Told in her signature, mixed-media style, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE ALPERTON ANGELS by Janice Hallett was absolutely captivating.

This time, we're following Amanda Bailey, a true-crime author who is being pressured by her publisher to write a story about the Alperton Angels cult who were part of a sensational crime story 18 years ago. The book is presented as if the reader has been given a box of files, transcripts, and printouts, and we have to figure out what to do with the information inside.

I LOVE a story told with mixed-media artifacts. I think it comes from the part of me that likes deep-diving topics and researching. You feel like you are the one uncovering the mystery as you read all Amanda has found and gathered. I don't know what it is, maybe it's that mixed-media format, but after I read a Janice Hallett novel I feel like I'm emerging from a fever dream. 😅

ALPERTON ANGELS was fast-paced and hard to put down. It's a great choice for mystery and true-crime lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free review copy of this book.

Review to come on Instagram @sarahsbooknook closer to release day.

A compelling, fast-paced mixed-media mystery.

The Alperton Angels are an infamous cult who brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. The girl ended up calling the police, the Angels committed suicide, and mother and baby disappeared. Now the baby is about to turn 18 and true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a new book about the case. Rival author Oliver Menzies, smart and better connected, is also on the baby's trail. Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate and they find that the truth of the Angels is much darker than they imagined and they might just end up as part of the story themselves.

Like with other Janice Hallett books, this one is mixed-media, consisting of a collection of documents from Amanda's research process as she looked into the Alperton Angels. This format allows for a very fast-paced story that keeps you immersed. Although each "chapter" is quite long, it's easy to start and stop as required and get back into the tale as soon as you pick it back up. The structure also allows you, as a reader, to interpret information as it comes in and start to come to your own conclusions.

In another feature common to many Janice Hallett stories, the structure of the book does limit how much readers really get to know the characters. As a character-driven reader, I sometimes struggle with not feeling very connected to any of the main players. However, this is a personal preference and definitely doesn't reflect a universal reading experience. This focus on telling just bits of the story through various documents and messages does allow for an immersive experience.

Overall, if you enjoy mixed-media stories or fast-paced mysteries, I definitely recommend that you give this one a try. It's interesting and compelling and makes you want to keep reading to find answers.

I’ve read quite a few books by this author and I love how they are done in mixed media fashion. I love reading through articles, texts, emails, etc. I am usually quick to request books I know are mixed media.
I really enjoyed the two main characters of this one. Amanda was the best person to follow through this journey of finding out the truth of this cult. Oliver was such a good second character especially when the plot started to thicken.
Overall, Janice has written yet another wonderful mystery through mixed media, that kept me guessing. The cult aspects were intriguing and the story as whole came together very well.

Thank you @BookClubFavorites #BookClubFavorites for the free book!

I finished this almost a week ago and am still struggling to put my thoughts into words with this one.

This book follows true crime author Amanda Bailey trying to unravel the 18 year mystery of the Alperton Angels cult and what happened to the mysterious Alperton Baby. Even though she is forced to collaborate with rival author Oliver Menzies, Amanda is determined to get to the center of this mystery. But at what cost?

The use of mixed media in this book was interesting and was one of my favorite aspects. I have never read a thriller with storytelling like that before! The twists and turns in this book were insane! I’ve never read anything from Janice Hallet before this but will definitely be checking out more after this! Honestly the book had me guessing the whole time!

The ending came as a total shock to me! I did feel like it was a little abrupt and I wanted a little more detail but it's kept me thinking about it. This did bring my rating down a little bit but I still really enjoyed it!

If you are looking for a thriller that you won’t want to put down then check this one out!

This was a 4.75 stars for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett finds true crime author, Amanda Bailey unraveling the eighteen-year mystery of the Alperton Angels cult and what happened to the mysterious Alperton Baby. In a forced collaboration with rival author, Oliver Menzies, Amanda is set to get to the center of this mystery. But at what cost?

Once again, another great mystery from Janice Hallett, in the style of emails, messages, and transcripts. I loved the true depths of all the characters and the fact they all had deeper pasts that connected the story back to the present and their motivations in the main plot. The twists and turns throughout the whole novel had me shocked and awed. I absolutely did not see the end coming. This novel was a beautiful blend of drama, humor, and mystery that had me shedding a tear or two by the end. It was a beautiful dedication to the authors and journalists who tragically lost their lives to their work.

With that I cannot wait for the next book by this wonderful author!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a complimentary copy of this novel! Amanda Bailey, a true crime author, is intent on writing a book about the Alperton Angels cult. Years ago, they had brainwashed a teen girl into believing that her baby is the anti-Christ. The angels were sent to destroy the supposed “anti-Christ” baby, but they ended up committing suicide. The teen girl and baby had managed to escape.

Now, the baby is turning 18 years old. And Amanda Bailey, along with another rival author, Oliver Menzies, are attempting to piece together the events of what actually happened that fateful night years ago. Because the accounts from different people are not lining up. As they both work together to uncover the truth, they are finding out that truth is much more bizarre than they ever thought possible.

Once again, this novel is written in the unique writing style of Janice Hallett. Written as emails, typed transcripts of recordings, text messages, and what’s app messages, this novel is definitely not one to miss!!! 5 stars!!!

Sad to say I was quite disappointed with this one. After having read and loved The Appeal, I was excited for an even darker and more twisted tale from Hallett with her signature style of raw details, messy characters, and putting the onus on the reader to figure things out. But this was just way, way overboard. The plot became so convoluted that I had a very difficult time keeping track of what was going on, and I would consider myself a fairly sophisticated reader! I began to find the main character insufferable and lose interest in what she was working through or what ruses she was pulling to get her information. The ending also felt both rushed and anticlimactic at the same time – you know a thriller is disappointing when you really don't care about the big reveal at the end. I was hooked in the beginning – I thought this had such a promising start – but it ended up falling really flat. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley!

Holy twists and turns, my book peeps!! 🙌 I think this just might be my favorite from Janice Hallett yet!! ❤️ The characters are totally unreliable - you don’t know who to trust, what’s truth and what’s not! I did not want to put this one down and enjoyed every single second of it! 👏👏

This just further solidifies why Janice Hallett is one of my auto-buy authors!! ❤️ Well done with this one!!!

Pick this one up, book peeps!!! 🙌

A big thank you to Janice Hallett, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Another fab book by the author! Super detailed and I really had no clue what would happen for most of it- twisty and entertaining! Would definitely recommend, especially if you enjoyed The Appeal.

I can’t stop thinking about this book.

Written in Janice Hallett’s usual format, this book is a collection of interviews, transcriptions, texts, and emails that follow a journalist, Amanda, as she tries to uncover more information about an infamous cult called the Alperton Angels.

The use of mixed media in a book is like catnip to me so I couldn’t put it down. The twists and turns this book takes you on are insane and Janice Hallett needs to be studied….like how does she come up with this!?!? The characters really came to life and I was rooting hard for Amanda to uncover the truth.

The ending did leave me a little disappointed tho. I did feel like there was a plot hole or I was missing something because it felt very abrupt. I’m still thinking about it now. I’m sure I need to reread it to fully understand it haha…and then I’ll change my rating.

Can’t wait for what Hallett writes next!

PUB DATE: 1/23

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

4.25 stars!!

Janice Hallett does it AGAIN, with another fun mixed-media mystery adventure!! I don't always gravitate towards mysteries, but my husband picked up The Appeal for me when it came out knowing how much I loved books that related to the ~theatre~ experience. I fell in love with the formatting/writing style that Hallett uses for her stories, and knew that I would be a lifelong fan that would read any of her books.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels follows a true-crime writer on the hunt to understand what happened in 2003 where a cult of "archangels" ended up dead, two teenagers lives were changed, and a baby went missing. Through lots of transcriptions of interviews, competition with other writers interested in the same case, deaths under suspicious circumstances, and more than a few revelations, this case is cracked wide open!! I absolutely loved this and will definitely be going back to read it again and see if I can pick up on more of the clues from earlier on in the book :)

Thank you SO much to Janice Hallett and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels comes out on January 23rd in the US!

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 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.

Janice Hallett is an auto-buy/auto-request author for me and she's yet to disappoint. The story Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was clearly well thought out, with lots of twists and different angles. Reading about cults will never not be interesting, so I enjoyed that aspect of the book. There is a lot of information and characters loaded upfront and I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to understand the ending. But this story wrapped up beautifully and I'm excited to read more for Janice Hallettt.

I absolutely adored this book. The writing style is so unique and the epistolary format is just brilliant. It works so well with the story and makes it impossible to put down. The theme of cults is exactly the kind of crime story that I love to read - it's interesting and sinister but it's done in such a modern and organic way. Reading through all of the emails and messages to try and solve the mystery was such a joy and I was actually really impressed by the ending. An easy 5 stars!

3.5
I love mysteries because they're juicy and a mystery that you unravel by reading texts and emails and discovered documents is the JUICIEST.
However, much like my Mott's in preschool, this juice felt a little watered down.
janice hallett will forever be so readable and fun but I'd be lying if I said I've ever fully understood one of her books. by the end, I saw the message that this one was sending and it was SO COOL but I just felt like the way that it got there was ~slightly~ too convoluted.
Having now read all four of her books, I feel like I've yet to find one that hits the sweet spot for me. but I'm willing to give her at least thirty more tries.

"The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels" by Janice Hallett deserves a solid 4-star rating. Hallett crafts a whip-smart and fast-paced mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story revolves around true crime journalist Amanda Bailey, who dives into a long-buried case involving a cult that brainwashed a teenage girl.

The plot unfolds with the girl's revelation, leading to the cult's tragic end. Now, as Amanda seeks to revive her career with a book on the case, the Alperton baby has come of age, promising a sensational scoop. The intrigue deepens when Amanda must collaborate with rival author Oliver Menzies, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

Hallett skillfully weaves a dark and compelling tale, unraveling the truth about the Angels. The dynamic between Amanda and Oliver adds an intriguing twist, keeping readers engaged throughout. For mystery enthusiasts, this book delivers a thrilling ride into the shadows of a long-buried cult mystery.

This is my first book by Janice Hallett and I believe I will go back and read her earlier books. This book attracted me because I always appreciate a book about a cult. I find it fascinating how a narcissist can suck in groups of people and convince them to do something that before under control of the leaders, they would never consider being involved with. In the case of The Mysterious Case of Alperton Angels, sacrificing a baby seemed like something the cult members and leaders were called to do to rid the world from the anti-Christ. Fortunately, the girl figures out this is wrong and goes to the police.

Amanda Bailey is trying to rebuild her career as a journalist with the mystery of who the baby is today as an 18 year old. Oliver Menzies is also on the trail of finding the Alperton Angels baby. Amanda and Oliver end up collaborating to try to get to the truth. The book takes some dark turns before they solve the mystery.

I would recommend reading The Mysterious Case of Alperton Angles. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.
#NetGalley #TheMysteriousCaseOfAlpertonAngles #JaniceHallett

Very cleverly written and fun! I enjoy Janice Hallett’s unique writing style. I found this harder to follow than The Appeal, but enjoyed nonetheless.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it was a very different format compared to other books. At first I really enjoyed reading all of the correspondences however around halfway through the book I got really bored with it. The last half of the book really drug on but I forced myself to finish it. The ending was good and a twist I was not expecting, however it did not make up for the boringness I had to push through to get to it.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is about a writer trying to find out what happened in a decades old case about a cult.
Amanda is researching a book on the Alperton Angels when she finds out that someone is also planning on writing a book on the subject. Unfortunately, it happens to be her nemesis from her first journalism job. Amanda is determined to beat him to the story and ensure that her book is superior. However, she soon learns that the story is much more complicated than initially presented.
The entire book is told through emails, texts, and transcripts. I loved that Amanda is very flawed but still manages to be the hero of the story. The twists were exceptional and I think I audibly gasped a few times.