The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

Name: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
Brand: Simon & Schuster Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Janice Hallett
ISBN: 9781797167046

Author: Janice Hallett

Narrator: Annie Aldington, Nneka Okoye, Gareth Armstrong, Sid Sagar, Kristin Atherton

Unabridged: 10 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Published: 01/23/2024

Categories: Fiction, Suspense & Thriller, Crime

Synopsis

A New York Times Notable Book and Best Thriller of 2024

A whip-smart and “fast-paced mystery” (The Daily Telegraph, London) from the internationally bestselling author of The Twyford Code and The Appeal about a true crime journalist who revives a long-buried case about a cult—and finds herself too close to the story.

Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl into believing her baby was the anti-Christ. When the girl came to her senses and called the police, the Angels committed suicide and mother and baby disappeared.

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.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realize that the truth about the Angels is much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined, and in pursuit of the story they risk becoming part of it.

About Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. She lives in London and is the author of The Silent Appeal, The Killer Question, The Examiner, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Christmas Appeal, The Twyford Code, and The Appeal.

Reviews

Goodreads review by emma on June 27, 2024

i want every mystery novel to make me feel totally stumped and also like the smartest amateur detective on earth. so i'm not asking for much. just kidding, i'm asking for too much. this was formatted like a bunch of files, which was fun, except some files are by definition boring. other than that this......more

Goodreads review by Baba on January 07, 2024

This is the story of published true crime writer Amanda Bailey's investigation for her upcoming book on the Alperton Angels cult; a cult that gained notoriety in the early 2000s in North West London after a murder and suicides, yes, suicides plural. Amanda, like others before her, found herself actu......more

Goodreads review by Ceecee on October 02, 2022

Amanda Bailey, best selling true crime author is searching for inspiration for her next novels when her agent points her to the 2003 case of the Alperton Angels. This is a small cult led by ‘Gabriel’ who convinces a young couple their baby is the Anti-Christ. The group hits the headlines and remains......more

Goodreads review by Blair on January 19, 2023

I don’t quite know how Janice Hallett manages to write such long, complex, high quality books so quickly, but I’m really glad she does, because I cannot get enough of her writing and plotting. More in the vein of The Appeal than The Twyford Code, this is another irresistibly page-turning mystery......more

Goodreads review by Dez the Bookworm on February 10, 2024

Janice Hallett has done it again… This book is written in the same style as her other books, The Appeal and The Christmas Appeal. This novel is written in a mixed multi-media format of texts and emails between all the characters in the book. If you liked her other two novels written in this manner, y......more

Quotes

"A full cast of narrators, including Annie Aldington, Nneka Okoye, Gareth Armstrong, Sid Sagar, and Kristin Atherton, read the letters, WhatsApp messages, and newspaper articles that make up the novel and aid (and sometimes impede) the investigation. The many narrators allow listeners to distinguish between the characters and know when the source has changed, adding an almost palpable sense of urgency."

"This marvelous audiobook unfolds through a series of emails complete with verbal emojis--a narrator's challenge. Kristin Atherton gives a knockout performance as journalist Amanda Bailey, who is investigating the malevolent cult of the Alperton Angels. Years ago they attempted to persuade a teenage mother to sacrifice her baby--but then the infant disappeared. Sid Sagar portrays Amanda's journalist friend who wants to help her in hopes of horning in on her success. There is an overabundance of graphic violence tied to the cult, and suspense builds as the two reporters don't see the danger. Nneka Okoye as Amanda's street-smart assistant, Gareth Armstrong as the cult leader, and Annie Aldington as the murder club president provide plot twists and turns. All involved create a superbly choreographed performance."