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.

Absolutely amazing! Takes you on a twisty and intense ride from start to finish. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this one early. If you are a lover of thrillers or mysteries that keep you guessing this is the book for you! Pulls you in with the true crime and cult premise and before you know it you can’t even imagine putting the book down until you get to the bottom of everything! The format of the storytelling adds another level to it all. If you enjoyed other books by Janice you will love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Janice Hallett, and Atria Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a fascinating read, and I can honestly say that I've never read a thriller/mystery like this before! I've seen Hallett's previous book, The Appeal, discussed everywhere, but this was my first foray into her work. I love any book about cults, especially mystery ones, and this did not disappoint. To be transparent, this book was a bit long and dragged in parts, simply due to the nature of the story. I wasn't aware before I started reading that this book is told exclusively through text messages, emails, and interview transcriptions. This format definitely makes it a bit tedious to read through at times. I will also say that this is a very smart book. There are a lot of twists and turns I did not predict, but due to this, I also don't think I fully understood the case lol. There are a lot of people mentioned in the story, and seeing so much "research" come together made this book complicated for me as a casual reader to understand. However, I appreciated that because it felt like a very intelligent, thought-out mystery that seemed very REAL. The entire book read as if it could have been a true case and real people talking, and I loved that! Hallett writes at an elevated level that is not quite for the casual mystery reader but a treat for those who are tired of the same predictability from the genre. I look forward to checking out her other work, if this book is any indication.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel to read and review.

Author Janice Hallett’s recent The Twyford Code was a marvel of multiple perspectives, with many plot twists and an unexpected denouement. If anything, this one is even more so.

This novel lays out what purports to be actual documentation of a fascinating cold case with satanic cult overtones that no one is, seemingly, any closer to solving 18 years after multiple murders took place in an abandoned warehouse in London. The leaders were “archangels” who recruited angel-followers, various vulnerable teenagers, to help their cause of bringing about the end days. The primary victims were a teenage couple and a baby who was believed to be the anti-Christ. The couple survived and went into hiding. The baby has never been traced. “Find the baby,” now 18 years old, is the journalists’ burning motivation.

The main story focuses on the rivalry between two true crime journalists. Amanda Bailey is an established and respected author from an impoverished dysfunctional family who placed herself in foster care at the age of 12. Oliver Menzies is an arrogant “posh” from a privileged background, a low-achiever who looked down on those more talented and less posh. At the start of the story, they are holding a no-holds-barred battle to be the first with the true story of what happened in what had passed into popular culture as the Alperton Angels case. Their competition is fierce, and personal, and goes back to the days when they each won a coveted newspaper apprenticeship. Amanda was a high school student with a bad luck past, rare maturity, and notable talent. Oliver had a history degree from an un-prestigious university and no real aptitude, but his mother knew the newspaper owner. Thanks to a nasty trick he played on Amanda, out of spiteful jealousy, she lost her already shaky trust in others. This proved to be a plus in her chosen career, but ruined her apprenticeship and her personal relationships for life. After avoiding each other for years, they are obliged to work together on the Alperton case.

The story is told through email exchanges between Amanda, Oliver, and other key figures, often introducing hidden elements and rerouting initial ideas. How this affects Amanda is seen in drafts of several opening chapters for her book, that each highlight a different player’s experience (including Oliver’s) as she searches for new angles. as dead ends, new evidence or new editorial demands (the editors messages are hilarious) shift suddenly. Amanda brilliantly pivots to meet each shift, obsessive about getting the real story despite the lies and ploys involved, at which she also excels. Oliver does the same and worse: he is so drawn into the satanic cult story that he becomes seriously unhinged.

At first, Amanda’s faithful assistant Ellie is known only through her bracketed interjections in typed transcripts of Amanda’s interviews. She occasionally appears in concerned messages, and also shared her research about cults, and what draws people to certain individuals and missions no matter how irrational. Hallett’s research into this subject, the equally complicated workings of the child welfare system, and covert police operations, are of textbook quality. Ellie’s role is ultimately far more important than even she and Amanda know.

This book about “dark forces” is written with such humour that you really do not see what is coming. Both the beginning and the end present the story as itself a case of true crime and make the reader a character with some power in the outcome. The only negative is that I flew through it so fast I was left wanting it not to be over…

✨ARC Review✨

Journalist and true crime author Amanda has been tasked to write a book about the Alperton Angels, the infamous case of a London teenage girl falling in with a cult and believing her baby was the anti-Christ. The teenager was able to call the police and escape, but the cult members killed themselves and the baby was never found.

Told as an epistolary novel in emails, texts, and transcriptions, Amanda needs to figure out what happened to the baby while trying to finish her novel before her rival, who is working on the same thing - and staying away from dangers lurking from the past.

This was my first Janice Hallett novel and won’t be my last! I actually really liked this story, but I wasn’t thrilled with the ending. This one comes out Jan. 23! Add it to your TBR if you like murder mysteries or books about cults.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital copy of this book!

I absolutely love Janice Hallet and the intricate mysteries she manages to unravel through mixed media alone. This one captivated me from the start and surprised me until the end!

I don’t want to say too much here because it’s best to go into her books blind, but we have the old case of. a small cult who had plans to sacrifice a baby, and two competing journalists trying to find this baby 18 years later.

The rivalry between Amanda and Oliver was fun and goes a little off the rails, the mystery was fantastic, and the conclusion knocked my socks off, as always.

If you haven’t read Janice Hallett, please give her a try!

I tried to figure out why this book was keeping me up at night in a restless state...it has nothing to do with the topic, but everything to do with the format. I was reading a woman's work life at bed time...I do that all day long, so a book entirely formatted as emails, interviews and texts was super stressful. I am not sure who thought this was a smart plan? I would have loved it based on the cult, the mystery and the setting.. but sadly gave up at 42%.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I love, love, LOVE everything about Janice Hallett’s brilliantly twisted meta-fiction novel, “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels,” because it’s cleverly written as an immersive investigative piece by a ‘true crime’ journalist, Amanda. Readers vicariously become Amanda because we are first-hand eyewitnesses to her daily life as she writes texts and copy; sifts through communication responses; talks to contacts; and everything else that she encounters through this period..

Yet who is the REAL Amanda? What’s her backstory story? Regardless, she’s detail-oriented; a stickler for the facts, and a perfectionist for the perfect lead. “Angels” provides clues (and misdirection) throughout the novel for discerning and shrewd literary detectives to evaluate and solve.

“Angels” is a gazillion-piece puzzle in shades of gray. Once you finally get the outline figured out—which isn’t easy—it all starts coming together. Some resolutions weren’t to my liking. However, I’m not the one telling the story. The ending probably had to be the eerie conclusion that it is. “Angels” reinforces that there are powerful forces that should never be engaged nor antagonized.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Janice Hallertt, Publisher Altria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, celebrating it’s Publishing Centennial January 2024, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Every single time I pick up a Janice Hallett book I am blown away by her mind. The way she weaves her stories together is truly amazing. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was no different.

I seriously can’t get over how good the formatting of this book is. From the characters to the plot, everything is so well fleshed out. I truly enjoyed this story.

I will say the middle dragged on for me a bit. But that ending made up for it! Janice Hallett is always going to be an auto buy author for me.
4/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eighteen years ago, the Alperton Angels, a cult, committed suicide after failing to kill a baby they believed was the Antichrist. True crime author Amanda Baily is researching the cult and the baby, now an adult, for her next book.

This complex story is told totally through texts, emails, messages and other documents. You need to read carefully to find the many hints that are dropped along the way. There are many twists and turns to the plot as well.

Thank you, Atria Books and Net Galley, for the advanced copy of this book. I will be on the lookout for Janice Hallett's next novel. The opinions expressed are my own.