This is my first Alex North Book but I enjoy the thriller genre so I thought I would give it a try. I enjoyed the overall plot of the book. Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. Just about to graduate from high school, she has big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever and her brother, Chris is attacked. Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined. Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more. I enjoyed the character development of Katie, I could really relate to her protectiveness of her family and her desire to help her brother.
This book has scenes of the past and the present and it was really hard to follow with the large cast of characters. I found myself having to go back and read so that the next chapter would make sense. The overall vibe was creepy and was tied up very well in the end but I felt the middle of the book was confusing at times. I would check out another Alex North book in the future.

I would rate this book a 3-3.5/5 starts. Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

I overall rate the story a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The story was complex with lots of characters and plot points to follow that Alex North did an excellent job tying together.

I was gripped right away in the beginning, but that did not continue into the middle. I really liked the dynamics between Katie and Chris’s sibling relationship, but those were the only characters I really felt a connection to. This made it hard to stay in touch with some of the other characters and their plots.

This is my second Alex North book and I will definitely continue to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon books for an ARC.

First I have to thank Celadon Books for bringing this book to my attention. NetGalley gave me access to the audiobook, and I devoured about half the book during my first listen. Although I own copies of The Whisper Man and The Shadows this is still the first book of his that I have read, but I will be reading the other two sooner than later. I enjoyed the narration provided by Rosalie Craig, but there were a couple of times that I needed to go back and listen because I heard something wrong.

I did not know much about this book going in, but it kept me entertained. I received access to the egalley of the book, so I went through it to look at the written word.

The Angel Maker, by Alex North

Short Take: This book is a lot, like, A LOT a lot. But also, delicious. Like lava cake with ice cream.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Hello Duckies!! Like the rest of the world, I’m glued to the Murdaugh trial, so this is gonna be a quick one.

This book takes place in multiple timelines, and believe me, you had better keep your thinking hats on. We roam from roughly the 1950’s, where a serial killer known as the Angel Maker killed little girls and tormented his sons, through the difficult lives the boys lived afterward, to a decade ago, when 17 year old Katie Shaw’s little brother Chris was brutally attacked and permanently disfigured and mentally damaged, to the present day where Katie is a happily married mom and a retired professor is murdered in his partially burned mansion.

Got all that? Good. Because The Angel Maker flips around between characters and decades, through disappearances and name changes and a whole dissertation on the philosophy of determinism and hoooooo boy it is HARD to keep up. Then Mr. North casually tosses out some very complicated family ties, and by the time I finished reading, I felt like I needed a wall with character pictures and red string to figure out who was who and how they were related to each other and wait, this person is using another name and they are actually that person, and yeah.

My brain hurts.

But you know what? If, and I mean IF you can stick with it, and take breaks now and then to mentally map it all out, this is kind of an incredible story. The author does a pretty good job of conveying what addiction does to the addict, and their family, and how the ripples of one bad decision can roll on for years. There’s also a more than decent mystery, and maybe a hint of the supernatural.

But don’t try to multi-task while you’re reading, as I usually do. This is not the book for that.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a 100-sided die. I didn’t know such a thing existed and now I need one.)

I'm going ro be honest...I don't think my review is going to go quite the same as others. From what I saw others raved about said book. And I won't be.

It's an alright book. I won't say it's terrible or give it like 1 star or anything. It's not like that, however I am left wanting.

In its own description, it talks about dark, gruesome crimes, murder, serial killers and plot twists.....I'd like to know where some of that is?

Maybe I'm jaded about the level of gruesome (because I read too much of it) but like everything is mentioned but there's no detail, there's no gruesome. It was more like the serial killer did this and here's why. This guy was stabbed, there was blood...he's dead.

If they have stuck to the unbreakable bond of siblings, the development of old cases, resentments, perceived slights...then I totally would have gotten that feel for the book and maybe would have felt differently about it.

Once I saw this book available, I knew I had to request it. I enjoyed Alex North's other two novels, so I immediately put in a request. The concept of this story is unique and interesting.
Katie Shaw lived a charmed life until a violent stranger changed her family's life forever. Years later, her brother Christopher disappears and even though they are estranged, she feels she has to find him. Detective Laurence Page is called to investigate the brutal murder of a college professor. As his unravels the mystery of the professor's death, it seems as if the professor knew his demise was coming. The crime also links to Christopher's past and to a serial killer who claimed he could see the future.
I enjoyed the writing and the multiple POVs of this story. The concept of determinism was one I hadn't heard of before. I enjoyed how he took the concept and used it to explain the thoughts and actions of a serial killer. I liked the other subplots of the rivalry between brothers and an even bigger mystery that was revealed little by little in the story. While there were hints that led me to figure out one of the twists in the book, it did not take away my overall enjoyment. The last chapter, while it had some good reveals, fell a bit flat for me. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I thought it was a great mystery.

I absolutely loved The Whisper man by Alex North. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the Angel maker. Quite a few complex characters and different characters. Overall I’d give it a 2.5/3⭐️

This is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page. Alex North does an excellent job of building suspense throughout the story, with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and complex, adding an extra layer of depth to the plot.

The Angel Maker is a haunting and thought-provoking story that explores themes of guilt, grief, loss, and redemption. If you enjoy crime fiction that is both atmospheric and psychologically compelling, then this book is definitely worth a read. Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the chance to review this advance copy. The Angel Maker is available for purchase everywhere you buy books now!

One of the things I’ve noticed with North’s books is that while they are “serial killer books” they also are not. So while this story floats around The Angel Maker, it is more the story of the lives he touched…both living and dead and in some cases extended out a ways.
North does suspense very well. While there are some serious crimes alluded to there isn’t any gratuitous violence. That makes it more suspense than thriller to me.
I enjoyed the multiple POVs and timelines but the back and forth on names got a little confusing sometimes. Of course, that’s meant to be part of the intrigue I think but stood out to me nonetheless.
This follows Katie Shaw searching for her troubled and now missing brother who she feels responsible for due to a horrific attack on him when he was 15. Weaving past and present together we see how the characters’ lives are intertwined throughout their lives whether some of them know it or not. Which leads perfectly into another theme here: philosophy and specifically determinism.
This is another thing I’ve enjoyed with North’s works is the added element like that that ties in so well with the characters’ actions.

Entertaining, quick, suspenseful read for fans of North’s other works as well as domestic thrillers, suspense, murder mysteries and thrillers.

I previously read The Whisper Man and The Shadows by this author, so I was super excited to receive this eARC.
I will say overall, I did enjoy the book. The first 50% of the book I found myself constantly confused between characters, timelines and the plot. In order to keep going, I found myself going back and rereading to make sure I was understanding correctly. As soon as I passed the 50% mark, things started to make a lot more sense and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot along with all the twists and turns. The story itself was dark and intriguing and I still enjoyed it in the end.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After reading “The Whisper Man” I had high hopes for Alex’s newest novel! I was SO excited to get this from netgalley! It did not disappoint! I enjoyed every minute of reading this one! It had a lot of suspense and throughout the story I felt like I couldn’t read this at night 😂 because it was that creepy.

With that being said I will say how this book can be confusing to some. You do need to pay attention or flip back. There are alot of different POVs and different timelines. You wonder how it’s all going to come together and make sense but at the end Alex has a way of twisting it and ending it perfectly.

I did see some twists coming but I will say overall it was a great thriller and I highly recommend!

Thank you so much @netgalley for the eARC and @macmillanaudio for the ALC!

I’ve only previously read The Shadows by this author, which was a “middle of the road” read for me, and I’m disappointed to say the same about The Angel Maker.

I mostly listened to the audiobook, but found myself get lost and confused a lot. Then I tried listening to it while also reading the digital copy, and still found myself needing to re-read certain parts several times. The premise really had a lot of potential, if only it could have kept me engaged and invested enough.

I enjoyed some of the twists and finding out the connection the characters had to each other. The story itself was dark and intriguing, but ultimately too confusing due to the several POVs/timelines and bigger group of characters.

I wanted to read this book since I first saw it. I enjoyed the other books written by the author, and I expected I would like this one just as much. I was overjoyed when the publisher granted me the opportunity to read an advanced copy on Netgalley.
Like his other books, family, known and unknown, figure in the story. We do get treated to multiple time periods, but only when the story would benefit from those flashbacks. Everything gets connected in the end.
We start with Katie and Chris, siblings, on what is Chris' worst day. He survives, but the day warps his future. Then we meet the family of a serial killer who is grooming his oldest son to follow in his footsteps. He is caught and his two sons are sent to other families to finish growing up. The boys are wealthy from their father's estate, and they each get richer. The older boy resents the younger one for not following their father's rules.
These people twist around each other in interesting and strange ways. Only the youngest son knows who all the players are. He's not telling.
The book is balanced on the line between full thriller and blackest horror. I enjoyed reading it. If you like both or even just one of these genres, I think you will like this book. I'm glad the publisher allowed me to read it through Netgalley. I just wish I had the print book.

This book was quite the ride, and I was there for it.

Katie Shaw is looking for her brother, Chris, who has recently gone missing. We follow many points of view in this book, which rarely works. Somehow North made it work. Ever time I wondered what someone else was doing or thinking, the point of view went to that person. No character who was important to the story was off limits. I loved that.

We also follow along with Detective Laurence and his partner. I would read a series just attached to these two. Their banter and wit almost carried the book and kept it from stalling.

All in all, this is a great book, not too long, and doesn’t ever slow down. Alex North did it again.

4.5 rounded up because we never find out what the end of the book says.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC for my unbiased and honest review.

I liked this book - giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
It was my first time reading a book by Alex North and it will not be the last.
I really liked the characters but I had a hard time remembering who was who.
I am looking forward to reading this authors other books.

Katie Shaw had a pretty perfect life until something horrible happens to her little brother that changes her family forever.
Now as an adult with her own family, Katie still feels guilty for what happened year ago.
Her brother Chris has now gone missing and Katie needs to help him.
Detective Laurence Page is investigating a gruesome crime. Is this all related to what happened to Chris as a child?
This book has a great twist.

Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Angel Maker was the first book I’ve read by Alex North and I loved it. Thankfully, I was blessed to be able to have access to the ebook and audiobook ARCs so I was able to listen and read simultaneously. This book was very complex and I am not sure how well I could have followed the plot if I was only listening to the audiobook. The few times that I put my kindle aside to listen exclusively, I had to rewind and listen again. You need to pay close attention while reading this book.
The narrator, Rosalie Craig, had a pleasant voice and was enjoyable to listen to.
I loved the complexity! I loved the way it felt like you were solving a creepy puzzle. It was a true page-turner. I had to keep reading because I had to know what exactly was happening and how it was all connected.
This book truly makes you think. It was so philosophical and the concept of determinism was a major plot point.
It was a very atmospheric and descriptive read. It was easy to paint a picture in my head of the places and people in the book. It was very spooky and there were moments that made my heart race. The twists were excellent and intense. The multiple POV and timeline kept it interesting and I loved how it all came together at the end.
I will be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon as well as my Instagram page (linked below).

This has been such a fantastic read! Thrilling and creepy in all the right ways! I am so excited I was given an ARC. So unexpected and edge of your seat!

The Angel Maker is a fast-paced read that left me wanting a little more. While the plot is detailed, twisty, and spectacularly crafted, I felt it was a little rushed. There were a lot of characters who I wish were more developed (for example, I couldn't even picture what some of them looked like). That said, plot-driven stories are some of my favorite, and Alex North captured the mystery and suspense of this genre perfectly. Read in a day, I could not put it down. I would recommend this book, especially if you like either of his previous publications!

The Angel Maker is another thriller from Alex North. This one started off strong and I was excited to start reading it, as it had all the markings of a book I wouldn't be able to put down. Ulitimately, though, the storylines weren't tight enough to keep me enthralled. I kept losing track of who was who and why I needed to keep track of them. I stopped caring about the characters and really wish that North had focused on one strong mystery and kept iwth it rather than weaving two mysteries together and adding in the ability to see the future. It just really felt all over the place.

Katie is a woman who made a decision as a teenager that changed everything. Now as an adult, her child mentions something that brings her back to that day and the fear that never really went away--all while her husband tells her it really isn't that big of a deal. At the same time, an old philosophy professor dies. Who is he and how does he fit in? Then there's a serial killer. And Katie's brother who has struggled with addiction. Oh, and a police officer who's going to work the case(s) and figure out how it all fits together.

An unnecessarily intricate plot that was ambitious, but ultimately, didn't quite hit the mark.

This was definitely a unique story and kept me intrigued the whole time! As an avid thriller reader, I will say it was a bit underwhelming as I was expecting it to be more suspenseful. This felt more like a mystery book than a thriller. I really loved the writing in this book, very descriptive and atmospheric, which help to create the dark storyline. This was my first read by Alex North and I plan to read his other two novels, which I hear are really good!