I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley, so I am voluntarily writing an honest review.

This was something else. I'm afraid that if I talk too much about it I'll give something away. I genuinely did not know in what direction the author was taking me as I read this, but I knew I was stuck for the ride--despite a busy schedule I read this in two days. Like "The Appeal" this is epistolary, but the subject matter is darker from the start. Unlike the petty squabbles and bickers of the amateur theater group that had me on the edge of my seat in schadenfreudal (is that a word?) anticipation, this was a different kind of tension. I didn't particularly sympathize with our hero, but as the book went on I got INVESTED. The pieces kept not adding up--or adding up in a sort of diabolical algebra. Solve for "y", indeed.

I 100% recommend this for would-be writers, fans of true crime, and those in-betweeners like me who just like a good read!

Mysteries are one of my favorite genres but I’ve been so disappointed by new releases. They’ve just become predictable with a lot of similar plot devices. This though? Absolutely unique. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book. I mean, I was on deadline for 4 assignments today and literally could not put this book down until I finished it. This is epistolary and I just got so sucked in. It feels like you’re on this case and it made for an immersive reading experience. Everything played out in my mind like a movie and I ended up stopping trying to predict what happens and just enjoyed the ride. Gah, I just don’t have one bad thing to say about it. The way everything unfolded with all the little easter eggs along the way was just masterfully done. I can definitely see myself rereading this to pick up on everything I missed.

Easily one of the best books I’ve read all year. I loved this book so much I want to make it my entire personality and have already pre-ordered two copies for friends who I know will love it, too.

A must read if you’re a fan of epistolary fiction, true crime mysteries, and the cult sub-genre. Won’t be recommending this as an audiobook because I think it would be next to impossible to follow along unless you are tandem reading with a physical/ebook copy.

Don’t sleep on this one!!

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a novel told in a mixed-media style, that combines emails, letters, screenplays and other mediums to unravel the story of the Alperton Angels, a crime happening that has become shrouded in mystery and mythology. Most people believe that the Angels were a cult who convinced a teen girl that her child was the Anti-Christ. However, as true crime author Amanda Bailey sets out to prove over the course of the book, there might be more to it than that.

As usual, I really loved the mixed-media style that Hallett employs in this novel, as well as her previous work. There's something about this particular formatting that makes each book so fast-paced and readable. I also really enjoyed the addition of novel excerpts and screenplays as pieces of evidence that added to the context of the crime, while providing a different medium through which to consume the information.

With that being said, I did find myself a bit confused for most of the book. I had a difficult time connecting certain plot points and ultimately felt like the solution was perhaps a bit too intricate. However, I enjoyed reading The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels and look forward to picking up more of Janice Hallett's work!

This is a fascinating book about a cult, The Alperton Angels. Amanda Bailey, author of true crime books, is researching their story for her next book. The story is told through a variety of media, including emails, texts, and transcripts of conversations. The story is complex and intriguing. The writing is amazing. I look forward to reading more from Janice Hallett.

This is the third Janice Hallett book I have read and what I admire most about her writing is her ability to plant seed bombs that pay off later in the narrative. There were so many fascinating threads to follow in this story that it was hard to keep track of which one I was most excited to get to the bottom of. I ended up reading this book in one sitting over a holiday weekend because I couldn’t bear to put it down. I have mentioned before how much I enjoy the way she has revolutionized the epistolary mystery, but it bears repeating. Transcripts, texts, screenplays, and handwritten notes all combine to create a thrilling mystery that is as propulsive as it is intriguing.

I've never read a mystery like this before, where the whole story unfolds in mixed media. I thought it would get tedious but Hallett does a great job of keeping the suspense and making us feel close to the characters.

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.