God bless Janice Hallett and her especially twisty thrillers that, if you work even a shred of detail out, you feel amazing. Her third novel is brilliant, focusing on the Alperton Angels, a cult who convinced a young woman that her baby was the anti-Christ. Attempting to kill the baby, they’re fortunately stopped when the baby’s mother contacts the police. While the angels could not stand trial – for reasons explained – the mother and infant disappeared in the care system. Moving on 20 years later and true crime author Amanda Bailey is researching for a book on the Angels. She desperately wants to find the baby and secure that exclusive interview. However, she is forced to collaborate with rival author Olivier Menzies (who happens to be better connected). Neither of them is prepared for what is to be revealed. After all, you didn’t expect the case to come smoothly did you?

Before I start, I’m a firm fan of Hallett’s books (if you’ve not read them, stop everything and get them and devour them) and when I heard book 3 was coming out, I was sold. I managed to sneak a peak of the intro in my special edition copy of The Twyford Code, and this had me hooked. So thankfully I was approved to read an early copy!

I’ll start off with the premise for this one being slightly different, and again the writing style used is uniquely Janice Hallett. I honestly don’t know where she gets the ideas for her books - but this one is genius. Famed true crime writer Amanda Bailey is researching her new book: the case of a cult that believed sacrificing a baby would prevent the end of the world. But it didn’t go to plan and instead the cult all ended up dead.

This one honestly had me guessing as you follow Amanda’s research: touting for clues, speaking to witnesses, digging up the past, interviewing those involved in the case, and some untoward tactics. And it was such a wild ride. I loved how this one had the mystical element thrown in the mix, with some dark bits and of course Hallett’s genius plotting.

* CONTAINS SPOILERS**

This is another fantastic story for Janice Hallett. The mystery itself is so compelling, I became slightly obsessed with finding out what actually happened to the angels.

As always with this authors work, the characters are it's main strength. I will be forever impressed at how she gives a fully rounded representation of a character using a single sentence / comment / text message / email.

Olivers decent into madness was so compelling to read, almost chilling at times. The reveal that Amanda had been his tormentor all along was genius! I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Did he get what was coming to him, or was it simply a very cruel result of her ego and ambition. I still don't know! This is why it's genius.

The ending was amazing! I didnt work out any of the many twists that came out in the last 20% of the book.

I did find parts of the book slightly repetitive, but I am not a fan of the "book within a book" trope, and there are several books within this book! So if you feel the same this is something to consider before going in. I'm aware that I was so enthralled in the story and impatient to find out what on earth was going on, this slightly got in the way for me at times.

No doubt this will.be another huge and well-deserved hit!

"The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" by Janice Hallet is a modern take on an epistolary novel. Using text from Whatsapp messages, emails, scripts, novel excerpts and transcribed interviews, Hallet majestically creates a story full of mystery and suspense that is as nuanced as if she had written it in prose (if not more so). She adds a whole new layer through having her lead character be a true Crime writer/journalist and the mechanics behind finding the best story, dealing with rivals and publishers was a joy to read. This is an extremely clever book that I loved reading and would highly recommend.

As fans of Janice Hallett’s previous novels The Appeal and The Twyford Code will know she has previously favoured a non standard narrative using emails and voice recordings to tell the story instead. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels continues this style choice (which I enjoy hugely, it makes a refreshing change and is very engaging) this time telling the story with a mixture of transcribed conversation, written notes and pages pulled from other ‘books’.

Like Halletts previous works this one kept me guessing all the way through, I felt like I had glimpses of the bits of information that would set me on the path to understanding but never quite enough to get there until she wanted the reveal to come.

This was a fascinating story with many layers, an author carrying past resentments, a study into what makes cults possible and how they come about, a look into journalism and true crime writing and then the mystery itself, all skilfully woven together to made a book that’s very hard to put down (partly because the narrative grabs you and partly because owing to the format there are no chapters and everything blends seamlessly together.)

I can’t really say to much more about the plot without giving something away, but I will say this was a good read and very much worth picking up. If you’ve enjoyed Halletts previous works you’ll enjoy this one too, although on balance I think Twyford Code remains my favourite so far!

Hallett is really delivering with the new mixed media filled mystery genre, no one else does it quite as well and I think the balance was just right here - will definitely appeal to the more tech savvy generation.

The Alperton Angels were a cult that brainwashed a young teenage girl and tricked her in to thinking her baby was the anti-Christ. Nearly two decades after the Angels take their own lives and the baby becomes a legal adult, Amanda Bailey begins writing a book about the case and uncovers the mistakes and falsehoods within the story.

I think knowing very little of this book is the best way forward and letting the story unfold as you read. I have read all three of Hallet's books and will say this one is not my favourite, whilst the outcome makes sense it feels a little convoluted and almost too clever for itself.

Janice Hallett is quick becoming the queen of dark thrillers and stories with so many twists that you get pulled in to see where all will end. No spoilers but this is a story that will either be loved or be a huge curiosity and frustration .First and foremost the story is told through transcripts of WhatsApp messaging, recordings , scripts emails etc….this takes a while to get used to if you are used to more traditional story telling narratives . The story of the Alperton Angels has captivated public attention for nearly twenty years -a massacre involving a cult of angels - now true crime writer Amanda Bailey is commissioned to dig deeper into the story. The story unveils a multitude of secrets ; pay attention to every element of the plot as red herrings and surprises abound especially as Amanda is competing with fellow writer Oliver Menzies to unveil the secret of the angels ,The denouement is surprising leaving a wry smile …An intricate plot - cleverly constructed - with a style which will please a generation of readers who are used to new forms of text types in their daily lives … ultimately an intriguing book that once completed you’ll want to talk about to another reader.

Imagine you get to have your hands on the laptop of a celebrated true crime writer ! You'll have access to her whatsapps, her mails, research documents and transcripts of interviews. Now, that would be very interesting and intriguing - but also very illegal. Luckily Janice Hallett delves into that desire and presents us with a legal alternative: this book ! It is a collection of all the above-mentioned documents and files and as a reader you are free to roam into this fictitious collection. It is a big puzzle at first, but I was quickly drawn in as the subject matter of Amanda's new book is also one of a kind: a collective murder / suicide of a cult that was about to kill an infant as they believed it was a new Antichrist. Luckily and thanks to the mother of the child, the baby survives. What has happened that fatal day? And where is that baby now? What starts out as a mysterious case turns into a race against time, as the events unfold to a new and dangerous climax.

I absolutely loved the format, which draws the reader in immediately and even makes them complicit in the quest to get to the truth. But of course, people aren't always who they seem, people lie and are guided by their own history and motives, which aren't always clear. This is a book with multiple layers and complex characters, and the story will turn into another direction every now and then. And very much to my surprise, I absolutely didn't see that end coming.

Just like the Twyford Code, this book isn't written in a regular chapter format and just as well. It is clever and intriguing, and I loved every minute of it. Greatly recommended !

A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Viper books and the author for a advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another incredibly compelling, addictive mystery from this author! It’s unusual structure of telling the story through a variety of medias (emails/WhatsApp’s/audio recordings) make it hard to put down and the mystery itself has enough twists and turns to justify the length of the novel and keep the reader incredibly engaged. . Already can’t wait for her next novel!

Fantastic return to form from Haslett here. Light touch, intriguing. The whatsapps as a narrative device harked back to The Appeal, in a good way, and the transcribes worked nicely (fixing the issues with recordings as a narrative device which I found made the Twyford Code so difficult to read).

My only complaint is that the solution was a bit too convoluted. The Appeal was beautifully simple, The Twyford Code horrically convoluted, and this fell somewhere in the middle. Could have done with being pared back a smidge.

That said, I found it a real page turner, stayed up late reading it, and was pleased the author had recaptured some of the brilliance of her first book.

The characters were well drawn. Most of them quite unpleasant (but internationally so), but Ellie the transcriber was the real star of the show.

I enjoyed this. It reminded me a bit of Minette Walters (whom I adore) although some of the plot points were a bit more Christopher Brookmyre (also a fave of mine). I’m not sure the latter were carried off quite, and I’d like to see a return to more simple plots. But it was great fun and well worth a read.

I have been a fan of Janice Hallet's since The Appeal and I also enjoyed The Twyford Code. Unlike those novels, this book wasn't for me, since I found it quite dark, menacing and gruesome throughout. However, this was a very personal and subjective thing. The premise was fascinating and I'm sure it will appeal to many. There was an intricate plot and I liked the way the book was written through emails and WhatsApp messages.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Janice Hallett does it again! Her books are the most exciting and original mysteries out there at the moment and they are such a joy to read!

Like with her other two novels this book is told in a unique way - this time you are reading texts, newspaper cuttings and transcripts of interviews as though you have discovered them hidden in a box.

The research material belongs to Amanda Bailey an author and journalist who is writing a true crime book about the case of the Alperton Angels. A cult based in North London which culminated a dramatic mass murder in the early 00’s, Amanda wants to know what became of the members of the cult 18 years on and what really happened that night.

Such a brilliant, original thriller! Much darker and more complex than her previous two novels - this one veers away from the ‘cosy crime’ genre and more towards a gritty thriller. I loved it and cannot wait to see what she does next.

I always find mixed media novels intriguing and enjoyable and this was no different! I really felt like I was part of the story and whizzed through this in one sitting. It was interactive and fast paced - an easy 5 stars.

I have to confess that I still haven't read Janice Hallett's first book, but, having enjoyed her second I was keen to read her latest and I am pleased to give this a solid, five-star review.

It revolves around true crime writer, Amanda Bailey, who is asked to write one of a new series of books looking at major crimes (such as the Moors Murders and Fred and Rose West) from a different angle. Of course, Amanda Bailey's is a fictional crime, but meant to be one the public are all too aware of - that of the Alperton Angels. This involved a cult, who, believing they were angels, intended to kill a baby they thought was the Antichrist. The twist is that the 'baby' would now be eighteen and Amanda Bailey is keen to track him, or her, down and interview them.

Another writer, Olier Menzies, with whom Amanda has some history, is also on the trail of the 'baby' and cult leader, 'Gabriel,' who is now in prison. As with Hallett's other work, much of the writing consists of texts, emails, and recorded conversations, many of whom are transcribed by Ellie Cooper, Amanda's humorous assistant, who tends to make comments in the notes. There are lots of twists and much about the reality of publishing, alongside a really intelligent, character driven plot. Absolutely loved this and will be looking forward to reading more by this author. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Janice Hallett has done it again with another spine-tingling, unputdownable novel “ The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels”

The main character and fictional “author” of the case files held within this novel, Amanda Bailey, is an author researching into a cold case in order to create a true crime novel for a new book series. In putting all these pieces together Amanda, becomes utterly engrossed with her work also trying to solve the case and bring any perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile, another author, an old rival & Amanda’s nemesis is researching his own book from a different angle. The two have to work together but secrets, lies, danger and obsession create many obstacles to the truth.

I loved reading this book. I was as engrossed in the case as Amanda. Janice Hallet uses the same unique writing tools as in her previous bestsellers. To create the story, give a sense of mystery and allow the reader to only see and hear what the main character does only transcripts of conversations, phone calls, texts, news, clippings, extracts of novels / film scripts and e-mails are printed with no extra description or musings. Occasionally this can get slightly confusing as although it is clear who says what there are a lot of characters / suspects / witnesses. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment though. Putting all the puzzle pieces together alongside Amanda was intriguing.

I didn’t find myself emotionally entangled with any of the characters I just wanted to solve the mysteries. Not a huge amount is revealed about Amanda’s personality other than how driven and unforgiving she is through reading the clippings & transcripts but I don’t think I would be keen to work with with her, am happy just reading about her thought processes as she texts & speaks to her research assistant.

I thoroughly recommend this novel. The unique writing style adds to the mystery held within. Thank you to the publishers Viper Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

After being a big fan of Janice Hallett's The Appeal and The Twyford Code I had high hopes for The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. Unfortunately I was left disappointed. This mainly comes down to the inclusion of a real young person as the target of some sinister theories. This made me very uncomfortable. The book would have been greatly improved if it had kept all the characters fictional. If you want to try a Hallett book I'd recommend her earlier books.

This blog has been a fan of Janice Hallett from the outset, and her particular brand of multimedia crime fiction. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a return to her multimedia form, found in The Appeal, but with the twist that the reader doesn’t really know who is collating the material. One might assume we’re reading the collected research of Amanda, a true crime novelist researching her new book on a case from eighteen years prior, but there are inclusions of materials she shouldn’t have access to that raise questions from the start.

The case itself is a sprawling one with more tangles and tangents than we’re perhaps used to from Hallett. The Angels were a cult who believed themselves to be angels. They believed they had a baby who was the antichrist and had to be sacrificed. The baby survived, but three (or four?) cult members, as well as an apparently unconnected Indian restaurant waiter, were murdered or died by suicide instead. The remaining leader, Gabriel, was imprisoned as a result, and the minors involved in the case were absorbed into the care system.

Even trying to write a brief precis of the story is an awkward affair, filled with the temptation to go deeper, to be more specific, to lay out more of the world Hallett has imagined and its many apparent inconsistencies. As Amanda and her colleague and rival, Oliver, exchange messages and transcribe interviews, what’s revealed is part conspiracy, part comedy of errors, and all intriguing mystery.

I will say that, used to getting straight into a Hallett novel and being immediately absorbed, the Alperton Angels took a little while to get going. There is so much story to set up here before even getting into the details of working out what happened, and such a large cast of characters, that quite some time is plaid to making sure all of the salient ‘facts’ are straight in the reader’s mind. However, once this establishment is made (and Hallett can start unsettling it) the book is completely absorbing.

To anyone who has enjoyed Hallett’s work to date, this is a more complex story which, as ever, rewards eagle-eyed readers with an attention to detail. For those new to Hallett’s work, you’re in for a super thorny introduction!

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett is released on 12th January and can be preordered here.

Review written with thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.co.uk for providing an e-advanced review copy.

Janice Hallett is a brilliant mystery/whodunnit writer. The Twyford Code had me hooked and Angels…. has done the same.

It is about a true crime journalist/author investigating the deaths of some cult members, The Alpeton Angels, who believed they were angels living in human form and had been sent to Earth with the sole purpose of destroying the Antichrist, who had possessed a young baby! Their efforts were thwarted and Amanda and her nemesis, Oliver, must work together to try to track down said baby, who is now 18, in the hope of writing a book.
The story progresses via a series of WhatsApp messages, emails and interview transcripts and had me guessing all the way through.

The main character, Amanda, is very funny and her scathing take on the celestial aspect of the story is very funny. They speak to all kinds of people who were involved in the case back then and it is obvious quite early on that all is not as it seems.

I really loved this story. Very easy to read, a lot of fun and kept me guessing till the end. This is an ARC copy kindly gifted to me by Netgalley & Profile Books in return for an honest review.

📖From The Cover📖

*** THE NEW MYSTERY PHENOMENON FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE APPEAL AND THE TWYFORD CODE *** 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 sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and 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. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they'd ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over.. After all, the devil is in the detail...

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was a big of fan of The Appeal, but really struggled with The Twyford Code. I was very interested to read The Alperton Angels so was very pleased to receive this ARC


Overall, I’d put this latest effort in between the two previous books: not as thrilling and engaging as The Appeal but fair better than The Twyford Code.

As with the previous novels Janice Hallett, once again she gives us her modern trademark style of mystery that involves the reader, here the premise is that you are in possession of a key to a safety box, full of a true crime book research documents, and you can either read it all and lock it back into the box or you could read it and place it in the hands of the police. Most of the book is played out via transcripts of recordings, WhatsApp messages and email correspondence, so you can never truly know what is happening as events unfold off the page - we only read accounts of characters perspectives and thoughts. With this novel I found the transcripts much easier to follow than I did with Twyford, I had found the full concept of Twyford just being recordings very annoying which really took away my enjoyment of the story however they are threaded though by other means and it works well. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of excerpts from various fictional accounts (novels, screenplays) that were inspired by the ‘true story’ of the Alperton Angels.

Character wise I really liked Amanda, I think it was very clever how she was portrayed in the novel as it not like you actually met her as such, but Hallett made her likeable within the emails etc. I was rooting for her throughout.

The story itself as always is enthralling, interesting and of course it’s a complete mystery can we even trust what we are reading. Hallett is one clever women she presents her novels in modern way with pop culture but at it’s heart is classic cosy crime fiction Agatha Christie with a IPad best describes her works for me. Like Christie she manages to not only write a great mystery but also examine the society we live in and poke fun at it.

The twist and big revelations were unexpected, and in the most were very good and tied the conclusion up nicely however there was a few little bug bears for me that stopped the book being a clear five stars.

I really found Oliver’s character development a bit strange however perhaps she was trying to show just how easy it is to fall under someone spell to underline the Angles story if that was the case it certainly worked however I found the jump he took in identifying the baby way too left field and not relevant at all. Furthermore, no spoilers, I found it very tasteful using that real life person as a potential candidate given recent events and as previously mentioned it didn’t even make sense so was really not needed.

That is my only real issue with the book. Other than that all I can say was it was a brilliant read that hooked me from page one. With her eye for detail, unique writing style, classic plotting and dark humour Hallett’s latest novel is a winner for me.

I think fans of the author are likely to love this, familiar as they are with the author's style of storytelling, readers new to Hallett will need patience and need to pay attention to detail to get to grips with her style of writing but once they do am sure they too will be firm fans, though I suggest skipping the Twyford code.

This book was as good as the last two - an interesting idea that really brings you into the mystery before revealing all at the end. Most of the book is played out via transcripts of recordings, WhatsApp messages and email correspondence, so you can never truly know what is happening as events unfold off the page - we only read accounts of characters perspectives and thoughts. Will look forward to the next book for sure.