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sophialib's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was a great book, especially the audio version. I think it would have exhausted me to actually read it, so I definitely recommend listening. It took a little bit to get into since it’s written as a bunch of research documents and correspondences and felt too long at some points, but once I was into it I was hooked! Very suspenseful; everything wrapped up nicely in the end and answered all of the questions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Kidnapping
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book is like a season of the Podcast Serial mixed with a Sherlock Holmes novel. I’ve never read anything like it and I was engrossed from the first page. Instead of telling a story in a normal, linear way, you are presented with all of the evidence (emails, articles, text messages…) and it is left to you to figure out what to do with it. Highly recommend for anyone who is a fellow true crime junkie!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Violence, Gaslighting, Blood, Mental illness, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Suicide
megelizabeth's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
"It sunk into the scene like a stone beneath quicksand. Like the truth sinks lower with every telling of a lie."
I really, really enjoyed this. For a while I wasn't sure about it because I didn't really like the main character and couldn't tell if we were supposed to, but that ended up bothering me less and less because a) she does become a bit more bearable but more importantly b) the story is just SO ridiculously clever and tightly-plotted and honestly pretty genius. It's so layered and fascinating and had me so, so gripped, and I shouldn't have doubted the mixed-media format as it was SUCH an interesting way to tell the story (and in itself raises such interesting questions about what was inevitably omitted). I also loved the subtle commentary around true crime and the ethics of writing about it.
I will say that there were a couple of elements I was still slightly confused about by the end, hence it not quite being a 5*, but I don't know how much of that was the book versus how much was just me (and me reading it very late whilst extremely tired because I couldn't put it down). It also ended up being a lot darker than I expected, but mostly in a good way and definitely in a really interesting and unique way, and yeah I just really loved it!
I really, really enjoyed this. For a while I wasn't sure about it because I didn't really like the main character and couldn't tell if we were supposed to, but that ended up bothering me less and less because a) she does become a bit more bearable but more importantly b) the story is just SO ridiculously clever and tightly-plotted and honestly pretty genius. It's so layered and fascinating and had me so, so gripped, and I shouldn't have doubted the mixed-media format as it was SUCH an interesting way to tell the story (and in itself raises such interesting questions about what was inevitably omitted). I also loved the subtle commentary around true crime and the ethics of writing about it.
I will say that there were a couple of elements I was still slightly confused about by the end, hence it not quite being a 5*, but I don't know how much of that was the book versus how much was just me (and me reading it very late whilst extremely tired because I couldn't put it down). It also ended up being a lot darker than I expected, but mostly in a good way and definitely in a really interesting and unique way, and yeah I just really loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicide, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping
dizzymisslizzy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gaslighting, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual violence
lautodd_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Wild. Fire. Disturbing, but couldn’t put it down.
A story about a famous true crime novelist— persistent and doggedly and dangerously determined— writing an exposé novel about The Alperton Angels case: an 18-year old satanic cult case involving several murders-by-suicide-pact and a surviving teenage couple and their 2-month-old baby.
I’m not usually a true crime or mystery/thriller fan, but the story towed the tense line of eerie and practical very well.
In hindsight, it wasn’t a book that moved me so deeply as it was engaging and pleasing. Writing the novel with mixed media— WhatsApp messages, transcribed audio recordings, emails, hand-written letters, excerpts from the book-in-progress—was such a clever, befitting choice for this story and is probably would provoked me to read through the night. There’s something enticing, felt-morally wrong, and revelatory about reading messages and writings and recordings— the ins and outs— of a circumstance or a life. Perhaps satisfying our desires to be caught up in other lives and stories, not necessarily because we are disappointed with our own, but because there are other billions of stories and worlds out there outside of our own, and bearing witness to that— whether a lovely or gruesome one— is beyond fathomable; particularly proving that there’s so much of the finite that is infinite and outside of our control or imagination.
A story about a famous true crime novelist— persistent and doggedly and dangerously determined— writing an exposé novel about The Alperton Angels case: an 18-year old satanic cult case involving several murders-by-suicide-pact and a surviving teenage couple and their 2-month-old baby.
I’m not usually a true crime or mystery/thriller fan, but the story towed the tense line of eerie and practical very well.
In hindsight, it wasn’t a book that moved me so deeply as it was engaging and pleasing. Writing the novel with mixed media— WhatsApp messages, transcribed audio recordings, emails, hand-written letters, excerpts from the book-in-progress—was such a clever, befitting choice for this story and is probably would provoked me to read through the night. There’s something enticing, felt-morally wrong, and revelatory about reading messages and writings and recordings— the ins and outs— of a circumstance or a life. Perhaps satisfying our desires to be caught up in other lives and stories, not necessarily because we are disappointed with our own, but because there are other billions of stories and worlds out there outside of our own, and bearing witness to that— whether a lovely or gruesome one— is beyond fathomable; particularly proving that there’s so much of the finite that is infinite and outside of our control or imagination.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Gore, Kidnapping, and Blood
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Mass/school shootings
nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I absolutely adore Janice Hallett's quirky found-footage/epistolary take on mysteries. Hallett is in top form with the Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, which balances quite a dark mystery with her characteristic wit and humor.
The first book of hers that I read was the Appeal, which I found to be quite cozy and irreverent. While the style of Alperton Angels is the same, the characters were a more vicious and the themes considerably darker.
Alperton Angels consists of the collected research materials of fictional true crime writer Amanda Bailey as she digs into the events surrounding the apparent collective suicide of a small cult 18 years prior and the murder of their neighbor. The tragedy left four survivors: the leader, a man who claims to be the archangel Gabriel come to Earth, a teenage boy and girl, and a baby who would now be on the cusp of adulthood. Her publisher wants her to track down the baby and revisit the crime from their perspective.
Her investigation reveals a twisty knot of characters with varied motivations and levels of fanatical belief and so, so many secrets. The closer she gets to answers, the more dangerous the investigation seems to become.
This mystery was an utterly wild ride, and you truly don't know who to trust for the bulk of the text.
With cynical call-outs to the salacious world of true crime publishing and podcasting, Hallett shows how well she understands the genre. I wasn't surprised to see her list the impeccably researched brainchild of Michelle McNamara's obsession, I'll Be Gone in the Dark among her inspirations.
I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who likes learning about cults, reading true crime, and mysteries delivered with a side of cheeky British humor.
The first book of hers that I read was the Appeal, which I found to be quite cozy and irreverent. While the style of Alperton Angels is the same, the characters were a more vicious and the themes considerably darker.
Alperton Angels consists of the collected research materials of fictional true crime writer Amanda Bailey as she digs into the events surrounding the apparent collective suicide of a small cult 18 years prior and the murder of their neighbor. The tragedy left four survivors: the leader, a man who claims to be the archangel Gabriel come to Earth, a teenage boy and girl, and a baby who would now be on the cusp of adulthood. Her publisher wants her to track down the baby and revisit the crime from their perspective.
Her investigation reveals a twisty knot of characters with varied motivations and levels of fanatical belief and so, so many secrets. The closer she gets to answers, the more dangerous the investigation seems to become.
This mystery was an utterly wild ride, and you truly don't know who to trust for the bulk of the text.
With cynical call-outs to the salacious world of true crime publishing and podcasting, Hallett shows how well she understands the genre. I wasn't surprised to see her list the impeccably researched brainchild of Michelle McNamara's obsession, I'll Be Gone in the Dark among her inspirations.
I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who likes learning about cults, reading true crime, and mysteries delivered with a side of cheeky British humor.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Suicide
Minor: Xenophobia, Gore, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Cancer
aden_'s review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Child abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse
oz2021's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, and Child abuse
michelles_book_nook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
⚠️ CW: murder, death, suicide, grooming, child abuse, torture and drug use ⚠️ Wow what a mind-blowing read! I stayed up all night just to binge this book. This book follows Amanda Bailey, a true crime author, who is researching the Alperton Angels for her upcoming book, a cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the antichrist and that they were on a divine mission to kill the baby. However she came to her senses and alerted the police before any harm could come to the baby and the angels committed suicide rather than stand trial whilst she and her baby disappeared into the care system. Now nearly two decades later Amanda starts her book and finds that the baby is due to turn 18 and can finally be interviewed, but first they need to be traced. If she can locate the baby this will be the flagship moment of her career but the deeper she digs the more she discovers dark and strange forces surround this story and if she continues digging it could be her last. This book was so incredibly gripping and I could not put it down! It's so hard to review without spoilers but it was perfect. I love seeing mixed media in books but this was my first time reading a book that solely contained mixed media to tell the story. It felt like the most intense murder mystery game while reading all of the documents and information surrounding this in depth and captivating read so you can make your own conclusions as you read. Overall, I highly recommend this book and not only is it my favourite read so far this year but I think it will easily make my top 10 at the end of the year too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Child abuse, Torture, Drug use, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Adult/minor relationship
shelfofunread's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Having been impressed by the intricate plotting and unique style seen in both The Appeal and The Twyford Code, I was keen to see how Janice Hallett developed her modern take on the epistolary format in her third novel, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.
As with Hallett’s previous books, Alperton Angels takes the form of letters, emails, diary entries, newspaper clippings, and records of WhatsApp conversations and recorded interviews. The premise is that you, the reader, have come into possession of a the key to a safety deposit box and these are its contents. The files belonged to a true crime author, Amanda Bailey, and contain her research into the case of the titular Alperton Angels: a cult-like group whose members apparently sacrificed themselves when they failed in their plot to kill a baby that they believed to be the anti-Christ.
Amanda has been tasked by her publisher with finding the now-eighteen-year-old Alperton baby, tracking down the surviving cult members – the baby’s parents, Holly and Jonah – and securing an interview with the group’s charismatic leader, Gabriel. Only problem is that Gabriel is in maximum security prison – and not inclined to provide interviews – whilst Holly, Jonah, and the baby all disappeared into the care system and haven’t been heard of since. Even more frustrating, Amanda’s former colleague, rival author Oliver Menzies, has been given exactly the same brief by a competing imprint and is on the trail of the Alperton baby too.
Saying any more about the plot would spoil the many surprises that The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels has in store: this is definitely one of those books that the less you know going in, the better! Needless to say, however, the case of the Alperton Angels is far from the usual story of vulnerable people and their ensnarement by a charismatic cult leader. Instead be prepared for a wild ride that takes in conspiracies, police corruption, systematic failures in social care, and a personal vendetta with dangerous and unexpected consequences. Despite guessing some of the twists and turns along the way, I did not see where the ending was going!
As with Hallett’s previous novels, it did take a little while for the story to fully emerge. There are a LOT of characters here as well as several interweaving and connected plot strands, so it takes a while to put all the pieces into play and establish the background to the events being discussed. But, as with her previous novels, Hallett does an excellent job of keeping control of the reins, reminding readers of important clues and information at key points, and bringing the whole thing to a deeply satisfying – if unsettling – conclusion.
The other downside of Hallett’s trademark mixed-media style is that it can take a little longer to connect with the characters but, given the limitations of the form, Hallett does an excellent job of distinguishing her characters and building up a clear ‘voice’ for each of them. Both Amanda and Oliver are deeply flawed as individuals but, for me, it made them all the more identifiable and empathetic and I came to enjoy the competitive rapport between them and developed as real sense of creeping dread as external forces start to interfere with their investigation – and their sanity.
Anyone who loved Hallett’s previous novels is sure to find The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels just as enthralling. And mystery fans who have yet to discover her work should definitely consider diving in here! Once the story is established, it rapidly turns into a clever page-turning mystery worthy of Agatha Christie at her finest.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre.... My thanks go to the publisher and to Netgalley UK for providing an e-copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
As with Hallett’s previous books, Alperton Angels takes the form of letters, emails, diary entries, newspaper clippings, and records of WhatsApp conversations and recorded interviews. The premise is that you, the reader, have come into possession of a the key to a safety deposit box and these are its contents. The files belonged to a true crime author, Amanda Bailey, and contain her research into the case of the titular Alperton Angels: a cult-like group whose members apparently sacrificed themselves when they failed in their plot to kill a baby that they believed to be the anti-Christ.
Amanda has been tasked by her publisher with finding the now-eighteen-year-old Alperton baby, tracking down the surviving cult members – the baby’s parents, Holly and Jonah – and securing an interview with the group’s charismatic leader, Gabriel. Only problem is that Gabriel is in maximum security prison – and not inclined to provide interviews – whilst Holly, Jonah, and the baby all disappeared into the care system and haven’t been heard of since. Even more frustrating, Amanda’s former colleague, rival author Oliver Menzies, has been given exactly the same brief by a competing imprint and is on the trail of the Alperton baby too.
Saying any more about the plot would spoil the many surprises that The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels has in store: this is definitely one of those books that the less you know going in, the better! Needless to say, however, the case of the Alperton Angels is far from the usual story of vulnerable people and their ensnarement by a charismatic cult leader. Instead be prepared for a wild ride that takes in conspiracies, police corruption, systematic failures in social care, and a personal vendetta with dangerous and unexpected consequences. Despite guessing some of the twists and turns along the way, I did not see where the ending was going!
As with Hallett’s previous novels, it did take a little while for the story to fully emerge. There are a LOT of characters here as well as several interweaving and connected plot strands, so it takes a while to put all the pieces into play and establish the background to the events being discussed. But, as with her previous novels, Hallett does an excellent job of keeping control of the reins, reminding readers of important clues and information at key points, and bringing the whole thing to a deeply satisfying – if unsettling – conclusion.
The other downside of Hallett’s trademark mixed-media style is that it can take a little longer to connect with the characters but, given the limitations of the form, Hallett does an excellent job of distinguishing her characters and building up a clear ‘voice’ for each of them. Both Amanda and Oliver are deeply flawed as individuals but, for me, it made them all the more identifiable and empathetic and I came to enjoy the competitive rapport between them and developed as real sense of creeping dread as external forces start to interfere with their investigation – and their sanity.
Anyone who loved Hallett’s previous novels is sure to find The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels just as enthralling. And mystery fans who have yet to discover her work should definitely consider diving in here! Once the story is established, it rapidly turns into a clever page-turning mystery worthy of Agatha Christie at her finest.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre.... My thanks go to the publisher and to Netgalley UK for providing an e-copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Pregnancy, Death, Suicide, Child abuse, and Gaslighting