h8w6y4o3oqowfj089qgw1uf5bjy9Synopsis “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? Everyone knows the story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a young teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system. 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. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over…“

My Review

Well this book was fantastic! Janice Hallet is definitely becoming a new favourite author!

As the synopsis above says, the story is about the Alperton Angels cult. It’s told through emails, interview transcriptions and WhatsApp messages between Amanda Bailey, her different sources  and rival Oliver Menzies. I normally prefer definite chapters when reading, but for some reason this book worked really well for me in this format. 

It felt like I was working alongside Amanda as she was trying to work out what had actually happened to the Alperton Baby eighteen years ago. I loved how everything was slowly revealed as she emailed and interviewed different people as she was working on the book.

The rivalry with Oliver was a good way to development the plot, as strange things started happening to Oliver. I enjoyed the supernatural side to it too, with the idea of angels and archangels being involved, something that I’m not too keen on normally.

As the story came closer to the conclusion and the big reveals came, I enjoyed how everything was wrapped up, but also a little shocked by what happened just before the end.

Highly recommended if you enjoy unusual mysteries told in a very different way.