The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels: the Bestselling Richard & Judy Book Club Pick

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.

Enjoyed the book. Transcript writing style takes getting used to. Need to concentrate to understand the massive cover up. Recommend.

Having read Janice Hallett’s previous books and loved them, I purchased The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels as soon as it was published. Like the previous books, Janice Alperton uses her quirky writing style, of emails, WhatsApp and texts messages to tell the story of the Alperton Angels, a cult who eighteen years previously believed a baby was the anti-Christ whom they had to sacrifice to save mankind. Through crime writer, Amanda Bailey and her research into the Angels for a new book, we are privy to the dark and sinister story of the Angels, their belief’s and the suicides.Janice Alliott has again written a unique and remarkable mystery that grabbed me and pulled me on an incredible journey. I really love her writing style, telling the story through the use of email, text, WhatsApp, newspaper articles and transcripts of meetings that Amanda uses in her research; she has written the modern day epistolary novel. It’s like reading a book about a book, being witness to the research and writing process of a writer, and seeing the organic progression of the writing process, and the putting it all together to make a fully formed novel. It is also like a puzzle for the reader, remembering parts of the story and being able to keep them in mind to form the full story.As a character Amanda is a thorough researcher, not leaving any stone unturned and always looking for a new angle to the mystery; in this case finding the baby at the centre of the Angel cult. Her nemesis is Oliver Menzies, a fellow writer also working on a book about the Alperton Angels. Where Amanda is diligent, Oliver is more emotional about the case. He has less people skills, is abrubt and direct whereas Amanda is able to put people at ease and draw informatin from them. They are meant to work together, different angles, but sharing research, however Oliver is more of a hinderance than a help and their conversations added a frisson to the book, as they enter a kind of combat. I did like the idea of these two characters, their different characteristics, but the same goal, and waiting to see who would find that vital piece of information to make their book stand out.The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is another fabulous crime thriller from Janice Hallett. The plot is completely gripping, both in the revelations in the story of the Alperton Angels, and also the research and writing processs of Amanda and Oliver. The unique writing style is genius, making it different to other crime thrillers on the market, adding to the enjoyment of the reading experience, with collating all the different threads to find the truth of what happened eighteen years ago. A deliciously dark, intelligent and compelling read and one I highly recommend.

This was an interesting story but it as others mention, too many twists and turns. In some places, I thought the story dragged.A good story, but not as good as her other books.

It’s been a while since I have read a book this engrossing. The format makes you feel voyeuristic, as if you are reading over something that you shouldn’t know, all the while making you desperate to obtain the next piece of the mystery.

At first I found the constant jumping back and forth between fragments and characters offputting and hard to keep track of.I hadn't read a novel of this type previously but over time the journey and clues become clearer and it carries you away.It helps immeaurably that some of the key character relationships are followed through from beginning to ground the storyI would highly recommend attempting to read this on a large screen tablet vs a smaller screen KindleThe fragments are just easier to recognise and followCan't wait to read more of the authors work

It was a decent read although I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It seemed like the story was building to so much more a punch than it delivered. It lacked that page-turning suspense that I crave in my books. It sort of ambled along.

Interesting format I have not read before. Told through emails, what’s app, and tapes, the style takes a while to get used to. But it does come together if you persist. Quite an interesting story but a bit too many twists and turns. It is work to keep it all straight I read it fairly quickly and I think I would have lost the plot if I read it over too many sittings. I found the end unsatisfying after the work to get through it. The reviews are very mixed and fit my feelings about the book.

As was one of the author's previous books, "The Appeal," this tale is told in fragments--of emails, texts, interviews, and sections of diaries, novels, and screenplays. Each fragment contains clues to the murder-suicides of the Alperton Angels, mentioned in the the title. (Alperton is a London neighborhood.) The fragmentation is the point. Readers will have to put it together, just as Oliver and Amanda, the two competing would-be authors of two true crime books, have to do here. Read closely, my friends.