett。 As brilliantly written as her previous books， TMCOTAA leads us again into emails， messages and correspondence to grab us by the shoulders and delve into a new mystery that brings these characters to life in a unique way once again。 I really appreciate howhow the author develops these characteters through the layers of communication and writing throughout。 Plotwise， this book is certainly drags you in， from the first message you read， this book slowly lures you into a plot that twists and turns and bluffs you so well。 I think it's not as straightforward as her other books， however her ambition pays off here with a great story that makes you want to read it again to see what you missed。 A fantastic read， if you love a cosy mystery， this is for you。 。。。more
Matt
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I immediately want to read this again。 It's rather similar to Troubled Blood but as both books are about cold cases， they're bound to explore a lot of the same territory。 While Troubled Blood is the more satisfying read， this does boast a pleasingly higher body count。 I immediately want to read this again。 It's rather similar to Troubled Blood but as both books are about cold cases， they're bound to explore a lot of the same territory。 While Troubled Blood is the more satisfying read， this does boast a pleasingly higher body count。 。。。more
Megan Jones
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This is a welcome return to Hallett's unique and intense style of writing。 The book is told through WhatsApp messages， emails and transcripts and it makes for exhilarating reading。 I adore how Hallett writes her books， they are so thrilling and really draw you in。 For me this book was lacking a few more suspects but it is still a fantastic read。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy。 This is a welcome return to Hallett's unique and intense style of writing。 The book is told through WhatsApp messages， emails and transcripts and it makes for exhilarating reading。 I adore how Hallett writes her books， they are so thrilling and really draw you in。 For me this book was lacking a few more suspects but it is still a fantastic read。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy。 。。。more
Mel Pretorius
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I'm relatively new to the world of Janice Hallett but I love it！ Although a similar format in writing style to "The Twford Code"， "The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is less complicated in that you don't need to look for acrostics （thank goodness！）。Right from the start the story had me hooked。 It's amazing how well characters come across just through communication in WhatsApp messages and emails， unbelievably well。 It's a fascinating thing seeing how a true crime book is researched， wri I'm relatively new to the world of Janice Hallett but I love it！ Although a similar format in writing style to "The Twford Code"， "The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" is less complicated in that you don't need to look for acrostics （thank goodness！）。Right from the start the story had me hooked。 It's amazing how well characters come across just through communication in WhatsApp messages and emails， unbelievably well。 It's a fascinating thing seeing how a true crime book is researched， written and rewritten depending on what evidence comes to light。 Like her other books， this one is full of twists and turns。 Still undecided what I'd do！ 。。。more
Verity Halliday
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The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels follows true-crime author Amanda Bailey as she investigates the eighteen-year-old mystery of what happened to the survivors of a cult killing in 2003。 Janice Hallett has again used her clever technique of an unusual narrative structure and Amanda's investigation is told through messages， transcripts and research document， so the reader feels almost as if they're carrying out the investigation themselves。 An enjoyable story with plenty of twists and turn The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels follows true-crime author Amanda Bailey as she investigates the eighteen-year-old mystery of what happened to the survivors of a cult killing in 2003。 Janice Hallett has again used her clever technique of an unusual narrative structure and Amanda's investigation is told through messages， transcripts and research document， so the reader feels almost as if they're carrying out the investigation themselves。 An enjoyable story with plenty of twists and turns - is there a supernatural element， or maybe a very influential and manipulative criminal or perhaps just common corruption？This book was not quite as good （for me） as The Appeal or The Twyford Code， but it's still a must-read from one of the best mystery authors of recent times。 A recommended read。 。。。more
Emma Shaw
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You have a key that opens a safe deposit box。Inside is a bundle of documents， archived research material for a book that has just been published。You must read it all and make a decision， either:Replace all the documents and the box， then throw the key where it will never be found。。。Or: take everything to the police。 And so begins The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels。 A tantalising， eerie and intriguing story of secrets， lies， delusion， mystery and murder。 True-crime author Amanda Bailey is You have a key that opens a safe deposit box。Inside is a bundle of documents， archived research material for a book that has just been published。You must read it all and make a decision， either:Replace all the documents and the box， then throw the key where it will never be found。。。Or: take everything to the police。 And so begins The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels。 A tantalising， eerie and intriguing story of secrets， lies， delusion， mystery and murder。 True-crime author Amanda Bailey is asked to revisit the infamous case of the Alperton Angels， the cult who brainwashed a teenager into believing her baby was the anti-Christ and that God had charged them with sacrificing it in order to save humanity。 The girl managed to save her baby， but the Angles sacrificed themselves rather than face trial for their crimes， and the case has been surrounded by whispers of conspiracy and cover-ups ever since。 With the surviving baby about to turn eighteen， the race is on to secure the first interview， and Amanda is determined to get that scoop。 But she soon discovers discrepancies in the case and finds there is a wall of secrecy that surrounds the baby and it's teenage parents， all three of which have not been seen since that night。 It seems that everything people think they know about the Alperton Angels is wrong。 The truth is something much darker， stranger and more sinister than anyone could ever imagine。 And some people will do anything to prevent the truth from being revealed。"There's something about this case。 It burrows insidiously into your mind， then sets about changing it。" I had been in a reading slump for a while when I picked this up， hoping that this might be the magic story to break the curse。 And， boy， did it have the desired effect！ Tantalising， eerie and intriguing， I couldn’t get enough of this book and devoured it quickly。 It haunted my every thought and I’d be thinking about it even when forced to stop reading to do other things。 I even dreamed about it when I slept！ An absolute masterpiece， this was exactly what I needed to get me out of my slump。Janice Hallett is a true innovator in crime fiction。 She writes exclusively in mixed media， yet somehow you forget that you aren’t reading a traditionally written story。 She makes it flow seamlessly and I completely lost myself in the world that she created。 A world that feels so real。 I am not ashamed to admit that I turned to google to check if this was based on a real case。 It reads so authentically that it felt unfathomable that it could be purely a work of fiction。 Ms。 Hallett is a master storyteller who has created a story where nothing is as it seemed。 The plot is an intricate maze of secrets， red herrings， duplexities and double crosses that I challenge anyone to predict。 It is all so detailed and complex that it made my head spin， pulling me one way， then another， and then back again， like clothes spinning round a washing machine。 I have no idea how she manages to come up with it， let alone how she keeps all those balls in the air and plots the clues perfectly。 Yet it never feels confusing， which is a testament to her extraordinary skill as a writer。Dark， curious and forbidding， you will not be able to stop reading this book until you have a resolution to your questions。 And as the tension ramps up as you race to the finale， you will find yourself on the edge of your seat holding on for dear life as Ms。 Hallett takes you on a wild and twisty ride。 An absolute must-read for anyone who enjoys crime fiction。 。。。more
Emma
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All my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles。com/A new book by Janice Hallett is a very exciting prospect indeed。 The author has given the mystery genre a flipping good shake in the last few years with her mesmerising plots and different style of delivery。 If you’re not sure what I mean by ‘different style of delivery’ then please allow me to explain。 All three of Hallett’s books， The Appeal， The Twyford Code and now， The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels， have been told through the u All my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles。com/A new book by Janice Hallett is a very exciting prospect indeed。 The author has given the mystery genre a flipping good shake in the last few years with her mesmerising plots and different style of delivery。 If you’re not sure what I mean by ‘different style of delivery’ then please allow me to explain。 All three of Hallett’s books， The Appeal， The Twyford Code and now， The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels， have been told through the use of written communication。 So letters， emails， transcripts， social media messaging etc。 It provides a completely different experience for the reader， it’s so skilfully executed and I love what Hallett is doing。 The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a novel I have been looking forward to with bated breath for nearly a year now （since finishing The Twyford Code） and it delivered on every count…and many， many more。 Fasten your seatbelts， this is going to be a very enthusiastic review！Upon opening the book the reader is given a task。 In your hand you hold a key。 The key opens a safety deposit box。 Inside that box you will find comprehensive research material for a true crime book about the notorious Alperton Angels。 You’re asked to read everything and make a decision: 1） return the documents to the box and lose the key so it can never be opened again， or 2） take the documents to the police。 What will you do？True crime writer， Amanda Bailey， is looking for something completely different to cover。 When her agent suggests a book about the heart breaking case of the Alperton Angels from 2003， Amanda is sold。 The baby that was involved in the case （and was considered by the cult members to be the anti-Christ） is about to turn eighteen and can finally talk about the experience。 What a scoop that would be！ But Amanda is not alone in her search for the baby。 Oliver Menzies， an ex-colleague she has a strong dislike of， is also searching for the Alperton baby。 Forced to work together， they begin to realise that memories are fragile and often， people recall events very differently。 Every avenue they turn down leads to a dead end。 Every hint or clue they’re given turns out to be a dud。 Someone somewhere must know something and Amanda will do whatever it takes to discover the truth…The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is sublime in concept， execution and delivery。 Utterly intriguing， highly original and impossible to put down。 Yes， this book IS responsible for the dark circles under my eyes and yes， it’s because I chose reading over sleep！ I find there’s not a lot of choice to be had when the book is this bloody good！ As with previous books， I quickly became comfortable with the different style the story is presented in， powering through the pages， unable to tear myself away。 Once again， I appreciated the comprehensive list of characters near the front of the book disguised as an ‘interview wish list’ but found myself not referring to it so much this time around。 There was no need as I was able to bring to mind all of the characters with ease， their relationships to one another and their place in the story。 Which brings me around nicely to talk about the characters。 Amanda is a career driven woman who I often felt pushed others feelings aside for her own personal gain。 Saying that， she can’t be all that bad as her ex-assistant， Ellie Cooper， the woman tasked with typing up her audio transcripts， seems to have a real soft spot for her。 Ellie was my favourite character in the book。 Which is a strange thing to say as she really isn’t involved in any of the action。 Ellie does however add her own personal thoughts and observations to Amanda’s transcripts and there was a real warmth and fondness to her words which I very much enjoyed。 Ellie also brings a touch of humour。 I don’t know how Janice Hallett does it though。 How do you give the reader a real sense of your characters when all you have to make them come to life are a few emails and WhatsApp messages？ It blows my mind。 Janice， you’re a genius！Would I recommend this book？ I would， yes。 One million times over。 The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is devilishly good （geddit？ 😉）。 I’m a huge fan of books featuring cults and their enigmatic leaders so I was always going to love The Alperton Angels。 I just didn’t realise how much。 It’s an utterly intriguing story delivered by a master storyteller in their superb trademark style and I LOVED it。 Hugely creative， totally addictive and beautifully intricate。 You need this book in your life （and why not pick up the author’s first two books whilst you’re there？！）。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Sneha Pathak
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I was waiting quite eagerly for the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett， and the book was a hit on all counts。 Hallett has made a niche for a herself as a writer who writes mysteries/thrillers in a different style。 After The Appeal， and The Twyford Code， her third book is no exception。The story of the Alperton Angels comes to her readers in the form of the research done by true-crime author Amanda Bailey， who is writing a book on the two-decade old crime and the mystery surrounding it。 In fact， th I was waiting quite eagerly for the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett， and the book was a hit on all counts。 Hallett has made a niche for a herself as a writer who writes mysteries/thrillers in a different style。 After The Appeal， and The Twyford Code， her third book is no exception。The story of the Alperton Angels comes to her readers in the form of the research done by true-crime author Amanda Bailey， who is writing a book on the two-decade old crime and the mystery surrounding it。 In fact， the book opens with these lines:"Open the safe deposit box。Inside you will find research material for a true crime book。You must read the documents， then make a decision。Will you destroy them？ Or will you take them to the police？"And then we get the story of what happened all those years ago， drip by drip， through various transcripts， messages， e-mails etc。 The Mystery of the Alperton Angels keeps you hooked and ensures that you read till the end。 Definitely Recommended！ 。。。more
Claire
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I've been in a terrible reading slump since having long COVID， struggling to concentrate or become gripped by a story but this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go！ I've been so excited for this book because I loved both of the others and knew this one would be just as gripping。 I love the way it was set out and how the mystery was very slowly and tantalisingly revealed。 Brilliant！ Read it all in one day， could not put it down。 Will be waiting eagerly for more books from this author in future。 I've been in a terrible reading slump since having long COVID， struggling to concentrate or become gripped by a story but this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go！ I've been so excited for this book because I loved both of the others and knew this one would be just as gripping。 I love the way it was set out and how the mystery was very slowly and tantalisingly revealed。 Brilliant！ Read it all in one day， could not put it down。 Will be waiting eagerly for more books from this author in future。 。。。more
Gemloukay
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Another cracking book from Janice Hallett！ I was looking forward to this one after having read The Appeal and it didn't disappoint。 This time we're lead through the story by a true crime author writing her own story of a cold case and via a series of messages， I can't wait for the next Hallett book！I was provided this book for free in return for an honest review。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Another cracking book from Janice Hallett！ I was looking forward to this one after having read The Appeal and it didn't disappoint。 This time we're lead through the story by a true crime author writing her own story of a cold case and via a series of messages， I can't wait for the next Hallett book！I was provided this book for free in return for an honest review。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Zandra
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I kept hearing about The Alperton Angels for some weeks， so I was delighted to received an arc of this book。 It is written in the form of WhatsApp messages and emails from Amanda， a true crime author， to various people who were in the position to aid her with her story。 The Alperton Angels was a religious cult with Gabriel in charge。 He thought of himself as an Archangel and had two teenagers in his control。 The girl Holly had a baby， who they believed was the Antichrist。 The book tells their st I kept hearing about The Alperton Angels for some weeks， so I was delighted to received an arc of this book。 It is written in the form of WhatsApp messages and emails from Amanda， a true crime author， to various people who were in the position to aid her with her story。 The Alperton Angels was a religious cult with Gabriel in charge。 He thought of himself as an Archangel and had two teenagers in his control。 The girl Holly had a baby， who they believed was the Antichrist。 The book tells their story through these various e messages。 I didn’t guess the ending！ The format of the book wasn’t one I particularly enjoyed。 Several times during the first 30% of the book， I was going to leave it unfinished。 I’m glad I continued and ending up enjoying it。 I am grateful to NetGalley and Viper for the opportunity to read this very different book。 。。。more
Nicky
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I absolutely loved this book， another triumph by Janice Hallett who is fast becoming a firm favourite author。 I thoroughly enjoyed both The Appeal and The Twyford Code and this follows in style， rather than traditional narrative the book is made up of transcribed messages， texts， emails and so on。 If you are intrigued by the blurb or have enjoyed her other books then I highly recommend this one。 Really gets the little grey cells working！
Lydia Hephzibah
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Setting: EnglandRep: N/AJanice Hallett has done it again， another twisty turny mystery in another unique format that I can't get enough of！ The book isn't even out yet but my preorder arrived early and I devoured it in a day。 I love the use of mixed media （emails/transcripts/excerpts） - it's my favourite kind of book！ Setting: EnglandRep: N/AJanice Hallett has done it again， another twisty turny mystery in another unique format that I can't get enough of！ The book isn't even out yet but my preorder arrived early and I devoured it in a day。 I love the use of mixed media （emails/transcripts/excerpts） - it's my favourite kind of book！ 。。。more
Jessie
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4/4。5 - once again Janice Hallett has written a such a clever and intriguing crime novel。
Nicole
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 There's something about the way Janice Hallett lays out her stories that is bookish catnip to me。 Once started I really don't want to be parted from what's going on。 I think because they are set out in small emails & transcripts it's like spying。In this book two journalists are pitted against each other from different publishing agents， trying to find the baby who will be 18 years old， bag the story of what really happened to those involved with the Alperton Angels case where 2 teenagers saved t There's something about the way Janice Hallett lays out her stories that is bookish catnip to me。 Once started I really don't want to be parted from what's going on。 I think because they are set out in small emails & transcripts it's like spying。In this book two journalists are pitted against each other from different publishing agents， trying to find the baby who will be 18 years old， bag the story of what really happened to those involved with the Alperton Angels case where 2 teenagers saved the baby but the 'angels' died & one is in prison。Amanda is the key player we follow。 She's feisty & vulnerable at the same time， what happened in her past？ Her trusty transcriber Ellie has her own opinions & pops them in so I felt Amanda wasn't alone， indeed she goes to a couple of meetings that possibly aren't wise。Then those around the case start to die， coincidence or something sinister。 I felt I had to be careful reading it too。。。 Halfway through I knew what I would do with the evidence。 This is her best yet。 I was fully immersed & kept thinking I had to look up the case online where it actually is a work of fiction。 Very clever。 The clues are there if you dare to follow them。 。。。more
Em J
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What a brilliant book - from page 1 you need to buckle up and prepare to be the detective。 This is a unique way of storytelling for me， and my first Janice Hallett book - I'm definitely buying more！ The book is told through a series of whats-app messages， emails， research notes， scripts and book pages and the most brilliantly transcribed phone calls - Ellie who transcribed them is my favourite character， her little asides in the transcriptions were brilliant！Amanda Bailey is a best selling true What a brilliant book - from page 1 you need to buckle up and prepare to be the detective。 This is a unique way of storytelling for me， and my first Janice Hallett book - I'm definitely buying more！ The book is told through a series of whats-app messages， emails， research notes， scripts and book pages and the most brilliantly transcribed phone calls - Ellie who transcribed them is my favourite character， her little asides in the transcriptions were brilliant！Amanda Bailey is a best selling true crime author and is researching for a new novel which centres around the case of the Alperton Angels。 This is a small cult led by ‘Gabriel’ who convinces a young couple （Holly & Jonah） that their baby is the Anti-Christ and needs to be sacrificed - at the heart of this deception is the mystery that ends one night with a number of dead bodies， a missing baby， some confusion around the aftermath of the night of the sacrifice and two elusive teenagers。 At the time of Amanda's investigation the baby is just turning 18 and can legally tell their own story， and so Amanda wants to find the baby。 However， a past nemesis of Amanda's， rival writer Oliver Menzies is also picking up this story for his own book - and through circumstances beyond her control she now has to work with him， rather than compete to find the baby and unravel the mystery first。 I absolutely loved being part of the investigation， trying to dissect the facts from the fiction。 There were a few parts where I re-read the information to make sure I had totally understood what was happening/ what I was being told as parts of the unravelling of the truth - I was totally intrigued from start to finish。 For me， this was a clever and complex masterpiece of investigative storytelling。With thanks to NetGalley and Serpent Tail/ Viper/ Profile Books for the much appreciated arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
And On She Reads
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Let’s start off by saying that by this point， I’d read a shopping list by Janice Hallett。 It takes a lot for an author to become an ‘auto-buy’ author for me， but Janice managed it with one book， followed it up with a brilliant second， and then completely blew me away all over again with book three。The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels takes a unique twist on a mystery， in that the mysteries simply keep coming。 Each time you think you’ve unravelled a piece of the puzzle， a brand new puzzle p Let’s start off by saying that by this point， I’d read a shopping list by Janice Hallett。 It takes a lot for an author to become an ‘auto-buy’ author for me， but Janice managed it with one book， followed it up with a brilliant second， and then completely blew me away all over again with book three。The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels takes a unique twist on a mystery， in that the mysteries simply keep coming。 Each time you think you’ve unravelled a piece of the puzzle， a brand new puzzle presents itself。 It’s a sheer delight to get lost in， and I couldn’t put it down。 In fact I read most of it in one night， when an episode of insomnia had me awake…。 and Alperton Angels made me glad to be awake。I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I’d closed the book。 I think I sat around looking a bit like a koi for the rest of the week， my jaw having dropped to the floor and not recovered。 I’m writing this review over a month after finishing it， in fact， because I kept putting it off， trying to do it justice。 The simple fact is， there’s no easy way to describe both the book itself， and the sensation of reading it。 It’s an utterly individual， incredible read， that will leave you turning page after page， needing to unravel things。Each character is perfectly carved out， jumping off the page in vivid life to take you on a journey through the story， flying through the exchanges and preparing you for absolutely nothing that is to come。 You will notice clues， doubt yourself， double back， and be sure， only to find you are completely wrong。Janice Hallett has done it again。 Ultimately， this isn’t a book: it’s an experience。 。。。more
Artemiz
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Having read Hallett's book before， I knew it was going to be something different， something extraordinary。 And I was not disappointed。The entire book consists of WhatsApp messages and emails between Amanda and her agent， rival author Oliver， an assistant and other possible sources， as well as pages from the book， the film script and other relevant material。It all starts with Amanda thinking about writing a new book， and her agent reminds her that it's been eighteen years since the Alperton Angel Having read Hallett's book before， I knew it was going to be something different， something extraordinary。 And I was not disappointed。The entire book consists of WhatsApp messages and emails between Amanda and her agent， rival author Oliver， an assistant and other possible sources， as well as pages from the book， the film script and other relevant material。It all starts with Amanda thinking about writing a new book， and her agent reminds her that it's been eighteen years since the Alperton Angels case， which means that the baby involved in the story is now old enough to be questioned about the case， if only someone would know where this child is and where the two teenagers believed to be the child's parents are。But the reader knows nothing about this Alperton case， because they are thrown in the middle of these text messages and letters and excerpts from books。 So the beginning can be a little confusing， but patience pays off and soon the reader has as much information about this case as Amanda， and the author doesn't let the reader rush to the end。There are many irons in the fire at the same time - who was really the frontman of the Alperton Angels and what was behind this antichrist story， was this the first gathering of angels， or had they been active before， were the children involved voluntarily or is there something bigger at play here， who was this first victim of the Angels whose body was found later but who had been killed earlier， is Oliver really the new incarnation of the Angels or is there something else at play here and what happened to the children after that fateful night？Great read！ 。。。more
Kelly
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One of the things I enjoy the most about Janice Hallett’s previous books are that they are all epistolary， told through text and WhatsApp messages， emails， transcripts， and excerpts - and this one was no exception。 The story is centred around Amanda Bailey， who is racing bitter rival Oliver Menzies to a massive true crime story scoop - the Alperton baby。 Through the various messages and transcripts， we get a real feel for Amanda and Oliver as people， and what drives them。 We also come along for One of the things I enjoy the most about Janice Hallett’s previous books are that they are all epistolary， told through text and WhatsApp messages， emails， transcripts， and excerpts - and this one was no exception。 The story is centred around Amanda Bailey， who is racing bitter rival Oliver Menzies to a massive true crime story scoop - the Alperton baby。 Through the various messages and transcripts， we get a real feel for Amanda and Oliver as people， and what drives them。 We also come along for the ride， looking over the shoulder of the person opening that safety deposit box and reading these materials - why has this not been published？ Where is Amanda？ What is the truth behind the Alperton Angels？ And where is the Alperton baby？I was honestly glued to the page。 I love true crime， and this book was a fascinating take on what happens behind the scenes when researching a non fiction book （although hopefully the research is a little less wild than researching the Alperton Angels！）。 It was a little confusing at first， but it felt the confusing you’d feel if you’d opened up a bunch of materials and started reading。 It all started making sense as the threads started coming together， and it all felt very organic。 I am always impressed with how well Hallett uses epistolary writing to sketch her characters， create a real sense of tension， and drive the action forward。 This book is a definite five star read for me， and a must read for mystery lovers。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for providing me with a copy of this book。 All opinions are my own and freely given。 。。。more
Nick
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I was immediately sucked in by the format of this book which， like Janice Hallett's previous novels， takes the form of a collection of emails， texts， and other miscellanea pertaining to a criminal case。 This time around， it involves the deaths of several cult members who believed themselves to be angels。We follow Amanda， a ruthless journalist， as she delves deeper into the case in question。 Along the way， she must work together with an ex-colleague， who she has unresolved history with， and this I was immediately sucked in by the format of this book which， like Janice Hallett's previous novels， takes the form of a collection of emails， texts， and other miscellanea pertaining to a criminal case。 This time around， it involves the deaths of several cult members who believed themselves to be angels。We follow Amanda， a ruthless journalist， as she delves deeper into the case in question。 Along the way， she must work together with an ex-colleague， who she has unresolved history with， and this tenuous relationship also plays a key part in the present day action。I loved the format—it feels like you're snooping through these conversations which encourages you to come up with your own conclusions about the mysterious events and revelations that unfold。 At times， I did I question the inclusion of some of the material， particularly the extracts from a screenplay and novel， both of which are inspired by the case Amanda is investigating。 Thankfully， by the end you realise that everything is included for a reason and Hallett ties everything up nicely。I thought the case itself was interesting， creepy， and definitely mysterious。 I loved the pseudo-supernatural spin which could have been leaned into a bit more。 I love when there's a blurring between reality and the supernatural， where you're not quite sure what is what， but Amanda's cynism in this case definitely grounds the story。With that all said， this is a brilliant story and the final revelations felt realistic and not contrived。 Often with these kinds of crime thrillers， we end up with some melodramatic twist， but this one felt believable yet still kept me guessing。 I can't wait to go back and read more of Janice Hallett's work！Many thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free review copy in exchange for my honest unedited feedback。 。。。more
Hayley
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I really enjoyed this。My only criticisms would be that it's slightly too long and gets a *tad* convoluted towards the end。Overall another inventive story from Janice Hallett and I have enjoyed all of her books a lot。 I really enjoyed this。My only criticisms would be that it's slightly too long and gets a *tad* convoluted towards the end。Overall another inventive story from Janice Hallett and I have enjoyed all of her books a lot。 。。。more
Helen Precious
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Written in Hallett's trademark style of disjointed texts， emails， recorded conversations and book excerpts， the Alperton Angels pulls you in for the ride。An unsolved murder enquiry centring on a mysterious 'religious' cult garners attention from two writers of true crime fiction， who are jointly tasked with uncovering the truth behind the so called 'Angels' and the whereabouts of the missing baby at the centre of the sacrifice。 Rather than a straightforward narrative， Hallett's style encourages Written in Hallett's trademark style of disjointed texts， emails， recorded conversations and book excerpts， the Alperton Angels pulls you in for the ride。An unsolved murder enquiry centring on a mysterious 'religious' cult garners attention from two writers of true crime fiction， who are jointly tasked with uncovering the truth behind the so called 'Angels' and the whereabouts of the missing baby at the centre of the sacrifice。 Rather than a straightforward narrative， Hallett's style encourages the reader to experience the evolution of the case alongside Amanda。 Who can be trusted and why are there points of contradiction？ Why would the establishment be resistant to the investigation and who are they protecting。。Enough twists， turns and revelations to keep most readers hooked。。。even the smallest detail can be vital！ 。。。more
Mary Picken
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You have to wonder who put Janice Hallett’s brain together。 Reading one of her novels is like going down the rabbit hole and finding a warren of tunnels that cross and divert and lead you round in circles until you’re not sure which way is up。What you will know， quite quickly though， is that our protagonist， Amanda Bailey， is absolutely ruthless。 Her training as a journalist has helped her to understand what to say in order to get what she wants and she will say anything she has to in order to g You have to wonder who put Janice Hallett’s brain together。 Reading one of her novels is like going down the rabbit hole and finding a warren of tunnels that cross and divert and lead you round in circles until you’re not sure which way is up。What you will know， quite quickly though， is that our protagonist， Amanda Bailey， is absolutely ruthless。 Her training as a journalist has helped her to understand what to say in order to get what she wants and she will say anything she has to in order to get the information she needs。The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is comprised of a series of emails， recordings and telephone calls transcribed by Amanda’s assistant， Ellie Cooper， alongside WhatsApp messages and sometimes even snail mail。Amanda has been commissioned to write a true crime book about an old case – that of The Alperton Angels， a group of people widely believed to be part of a cult， who died， allegedly committing suicide， while plotting to kill a baby they knew to to be the Antichrist。 The baby survived as did the alleged cult leader， known as Gabriel， who is now serving a prison sentence。Janice Hallet’s book is about the research that Amanda Bailey undertakes to find the baby who is now 18， and in the process to understand what happened to all those involved in the case。 To make matters morecomplex， Oliver Menzies， who trained in journalism with Amanda， is also writing a book that deals with this case。 The two negotiate through their agents to ensure that they collaborate on the information， but take decidedly separate angles to the case so as not to overlap。Janice Hallett’s superpower is to give you lots of information that should let you understand what’s going on， but which also often diverts you down another tunnel in the warren until you’ve followed your tracks so often you realise that you’ve turned a perfect circle and have in fact been chasing your own tail。Sometimes you are blinded by too much information， occasionally Hallett slips in a critical clue but you really do have to be eagle eyed to spot it in the morass of information she offers。She’s brilliantly funny though on some of the people who become obsessed with true crime and religiously follow every cough and spit of new information。 （Disclaimer: I fell down my own rabbit hole with the BBC’s Death in Ice Valley）Sometimes as a reader you lift your head to wonder quite how so many people can be sucked in， but we understand the charisma exuded by cult leaders and how they instinctively know who is vulnerable and open to suggestion – especially those who feel the need to belong。Verdict: The Alperton Angels is a really fiendish puzzle which gives the reader a great deal of tension alongside some brilliant characters。 There’s food for thought about the kind of judgements we make on a daily basis and some clues to understand where our moral compass lies。 It is a rip-roaring read and offers both some strong commentary on the male/female dynamic alongside a wry and challenging look at the true crime genre。 。。。more
Eva
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Nope， no happy ending here。 Not for your brain either because that's just going to explode into such a big pile of mush that you'll forget your own name。'The Mysterious Case of The Alperton Angels' opens with instructions for the reader。 You will be handed research material that has been used to write a book about， you guessed it， the case of the Alperton Angels。 At the end， you will have a choice to make。 Hand whatever you've read over to the police or shove it all back into a safety deposit bo Nope， no happy ending here。 Not for your brain either because that's just going to explode into such a big pile of mush that you'll forget your own name。'The Mysterious Case of The Alperton Angels' opens with instructions for the reader。 You will be handed research material that has been used to write a book about， you guessed it， the case of the Alperton Angels。 At the end， you will have a choice to make。 Hand whatever you've read over to the police or shove it all back into a safety deposit box and make the key disappear forever。 Intriguing doesn't even begin to cover it。Who are the Alperton Angels， you ask？ Nearly two decades ago， there was a cult whose members thought they were angels。 They were convinced one of their members had given birth to the antichrist。 There was no other solution but to kill this baby。 Luckily， the mother came to her senses just in time and notified the police。 Some of the remaining cult members slit their own throats， one ended up in prison， and the baby and its mother disappeared into the care system。 Now that baby turns eighteen years old and can finally be interviewed。 If it can be found， that is。 Enter Amanda Bailey， a true-crime author whose flagging career desperately needs a scoop。 It is her research the reader will be diving into to try and make sense of this mysterious case， and it is her path the reader follows as she hunts for the truth alongside her rival， Oliver。This story is told entirely through various documents。 Emails， texts or WhatsApp messages， transcriptions of interviews Amanda has with people who were close to the case， 。。。 In that respect， it harks back to Hallett's debut 'The Appeal' as it gives the reader the opportunity to get stuck into things， trying to put together the pieces of this incredibly complicated puzzle。 But！ I dare say 'The Mysterious Case of The Alperton Angels' is even better。 Massively addictive and a true page-turner， this book will have you going around in circles like mad。 Sometimes it feels as if you're being led down a rabbit hole and it's taking all your effort not to stray from your path， but to keep your head down and to keep searching for the truth。 It's a layer that acts like any cult would， I suppose， and it's so incredibly cleverly done that I almost missed it。 Or maybe I just imagined it。 Cults are inventive that way too， aren't they？ I will not say any more for fear of saying too much。 Read it， enjoy it， decide what you will do with this information that's found its way into your lap。 I will be truly impressed if you're able to predict the outcome。 Despite a few moments where I thought I had a tiny inkling， I could never see the full picture。 Sublime crime fiction once again from Janice Hallett， who keeps coming up with delightful new ways to tell a mystery story。。 I have no doubt 'The Mysterious Case of The Alperton Angels' will end up on my favourites list in December。 It's just that good。 。。。more
Hilary Mortz
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