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The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

A Novel

Read by Annie Aldington, Nneka Okoye, Gareth Armstrong, Sid Sagar and Kristin Atherton

About The Book

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

“[An] ingenious jigsaw puzzle of a book...highly entertaining.” —The New York Times

“The queen of found footage thrillers.” —Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author

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 The Author

Gaia Banks
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 Examiner, The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal, and The Twyford Code.

About The Readers

Annie Aldington

Nneka Okoye

Gareth Armstrong

Sid Sagar

Kristin Atherton

Why We Love It

“If I could switch brains with one of my authors, I would likely choose Janice Hallett. How does she construct an intricate, stylistically innovative mystery time and time again? And how does she do it without repeating herself? In The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, she returns to the email, IM, and WhatsApp formats that won her and The Appeal legions of fans, while also including book extracts and even excerpts from an unpublished screenplay. This story feels so visceral and authentic that by the end, I was Googling to make sure the Alperton Angels weren’t a real group. And as a kid who stayed up way past her bedtime reading, I feel compelled to tell you that I stayed up too late to read this in a single sitting. I just couldn’t go to sleep without knowing how it ended.”

—Kaitlin O., Executive Editor, on The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (January 23, 2024)
  • Runtime: 10 hours and 31 minutes
  • ISBN13: 9781797167046

Raves and Reviews

"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."

– Elyssa Everling, Library Journal

"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."

– Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award, AudioFile Magazine

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