I absolutely loved Janice Hallett's debut, The Appeal but wasn't so keen on the follow up The Twyford Code so was interested to read this. her third novel.
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels starts out well. As with the author's previous novels it's written in an original format and the mystery element is intriguing and compelling. Almost 20 years after the case of the Alperton Angels, true crime writer Amanda Bailey is researching a book on the case and hoping to finally track down the Alperton baby.
It's an intricately plotted and original novel, darker in its theme than her previous two novels. However, for me, sadly, the novel got lost under the format which is very difficult to read on a kindle. The novel is told in the form of transcripts, emails and other forms of electronic communication. This meant the font size kept changing, it was difficult to keep track of who was messaging who and the novel lost pace for me, as I wasn't able to immerse myself in it. I'd recommend reading in book format or give it a go if you are happy to navigate this format on a kindle.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Hallett does it again - her mysteries are always engrossing and twisting this was no exception. The most disturbing of the books I've read of hers, I did struggle slightly with the ebook layout, but found myself speeding through as I couldn't wait to find out what happened.

I loved the Appeal, I wasn’t a fan of the Twyford Code but I still couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new novel.

The Alperton Angels is written in the same format as the Appeal, with correspondence between Amanda Bailey and the people she is reaching out to, whilst writing a book about what happened to the baby taken into care following the suicide of the Angels. There are also sections from 'novels' and 'play scripts' she reads during her research.

I feel it’s her best book yet! Because of the format it is written in it can be a bit hard to follow at times on an electronic device. As such, I recommend you buying the real item when it’s available in January.
Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Viper for the advanced copy. It really is a phenomenal read!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The only review I can give this is that I'm currently writing this at 1am after finishing one of the best mysteries of the year. Exhausted, exhilarated, disturbed, and satisfied in equal measure. Janice Hallett is one of the strongest and most consistent new voices in mystery writing and someone whose books I will always look forward to.

Well, janice Hallett has done it again! Queen of the complex, fascinating and utterly perplexing crime whodunnit, she finds a way to be fascinating and utterly original in every book she writes. Complete page turner - bring on the next one!

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Thanks to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books.


Set as a true crime writer tries to solve a cold case. You are drawn into the story with WhatsApp and text messages/emails between characters with lots of twists and turns as to who did what and when, you will be left up till the end to discover if Gabriel can convince a small group that he is an archangel and therefore his bidding must be done or whether angels are real.
Underneath all this is was a crime being committed? If so who and why are they doing it.
A very well researched book which had me hooked quite early on and I was convinced I knew what /who the angels were.

When true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking for inspiration and something to save her flagging career, she turns to the tale of the Alperton Angels a cult that 20 years previously has tired to kill a baby believing that it was the Anti-Christ. The baby was placed in care and has now turned 18 so Amanda is trying to track all involved to get the story of the year…..
Janice Hallett has written a fantastically intricate plot with her usual use of email, txt and voice recorded transcripts!!! It is a page turner with such well observed characters. I couldn’t put it down.

This is my third Janice Hallett novel and now I'm waiting for number four. I loved The Appeal, not so much The Twyford Code, but this new one is another five-star read. Once again, the novel is made up of emails, WhatsApp messages, texts, transcripts, and sections from 'novels' and 'play scripts'. Everything designed to keep the reader alert. Amanda Bailey is a writer of true crime fiction and for her latest book she is researching the Alperton Angels. This was a group - a cult - who eighteen years previously, under the leadership of Gabriel, who convinced two vulnerable teenagers that they were angels and that he and his followers were archangels. He also convinced them that their child was the antichrist and as such needed to be destroyed when the planets were aligned. The child and the teenagers survived, Gabriel was jailed for life and the followers died in a murder suicide. Now that the 'baby' is eighteen, Amanda plans to track it down and write about the events from his/her perspective. What follows are the emails to contacts as she tries to find the adult teenagers and the eighteen-year-old 'baby' and the responses she receives. We also have transcripts of recorded meetings and telephone conversations brilliantly written by her assistant, Ellie, whose little asides are brilliant. However, when Amanda finds that her nemesis, Oliver, is also planning to produce a similar book for a rival publisher, she finds that she is forced - by her own publisher - to work with him so that the two books can be complimentary rather than competing.
As a reader, you follow the clues and what we get is not just a story of the Alperton Angels, we also get a story of manipulation, deception and rivalry, and, there are also hints of the unexplained as well as lots of twists and turns. A brilliantly enjoyable read

A thrilling mystery that draws you in. Janice Hallett writes in such a way that you are immediately emersed in the story.

We follow Amanda and Oliver as they compete to uncover exactly what happened on the night of the apparent Alperton Angels suicide.

The book explores themes such as jeleousy, teen runaways, coercive control and murder/suicide with ease. It's also highlights the price that can be payed if you stop at nothing to reach a goal without heeding any warnings.

Definitely a must read!

I loved The Appeal and The Twyford Code and I couldn't wait to read Janice's latest novel. I was not disappointed! What an absolutely clever and addictive novel this is! I was hooked from the very start and again loved the very different format that the book was written in. Janice is certainly writing masterclasses in mystery-writing and I cannot wait to read more by her! A thrilling, multi-layered and hugely fascinating novel. Thank you so much to Viper for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this.

Another masterpiece by the incredible Janice Hallett!

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels takes Amanda and Oliver, journalists investigating a crime that happened years previously, and tells the story of their research.

Hallett has such a way of drawing you in to a story with many different strands that come together so neatly and perfectly at the conclusion. Even when sometimes I was thinking 'what on earth is this?' a few chapters later my mind would be blown as it was explained.

Brilliant. And I'm already excited for her next book!!

I should probably start this by saying I also loved the appeal and the twyford code but I really loved this one. It’s the story of Amanda Bailey who is writing a true crime novel and it’s written as a series of transcripts, pages from a book/ play, messages like her other books. All I can say without ruining it for you is that this book made me feel like a detective: picking up on all the little clues and trying to piece it all together!
Read through netgalley but would have purchased and I bought the last two of her books with my own money.

loved janice hallett's first book! didn't like the second! so i was going in to this very open minded, no idea what to expect. it took me a while to get into it! and keeping track of who was who but i really fell into it and read it quickly, wanting to know what happens next, and then the ending had me reevaluating everything and i loved it all

Once again Hallett has me hooked, I absolutely love her writing style and the way she develops her stories. I was gripped from the get go and it had me guessing throughout. So impressed!

Thank you NetGalley and Viper for the eARC, excited to read this early!

That was so gripping, loved it! 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed Janice Hallett's previous two books, and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is written in the same style: a combination of messages, emails and interview transcripts. Pieced together, they tell a very compelling story.

There are several mysteries in the book: the main one - the cold case of the Alperton Angels, which Amanda is investigating; the box with all her research printed out (who printed it and why); Amanda and Oliver's history. All of this made for a very gripping story, as it was all slowly revealed.

I thought it was great how Janice Hallett managed to make her characters so distinct although all we had to go on were messages and conversations. Very cleverly done.

Would be a full 5 star read, but there was one part that felt a little rushed, however it's too much of a spoiler to discuss. Might just be me being sceptical, though.

Overall, really enjoyed it - a little bit more than The Appeal or The Twyford Code. I think it's safe to say that I will read any future book by Janice Hallett, since I liked all three so far.

Janice Hallett has absolutely knocked it put of the park once again. As someone I can only describe as the Agatha Christie for millennials she has an absolute knack of keeping you on the edge of your seat all the way through. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. A botched police investigation, a tenacious author, and a 20 year old cult. What more could anyone want in a story?

Janice thank you for reminding me of how much I love your storytelling. You are amazing and I can’t wait until this is published!!! As always thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Has to be my favourite read of the year (& possibly the last 30 years!)

Please keep your eyes open for this one guys. Publication date is 19th Jan 2023.

I found this book infuriatingly difficult to read, the WhatsApp/email/correspondence layout was hard to follow and impossible to get into the story line. It's a shame because the premise sounded good.

The mysterious case of the alperton angels with thanks to netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I finished this book almost a week ago and I am still thinking about it. This is my first Janice Hallett book and I really loved it. The mystery is told through WhatsApp messages and emails between the characters. I will admit this style of storytelling did take me a while to get used to but once I did I couldn't put the book down. It was really fresh spin on a suspense novel. I found myself googling to find out did this case actually happen. A journalist wants to write a book about a group of people who believed themselves to be angels where 4 bodies were found in a warehouse in the early 2000s. I urge everyone to pick up and read

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels will have you guessing from start to finish. The last 40% was amazing and I couldn't put it down. I love books with emails/texts/articles etc as its format.

Murder Mysteries are the go to genre for my students right now and after loving The Appeal and The Twyford Code, this is sure to be another smash hit for Janice Hallett.