I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett. Thank you to Viper for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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-like group who were convinced one of their member’s babies was the anti-Christ, and they had a divine mission to kill it – until the baby’s mother, Holly, came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than go to prison, and Holly – and the 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, and the truth is something much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined.
This story is far from over – and it won’t have a happy ending.
Publication Date: 19th January
TW: murder, death, cult, body horror, gore, blood, kidnapping, stalking, mugging, violence, home invasion, gaslighting, manipulation, emotional abuse
My Thoughts:
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is an exquisitely twisty and devious story. Hallett never fails to leave me reeling from every last revelation and unexpected turn.
Janice Hallett just cemented her status as one of my all time favourites.
This is an absolutely fantastic mystery, packed full of twists, turns and surprises that you will not see coming. I really enjoyed Amanda as a narrator, though she is deeply flawed and complex. You watch her manipulation of sources and lies play out in real time across various conversations, but there is a glimmer of something else driving that desire. Her interactions with Oliver are at once funny, deeply poignant and carry more than a few secrets. Manipulation and deception are key themes at the heart of the book, with some stomach-churning moments that really unsettled me. I also appreciated how ambiguous Hallett leaves some key moments, where she truly leaves it up to the reader to decide.
There is just this entrancing quality to Hallett’s writing that leaves you glued to the page and unable to escape this tangled web. Her modern take on epistolary writing is so unique and by putting you in the position of detective, adds that extra layer of engagement that I have never felt before. This book delves even deeper into murky moral territory, leaving you in an ethically dubious position. It asks searing questions about true crime, unsolved cases and the responsibility of those trying to solve a mystery contrasted to the real lives their search impacts. There is an incredibly tangled knot of issues to unpick. Alongside Amanda’s narration, we have all sorts of clippings from newspapers, interviews and social media that add a metatextual, three-dimensional layer to the writing. This is quintessential Hallett and it is so captivating and engaging.
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is a mystery that I will not be forgetting any time soon. Janice Hallett is definitely the modern day Christie for me.
Next up, I’d like to talk about The Pledge by Cale Dietrich. Thank you to Rob Richardson at Melia and St Martin’s Press for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Freshman Sam believes that joining a fraternity is the best way to form a friend group as he begins his college journey – and his best chance of moving on from his past. He is the survivor of a horrific, and world-famous, murder spree, where a masked killer hunted down Sam and his friends.
Sam had to do the unthinkable to survive that night, and it completely derailed his life. He sees college, and his new identity as a frat boy, as his best shot at living a life not defined by the killings. He starts to flirt with one of the brothers, who Sam finds is surprisingly accepting of Sam’s past, and begins to think a fresh start truly is possible.
And then… one of his new frat brothers is found dead. A new masked murderer, one clearly inspired by the original, emerges, and starts stalking, and slaying, the frat boys of Munroe University. Now Sam will have to race against the clock to figure out who the new killer is – and why they are killing – before Sam loses his second chance – or the lives of any more of his friends.
Publication Date: 14th February
TW: death, murder, stabbing, gore, blood, violence, PTSD, flashbacks, anxiety
My Thoughts:
The Pledge is a book that utterly consumes you and pulls you into its dark tides.
This is a mesh between horror and mystery that works perfectly. The vignettes of the murders felt incredibly sinister and horrifying, with that build up of suspense and the feeling that you needed to hide behind a pillow. You know something awful is incoming and yet you cannot stop it. Dietrich plays on the fear brilliantly, particularly in the horrifying opening chapter. This is a bloody fight for survival, taking horror film cliche and adapting it for the current moment. Throughout the book, these tropes are set up, only to be unpicked and subverted.
Also, a lot has to be said for the normalisation of queerness in the book. That representation is still amazing to see and for it to just be a fact of life is comforting. I mean, there is a masked killer on the loose and the body count is climbing, but there are still moments for the story to just breathe. These moments usually come from the romance at the core of the story. It is slowly built, with tender moments and conversations where the chemistry is sizzling. Sam was a great protagonist as well, finding his footing in strange new terrain and carrying the baggage from his previous encounters. That depiction of anxiety and traumatic flashbacks was woven in carefully, with sensitivity and nuance. He is fundamentally changed by what he has experienced and Dietrich emphasises that paranoia and survivalist mentality. With Sam, there is also an intriguing exploration of the exploitation of trauma narratives in the storyline with his mum. She has co-opted his story and used it for financial gain, opening up questions about the vicious media cycle around these horrific events.
The Pledge marks a return to the rip-roaring thrill rides of slashers, but with more representation and thought-provoking exploration of topical issues.
Finally, I’d like to delve into The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
History remembers him as a hero. But the women who knew him best remember a different man…
Perseus grows up wanting to be a hero, but he cannot become one if his mother Danae still sees him as a boy.
When his stepfather Polydektes casts him away on a voyage across the sea, Perseus is determined to fulfil the great destiny of the son of a god and the grandson of a king.
But the line between heroism and monstrosity is thin, and when Perseus attempts to seduce first gentle Medusa and then beautiful Andromeda, before finally reuniting with Danae, they each learn of the dangers of resisting a boy prepared to risk it all for greatness . . .
Publication Date: 21st February
TW: sexual assault, rape, violence, blood, murder, death, beheading, gore, misogyny
My Thoughts:
The Shadow of Perseus is a rage inducing, brutal condemnation of the abuse of power and patriarchal structures of oppression.
This is not an easy book to read. It really goes there in its depictions of violence, though never explicitly depicting sexual violence. Heywood utterly rips apart the myth, leaving the portrait of a violent, insecure boy who will stop at nothing to obtain what he feels entitled to. By stripping away most of the magical elements of the myth, Heywood leaves a heinous reality. There are horrific abuses of power and injustices wrecked upon these three women. It also complicates the idea of the truth, wherein the version of the story depends entirely on who is telling it. The original is written by men about men and entirely neglects the perspective of the women.
Heywood redresses that balance and gives these women strength and a voice. They each recount their own section of the story in heart-breaking, emotional and powerful narratives. Their limited agency is a result of these oppressive power structures and you can see the points at which survival becomes the only option. In particular, this version of Medusa’s story really cut to the bone. I think it comes from the rich, detailed characterisation Heywood imbues these women with. We get a clear sense of their backstories and the lives they enjoyed before Perseus appeared. Heywood’s writing is also so descriptive, giving you a real sense of the world these women inhabit. These settings are lush and evocative, spanning several countries and societies.
The Shadow of Perseus utterly reframes a familiar narrative. As Heywood notes in her author’s note, the line between hero and villain is so easily manipulated and the power lies entirely with the author. Here, she returns the power to the women deeply wronged by Perseus and the fragile masculinity he embodies, warning us of the continued danger of this in our society.
A Short Book Lover 
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