The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels: A Novel

Oliver serves as a foil to Amanda in the narrative. Although both characters are authors investigating the same story, their social backgrounds sharply contrast. Lacking qualifications and family support, Amanda has fought for everything she has achieved professionally. Meanwhile, Oliver comes from a wealthy family with connections that he has exploited throughout his life, from gaining an apprenticeship at a newspaper to securing a publishing contract. As Oliver and Amanda research the same case for the same reason, their competitiveness drives the narrative.

Hallett depicts Oliver as a largely unsympathetic character. Amanda’s description of him as “a blunt instrument” conveys his tactlessness when interviewing people (152). He also displays a lack of empathy, initially ridiculing Holly and Jonah for being duped by Gabriel’s angel narrative. Even when Amanda reveals the full extent of her suffering due to his practical joke, Oliver replies, “It was 20 years ago, get over it” (461). The response underlines his remorselessness and lack of compassion. At the same time, Hallett signals that beneath Oliver’s harsh exterior, he is psychologically vulnerable. Oliver’s communications with Amanda indicate that he is mourning his father, anxious about his mother’s failing health, and traumatized by hearing the details of horrific war crimes after working with the “mad squaddie.” The silent, early-morning calls at 4:44 each morning only compound these issues.

The dynamic trajectory of Oliver’s character in the novel illustrates The Exploitation of Vulnerability. Hallett demonstrates how Oliver’s personal challenges, his meeting with Gabriel, and Amanda’s manipulation of him combine to create a perfect storm. The narrative charts Oliver’s process of change as a dynamic character who transforms from being an individual fixated on facts and logic to believing that he is an angel whose purpose is to destroy the antichrist. His dogged adherence to his new beliefs, even when Amanda tells him the truth, illustrates the psychological trap that cults create in their members. The more an individual invests in a concept, the harder it is to admit that they were deceived.

Gabriel is the enigmatic figure behind the Alperton Angels. Serving a life sentence in prison, he is depicted through the lens of other people’s narratives and perceptions. Oliver describes Gabriel as “[s]mooth, well-spoken, [and] good-looking,” with “piercing eyes” (174). Meanwhile, after listening to Oliver’s interview with him, Ellie states that Gabriel has “the most compelling, seductive voice [she has] ever heard” (242). Both accounts emphasize a mesmerizing charisma that instantly undermines the defenses of those he encounters. Oliver’s transformation after only 10 minutes in Gabriel’s company illustrates his ability to influence others, even from prison.

Gabriel’s character embodies the common traits and tactics of cult leaders. Attracting followers with his charisma, he employed psychological manipulation to maintain control of them. His adoption of a name that alludes to the angel Gabriel enhances his self-styled persona as a divine being with access to the spiritual realm. However, his motivations were cynical and materialistic. Targeting vulnerable teenagers, he manipulated them into unwittingly participating in criminal activities. Instilling a sense of purpose and belonging in Holly and Jonah, he molded them into loyal, almost fanatical followers. His renaming of the teenagers emphasizes the ruthless process of breaking down their true identities and taking control of them.

Amanda’s discovery that Gabriel was framed for Harpinder Singh’s murder raises a moral dilemma in the novel. While his imprisonment is based on a miscarriage of justice, he is undoubtedly “a con man [and] a narcissistic psychopath” who poses a danger to others (175). Furthermore, Hallett creates ambiguity surrounding Gabriel’s powers via incidents that his finely tuned people-reading skills do not adequately explain—for example, he prophesizes Oliver’s death in a location linked to an orchard. Such hints encourage the reader to speculate whether Gabriel’s near-death experience at the Assembly gave him the psychic abilities that he previously feigned.

Ellie is introduced as a seemingly minor character when Amanda asks her former assistant to transcribe her audio interviews. The author provides insight into Ellie’s voice and personality through her regular interjectory comments in the transcripts she creates. Her remarks, which are presented in parentheses, are akin to a Greek chorus. They provide commentary on the action and offer background information regarding the characters’ decisions and behavior. As a PhD student in criminology, Ellie is well placed to venture theories on the case. She also serves as a surrogate moral compass for Amanda, particularly regarding The Ethics of True Crime. She questions whether her friend should record individuals without their knowledge and why she does not attempt to reason with Oliver as he expresses increasingly fanatical beliefs.

Hallett portrays Ellie as a concerned observer of Amanda’s and Oliver’s obsessions with the Alperton Angels case and their increasingly toxic dynamic. However, her observation that Amanda is working too hard and her expressions of unease about Oliver’s state of mind go unheeded. Ellie is shown to unwittingly contribute to the impending tragedy when she shares her incorrect theory about the baby’s identity with Oliver. In a narrative twist, Ellie emerges from the background to become the novel’s protagonist following Amanda’s and Oliver’s deaths. Furthermore, she steps into Amanda’s professional shoes by writing a book on the Alperton Angels. While Ellie retains Amanda’s book title, Divine, she significantly decides not to expose the cover-ups behind the case. Her assertion, “I’m not Amanda Bailey. I won’t risk my own life to expose the truth” (485), illustrates the lessons she has learned from her friend’s self-destructive journey.