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

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Allowing each character to speak for themselves is a great benefit of this style. I much prefer writing in the first person, where I can jump into that character and see the world from their perspective. As a screenwriter I had to write dialogue from every character’s perspective and I think my novels demonstrate an extension of that. There must be downsides but I haven’t discovered them yet. It feels quite natural to me to write this kind of novel.

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.

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

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. The Alperton Angels were a cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Three members of this cult were found dead, whilst a fourth body was found in a nearby flat. It was believed that thegirl came to her senses, called the police and The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial. Meanwhile mother and baby disappeared into the care system. All this renders The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels a deviously twisting and twisted puzzle layered with a multitude of deceptions, intrigues and red herrings. It combines the best aspects of the thriller and the whodunnit to present a challenging conundrum for readers to unravel. I'm agog at the skill with which Hallett uses her unconventional storytelling method, not just in unfolding the plot and springing surprises, but in building up memorable characters. Character and plot, wit and creepiness, are all in perfect balance. It's another resounding success * Daily Express * Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. As a playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat. Jon CreamerTrue-crime author Amanda Bailey is attempting to write a book about a twenty year old mysterious case, known as the Alperton Angels. I have to confess that I still haven't read Janice Hallett's first book, but, having enjoyed her second I was keen to read her latest and I am pleased to give this a solid, five-star review. Janice Hallett says “I am beyond thrilled to be working with Phil Temple, Birdie Pictures and STUDIOCANAL to bring The Mysterious Case of The Alperton Angels to the screen. Phil’s expertise in, and enthusiasm for original storytelling will deliver this vivid and surprising tale to a wide TV audience. I am so proud to be a part of his new company’s first screen project.” Long-buried truth meets long-awaited fiction with deadly consequences in The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, the third fiendishly complex novel by Janice Hallett. Having skewered the venerable pastimes of amateur dramatics and children’s literature in her previous books, this time round Hallett focuses her perceptive storytelling on the phenomenon of true crime, shining a light on the particularly unsavoury aspects of the hugely popular genre. Inside is a bundle of documents, archived research material for a book that has just been published.

What it comes down to with this book is that I just had a great time while reading it. I really feel like Janice Hallett is getting better with every book. She had the puzzle element down in the first book but I didn't care about the characters or connect emotionally with the story. In her second book, The Twyford Code, I connected hard with the characters thanks to some clever twistiness and she still had the nice puzzle element, even leveled up a little. With this one she had the puzzle (leveled up again, I think), she had the characters, and for the first time the stakes were INTENSE rather than personal like in her first two books. I wasn’t aware of any other writing while working on my first two novels. If it’s a movement, then hopefully it’s like most movements in art – it arises naturally in response to what we as a society choose to consume as entertainment. A lot of readers say they like that my style is different, so it could simply be that a change is as good as a rest… I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a couple of times when I thought there might be one too many different types of material but they're all totally relevant. Of course you won't know that till the end, which I didn't see coming at all. Great twist. In fact there's several great twists. What makes her a publisher’s dream is the bank of ideas stored up from screenwriting. “The fact they didn’t get made as scripts turns out to be a good thing, because now I can develop them further as books.” Woven through Alperton Angels is a script adapted from one Hallett wrote in 2006, about a group of angels who are trying to save the Antichrist. “The twist was that they weren’t angels at all, it was a grooming ring. It was great to build on that story and make it bigger and more relevant to today.”Having said this, the playful ingenuity of The Appeal, set around an amateur dramatics group, is missing here. The mystery is deeply buried, quite complicated, and pretty dark. Amanda’s main aim is to discover the whereabouts of a baby who was the focus of the cult’s activities. The cult were planning a ritual slaughter of this infant, calling it the Antichrist, before they apparently killed themselves instead. Afterwards, both mother and child vanished, and in the past 18 years anyone who has tried to unearth them seems rapidly to have died in suspicious circumstances.

It has taken me longer than usual to write this review because I consider this author to be very talented. I have read all her books, The Appeal took me by surprise and I became a fan, a solid five stars. With Twyford I became restless and bored at the beginning but the storyline became suddenly interesting, four stars. The book I just read was nothing like the previous books, the plot was uninteresting and repetitious with dull and unlikable characters. Just like the Twyford Code, this book isn't written in a regular chapter format and just as well. It is clever and intriguing, and I loved every minute of it. Greatly recommended ! Now, true crime author Amanda Bailey is looking to revive her career by writing a book on the case. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen; finding them will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and also on the baby’s trail. THE AUTHOR: Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times.It’s dark and creepy in places, but also really witty and humorous in others. I wasn’t expecting to be so drawn in but I loved how the tension gradually built. The plot was well paced and I felt like I raced through the book. 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. Undeniably clever and captivating, and delivers a brilliant twist that will delight fans of her previous books * Sunday Express * But anyone who has experienced something life altering, such as a bereavement, can be vulnerable. In simple terms, as soon as someone knows what you want, they can control you with the promise of getting it for you. 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?