Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free e-reader copy of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book after loving The Appeal with its quirky characters and engaging story. Unfortunately, I found “Alperton” choppy and confusing, with a disappointing conclusion. The epistolary novel construct which worked so well with The Appeal didn’t work here; I might have enjoyed the book more if it had been written as a traditional murder mystery.

Three stars for effort.

The author uses an interesting format to unravel this mystery, including text message, transcripts from interviews, a screenplay and other documents. It is quite intriguing and the case of the murders and missing survivors draws in 2 journalists 18 years later.. as they dig deeper, they put themselves in danger as they get closer to uncovering the truth.

Any new Janice Hallett novel is a cause for celebration. Despite its 400+ page length, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE ALPERTON ANGELS reads incredibly fast, largely due to the formatting. Texts, emails, transcripts of interviews and phone calls. The plot itself was also extremely engaging: years ago a cult had brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. That baby is now 18, an adult, and interest in the story has surged.

I was hooked from page one and didn't come up for air until it was over.

Janice Hallett has mastered the art of the mixed-media novel. By that I mean in lieu of traditional narrative, there are emails, WhatsApp messages, transcripts, newspaper articles, book excerpts, letters, and a partial screenplay. In The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, a true crime writer agrees to tackle the case of a cult murder/suicide from 18 years prior. A young woman and her newborn baby, along with the baby’s father, are rescued by the police from a cult. Other members of the cult are found dead and the cult leader is arrested for the murder of a waiter and is currently in jail. Now that the baby is officially an adult, Amanda Bailey has been commissioned to find the person and write a book. Only problem is no one has any idea what happened to any of the three individuals - mother, father or baby.
Her nemesis, Oliver, is also looking to write a book on the same subject. And their two editors have the brilliant idea to have them collaborate.
As Amanda interviews those individuals that are still around, the stories don’t coincide. In fact, there are glaring differences.
I’m impressed by how much I felt I got to know Amanda, despite everything being in the form of some kind of correspondence. Oliver provides an interesting take on how someone can get sucked into a “theory”. In these days of QAnon, it hit home. And I adored Ellie Cooper, the transcriber and her little added side comments. She provides gobs of comic relief.
The story tackles trust, manipulation, deceit and what people are willing to believe. This is a story that drew me in deeper and deeper the further it goes along. What starts off light becomes dark by the end.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

This book drew me in from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down. It was refreshing to read a murder mystery that was written in interviews and emails and I felt like the story surprised me at every turn. I can’t wait to read the rest of Hallett’s work.

*3.5 stars rounded up*

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a book about a true crime writer investigating a crazy story from 18 years ago about a cult. This cult believed that they were angels in human bodies and there was a baby that was believed to be the antichrist. The cult members were supposed to kill the baby but instead many others ended up dead. Now that the baby is about to be 18, this author is trying to figure out who the baby is and what really happened.

This book is told in all mixed media. I love that in a book. It has emails, texts, movie scripts, etc. It made the story feel like we were the ones investigating and it made it really interesting. It also unfolded to us along with the main character which i tend to like in books as well. The book had a lot of twists and turns that I enjoyed as well.

My main issue was that I could not stand the main character. She was so rude and entitled the whole time. She would steal work and lie constantly. I wish she was more likeable. I also feel like parts of the story dragged a bit.

Thanks so much to netgalley and Atria books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is my third Janice Hallett book. Let me start by saying that i absolutely loved the first two books and devoured them in a single night each. This book was good, but it didn't resonate with me the way the others did. I find it hard to put a finger on exactly what was lacking, but perhaps it was that I didn't really connect with any of the characters or the storyline. I enjoyed the framing of evaluating the story as an ethical dilemma. The solution to the "mystery" was a bit of a let-down, but I don't want to spoil the ending. Janice Hallett is still one of my "must read" authors as each book has truly been unique.

True Crime podcast in book form and it was phenomenal!
This has to be by far, my favorite from Janice Hallett.
Angels, death, mystery and let’s not forget the missing baby.
I love the writing style of Hallett and it pulls you in and you feel involved with the story.
A must read!

Thank you NetGalley, Janice Hallett and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!