I absolutely loved Janice Hallett’s “The Appeal,” but was so-so on “The Twyford Code.” I was curious where I’d land on this one, and I’m glad to say that I really liked it! The twists and turns had me glued to the pages until the very end. The one thing I’d say is that this book does require some patience. I was happy to stick with it even when I was confused because I was pretty sure the payoff would be worth it, and I was right! I flew through this book; I couldn’t wait to see how it all came together.

One thing that really worked for me was Hallett’s use of Ellie, who transcribes Amanda’s work throughout, as sort of a stand in for the reader. Ellie works through the mystery as we do and provides insight throughout the narrative. I thought this was a very clever way to fill in the gaps!

I would like to read this book again in hard copy. This is very much a “me” problem, but when I read e-ARCs I sometimes struggle with flipping back and forth. I think this book would work best in traditional print. I really enjoyed it, but I think I would have felt more confident that I completely understood it had I been able to easily flip back and forth between pages as the pieces comes together in the last 20(ish) percent of the book.

All in all, I highly recommend! Also, make sure to read the Acknowledgments, which I found very moving. And if you enjoyed the cult angle, I recommend reading “Cultish” by Amanda Montell, which Hallett makes mention of both in the text of the book and in the Acknowledgments.

I have “The Christmas Appeal” sitting on my shelf and am very much looking forward to reading it in December :)

I really enjoyed The Appeal and the Christmas Appeal, but this book did not work for me. I was excited to read another compelling mystery in the same format of correspondence as The Appeals, but this story was too convoluted, repetitive, and so long and drawn out, I would have appreciated an amended story that was more straight to the point and faster paced. If you have not read The Christmas Appeal, I highly recommend it…so interesting and entertaining!

Thank you very much to Atria books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I got about 20% into this and, unfortunately, I need to pump the breaks. I enjoyed Janice Hallett's other book, The Appeal, and her use of the epistolary format to tell a story. However, this book felt like all the bad things about The Appeal and none of the good. Mostly because I felt that the storytelling method just didn't work well for this plot. It was way too disconnected and made me as the reader feel too distanced from the characters. Which, considering I'm reading all their personal correspondence, shouldn't be possible. I think I'd still like to give Janice Hallett one more go, I've heard great things about The Twyford Code, but this wasn't for me.

I love Janice Halletts book,the characters her unique way of telling her story. The emails the texts make the books a fun read.There are always twists and turns and plenty to guess.#netgalley #atriabooks.

I had so much fun with this twisty mystery, written in Janice Hallett's signature unique 'mixed media' style! Through WhatsApp messages, interview transcripts, excerpts from screenplays and novels, newspaper clippings, handwritten notes and more, we follow true-crime author Amanda Bailey on her mission to get to the bottom of what happened during the case of the Alperton Angels that occurred about 18 years prior.

The group that came to be known as “the Alperton Angels” was a cult led by a charismatic leader that ended up at the center of a tragedy involving multiple dead bodies, two surviving teenagers and their baby, and lots of unanswered questions. Amanda has found herself at the start of a new book that depends on finding the baby involved in the case, who is now an adult. To complicate matters further, a fellow author Oliver Menzies has also been commissioned to write a book on the same case, and now they must find a way to work together, even if they don’t trust each other. Amanda is dedicated and determined, with a keen eye for perception and a sense of fearlessness that propels her into the eye of the storm, and as she uncovers all the details, Amanda learns that this case is darker than she ever could have dreamed.

This was a super ambitious and masterfully plotted story, full of well-developed characters. The plot was meticulously multi-layered with lots of twists and turns, and quite a large cast of characters to keep up with as well, but I honestly never felt lost. I feel like this was perhaps the most complex of Hallett’s novels to date, but it was almost certainly my favorite of hers! It was just so propulsive, so twisty, and the feeling of finally seeing how everything was going to come together in the end was addictive. It was so much fun to read, and I wish I could experience it all again for the first time!

All in all, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was a super fun, dark, and sometimes humorous ride, and Hallett’s best yet in my opinion! Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a wild ride and just what I have come to expect from Janice Hallett.

Like her other books, this book is told entirely in text exchanges, emails, transcripts, and articles. I love this format, I find it so unique and engaging and think that Janice Hallett does it so well in all of her books.

Author Amanda Bailey is working on her next book, exploring the Alperton Angels -- a cult that gained notoriety almost 20 years prior due to several murders and lots of unanswered questions. As Amanda researches more she unravels more and more mysteries and takes the reader on quite a journey.

This book has so many twists and turns and ultimately I enjoyed how it all came together and ended, It's a more complex story than her past books, and kept me engaged and needing to know what was going to happen.

This book deals with some heavy topics as well -- not only cults, but the foster care system and emotional abuse and manipulation.

Janice Hallett has quickly become an automatic read for me and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

The cult that brainwashed a girl and she later contacted the police about the Alperton Angels. Amanda, a true crime writer, is writing a book years later about what really happened and finds out the truth is much stranger than reported. Interesting mystery worth reading.

Instagram post and goodreads review will both be linked shortly!

4.5 stars!

When I finished this, I just thought to myself ‘what did I just read…” but in the best way!! This was a WILD ride and I loved it all. The mixed media was an awesome way of telling this story. I remember a similar writing style from when I read this author’s The Appeal (which I also enjoyed!)

There were a few slow parts but they’re necessary for the story as it all comes together.

I would highly recommend this one!

Oh man I really enjoyed this. Hallett's book The Appeal was such a good one, and this one dug even deeper into to that style conceit, using text messages, emails, conversation recordings, and more to tell a twisty story that really had me unable to put this one down. It's a totally different take on a cult story than anything I've read before as well.

I really don't have any complaints here - this was just a great read done uniquely and well.

My thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

Amanda Bailey is hoping to revive her career as a true crime author, and what better way to do so than to cover the Alperton Angels case from 18 years earlier? After all, a lot of questions remain about the cult responsible for brainwashing a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ, the most important question being where said baby is now.

Unfortunately for Amanda, her longtime nemesis Oliver Menzies is also covering the case for his own book, and they are going to have to collaborate. As they do their research, they realize the story is a lot more complicated than they originally thought and the deeper they dig the darker the consequences. Both find themselves consumed by their own demons as they do their research.

Like Hallett’s other works, this is an epistolary novel. Through the various emails, text, and documentation the reader is given pieces to the puzzle of the Alperton Angels case while also learning a lot about Amanda’s ruthless nature. She is willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the story, as well as get her own personal revenge on Oliver.

As a fan of Hallett’s work The Appeal (and the novella follow-up The Christmas Appeal), I was excited to read her latest. While I enjoyed it and found the plot interesting, I found The Appeal more fun to read. I think this is because The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is mostly told from Amanda’s point of view, and she is not the most likable of characters. Her need for revenge and to be the best often overshadows the mystery itself. Thankfully Ellie, Amanda’s assistant responsible for transcribing her notes, adds a bit of personality to Amanda’s ultra-serious persona, which is reminiscent of the subtle humor found in The Appeal.

Overall, while this was not my favorite of Hallett’s, this is a compelling mystery for fans of both the author and the epistolary style.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.

I wasn't a fan of The Twyford Code so I began reading this cautiously, not sure if I would like or dislike it.

First, I'm not a fan of narratives that are written as text messages, articles, emails, chats, etc. It's not easy to organize or format and it does make for a fast read but you don't get character development, you don't know who the main characters are and what their motives are.

But, I got quickly drawn into the mystery of the Alperton angels as Amanda's investigation deepened.

The clues were there, it was confusing (in a good way) and kept me guessing.

The mystery was good, explanations made sense and the mystery resolved. Or is it?

I liked Amanda; she was dogged, determined, and tough as nails, not to mention smart and self aware. I also liked how she got back at Oliver. I do love some vengeance in the books I read.

But the purpose of the story, I think, is how fragile and vulnerable people are, that anyone can be a victim, young or old, no matter your race and gender, whether it be the butt of a practical joke gone horribly wrong or caught in the spell of a charismatic predator.

I really enjoyed this more than I expected, which is great. It's so hard to find good books to read nowadays.

In 2003, there was a cult known as the Alperton Angels. Led by a man known as Gabriel, the group believed themselves to be angels with the task of killing a baby, which they believed to be the antichrist. They end up failing their mission, and most of the group kills themselves.

Now 20 years later, journalist Amanda is working on a book where she needs to put a new spin on an old murder mystery but soon finds herself over her head and learning more than she bargained for

Janice Hallett is one of my favorite authors. I loved The Appeal and The Twyford Code even more. I love how her books present evidence for you in the form of emails and text messages for you to uncover a story. I felt like I had a hard time keeping up with everything being thrown at me at times, but Hallett typically does a good job at answering all (in this case most) of the readers questions. Overall, I did like this story about cults, charismatic readers, justice, and secrets.

Janice Hallett has done it again! This book was incredible and I couldn’t put it down.

This mixed media mystery is so twisty and turny and kept you guessing. I loved the premise of a case of evidence and it delivered. Hallett has a way of maintaining a cadence that keeps you intrigued but is never rushed. If you liked the Appeal, you’ll love this! What a tremendous third novel.

Another interesting story told through emails and text messages. There are lots of characters, views on what happened, and twists and turns that will keep you guessing.
Amanda Bailey is writing a true crime book and is looking to gather insight on the events that happened. The story is told through her interactions with those involved during the case. A look at how people remember and see things differently, and how certain stories never leave you.
It did take a bit to get into and seemed a little drawn out at times but was able to hold my attention and keep me intrigued enough.

I love all of Hallett's books and how all the pieces of information come together. It is amazing the story that can be told through text messages, emails, and transcribed meetings.
Such a good book!

Really enjoyed this book and the previous book from Janice Hallett I have read. The style its written in makes you feel like a part of the mystery and makes it such a fast read. There were plenty of twists and turns and a lot I was surprised by. Would definitely recommend 4 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, twisty mystery that was difficult to put down. I loved the multimedia format of this one, and I look forward to going back to the author's backlist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy.

Amanda Bailey, a crime writer is determined to find the Alperton baby. Trouble is that the baby along with two teenagers who survived a horrific mass suicide are nowhere to be found. Social services must’ve changed their names or hidden them so far away that no one who is still alive seems to be able to help Amanda. 18 years have gone by, and Amanda is only hitting dead ends. To make matters worse her publisher wants her to work with Oliver Menzies, another writer, who Amanda has a history with, and it’s also writing a book about the same story.
Amanda and Oliver, along with Ellie (a transcriber) work together to try and find a baby. Soon though the facts don’t seem to make sense, and Amanda starts to fear for her life. What really happens all those years ago and will we ever find out what happened to the baby? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
It’s a clever way of telling the story. If you read any of the authors previous books, you know it will be told through emails, texts, interviews, and messages. I did not expect how it ended. There was quite a bit more going on than I guessed. I didn’t like it as much as The Appeal, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Janice Hallet is forever an auto buy author for me. Like The Appeal, the use of mixed media to weave a story that makes you feel like you are in the book experiencing the mystery. The puzzle solving and complexity or this book was brilliant. My attention was captured from page 1.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a gripping tale that delves into the sinister depths of a true crime mystery. This novel, written by Janice Hallett, masterfully weaves a narrative around a notorious cult and the eerie disappearance of a mother and her child. The story revolves around Amanda Bailey, a true crime author seeking to revive her career with the Alperton Angels case. The premise is not only intriguing but also highly relevant in today's world of true crime fascination.

As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary true crime investigation. The author keeps readers on the edge of their seats as Amanda Bailey and her rival, Oliver Menzies, are compelled to collaborate, thrust into a labyrinth of dark secrets and unexpected twists. The complexities of their partnership add an extra layer of intrigue to the narrative.

The novel's strength lies in its ability to paint a vivid picture of the enigmatic Alperton Angels and their chilling manipulation of a vulnerable teenager. The author's portrayal of the cult's disturbing beliefs and actions is both thought-provoking and spine-tingling. Additionally, the character development of Amanda and Oliver is well-executed, making them relatable and engaging.

The gradual revelation of the Angels' secrets keeps the reader captivated, and the book masterfully blurs the line between truth and fiction. As Amanda and Oliver venture deeper into their investigation, they risk becoming entangled in the very story they seek to uncover, adding an element of danger and suspense that holds the reader's attention until the very end.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a must-read for true crime enthusiasts and fans of thrilling mysteries. It offers a haunting glimpse into the darker facets of human nature and the consequences of obsession. The narrative is compelling, the characters are well-drawn, and the plot is intricately layered. This book is a compelling journey into the heart of a chilling mystery that will keep readers turning pages late into the night.