CBR 15 Bingo: On the Air – This book is about a pair of authors in pursuit of the truth about a twenty year-old murder-suicide case – but what information will be revealed to the public is still up for debate.
Amanda is a well-known true crime author who has been invited to write a book about the mysterious case of the Alperton Angels, a small cult which twenty years ago committed mass suicide after attempting to sacrifice an infant they believed to be the Anti-Christ. All the most sensational details you can think of attend this case, but Amanda – who has reluctantly teamed up with neurotic Oliver, a fellow author – begins to realize that the truth might still be hidden – and still dangerous.
This is my second Janice Hallett book. While I’ve read plenty of epistolary works before, this author’s trademark is to notch things a bit higher, entangling the reader as deep in the mystery as possible, encouraging them to really root through the clues for the truth. I definitely understand what she’s doing – I’m just not sure still if I prefer it!
The mystery is a twisty one, of course, and made rather more confusing at first as the story unfolds in fits and starts, with plenty of digressions and snarky humor in between. My gripe from my last Hallett book, that there’s no one to root for, is not the case here, as I got quite attached to Ellie and even Amanda, even if I wasn’t convinced the latter always made the best choices during the course of the investigation. I also really enjoyed the commentary about how close a writer can or should get to their story – I had picked up on the parallels with the likes of Michelle McNamara and Jill Dando even before the author paid them homage.
However, I just found the solution of the case too mundane in an odd way. A lot of coincidences had to pile up to make the story as bizarre as it was, so seeing it all unravelled felt almost underwhelming. Additionally, I didn’t really find the solution very realistic in some places. I’m trying to avoid spoilers here – but in such a straightforward plan, why the angels, Gabriel? I wish we had gotten more clear answers there. Also, I didn’t like Oliver throughout, but by the end he was really off the rails in the worst way.
My final opinion? Hallett is a good read for the puzzles – but as I am not really a puzzle person, she is simply not a good fit for me!
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
