The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

"Funny, the closer you get, the further away you are."

If you haven't picked up a [a:Janice Hallett|20523461|Janice Hallett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1641132243p2/20523461.jpg] story, YOU NEED TO! The books area always an experience. They are puzzles - where you are given pieces through text messages, emails, phone call and recording transcriptions and other unique items. You don't just read the story, you are fully immersed and you are tasked with solving the mystery.

This is my 3rd read from this author and I've loved every one. In this one, you are along for the ride as a journalist, Amanda, researches an old case for a new true crime book. A story about a gruesome night when the police stumbled on a girl covered in blood show more with a baby in a bag and a building of dead bodies in what looks like a ritualistic cult suicide.

I loved the characters in the story. You wouldn't think you'd get to know them so well but you do because you see their little chat exchanges and little messages. You see the ups and downs of the research as well as the dead ends. You see strings and you wait for Amanda to link them to a conclusion. You are just as much a part of the team as Ellie, her transcriber, is. As the story shaped it's self around 50%, I was completely sucked in and was not stopping until I knew the answers. I loved the twists, never guessed the turns, and am amazed at how well crafted the reveals and ending were. I love that I'm done but sad I don't have another of [a:Janice Hallett|20523461|Janice Hallett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1641132243p2/20523461.jpg] to immediately start reading. I'll definitely be looking for her next release!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less

Having just finished The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins I was looking forward to Janice Hallett’s latest foray into a book written by way of emails, texts, WhatsApp Messages, news articles and such. She is so clever and often laugh-out-loud-funny. I was totally unprepared for this story which I did not put down until I had finished it. Yep, one afternoon, no getting up not even to make a sandwich or have a yogurt. While this was not what I had expected it was so much better.

It involves a cult, three men and two teenagers who believe they are angels in human form, planets aligning for the first time since July 16, 1623, “a phenomenon known as a Great Conjunction”, a kidnapping, multiple mutilated bodies, another unexplained death and show more two writers trying to be the first to unravel what actually happened. The missives fly, between the writers, their agents, their editors, those on the Interview Wish List - lots and lots of characters who are involved in some capacity. There are amateur detectives, members of a murder club, social workers, police officers and a few nefarious people that will need sorting. This is sheer brilliance and Janice Hallett has become an “I will read anything she writes” author.

I want to thank Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for a copy which I loved and devoured. show less

Janice Hallett excels at using emails, transcripts, and other similar devices to tell her innovative stories. I enjoyed The Appeal and The Twyford Code, and now the queen of the quirky format is back with her third book, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.

The book begins with a dilemma. There is a key to a safe deposit box which contains the research material carried out by Amanda Bailey for her book about the Alperton Angels. By the end of the book, a decision must be made. Should the material be buried or handed over to the police? Amanda is a true crime writer researching the Alperton Angels which is a well-known case about a cult who made a teenage girl believe her baby was the anti-Christ and that the baby must be show more killed.

Luckily for the reader, Amanda is diligent about recording and transcribing EVERYTHING to do with her research which means we get to see it from all angles: her formal requests for information, the way she tries to wheedle details from former associates (methods which sometimes felt a bit grubby), conversations and texts between her and her rival author, Oliver, and so on. Hallett does a brilliant job of making it seamless and not forced. I will say that I found it quite complicated at times and if it wasn't fiction then I would have had to make copious notes, but it's also a very easy book to be swept along with and to just enjoy as a piece of VERY creative writing.

I'm not generally a fan of books made up completely of letters, emails etc but Hallett has nailed it once again and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. show less

A true crime author, Amanda Bailey, decides to revisit the case of the Alperton Angels. The Angels were a cult that convinced a young girl and her boyfriend that their baby was the anti-Christ and needed to be sacrificed. The girl called the police and she and the baby were rescued and subsequently disappeared. Amanda believes that finding the baby who is now about to turn 18 is the perfect angle for he book.
Amanda isn't the only one with the idea. Fellow author Oliver Menzies has the same plan. He and Amanda share a complicated history, but their publishers decide they should work together on the story.

Digging into the events they discover that there is still a lot of mystery surrounding what happened beyond the fate of the mother and show more baby. Recollections of witnesses to the events don't always agree on details. Not all are eager to share what they remember. As they delve further into the story it seems there still is some danger surrounding the Alperton Angels, and maybe not everyone wants to know the truth.

Janice Hallett tells her story through WhatsApp messages, transcripts of recorded conversations, and draft chapters for the proposed books. There is a lot to keep track of. The nature of the messages and conversations keep the story moving propulsively forward. Twists and turns along the way keep readers constantly on their toes. Hallett does a masterful job at creating both mood and suspense. The story never flags and the ending comes at you like a freight train. This is a great story sure to please fans of mystery and suspense.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less

What a dark tale! This is a marvelous exploration of human emotions: manipulation, control, revenge, fear and greed. It works on several levels: the animosity between Amanda and Oliver; the human propensity for falling prey to conspiracies (an ever-relevant topic); as well the mystery itself that holds a few layers.
There were times where I felt that the format was contrived, although it makes sense in the end. Certainly it presents elements in a non sequential order which provides a wonderful puzzle: the end is explained without being patronizing or boring. My biggest criticism is the number of characters: I had a hard time keeping them all straight.
Overall a creative and engrossing mystery that had me on the edge of my seat.

I was thrilled when I heard that Janice Hallett had a new book coming out. I think her writing is so very, very clever. Her latest - The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - is perhaps the best book yet.
The Alperton Angels were a cult 18 years ago. The members truly believed that they were indeed, angels, sent forth to Earth to save the world from the Anti-Christ. They believed that one young woman's baby was the the Anti-Christ. And the young mum? She decides to take the babe and run. Where could they be now?? Okay, that's just the tip of the story. There's so much more to explore!

Hallett reprises the epistolary style of writing that I adore. The book is told through emails, screenplays, podcasts, amateur sleuths groups, book show more excerpts, phone calls, texts, testimonies, police files and so much more! There's also a transcriber who adds her thoughts about things.

Amanda Bailey is a true crime writer. She's a large personality, dogged in her search, determined to find the now eighteen year old baby. She's got some serious skills. But there's another author, named Oliver Menzies, on the hunt as well. His direction, point of view and skills are quite different than Amanda's. The two clash over who can write what, and hiding what they do find out. And the third detective? It's you, dear listener. There's a myriad of supporting characters in the book. Some are seen once and others play a larger part. But they're all integral to the plot.

The plotting is absolutely brilliant in my opinion. The clues are sometimes right there to see, while other times they're longshots. Hallett throws in more than one twist and turn on the way to the final 'aha'! Hallett's writing is addictive and you'll find yourself up late, reading just one more chapter.

A brilliant book and an easy five stars! show less

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels offers a real treat for fans of mystery novels with complex, creative plotting. It's one of those books that encourage late-night reading binges.

This is my second Janice Hallett novel (my first was The Twyford Code), and it certainly won't be my last. The novel follows a cold case, the "Alperton angels murders," in which a group of self-proclaimed angels determined to prevent the birth of the anti-Christ fail in their task, commit suicide (or did they?), with only a handful of cult members remaining: their leader, who is serving a life sentence for a related murder and two teenagers, the parents (or are they?) of that potentially apocalypse-initiating baby, and the baby itself.

Amanda Bailey, a show more well-known author of true crime novels has been tasked with writing a book based on that cold case as what will be the 18th birthday of that baby nears. If she can track that baby down and get exclusive rights, she'll have a blockbuster on her hands. But of course, there are complications.

The baby has been carefully hidden within social services red tape. Other authors who have researched the case are dying of what are assuredly unnatural causes. And Bailey finds herself forced to collaborate with a hated rival who seems to be embracing the angels and anti-Christ logic underlying the crime. Imagine the possibilities...

The novel consistently surprises until the end. If you like mysteries that make you think, you'll love The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own. show less