I am delighted to share my review of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett. I had seen so many good things about this book I bought a copy to see just how good it was. And, yes it was very good indeed 🙂

Open the safe deposit box. Inside you will find research material for a true crime book. You must read the documents, then make a decision. Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult-like group who were convinced one of their member’s babies was the anti-Christ, and they had a divine mission to kill it – until the baby’s mother, Holly, came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison, and Holly – and the baby – disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed – if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby’s trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong, and the truth is something much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined.

This story is far from over – and it won’t have a happy ending.

MY REVIEW

I have seen this book around so much since its release and I decided to jump on the bandwagon to see if it was as good as it looked. It most definitely was and so much more than I realised it would be. I will mention that this is not a straightforward book, the story is made up of emails, messages, transcripts, post-it notes, emails, documents and reports. I have read several books that have been written this way and enjoy this style.

For a book that is written via messages, pieces of text and no conversations as such, the flow of this story is amazing. Two authors are pushed together to write a book each about the infamous Alperton Angels, a small cult that ended when the leader was arrested for murder, two of the cult got away, and three if you also include the baby. Oh, and the three other members are also dead and mutilated. And further murders have happened in recent times to add even more confusion and mystery for the two authors to dig through.

This is a cleverly laid out and written book, it had me going in circles along with the fictional authors as I was gradually drawn into a story that already sounded bad but then turned into something more evil and extreme. The mystery is amazing when it is finally realised, and I did not see that from the beginning of the book. There are things that are red herrings, but then they are not, people who are what you think they are and then they are not, places and dates are confusing and even though this who thing sounds very confusing, while you are reading the book it isn’t. This is why I think this has been very cleverly done, if it hadn’t been, well… it wouldn’t have worked.

The story involves several people as they give their information, some can be trusted, others not so much. There are many twists and I am finding it really difficult to write a review that makes sense. So what I am going to say is, if you like a murder mystery that is dark and just throws twists left, right and centre, then you really do need to read it.

Brilliant book and I have a feeling this might be worth listening to as an audiobook. It definitely kept me occupied and I would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is her first novel.

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