A twisty turning mystery that keeps you entertained and thinking until the end. The author is great at letting small parts of the true “story” of the Alperton Angels come together slowly while a second story around the main character develops underneath it. This one does require some attention as there are lots of characters with double names and timelines to follow. Overall it was a lot of fun and I did enjoy it. I definitely great summer read if you like to puzzle.

Janice Hallett has done it again with a completely original mystery told in a unique way. Like her two previous novels she kept me guessing until the very end. There were parts that were a bit confusing because she’s telling the story from so many different angles, but overall I really enjoyed it. That ending is a doozy though!

💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels features two rival authors after desperately hunting down the same scoop. Amanda Bailey and Oliver Menzies have a history together, not necessarily pleasant. Yet they're about to be back in each other's orbit as the both investigate the whereabouts of a baby who survived a cult, the Alperton Angels, close to two decades ago.

The Alperton Angel cult brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. Eventually, the girl came to her senses and contacted the authorities for help. It was a huge case at the time, which garnered a lot of attention due to its sensational and bizarre circumstances. The Angels committed suicide, but the baby was free and survived. However, after that, the baby disappeared, their circumstances never made public knowledge.

Now that baby has turned 18, and the world is dying to know, where have they been all this time? What is the true story behind the Alperton Angels cult? And where is the baby now? Who have they become?

Amanda and Oliver, against their own inclinations, decide to collaborate in their baby research. If they both agree to focus on different aspects of the case, it shouldn't be a problem to both cover the case at the same time. In fact, it may actually be helpful, as each book could create more interest for the other. But the truth about the Angels is much more disturbing than they originally anticipated, putting them dangerously close to the heart of the story.

Janice Hallett has made quite the name for herself as the Queen of the Unconventional Narrative. Her books are always a journey, a truly a unique reading experience. As the Reader, you are supplied with all of the same documents a researcher may use when studying a real life case. You have access to things such as emails, text messages, news articles, and even transcripts from phone conversations.

These things are blended together in such a way that eventually helps to perfectly piece together the overall story. It's pretty amazing how well Hallett can build out a story using solely these mixed media elements. For me, her novels seem to work better via audiobook, but that's 100% personal preference. I have read one of her books physically, and it at times it seemed jarring, and occasionally, even a little boring. The other two I have listened to via audio, and because of the vibrant narration, have felt more pulled in and engaged with the story. This one in particular was fantastically executed via audiobook and I would recommend that format.

This story got pretty wild. I definitely wasn't expecting the direction it ended up going. Writing a novel in this format has got to be extremely challenging, but somehow Hallett nails it every time. I won't claim to have been able to follow every single detail of this. Hallett's stories are impressive in scope. There's a lot going on, and at times, it can feel chaotic. Regardless, this one was never dull. Fast-paced and intriguing the whole way through, this was a great time.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Hallett's uniquely-presented and impeccably-plotted Literary Mysteries will keep me coming back as long as she keeps cranking them out.

I can't wait to see what's next!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the book.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a tragic story about a cult that ended up with brutal deaths. This case inspired many books but no one knows the details and truth behind it. The true crime author Amanda and her rival/collaborator Oliver are trying to write new books on this case. As they go deeper in this story they realize how things were mysteriously different from what was reported before.

I love Janet Hallett’s writing style and how she manages to tell this incredible story with messages, voice records transcription, excerpts from books. As I reader I was taking this journey with the characters, the hints were there and it was easy to piece the puzzle together. I always look forward her books and they don’t disappoint.

Janice Hallet does multimedia storytelling like no one else. Sometimes I’m just in awe of how I’m learning about a character entirely through their texts and emails with others. I don’t think there is a finer example of show don’t tell than Janice’s books.

The story was intriguing and kept bringing me back to the page. I loved to hate Amanda Bailey and I have no doubt you will too when you read it.

A fun cult-story that I recommend to anyone who loves to get lost in a mystery!

I currently have a copy of this one on display in my library window. What a treat! I'll certainly be watching for more from this author and perusing her backlist as well.

There were so many times where I forgot I was still reading a crime thriller and not an actual paranormal horror novel. This is a great read that keeps you guessing constantly. As my second Janice Hallett novel, the Alperton Angels were different yet just as creepy as the characters in her debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future, especially because it seems her grasp of epistolary fiction is phenomenal.

Hallett’s way of crafting a mixed media mystery is just top notch. Her stories are always layered with multiple reveals, and include large cast of characters that are fun to follow, and this one was no different! Hallett is easily a new favorite author for me and I tore through this book.
This one even borderlines on horror in parts, with some seemingly supernatural/occult stuff that can get pretty gruesome. Another fresh and easily bingeable mystery from Hallett!

I really enjoy Janice Hallett's books and while this isn't my favorite of hers, I found the whole thing still be twisty and fun. I loved the Manson cult vibes of this story and appreciated the whip smart female protagonist here. I found the ending to be unexpected as well. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Janice Hallett is a literary genius. The way she is able to tell a coherent story through these documents is a special kind of magic and is one of the reasons why I keep coming back to the mysterious genre.

This book follows a search for a cult and the secret baby involved in its downfall. This book is full of twists and turns and jawdropping moments. While there were some moments that were confusing at the beginning while trying to keep track of everything that was going on, once I got a handle on the story, I flew through it. Even though it's a long book I got through it in a few days.

Janice Hallett will never cease to surprise me.

I was excited to read this one by Janice Hallett - I had heard good things about her books and I generally love books that use letters, email, etc. to tell the story. This did not grab me and I’m not sure why. There were a lot of characters to keep track of so maybe the format didn’t work and this would have been better as a narrative story instead of an epistolary style. The back and forth between relating what happened in the past vs. the investigation in the present may have contributed as well. There were also a lot of different formats - email, transcripts, scripts, etc. that made it hard to figure out how everything was tied together. While this one was not a favorite, I do plan to read more from Hallett.

Amanda Bailey is an accomplished true crime author assigned to her next case: The Alperton Angels. Eighteen years ago the cult of the Alperton Angels told a girl her baby was the antichrist and on the night of their ritual the plan fell apart and the cult members killed themselves. Now, Amanda is on the hunt for the baby, who will soon turn eighteen. However, Amanda isn't the only reporter on the case. Oliver Menzies, Amanda's former colleague and rival, is working on the Angels for a rival publisher. Amanda and Oliver are forced to work together to uncover the mystery of what happened to the Alperton Angels after they keep receiving conflicting reports, reach dead ends, and find dead witnesses. As they get closer to uncovering the truth about the Angels the danger from the cult and from learning the truth about what happened eighteen years ago puts both of their lives at risk.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was another great "found documents" mystery from Janice Hallett. The reader gets to examine the emails, texts, and interview transcripts from Amanda and try to uncover the truth alongside her. I found the book very compelling as Amanda keeps finding more and more creepy details and conflicting facts from the original case. The epistolary format was incredibly fun because it would just leave so many bread crumbs that you got the reward of piercing together later once more information is revealed. The central mystery had a surprisingly complex but very satisfying conclusion. The conflict between Amanda and Oliver really keeps the book moving and I enjoyed the surprises Hallett created for changing the perspective on a lot of what is presented in the book. It was very hard for me to put the book down. Highly recommend this for people who want a unique kind of mystery book or for people who want a little bit of horror elements in a mystery, since the book focuses heavily on a potential antichrist and the impact that could have on the world.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels in exchange for an honest review.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett is the latest in this series and did not disappoint. I adored the mixed media aspect of this book. It added to the storyline.

You know a story is compelling when you stay up far past your bedtime to finish it. I was dying to find out the truth of the Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels and I was not disappointed to find that it was complex and thrilling. I found the story to be unique and kept me interested, though the multi-media epistolary format was a bit challenging for me to follow, especially on kindle. This book definitely had me invested and I am sure to read more books by Janice Hallett.

Janice Hallett - either you love her style or you hate it, I happen to love these almost true file assortments of WhatsApp messages, phone transcripts, emails exchanges and the like, so 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!

Janice Hallett's mixed media writing structure really works for me. I enjoyed this story a lot from the beginning, but the reveals at the end really caught me by surprise in the best way. I did like the Appeal more, just because I felt like I followed that story more and got more connected to those characters. However, I enjoy all of Janice Hallett's books and still enjoyed this one a lot. This one felt more unsettling than her other work, which I really enjoyed. I will continue to pick up her books.

This is Hallett’s fourth novel, following The Appeal, The Twyford Code, and The Christmas Appeal. In all of these, as in this newest book, Hallett tells a story in her own way. This time, there are text/What’s App messages, transcriptions of meetings, emails, looks at websites and more. In this way, Hallett builds her story and allows it to unfold for readers in a true “show, don’t tell” manner. The result is an absorbing read and one that kept me riveted.

The Alperton Angels were a cult. There was a murder in which they were implicated as well as ritual suicides. There were only three survivors. One of these was a baby at the time and is turning 18 as the story opens.

Journalist Amanda is researching the Angels for a true crime book. The reader follows her as she tries to learn as much as she can. Along the way, this means that readers hear from police officers, social workers, other writers (especially Oliver), her transcriptionist and many more. Don’t forget to go back to the prologue. It sets everything up.

This is a book that keeps the reader engaged. It is easy to recommend it and Hallett’s earlier stories. I look forward to whatever she writes next.

In giving this book a starred review, Publishers Weekly states “Hallett’s fans and newcomers alike will relish this brilliantly constructed and eminently satisfying mystery. ” I concur.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 January 2024

This one gets a 2 because the overall mystery at the heart of it was intriguing, and the solution wasn't one I expected.

I have read a few books in this epistolary type of style, and enjoyed them, but I felt this book would have been better with a more narrative structure. I know this is just my opinion as duh all reviews are, but this style didn't work for me.

It was a bit too long, with many of the exchanges either repetitive or mundane.

A pile of old papers adds up to a shocking tale of group suicide among a bizarre religious sect in this thriller. True crime writer Amanda Bailey lands a deal to pen a book about the case of the Alperton Angels, a cult whose leader convinced them they were angels and must kill a child who's the Anti-Christ. Amanda's longtime frenemy Oliver Menzies is also working on a piece about the Angels, and their rivalry takes a disturbing turn when he gets too involved in the story. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is the literary version of a found-footage thriller, with letters, text messages, and pages torn from books telling the tale, and Janet Hallett's unique structure makes the story all the more exciting, as readers see the pieces come together to a startling climax. It could forever change the way you think about loyalty and faith.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, by Janice Hallett started strong. But the email writing became choppy and the story slowed. I unfortunately was not able to get through the book.

Thank you Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.