Okay, I'm not going to give thorough feedback on this title because I didn't seem to be able to fully engage with it and think it may just be a wrong time for me to read this one and I should take another go of it.

I did enjoy the book itself but it took me awhile to get into while we built the backstory, the backstory is not an indication of what the whole book is about and I didn't fully appreciate that when I was trying to make it through the first few chapters. I think that the serial killer addition to this book is surrounded with all the best aspects of this book. I got a little frustrated with the character development of Kate because I felt like it used overused tropes, but overall they're over used because people think they're effective so I cant fault the author on that!

4.5 stars

"Because whatever would happen would happen. The story was already written, and it would unfold in the way it had been intended, just as the flower contains the seed that contains another flower."

Alex North has done it again! A gruesome, layered thriller you will absolutely want to have on your shelf.

Without giving too much away, here's what you're in for..

Siblings Katie and Chris were victims of an unthinkable act, altering the course of their lives. Now some fifteen years later, all will come to a head.

Not far away, an old professor is taking his final breath and setting in motion the final chapter of his intricate plan.

And that's where this story begins.

I'm such a fan of North's writing. He brings to life heartbreaking stories with complex paternal relationships. In The Angel Maker he explores the meaning of destiny, family secrets. Are your decisions your own? Or have your choices been made for you? Some parts brought me to tears, others had me squirming.

A fantastic third release, and I'm so thrilled I got to read this.

Big thanks to Celadon Books for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this mind-boggling read! The narrative features numerous time leaps, but there are skillful time markers included. (Just make sure to pay attention, these leaps may become important later!) I also appreciated the philosophical elements of this story. The conclusion was a little crazy, but it connected beautifully with prior parts of the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this title. My reviews never contain spoilers and are freely given.
The Angel Maker is a complex story that reveal the links between two families, and crimes both past and present. The characters are well developed. It is a title to take your time with as the time changes between past and present to fill in the back story, but it all pulls together by the end in a quite satisfying way. Readers, enjoy.

5 Stars!!!

Alex North knocks another one out of the park! This book has all of the things my twisted soul needs - a serial killer, family drama, and a spooky atmosphere.

I was left with questions at the end, but it was so well done, I'm not upset about it.

Please, please, please hurry up with your next release. :)

A special thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex North for providing me with an ARC.

I absolutely loved the whisper man and was beyond excited when I received this arc. However, this was sadly mediocre to me. The first chapter was so exciting and the beginning had great built up. It was atmospheric and really creepy which Alex North knows how to create. But the middle lost me for a bit. The plot of sibling rivalry, a serial killer who can predict the future and a detective trying to fit the pieces together was gripping but the execution was was slow moving. it was disturbing and I was intrigued. But, I just struggled to get through it. I loved how everything weaved together and the ending is where it got exciting. But this is probably my least favourite Alex North book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advance copy of this book! This is the first book I have read from this author and I loved it! Keeps you guessing through out the book and pay attention to everything.

This has been my favorite Alex North book by far. Really good twists and turns and the story unravels beautifully at the end. There’s a lot of characters to keep track of but it’s all intertwined and wraps up well.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm generally a major fan of Alex North, but I found this to be his most disappointing novel yet. The Whisper Man blew me away and totally terrified me. The Shadows, I enjoyed, but the story was too similar to the real life Slenderman case and felt too familiar because of that, but was still well-written. The Angel Maker was really interesting. It was heavily based in philosophy and religion and would make for a great case study. The main narrators were the sister of a main suspect and one of the lead detectives on the case. The writing style and the switched perspectives between main character and lead detective has become pretty synonymous with North's style of story-telling. What's also pretty common for North's writing style is throwing in some later chapters from the story's antagonist that reveals the big plot twist.

What I did find to be really confusing, and what was a main problem for my enjoyment of the book, is the time-jumping and inconsistency in the storyline. Switched character narratives and a flipped timeline can work really well or can be the downfall of a book. In this instance, it really hurt the novel's ability to be coherent and overall injured how I perceived the book. Maybe it worked for some people. For me, it did not. The book could've been really great, but the way it played out just didn't work.

Creepy, twisty and suspenseful. The Angel Maker has quite a bit going on and once the clues fall into place the story lines come together, a very satisfying conclusion.

If you're in the mood for a book involving confusion, questioning what is going on, or troublesome plots, then Alex North's new thriller is for you. Having previously read his other books, "The Whisper Man" and "The Shadows", I was more than thrilled to pick up his latest novel, The Angel Maker. Consider going back in time and changing your life or every decision you ever made. Who hasn't wanted to change their past. Just imagine wanting to change the future so much, that you set a plan in motion so intense, that no one would ever know. The multiple characters in this novel all have a part to play in this plan and finding out just what that is, is what makes this novel confusing. The initial plot and concept are pretty ingenious, however, in my opinion, the execution was lacking. The majority of the novel left me uninspired to see where the author is going. Then as we get to the punch, I found myself finally engrossed to keep reading and find out what all the confusion was about, only to be let down. Overall, this novel does cause the reader to question one's actions in life. Unfortunately, this reader, was more impressed with the author's previous works.

What did I just read? 🤔🙃

The Angel Maker was one of my most anticipated read of 2023. Alex North's first book, The Whisper Man, is one of my favorite thrillers of all time. I also enjoyed his second, The Shadows. This one... was just very weird. I didn't hate it, but was really confused at the end. I had SO many questions!

If you enjoy creepy books about serial killers and like supernatural elements thrown in, you may enjoy this one. I just wish there was more of an explanation at the end. It was a very quick, interesting read though. I love the way Alex writes and will continue to read his books.

This was another first for me. While I own all of Alex North's books, I have yet to read them, so this was my first. I was really excited to be approved for this arc. I think out of all his stories, this one's synopsis had me the most intrigued. This story is told in multiple point of views and it can be slightly confusing if you're not paying attention. I will admit I had to re-read certain parts over again to make sure I was really following. This made it a little more difficult for me to get through the book and it took me a bit longer than normal to read but once I did, i was glad I stuck it out. If you can follow the story and all its moving pieces, you will enjoy the book. If you can't, I don't see this one ending well for you.

Everyone was connected in different ways that they, themselves, don't even realize. Alan Hobbes is in his mansion, sends all his staff home for the day, and winds up murdered. It's like he knew it was going to happen... because he did. He believed everything in each of our lives is pre-determined and is destined to happen. The detective on the scene discovers that this crime is connected to two previous cases. One of which, is that of Christopher Shaw, who was attacked after school one day years ago. His sister, Katie, carries a lot of guilt over that event and although is estranged from her brother, clearly still cares about him. The storyline follows them both, as well as the officer, as they all search for answers.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Solid 3.5-4 stars.

This was another first for me. While I own all of Alex North's books, I have yet to read them, so this was my first. I was really excited to be approved for this arc. I think out of all his stories, this one's synopsis had me the most intrigued. This story is told in multiple point of views and it can be slightly confusing if you're not paying attention. I will admit I had to re-read certain parts over again to make sure I was really following. This made it a little more difficult for me to get through the book and it took me a bit longer than normal to read but once I did, i was glad I stuck it out. If you can follow the story and all its moving pieces, you will enjoy the book. If you can't, I don't see this one ending well for you.

Everyone was connected in different ways that they, themselves, don't even realize. Alan Hobbes is in his mansion, sends all his staff home for the day, and winds up murdered. It's like he knew it was going to happen... because he did. He believed everything in each of our lives is pre-determined and is destined to happen. The detective on the scene discovers that this crime is connected to two previous cases. One of which, is that of Christopher Shaw, who was attacked after school one day years ago. His sister, Katie, carries a lot of guilt over that event and although is estranged from her brother, clearly still cares about him. The storyline follows them both, as well as the officer, as they all search for answers.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Solid 3.5-4 stars.

I was really excited to get a copy of this book for review because I remembered The Whisper Man being a bit creepy. I was so confused for the majority of the book. There are so many characters to keep track of and the different points of view were hard to follow. The characters were not particularly likeable or well developed so it was hard to really care about what happened to them. I get suspending disbelief when reading a novel but unless it is really a fantasy or scifi story I would like to be able to understand why a character makes a decision. Even once everything tied together it felt very anticlimactic. I just didn't care about the storyline by that point.

Alex North is one of my favorite authors but I was let down with this one… I was kinda confused, therefore it kept losing my attention.. DNF’d around 40%

It’s no lie that I am a HUGE fan of Alex North with his creative and creepy plot lines, so here’s the deal:

Although I did not feel like this one was nearly AS creepy as his previous novels I still enjoyed it immensely. I absolutely loved the culty vibe it had at times, and there was some awesome brutally graphic scenes that someone with a dark and depraved brain such as myself can appreciate. It did have some twist towards the end that I was not expecting, and truly it was a great read.

I even convinced my husband who NEVER reads to read this one, and he loved it. Now that’s saying something.

Thanks so much to Celadon books for sending me the lovely gift package with this book and the surprises to open at specific chapters. It made this an exciting and unique reading experience!!

Closer to 3.5 stars, but not quite good enough to round up to 4.
This suspense novel, about a psycho trying to exact revenge for perceived misdeeds, was pretty enjoyable, but I have a feeling that I will barely remember it in a couple of weeks.
Thanks to #netgalley and #celadonbooks for this #arc of #theangelmaker in exchange for an honest review.

Such a rare occasion that I read a crime book that I can not guess the ending of. It was a breath of fresh air. The pivotal twists and events had me seconding guessing and rethinking and then in the end I was still wrong! The entire book had me on the edge of my seat. I definitely consider this a thriller mystery. It was a five star read and now I just go read more titles from Alex North. This was an ARC and I’m voluntarily leaving this review.

I absolutely love Alex North - My Favorite was The Whisper Man. This book is probably my least favorite of the books he's written. At times it was confusing to follow the various timelines. Overall a good book.