Do you believe in free will or that the paths we take in life are predetermined? These notions are the predominant theme of Alex North’s latest novel, The Angel Maker.

I must admit I was slightly unsettled all throughout reading this book. That’s obviously a good thing when you’re reading a suspenseful thriller! The villain of the tale believed his actions were preordained by God. I thought it was so creepy he used that as an excuse for his vile crimes.

There are many characters and you follow all their points of view. But I never felt lost or confused. Everyone’s stories came together perfectly. The pacing and connections made meant that I absolutely had to devour the story and I was left feeling satisfied but still unsettled.

I recommend going in without knowing anything and get ready to have your mind blown. Five stars for this spooky and intriguing thriller!

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I just finished The Angel Maker by Alex North and let me share my thoughts with you!

Katie always felt that her brother was loved more than she was but her resentment never stopped her being fiercely protective of Chris. A violent stranger changed everything all those years ago and Katie never stopped feeling guilty for something she could not stop.

Chris never got the footing he needed to be a functioning member of society then one day he disappears out of their lives. 2 years later her mother calls. He is missing… Well yes, he has been for years…. Her mother confides that they had been in touch and now he really is missing.

A detective working a particularly gruesome murder had some questions and one of them is how Chris came to be at the murder victim's house before he was murdered and how the man that attacked him all those years ago are all connected. Could it be something to do with the serial killer who claimed to be able to see the future? All roads seem to point to yes.

I am going to recommend that if you start this book, have the hours to complete it in one sitting because otherwise, you will be up all night!

Let’s start with the plot. Genius! The idea of a serial killer being called the angel maker and his rationale for committing the atrocities, of course it was God. He claimed to see the future and he was just doing what was foretold.

I loved how all the elements of this story came together seamlessly and I have to admit, I didn’t catch on to the plot twists that came during my marathon reading session.

Character development was on point. I felt all the characters were balanced and realistically portrayed. Two huge things for me are a good plot and excellent story development.

What didn’t I enjoy? I felt like I either missed a piece of information while reading and I had feeling like there was a loose thread. It’s probably just me but that feeling won’t go!

There were too many POVs for my liking but I can see why they were necessary. It wasn’t as fast a pace as I would have liked but I felt the slower pace actually built the suspense better so I can overlook that too.

Overall it was a dang good thriller and I enjoyed every single page!

4.5 stars and thank you to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for my review copy! Out to buy next week!

A terrific mystery that spans decades and has so many twists and turns. Truly unique. I was guessing the whole time and really had no idea where it was going. The way everything connects is just brilliant. I don't really want to say much more, because I don't want to give any spoilers! Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

4.5 stars. This is probably the best Alex North novel to date! They just get better and better!
There are many threads skillfully woven together to create this amazing story. It may be easier to read than listen, even though listening is an exciting experience.
Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever.
Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, 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.
Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome murder. A distinguished professor of fate has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this e-arc.*

3.5 stars which I will round up to 4 as I was intrigued and read until I finished the book putting other things aside.

The Angel Maker is dark and creepy and delves into the world of philosophy that certainly asks thought provoking questions.

Twists and turns and clues are given to the reader that kept me intrigued . I will say pay close attention as it all comes together at the end.

The Angle Maker is a tricky review because I don't want to say too little but worse too much . I don't want to give anything away and spoil the book.

Alex North is one of my go to authors and The Angel Maker does not disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for a book that I will think about for a long time.

I am admittedly a big fan of Alex North. He presents taut thrillers with complex plots and great twists and his current novel was another great read. I was confused at first by the switching of viewpoints at first but I knew it was just part of the journey and I was glad I took the trip. This was an exciting story from the first pages until the end and I devoured it in a few days. I do not want to give any spoilers but I highly recommend this latest novel.

Overall, this is a good, creepy thriller (like I almost stopped reading at night creepy) but you have to seriously concentrate to keep up with what’s going on with the timelines. I also found it a bit difficult to follow the characters as North uses their first and last names interchangeable. As I was reading I was wondering how all of the individuals storyline would tie together, but in true Alex North fashion he succeeded and I didn’t see it coming.

The storyline is original which I loved. It’s a great reflection of how much your religion, environment, and family shape what you believe at such a young ago. There ultimately is a lot to unpack in this book and it was good, but my hopes were a bit higher.

For a book named after The Angel Maker serial killer, I would have liked the book to go into more depth about the man. Instead, readers were dragged through so many different storylines that it made my head spin. I found myself flipping backwards through the book thinking that I missed something but it was all so confusing.

This was my most anticipated book of 2023, but it turned out to be my biggest letdown of the year. I almost DNF’ed around 60% mostly because I lost interest and didn’t care how it ended but I held on so I could chat it up with some book friends.

The ending felt rushed and left me with more questions than answers. Maybe I’m just an outlier but I recommend everyone reading it for themselves.

First, let me say that it takes a certain level of brilliance to make such an intricate plot and bring it to fruition so that all the lines connect and everything makes sense. But, and it's a big but, the way it was laid out made it very hard to keep track of people and plot points. I also found the philosophical, main idea behind The Angel Maker to be one that I had to suspend belief for in a book that would otherwise be a mystery/thriller. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. When I put the book down it was hard to pick it back up again. If having a lot of characters and timelines are a problem for you, I suggest passing this one up or have a notebook handy to keep track of things.

3.5/5 This is a fast-paced thriller with lots of twists and turns. We occasionally get transported to the past to learn info relevant to the present crimes, and at times this can be rather confusing. Despite this, everything comes together and makes sense in the end. Overall, a super creepy thriller.

I really liked this! I’ve read The Whisper Man and the Shadows, and the Angel Maker was my favorite of the three. I liked them all, but this story really sucked me in and kept me turning the pages. There’s a lot at play here, but I liked that. I will definitely pick up anything this author writes

Read if you like:
🔪 Thrillers
🙏🏼 Religious Crimes
🤷🏼‍♀️ Lots if Characters
⏳ Multiple Timelines

I absolutely loved The Whisper Man when I read it last year and thought this one would be a slam dunk for me too but unfortunately there was just too much going on in the number of characters, the timelines, and movement of the story that made it hard to follow.

This one features topics of religion within the beliefs of a serial killer, collection things from and admiration of serial killers, and attacks on children.

Once things start to weave together it makes a lot more sense, but readers should be warned to pay close attention to details and characters for risk of getting confused and lacking enjoyment of this one.

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I absolutely LOVED this book! I’ve been a fan of Alex North ever since reading THE WHISPER MAN, but I think that THE ANGEL MAKER is my favorite book of his to date!

The story is so atmospheric and I loved all the layers of the mystery that spanned decades. There were so many good twists and turns that kept me devouring this story until the very end, and woven throughout the book is North’s trademark exploration into familial relationships that add a powerful layer to an already gripping story.

I really enjoyed this one! I've enjoyed everything I've read from Alex North so far, so it's no surprise that his latest was a success for me as well. I love the way Alex North combines crime, mystery, thriller, horror, and supernatural elements to craft a compelling story.

My only complaint with this story is a felt like there was a *bit* too much going on and some things were left feeling unresolved/not super impactful to the overall plot. I wish some elements would've been trimmed out so the focus of the story could've been on the most interesting parts (i.e. the serial killer who could see the future??) but overall I still had a really fun time reading this one and can't wait to see what Alex North does next!

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a big fan of both the Whisper Man and The Shadows, so when I saw The Angel Maker I was so excited. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I couldn't keep up with the switch between characters and times. I found that the story didn't keep my attention like his others have. I'm thankful for the early copy and do think readers looking for a different take on thrillers would enjoy this.

“If you were a father, which would you prefer? A child who always did as they were told - as you thought they should- or a child who disobeyed you and tried to force their own path?”

Personal Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This plot had so many characters and so much driving it forward that at times, I became confused jumping from character to character. This novel was dark, and suspenseful but also showed the bittersweet unbreakable bond of siblings and a close up look of a notorious serial killer - which is a lot going on in a novel!
I enjoyed the multiple points of view and how Alex North intricately connected them all in the end, the final pages were breathtaking and unexpected. I was a huge fan of The Whisper Man, this novel has the same vibes! I received a gifted copy of the ARC from the publisher and am honored to give my thoughts in exchange! Grab your own copy on February 28!

Synopsis:

Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had 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. Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, 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. Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome crime. A distinguished professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer who, legend had it, could see the future.

This book was a slow start for me - it took me awhile to figure out who was who and how everyone was connected, so it was hard for me to get fully absorbed in the book. However the plot was very original and story was very well written with very catchy sentences.

3.5 stars!
This book definitely took some concentration to keep the story together. I had to reread a couple of times to make sure I got parts correct. Overall a good book, but I feel it would have been better if less disorganized. Thank you to Netgalley for the early read.

I really wanted to like this book more. It just had so much going on and I felt lost for the majority of the book. I enjoyed the ending somewhat but this was a miss for me.

I’ve rated other Alex North books higher than this one, and it’s because by this one I’m coming in hoping for a bit more. There’s nothing really wrong here, but there’s nothing that stood out for me either. It’s like the other books and if you’re happy with that, you’ll like this one just fine. For me though, it’s falling into the category of easily read and easily forgotten.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review