I have mixed feelings about this one and will try to explain why. First of all, I dislike the format immensely. Reading this on an e-reader made it impossible to see the emojis that were used in the texts, and there were alot of them. The story is interesting and kept me invested in it, but the long list of characters became difficult to keep straight in my mind. I also felt like most characters were one-dimensional, including many of the important ones. My other main issue of contention here is that we were told how things happened rather than shown and that felt contrived at times and not very satisfying. All that being said, I appreciate that Hallett was trying to do something different and experiment with format while delivering a complex story. Final verdict 3.5 stars.

Fabulous book! It is told by each character via emails text and other written correspondence. A unique way of telling the story with viewpoints from all the characters. Creative story. Well written, and highly suggest

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a copy of Janice Hallett's new book - 5 stars!

The Alperton Angels cult story is well known in London. The self-proclaimed archangel Gabriel brainwashed a teenage girl into believing that her baby was the anti-Christ. When the girl got away, the angels died by suicide and the mother and baby disappeared. Eighteen years later, true crime writer Amanda Bailey is tasked to write a book about the story and needs to find the missing child, who would now be an adult. However, her old school nemesis, Oliver Menzies, is also writing a book about the cult, and they are forced to work together. But will they end up being part of the story?

Janice Hallett has done it again - using WhatsApp messages, transcripts, screenplays, articles to exclusively tell a story. The reader gets to put all of these puzzle pieces together just like Amanda is doing to try and solve the mystery. Doing transcription for my job, I especially loved Ellie Cooper and all the sidebars and humor she infused into her transcriptions and the story. The story is a bit complex, and delves into interesting topics, but I was all in and really enjoy this type of unique storytelling. Highly recommended!

Told in a mixed media format, this latest by Hallett is not one I’ll soon forget. This book is a richly layered mystery about what exactly happened with the Alperton Angels in the early aughts. Two authors decide to tackle this case for their respective books, and things start to get confusing and weird. But the author is always five steps ahead and never leaves the reader confused. If you think you’ve figured this out, I guarantee the ending will be a complete surprise. This was a page-turner and engaging. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

The summary really intrigued me, but I found the book to be confusing and disjointed. The format just didn't work for me. I would've enjoyed it more had it been written as a traditional murder mystery. Plot points dragged along, and I was never really able to get pulled in. Some parts were so convoluted that I was shaking my head. Then there was way too much info dumped in too many formats, which made it hard to follow. I had hoped the pace would pick up as the story unfolded, but that wasn't the case. There was an unexpected twist, but it was too little, too late.

Depending on how it’s written, I certainly enjoy epistolary books told through documents & letters. Janice Hallett has a knack for delivering clever mysteries told entirely through documents, texts, email, and other forms. I loved The Appeal when it came out in 2021 & I read The Christmas Appeal, her 2023 holiday novella, back in December which was an enjoyable addition to The Appeal.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was one of my first reads of the year. I’m conflicted on this review though because while I think Hallett is super talented and everything in the story was up my alley (cults, fun format, supernatural suggestion) it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Relying on email, texts, & verbal recordings, we follow true crime writer Amanda as she investigates the mysterious murders of a cult called The Alperton Angels & the events that surrounded their existence. As she continues to research her book, she finds one too many inconsistencies with stories from witness and anyone who may know more is mysteriously ending up dead. We follow Amanda through her texts, emails she receives and sends, bites and pieces of other stories based on the case such as scripts and novel drafts, and also her voice recordings of interviews.


The plot is incredibly intriguing but there is just so much information that I couldn’t keep everything straight. There are so many people, so many twists and turns, add in the one-sided nature of an epistolary novel, and it was just almost too much for me. This took me awhile to read & honestly while I wanted to know what happened, I couldn’t always bring myself to pick the book back up. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for the story or maybe I’m just too tired (#toddlermom) to take on super intricate plots right now.

Hallett is talented and her imagination is superb but for me at this moment The Alperton Angels was a touch too complex for me. I’ll continue to read Hallett’s books in the future though so don’t let me 3-star review dissuade you from checking her books out!


The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is out now. Huge thank you to Atria Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

I loved Hallett's "The Appeal" and enjoyed, albeit not as much, "The Twyford Code." This novel is closer to Hallett's Appeal - a mixed media smorgasborg of emails, transcriptions, scripts, and pieces of other works. I happen to enjoy this method of story-telling.

There are several layers to the story and, having read Hallett previously, my mind continuously parsed all the possibilities as I read. Two competing reporters working on different angles of the same story - a cult of angels attempting to kill a baby Anti-Christ almost twenty years ago - try to decipher the truth of the past.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

True crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career. She decides to write a book about The Alperton Angels, a cult that almost convinced a teenage girl that her baby was The Anti-Christ and needed to be killed. But after she calls the police and is dropped off at the hospital, she disappears and so does the baby.

Now Amanda is trying to find the perfect angle for this book when she discovers that Oliver, another author, is also on the case. When they decide to collaborate, they discover that the story goes deeper than they could have imagined.

There is so much depth to this mystery and I do not want to give anything away by giving too many details. Janie Hallett is a master storyteller and her books are unlike anyone else.

I started reading this book but then switched to the full-cast audio version and could not put it down. The book is written as WhatsApp messages, emails, and transcripts. I absolutely loved this five-star read and highly recommend the audio version for a deeper reading experience. #gifted

Love the format! told in emails/texts/transcriptions/etc. It did get a little bit confusing - there was a lot going on. It had a good twist at the end!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 1/2 stars out of 5. (Rounded down to 3 stars for Goodreads)

This book was a pretty good read. Janice Hallett crafted a good mystery suspense using solely multimedia forms throughout the book. I thought the mystery was compelling. I thought the characters were at times interesting, at other times, frustrating. This is not a reason I lowered the score. Good characters should bring out all sorts of different emotions in the reader. I thought Janice Hallett's writing was also good. Each different character in the storyline seemed to have their own style and voice and I enjoyed that. As far as pacing goes, the last third of the book definitely redeemed the rest of it, as I thought the beginning was slow and somewhat repetitive.

However, if cults are a difficult subject for you to read about, just be warned. I had no idea going into this book, what it was going to be about. I started reading it only because it was classified as a mystery/suspense/thriller. I don't think I would have picked it up if I had known the subject matter, but that's all my fault. I don't enjoy religious elements in works of fiction.

The twists were good, although I did see one of them coming. All in all, this book was an enjoyable enough read, although not completely for me. I would suggest it to someone who likes solving mysteries and enjoys this multimedia format that is becoming so popular. This is the first Janice Hallett book that I have read, so I'm not so sure how it compares to her other books. I would definitely give her another chance to win me over as an author.

This book was provided to me as an ARC by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The case of the Alperton Angels is an infamous mystery that has never been fully solved. Nearly two decades ago, a cult brainwashed two teenagers into believing their baby was the Antichrist, a debacle that ended with ritual death, two teens who disappeared into the wind, and a baby that was never heard from again. Now the Alperton baby is about to turn 18, and author Amanda Bailey is researching the case for her newest true crime book and is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. Too bad her nemesis Oliver Menzies is also in the mix, trying boost his flagging career with the same case. As they both become immersed in the case, they find the truth is much darker than they bargained for.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Janice Hallett is hugely talented and uber creative! She’s been called “the queen of tricksy crime,” a moniker that perfectly fits her brand of ingenious epistolary mysteries. Told through a series of transcribed interviews, WhatsApp messages, and emails, this mystery is complex, captivating, and multilayered. Darker than The Appeal (which I adored by the way!) but just as riveting, this format makes you feel like you are solving the case along with Amanda, with tiny details pricking your subconscious. When the twists at the end unfolded, it was stunning but also totally satisfying!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster Book Club Favorites for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Janice Hallett has a knack for writing books using texts, emails, etc. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels really keeps you guessing until the end. I highly recommend checking this one out, especially if you are a fan a Hallett's book The Appeal.

Well this book turned out so good! I loved it! THE APPEAL was a favorite for me and I was excited to get to uncover another Hallett mystery. I thought I knew where this was going to head and I was so, so wrong. I didn’t like the FMC but Hallett wrote her in a way that I don’t think you are suppose to. The relationship between the MCs was intriguing and included an interesting B-mystery. I have really become a fan of epistolary books and can’t wait to read whatever Hallett does next!

I love Hallett's novels. They are so entertaining and full of twists and turns. The formatting is always interesting (this book is told mostly in a series of text messages and the like along with newspaper clippings and pages from novels), and keeps the pace moving. Amanda and Oliver are interesting characters with different motivations. I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to ruin it for any future readers. It's fun, dark but humorous, and I enjoyed the ending.

"Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. When the girl came to her senses and called the police, the Angels committed suicide and mother and baby disappeared.

Now, true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a book on the case. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen; finding them will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and also on the baby’s trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realize that the truth about the Angels is much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined, and in pursuit of the story they risk becoming part of it."

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. Janice Hallett is a new author for me. Told as a series of emails, texts, What's App messages, and snippets of documents, the book details journalist Amanda Bailey's investigation into a crime 18 years later. It puts the reader in an interesting position.

What an intriguing book! The Alperton Angels case is engaging, the investigation is well paced, and the characters are people I want to more about. The way it is organized, the progession, and the unexpected twistss all pulled me in. I thoroughly enjoyed ghe book. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Janice Hallett is a first time author for me and I had a blast reading The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. Having no previous experience with her former books, the unconventional format of the story took a little getting used to, mixed media to include: transcribed interviews, WhatsApp messages, news articles, excerpts from books and a screen play. Gathering information about the Alperton case this way, was interesting and engaging. I also loved that this case involved a cult, I happen to find cults fascinating. It became a little convoluted for me reading this as an ebook with the many characters and twists, but the author does an excellent job of keeping the reader informed and reminded of prior details. I would say this book will require some attention to detail, as it feels you are the one unraveling the mystery to solve the case. I will most definitely be picking up another book by Janice Hallett and recommend this to anyone who enjoys trying to solve the mysteries they read, as this format feels engaging and interactive.

DNF @ 33%

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this book, but I still wanted to give my opinion. I love Janice Hallett's past works, but this book didn't work for me at all. It felt like a trudge to get through, and eventually I just decided to stop reading it altogether.

The premise is intriguing: a cult called the Alperton Angels who convinced a teenage cult member that her newborn baby was the antichrist. After the birth, and Angels committed suicide and the teen mother and her baby disappeared.

Amanda, a true crime author, hopes that resurfacing this story will help revive her dying writing career. I found Amanda to be so incredibly annoying that I had to DNF this book. Amanda is so information- and money-hungry that she lies and deceives her way into getting tidbits and stories for her book. This makes her extremely hard to root for. Eventually she teams up with her rival, Oliver, who is also writing a true crime book about the Angels. I found Oliver annoying as well, and the hatred between him and Amanda is just plain grating.

All of this made me less and less interested in the cult and its story until I simply just did not care at all.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It took me the first quarter of this book for me to get into it. But once I did, I couldn't stop. I always love a story of a cult, but this went beyond that. Amanda is persistent and often short sighted. Except when she isn't. Oliver is pretty unlikable all together. Still, you want them to find that baby! Janice Halley tells stories through multimedia communications-WhatsApp, email, message boards-and it can take a minute to find the rhythm of the narrative. It does come. The style challenges the reader to read differently. It can be a wonderful exercise after reading many books with the exact same form and patterns.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett is filled with intrigue and suspense. And I absolutely ate this book up.
It's a riveting pageturner, one that kept me up late at night.
A compulsive, entertaining and engaging story.
Hallet has written a well thought out, entertaining tale.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Mysterious Care of the Alperton Angels is a great read, especially if you like to play detective. Like The Appeal, the book consists of emails, WhatsApp messages, phone conversations, novel excerpts, interview transcripts and letters and it is up to you to piece it all together. Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new piece of evidence would complicate the story. I did not see the ending coming and it completely surprised me. There is a large cast of characters and multiple threads and details to keep straight but it all comes together and pays off in the end. The author does a great job of making a fairly dark story entertaining with many moments of humor. Fans of The Appeal will love this one as well. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. 4.25 stars.