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A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. Undeniably clever and captivating, and delivers a brilliant twist that will delight fans of her previous books * Sunday Express * 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 * 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.” Because of the format used, it's very drawn out, there's no clear storyline and a confusing multitude of characters, and I use this word loosely as we never actually meet any of them, who may or may not reappear later in the book.
Mind-meltingly complicated, fiendishly well plotted, replete with delicious snark about publishing, clear-eyed and very funny about cold-blooded writerly ambition ... In its assured dexterity and exuberance, it is a bravura performance * Irish Times * We have some exciting news. The English author Janice Hallett has a new novel on the way, and if you’ve read The Appeal or The Twyford Code, you’ll know just what a big deal this is. She’s an author who has caught the imagination of crime fiction lovers everywhere, writing cleverly layered mysteries that roll together elements of half-forgotten secrets, true crime, made-up urban myths and a peculiar sense of, well, Englishness that’s definitely amusing but is hard to actually describe. Janice Hallett, the author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code, is on a roll... [A] quirky, clever tale * The Times (Best Books of 2023) * 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.So, what is this about: Janice Hallett books are kind of their own subgenre now in my mind. She is becoming an autobuy and autoread, she writes puzzles in book form which I find really really entertaining and I want some more (even if none hit my mental barrier of full fledged 5 star reads, which can be a very subjective thing which I can not quite explain!) 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… Francoise Guyonnet, Executive Managing Director TV Series, STUDIOCANAL expands: “We are delighted to announce our investment in BIRDIE PICTURES today and in a UK producer of this calibre. Phil is an extremely talented producer with a real gift for helping to bring a writers’ vision to the screen. Phil has worked with all the U.K. broadcasters throughout his rich career and has excellent relationships with writers and talent. Phil shares STUDIOCANAL’s global ambition for projects and we know he is going to bring a strong line-up of relatable English language programming to STUDIOCANAL to share with the international market and audiences worldwide.”
This was unfortunately just ok for me. I really enjoyed The Appeal and have been chasing that feeling with Hallett’s other two books and they just haven’t lived up to her debut for me. 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. Nope, no happy ending here. Not for your brain either because that's just going to explode into such a big pile of mush that you'll forget your own name. 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? As the two journalists gather information for their books, they face contradictory evidence, baffling twists, and dead ends. For example, the number of deceased cult members after Holly escaped with the baby, the existence of satanic symbols at the death scene, a member brandishing a knife, and the more outlandish recollection that the teenage Holly escaped Gabriel's clutches in the early 1990s instead of 2003. There were also differences in reports of what police and social workers were present at the time of the Alperton deaths. Several people already interviewed or soon to be questioned have died. Is there a conspiracy, and are Amanda and Oliver in danger?DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Serpent's Tail/Viper/Profile Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
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