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awebofstories 's review for:
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
by Janice Hallett
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Grade: A
Janice Hallett will mess with your mind.
In her third novel, she once again gives us a twisty and intriguing mystery, but she also raises the bar. This novel will bury itself into your psyche without you even knowing it.
The premise is deceptively simple. A true-crime writer is commissioned to write about an 18-year-old cult-related crime, only to find that her former nemesis is covering the same case. Reluctantly, they realize they need to work together--to a point. But this crime is so much more than what meets the eye.
While this book is fiction, it definitely captures that true crime feel. Using her signature epistolary style, we feel like we are working alongside Amanda and Oliver as they try to figure out what happened that bloody night 18 years before and what happened to the baby at the center. I must admit that I felt quite smug about halfway through because I was sure I knew how this book would turn out. Spoiler: I was nowhere near the truth. Hallett has fooled me in all three of her novels, and I am confident that she will continue to do so in her future novels.
This book is unlike her previous novels in two ways. This book left me feeling very unsettled. Yes, it is about a cult, but it is also about the cruelty humans can inflict on each other and the great harm that can result from it. Hallett tells more than one story here, but both bring this point to light.
The second difference was probably the only drawback for me with this novel. Her first two novels were heavily puzzle-based. They were the most mixed-up Rubik's Cube that Hallett systematically put back into order. While this book was twisty, there wasn't really that same puzzle element. Even though I found this book incredibly enjoyable, I still found myself missing that one facet of her storytelling.
All in all, this was an excellent novel that kept me turning the pages and wrapped up in the crime.
Janice Hallett will mess with your mind.
In her third novel, she once again gives us a twisty and intriguing mystery, but she also raises the bar. This novel will bury itself into your psyche without you even knowing it.
The premise is deceptively simple. A true-crime writer is commissioned to write about an 18-year-old cult-related crime, only to find that her former nemesis is covering the same case. Reluctantly, they realize they need to work together--to a point. But this crime is so much more than what meets the eye.
While this book is fiction, it definitely captures that true crime feel. Using her signature epistolary style, we feel like we are working alongside Amanda and Oliver as they try to figure out what happened that bloody night 18 years before and what happened to the baby at the center. I must admit that I felt quite smug about halfway through because I was sure I knew how this book would turn out. Spoiler: I was nowhere near the truth. Hallett has fooled me in all three of her novels, and I am confident that she will continue to do so in her future novels.
This book is unlike her previous novels in two ways. This book left me feeling very unsettled. Yes, it is about a cult, but it is also about the cruelty humans can inflict on each other and the great harm that can result from it. Hallett tells more than one story here, but both bring this point to light.
The second difference was probably the only drawback for me with this novel. Her first two novels were heavily puzzle-based. They were the most mixed-up Rubik's Cube that Hallett systematically put back into order. While this book was twisty, there wasn't really that same puzzle element. Even though I found this book incredibly enjoyable, I still found myself missing that one facet of her storytelling.
All in all, this was an excellent novel that kept me turning the pages and wrapped up in the crime.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Gaslighting