The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

By Janice Hallett

This work of fiction is about a true crime writer investigating a closed case that she thinks worth exploring as does her publisher. It turns out to be a complicated story that did not appeal to me for several reasons.

First, it appears to be a twenty-first version of epistolary text. Instead of traditional letters, it bounces back and forth between, text messages, transcribed interviews and phone calls, and pages torn from fictional books purportedly written about the “Alperton Angels.” This is a cult that weirdly seems to want to protect a certain baby to later sacrifice it because it is the antichrist. As I am not fond of epistolary writing, I found that aspect particularly unappealing. At 25% I almost didn’t finish, but I plugged on thinking it would get better. It didn’t.

Second, there was not a single character that I liked in The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. They were all lying and deceptive people. Full of mixed motivations, none of them were people I wanted to know, root for, or care about in any way. Perhaps for the right reader this would be appealing, but it just didn’t work for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Thriller, Crime, Fiction

Notes: Epistolary

Publication:   January 23, 2024—Simon & Schuster

Memorable Lines:

“Take away talk of angels and demons and you’re left with a very depressing but nonetheless run-of-the-mill story.”

“Electrical and magnetic energy are invisible but we know they exist, right? They can be stored and released at will. Could the force of evil, of negativity, generate an energy that is similarly controlled?”

“He was a lifelong fraudster but needed someone young, pliable, and with no police record to take all the risks.”