Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC. I have loved North's other novels but this one was too much for my brain to comprehend. I started the audio three or four times because I felt like I had missed something and nothing was making sense. That feeling stayed with me throughout the entire book. It was very hard for me to follow so I think I need to give the hard copy a try to see if that helps. I can usually follow complicated storylines with audio but I struggled with this one and I'm not sure what actually happened for most of the novel, so I feel like giving it an actual review would be unfair.



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.

Having enjoyed North’s previous books, I was excited to dive into The Angel Maker. Unfortunately this one is so hard to follow along with.

It has multiple points of view plus alternating timelines that just result in a lot of confusion. I saw a few folks note this before I started listening, so I tried hard to pay close attention and keep the characters straight but it was still too complicated.

I’d pass on this one - enjoying a thriller shouldn’t be this hard.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my advance audiobook copy.

“People choose their own paths, and however much you love them there comes a point when they have to take responsibility themselves for the journey they’ve embarked upon.” 🙌🏻

Katie Shaw lived a charmed life in the English countryside. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, her devoted boyfriend Sam, 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, 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 and wealthy professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered. 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.

“It is a parent’s job to guide their children gently and hope for the best, not to control them.”

Ever since I read The Whisper Man, @alex had been an auto-buy author for me. So I was elated when I was given both the ARC and ALC of his newer book! And it did not disappoint. This is a multi faceted story spanning multiple generations with both deeply disturbed and supremely honorable characters. Initially I was not sure how these different stories intertwined but what a joy that ah ha moment was when it all came together. There were a few twists I had an inkling about and some I did NOT see coming. A solid thriller!

The audiobook was fantastic and narrated with just the right amount of emotion to have you feeling the angst and fear and determination of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

This book is engaging and well-written, however it is also complex with approximately 5-6 running plot lines with switching POVs throughout. I think the difficulty of this book in audio, is that there is no identification of whose POV we are in until their name is said or a character aspect that is unique. If the audio chapters were headlined by name, that would be a big improvement. The narrator is good and the story I enjoyed a lot.

I absolutely LOVED this. This is the kind of smart, meticulous, puzzle filled crime book I’ve been looking for for so long. Yes there are quite a few characters and sub splots, time jumps into different parts of the past, and mysteries on top of mysteries but this truly all came together SO WELL.

I was at the edge of my seat from the beginning, I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough but I also wanted to absorb all the careful details and bends North sprinkles in.

If you’re looking for a quick popcorn thriller or crime, this isn’t it. I so often find myself bored with the obvious traps and crimes found in many crime and thrillers lately but not so here!

This is crafted expertly with small clues meant to embed themselves in your mind and keep you guessing and working. It’s truly like doing a puzzle where even though you know you’ve found the right piece for a section, you have to turn it a few ways to get it to fit. You can’t tune this out or be distracted while reading this. To really appreciate the story, this demands and for me, definitely captured my full attention.

This will definitely be one I recommend again and again as crime fiction that feels like a real return to the genre and move away from the cheap crime thrillers and obvious detective stories that have been saturating the genre. The audiobook is narrated so well that really elevates the reading experiences, immersing you in the tension expertly and really ratcheting up the emotions. Thank you so much Celadon for my galley and ALC!

The Angel Maker takes you on one twisting turning roller coaster of a ride. listening on audio (great narrator!) you had to pay close attention bc there’s so many characters that it was hard to keep up sometimes, but I eventually figured out who everyone was lol. Following the detectives, the family that survived a killer years ago, and two brothers who are connected to a different serial killer, we get a story of how all of these folks are connected, while seemingly strangers on the surface. This is a book that starts the action on page one and doesn’t let you stop until you’ve reached the end. I’m still not sure on where I stand on some of the more mystical aspects of this story, but it fully shows that belief can do more damage than reality. Great thriller!

Short synopsis: Senior year of high school, Katie has everything going for her. Until an attack on her younger brother changes everything. Now years later, her brother goes missing ands professor is killed.

My thoughts: After reading The Whisper Man and loving it, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on North’s new book.

I liked how the book started right off with a mystery and a punch, then towards the middle things got soo discombobulated and confusing. The different stories didn’t seem to mesh well and the transitions between them left me somewhat confused.

I see what the author was trying to accomplish but it just didn’t work for me. I still intend to read more of his works, in fact the shadows is high on my TBR.

Read if you love:
* Serial killer mysteries
* Intersecting storylines
* Suspenseful
* Detective stories

Alex North’s upcoming release, The Angel Maker is a gripping thriller surrounding a family haunted by an act of violence committed years prior. Katie Shaw’s little brother was attacked years ago and he survived, but Katie’s guilt was never truly assuaged. Years later she sees something that alarms her and makes her believe her child is now in danger. Protective as ever, when Katie receives a call that her little brother is missing, she knows she will go to any length to protect her family. Simultaneously, detectives are working on a brutal murder case of Alan Hobbes, where they think the Chris Shaw case from years prior has a connection. What follows is a hair-raising mystery thriller that brings surprising reveals, detailed histories, and shocking connections.

The plot of The Angel Maker is strong and the inclusion of a serial killer who could maybe see the future is excellent. I also really enjoyed the analysis of the theory of determinism where all events and actions are supposedly pre-determined and that free will makes no difference because these actions could not have been committed in any other way.

The Angel Marker is so much more than its synopsis. There is a whole storyline and slew of characters including Alan Hobbes, Chris Shaw, Michael Hyde and Jack Lock, “The Angel Maker,” that intersect and connect in the most unexpected ways to create an immersive and suspenseful experience.

The Angel Maker is a good story and a good listen (as an audiobook). It has precisely what you want from a thriller/mystery however I would not consider it horror. I would also caution readers that the story is highly confusing due to the diverging timelines and amount of characters. I wish I had written down the characters and made a Criminal Minds level mind map myself so I could figure out the mystery. I guess, being confused is one way to enjoy a mystery for those who guess the plot too easily.
Fans of thrillers and mysteries will like The Angel Maker. The book has an addictive quality and holds the reader’s attention, only easing up when all is revealed.

It felt like it spent a lot of time talking, but not much had actually happened. I feel like when I reflected back at the midway point I could only vaguely state what occurred. It just feels like this one was so drawn out. I was just really disappointed.

I freaking love Alex North so I was surprised when the early reviews of this novel were coming back unfavourably. After finishing it, I have come to the conclusion that the lack lustre reviews are less about the actual quality of the novel and more having to do with how different it is from his previous work.

This was a dense plot with a lot of moving parts and complex characters which is something I have come to expect from North, and one of the reasons I love him. There were a lot of moments where I went “wait, what??”, but any momentary confusion was ultimately explained as the story unfurled.

The Angel Maker was definitely the least creepy of North’s work, which I think may be where peoples disappointment is stemming from. Personally, I actually enjoyed how he tried something different and went more philosophical, playing with the theory of determinism, an idea that, when you really think about it, is rather terrifying.

I will also say, I started to listen to this on audio and had to switch to the physical copy. I did not like that the multi POV - mostly male characters I might add - was read predominantly by a woman; I kept thinking that Chris and Lawrence’s POVs we’re Katie and ultimately abandoned it. If a novel is multi POV, I NEED a full cast!

If you’re able to separate what you’ve come to expect from North subject matter wise, this was still very North-esque; it was expertly plotted, had fleshed out and flawed characters, an original plot that made you think, and plenty of twist and turns along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for this arc
Unfortunately this was just not for me. I had a very hard time grasping the point of the story, the depth of the characters (I’m actually not sure they were whole characters tbh everyone was just paper thin). I don’t mind a thriller but I just didn’t vibe well with the execution. I think I’m in the minority on this though so it seems more of a “just not for me” type of thing.

Only one of my most anticipated reads of the year! The synopsis and the cover immediately captured my attention and I enjoyed North’s The Whisper Man well enough to know I had to read this. The narrator was fantastic and did a great job with the wide array of characters. I started with the ebook first and found it much easier to keep up with the audiobook since there’s many characters and timelines to juggle. So if audiobooks are your thing, absolutely recommend this one. I was expecting a bit more from the story, but found it to be an interesting read that touched on topics that aren’t too common in thrillers. I do think two characters in particular could’ve been scrapped, as they didn’t contribute very much to the overall story but I think this will be a big hit with North’s fan. The ending was so good! I love the way the plot came together. I do wish there would’ve been an epilogue, though. Everything wrapped up a bit quickly and it would’ve been satisfying to stay with the characters longer to see some ends tied.

Alex North has done it again!

Perhaps more puzzling and atmospheric than his other works, 'The Angel Maker' takes on family trauma, dark secrets, and several character arcs and plot lines that masterfully intersect in a chilling suspenseful finale you won't want to miss!

Detective Laurence Page is called to the scene of a murder which will kick off a grand scale multi-generation puzzle where nobody is safe.
Katie Shaw has a complicated family relationship, which is made all the more complex with the emergence of ghosts from her past and the disappearance of her troubled brother- Christopher- who finds himself involved in the investigation of the brutal murder Page is investigating.

This novel has one of the larger casts of a book I've read in recent memory, and there was a bit of a remembering curve at the beginning. Once you can keep track of who's who and when we're in the past or present, the novel soars. North has such a great hold of the genre.

What I admire most about North's brand of horror is the ability to make the mundane suddenly terrifying. A quiet evening looking out the window can suddenly turn into a night of terror that will have your heart racing and your stomach in knots. He does this in his other works, but it is most admirable and effective in 'The Angel Maker.'

Overall the book is a strong showing, fear, suspense, and heart all come together to make a book you just can't put down (or stop listening to.)

Rosalie Craig- who narrates the audiobook- is a masterful narrator. She has an incredible grasp on the material and lends her theatrical background giving each character a unique voice (literally) and a specific cadence of speech which really helps differentiate who is speaking.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex North for an ARC of this book in audiobook format. All opinions are my own. Publication date: February 28, 2023.

A serial killer and religious fanatic abducts little girls and makes them into “angels”. He also can predict the future and writes it all down in a book. He is caught and his two traumatized sons are adopted by different families.
Jump to 2017, a millionaire is murdered and a “book” is stolen at the time of the murder.

This was a hard synopsis to write and doesn’t even include the main characters of the story, Katie, a truant officer, her brother Chris who was scarred as a boy by a man trying to steal his face and the two investigators of the present day murder.

There was a LOT going on here. A LOT. I think this book needed maybe 50-80 more pages to really flesh out the mystery. The foundation of this story has very good premise, families and secrets and trauma and forgiveness. The title of the book, The Angel Maker, was mentioned but really never discussed. The relationships of all the main characters were very hard to keep straight as their stories progressed, overlapped and intertwined.

I still enjoyed it, but I felt it was just too much in too few pages. More was needed to make this a very good book.

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!

This is by far Alex North's best book yet. I loved everything about the book. I loved all the twists and turns that the book had. By the end I wanted to know a bit more about the book that was left to Chris Shaw and what he did with the information.I also wanted to know about Edward and Allan's life with their father and what made him become a serial killer. Maybe it will be a sequal. Even though there was a lot of charaters and different time lines the plot was easy to follow.

Meh, meh, mehhhh. Oh man. The latest from Alex North, The Angel Maker started off SO strong. The opening scene involving a handful of the key characters: Kate, Sam, and Chris was chilling. It made me shiver. But things just went downhill from there. I’m generally a major fan of multiple timelines, but this one just didn’t work for me. The present day timeline held my interest, but the past was a major snooze fest. I also found it very confusing, and it bored me to tears. I probably should have DNFed this one, but I kept hoping that it would get better. Unfortunately, it just continued down the old, crumbling, and mediocre road. If you loved The Whisper Man, and are expecting another thrilling standout in North’s latest, I’d lower your expectations. This one is just downright underwhelming, so I think it’s alright to skip it.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was definitely a complicated read that you really need to be paying attention, otherwise you WILL miss a lot of details. I had to go back a few times because I wasn't listening fully and missed a lot in a short time. Complicated but well written. The narrator was good as well.

Yet again, another fantastic creepy thriller from Alex North!! This was fast paced, and constantly had my brain trying to think two steps ahead. It kept me guessing and I was pleasantly surprised for the little science fiction twist around the book that supposedly tells the future. I had the pleasure of listening to the advanced audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. Their voice inflection and pacing kept me engaged the entire time.

I am currently reading/listening in audio.. the book so far has been good, there are lots of characters and twists. The narrator is not one I personally like. The narrator is the only reason I almost DNF this book, I plan to purchase the physical copy so I can truly get into this book. This author has an amazing writing style! Just the narrator chosen for this book is not so great!