The queen of the narrative twist. She takes the conventions of the modern mystery novel and upends them as Christie did. And the themes of this book are haunting -- S.J. Bennett, author of THE WINDSOR KNOT It’s dark and creepy in places, but also really witty and humorous in others. I wasn’t expecting to be so drawn in but I loved how the tension gradually built. The plot was well paced and I felt like I raced through the book. So many writers have inspired me: Cervantes, Thomas Hardy, Emily Bronte, Agatha Christie, Enid Blyton, Patricia Leitch, Douglas Adams… and that’s only a few. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

After ensnaring the teenagers and convincing them that the baby was destined to doom humanity, they planned to kill the infant at the appointed time – 10 December 2003 – when five planets were due to align in a rare astral occurrence. However, despite the cult’s best laid plans, the ritual sacrifice did not go ahead as arranged, as Holly had second thoughts about the whole thing, took the baby to safety and called the police. Amanda Bailey is writing the book nearly two decades later. The mysterious Alperton baby will now be 18 and can finally be interviewed. Amanda is determined to find the baby before anyone else, hoping that the exclusive scoop will revive her struggling career. I have to confess that I still haven't read Janice Hallett's first book, but, having enjoyed her second I was keen to read her latest and I am pleased to give this a solid, five-star review. A small but significant role is played in Janice Hallett’s third novel by a group of recreational detectives: the Cold & Unsolved Murder Club. Is this a little homage by Britain’s second most successful new crime novelist to its first?But do we care enough about this baby? Readers presumably shouldn’t find themselves wistfully thinking, as I did once or twice: “But didn’t this all happen ages ago? Is it time to let it lie?” I think the problem is Amanda. In Hallett’s previous books, the detection of the crime – and the crimes themselves – had origins in characters we learned to care about. Here, the narrative engine is a woman whose psychotic single-mindedness is admittedly interesting, but who has no personal involvement. What’s her motivation? If she’s writing purely for gain, how much will she lose if she fails? What I most enjoyed were the passages of pastiche – especially the snatches of an airport novel called White Wings. And as ever, the author’s control of the material is masterly, the eventual solution quelling any misgivings or objections the reader may have had along the way. The Appeal was told mainly through letters, and The Twyford Code through transcripts. What documents do you use to tell the story in The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels?

It’s safe to say I loved this book. It was clever, ambitious and so incredibly gripping. I now can’t wait to read Janice Hallett’s previous novels. You may also be interested in: The story of the Alperton Angels is far from over. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels Review: My OpinionI 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… Brilliantly clever, ingenious in structure and throughly compelling. Full of wonderful characters and extremely funny! -- Sarah Bonner, author of HER PERFECT TWIN