BOOK REVIEW: The Angel Maker by Alex North
2023 Publication Date: February 28

⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2023

Pages: 322
Genre: Thriller Books
Sub-Genre: Crime Fiction
Time Period: Present Day
Location: England
Publisher: Celadon Books | Macmillan Audio

PUBLISHER BOOK SYNOPSIS
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Whisper Man and The Shadows comes a dark, suspenseful new thriller about the mysteries of fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer who was said to know the future...

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.

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All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

When it comes to THE ANGEL MAKER, I was expecting something on the verge of thriller/mystery, but what I got leaned much more crime novel. This is a book that almost has to be digested in a sitting or two or else facts and puzzle pieces start slipping through the cracks and the enjoyment of the reading experience gets away from you. Listening to the audiobook, I soldiered on knowing that my understanding of the story was fragile at best and if I put off finishing the book I would not be setting myself up for success. Ultimately I still a big fan of North's THE WHISPER MAN, this newest addition to their corpus of work just didn't do it for.

North is exceptional when it comes to crafting a decidedly creepy, foreboding atmosphere and I was really looking forward to experiencing that again. I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadows and I had really high hopes for The Angel Maker! Unfortunately, this one was just okay for me. North did a phenomenal job of playing with the levels of intensity in pacing making the read decidedly thriller creepy and tense. The narration by Rosalie Craig was great! She played Katie exceptionally well and even the other characters had their own flair. It made the listen that more enjoyable!

Unfortunately, I wasn't as hooked as I ought to have been. Philosophy, the idea of predetermination, and a bit of religion are integral pieces of this story and I struggled with it. A few times past 60 percent, I had to convince myself to start listening again. Once I pressed play it was fine but I wasn't desperate to dive back into the story.

I enjoyed Laurence's POVs the most and wish we had more time with him. I struggled with Katie as a character but I also have a daughter that is Sienna's age and I can be a bit feral when it comes to her protection and Katie's actions didn't make sense to me in that lens. The familial bonds and loyalty were all there on the page but I didn't feel connected enough to experience that emotion and angst this time around.

Ultimately, I think this North book was just "meh" for me. The story was clever and complicated and I got a little lost in the twists and philosophy. It may be a case of needing to read a physical copy to keep track but I doubt it this time. Maybe, I'm just not clever enough. After all, I did require a glass or two of wine for philosophy homework during college! A solid mystery/thriller from North but not my favorite.

*I voluntarily listened to an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an audio galley of this book from Netgalley. This does not affect the objectivity of my review.

I’ve read a couple of Alex North’s previous books, so I was excited to read The Angel Maker. This story follows Katie Shaw, whose brother was a young victim of an attempted murder. She feels guilty for not protecting him and that guilt has followed her into adulthood. When her brother once again goes missing, she steps in to help him.

The suspense and mystery throughout this story builds at a nice smooth pace. The story starts out peaceful, but slowly little things here and there go wrong and that sense of unease starts to creep in. I thought the tension was really good.

There are several storylines that occur in different places and times throughout the story. It creates a feeling of putting a puzzle together as we get more and more snippets of info. Upon occasion, I found the multiple storylines a little confusing, but for the most part I was able to follow it.

My biggest issue with this story was that I felt a little bit detached from the characters. I wanted to feel their feelings and really get to understand them, but it just felt a bit superficial.

All in all, this was a solid thriller/mystery. If you like family drama, serial killers, and lots of twists, you will likely like this too.

For the audiobook, the narrator was very good. I loved the way he read the story and found it easy to distinguish between characters.

This is my first novel by Alex North, but it won't be my last. Definitely pick this up if you enjoy an intricately plotted mystery. Mr. North weaves a lot of threads throughout, and winds the reader through quite a twisty thriller!

There are a lot of characters in this one spanning multiple timelines. I listened to the audiobook, and at times I wished I had the ebook or a physical copy so I could go back and look a few things up. (The narrator was fantastic and did a great job.) There are a lot of moving pieces to keep track of along the way!

I don't know what it was about this book, but I didn't enjoy it at all. In fact, I DNF'd it after many attempts to listen, at about the halfway point. I've loved North's last two novels so was very disappointed in this one.

New to me narrator Rosalie Craig knocked my socks off with this book! I loved the way she brought every voice into the story and made it their own. There were times I got goosebumps from how sinister a voice could come across and how soft and loving another would be. I won't say which characters made me feel either way but the narrator was amazing at bringing this horror novel to life.

I don't know where to start with a review for this book. I've finished it roughly 4 hours ago and I am raw. I feel like a part of me was sliced into and I am simply bleeding emotions from this story. When will I learn that Alex North has the capability to drag me into the depths of horror novel and make me cry with how much I am IN the story.

The Angel Maker focuses on something I have always wondered and studied: nature versus nurture. Are monsters born or are they created? Can you create a child into an empathetic productive member of society by the nurture of love and stability or will their DNA ultimately take over? North tackles this within The Angel Maker but you have to pay attention to what's going on as its unfolded before you in a unique and engaging way.

I was sucked into this story immediately and had so many theories on what was going on; who killed who, who was who and what does all of this actually mean. I have read the authors previous works so the familiarity of past to present to memories to articles to a side character showing up with a POV because it's how it has to happen was easy to fall into. But while this had a familiarity to it, North delivers a brand new story with depraved characters and those who fight against the dark.

I worried about Chris from the beginning. I worried why Katie thought it was her fault. I loathed Leland and that never changed. I didn't trust Sam though I wanted to. Alan broke my heart and made me cry. I liked that Detective Laurence had a connection to the attack on Chris as a teenager - that's something that comforts me in a way. Knowing the cop on the job is more than just a cop, you know? Pettifer was a great contrast to Laurence and the way they work together was a joy to witness.

I don't know how to describe this story without giving everything away that needs to be read. I keep thinking about forbidden text and people who think they really are doing gods work by murdering innocents, How much our past can influence our futures and how much free will or control we really have over what happens in our life.

I am in awe of the timeline in the book and how the author was able to keep it all straight as he wrote it, if he did keep it straight. I am just in awe of this book. Awe of the context and of the narrator. They are a beautiful match.

When she was a teenager, Katie Shaw’s brother was attacked. Now she’s married and has a child of her own but her family never recovered from that incident, that’s why, when her brother disappears, Katie decides to risk her own life to find him.

A serial killer claims that he knows the future. A wealthy philosophy professor is found dead. A man is obsessed with finding a book. What do these have to do with Katie’s brother and what is she willing to sacrifice in order to find him?

Alex North created an intricate plot with multiple characters, storylines, and timelines. It takes a while to understand each of the characters’ identity and the relationships between them. Everything is interconnected in this complex story that had me unable to stop reading until the end.

I particularly enjoyed the philosophical questions about free will and fate and the confrontation between god and evil.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for my review copies of The Angel Maker.

Thank you to @celadonbooks for my advanced ebook and audiobook. You guys know I’m an audiobook lover, so I downloaded it and listened immediately! The Angel Maker published yesterday (2/28), so it’s out now!

This was my first Alex North, though I’ve intended to read his backlist forever. I’ve seen so many good reviews and I intend to remedy my lack of having read them soon!

This book is about a set of siblings, a serial killer who thinks he knows the future and…fate. Is fate a real thing? Is it set in stone?

This book was…fine. It had all the necessary backstory plotting, buildup and tension. But, I was never wowed or on the edge of my seat. 🤷‍♀️ There is a twist near the end, but the ending overall was a bit abrupt. It was a solid 3 stars for me.

"What will happen will always happen."

Do you believe in determinism, fate or is free will your life philosophy? In the thoroughly complex puzzle yet pulse pounding Angel Maker by thriller phenom Alex North I found myself debating these ideals that are the catalyst for the horrific murders of a notorious serial killer.

There are many characters and components to this story starting with the most relatable Katie. She is a mom, wife, sister and daughter but is feeling lacking on all fronts. Work leaves her little time for mommy daughter bonding, her husband has no patience with what he calls her paranoia worrying, she hasn't spoken to her brother in years since she turned him into the cops when he stole from her to buy drugs and she keeps meaning to visit her mom. When her brother Chris is missing though she stops everything to find him.

Detective Page is confused when clues to the murder of a famous philosophy professor seems to lead to the professor knowing he was going to die. His only suspect is Chris, yes Katie's brother, seen on security cameras leaving the murder site with a book. A book to kill for?

When Katie finds old clippings in her mom's house about a missing child and murdered children that belonged to her deceased father the mystery only deepens with more questions than answers.

I was confused most of the time but when at about 60% narrator Rosalie Craig fearfully describes what Katie finds in the murderer's room I almost couldn't breathe. I had spine tingling chills and knew this writer got me. He pulled me in with curiosity and got me to stay with jaw dropping terror. I couldn't move until I knew not just how it all connected but who would be safe. Angel Maker is a devil of a thriller.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thriller/scary books aren't usually my thing, but every once in a while I get a hankering for one. This hit the spot. It was a mystery up until the end! I gasped when things were unraveling. Which, takes a lot to keep me in the dark that long! There are swears (f words mostly) and vague talk about murders that had happened. Nothing too graphic. The narrator did a fantastic job!

Alex North is a great writer and an instant buy for me. His writing, while being slow burn, instantly engages the reader and lends to the narration of his audiobooks.

The Angel Maker follows a sister and brother as one lapse in judgement changes their lives forever. The story starts out with Katie and Chris as young adults. Both are still in school and Katie has always looked out for Chris. But this time she really just wants to do something for herself. She decides that one day of Chris walking home by himself won't hurt. He will be just fine. However, when she gets home, she realizes that things can change at a drop of a hat.

Move forward in time, Katie and Chris are now estranged. That fateful day has set a series of events in motion that neither of them understand or can stop. Their lives become intertwined in a new homicide, involving an aging college professor.

Throw in this serial killer who claims that he kills because he is only doing what God's will and you have a whirlwind of an adventure and mystery to figure out.

This book was provided to me as an audiobook. The narrator is Rosalie Craig and she does a fantastic job. Her cadence and tone interlaced with North's writing lends to the mystery of the story. I found the pace a little slower than I preferred so I did speed up my audiobook. This is personal preference though. The book contains multiple POV's and even though there is only one narrator performing, Craig does a good job at differentiation between the characters. You feel the anxiousness of the MC as she navigates this strange set of events and continues to search for her missing brother. This means that the strong character development that North accomplished throughout his story also shows through throughout the narration.

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.

For me this moves really slow. I had a hard time focusing on the story and really didn't find it as interesting as I had hoped.
Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to read this interchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was a very hard audiobook to get through. Nothing made sense until well over halfway through the book. There are too many characters to keep up with, especially with the constant time jumps. However, towards the end of the book, connections were made, but the ending itself left too many questions unanswered. Why is it called the Angel Maker? Was the brother an actual serial killer? Who were his victims? What was the deal with the book? I can go on. I give this 2 stars simply because I finished it.
Thank you Netgalley, publishers, and author for an ARC

QUICK BITS
•Multiple POV
•Philosophical
•Slow burn

REVIEW
I was eager to dive into the newest by Alex North, but it did not end up being for me.

For my liking there were too many POVs and timelines and I found myself never settling into the story.

Even after a phone chat with @itsbooksta_britch at the halfway point, there was just too much going on for me to find my footing (and ultimately my interest) in the story.

I am one who loves all things philosophical and probes the questions of how our choices affect the future and although this attempted to address that...it did not accomplish that for me.

Lastly, I am not sure I would put this in the category of thriller or horror, for me the stakes never felt that serious.

But AS ALWAYS, a book that isn't for me means a MUST READ for you...so you can come tell me what you thought and if you loved it, help me see what I missed.

RATINGS
7 Characters
5 Atmosphere
5 Writing Style
4 Plot
2 Pace
2 Intrigue
2 Enjoyment
2 SOS Bonus
TOTAL= 27+2= 29/14= 2.07

2.00/5.00 SOS Rating
--pretty good little twist at the end, but nothing that rewrites the genre

2.00/5.00 Rounded Rating

This isn't my favorite of Alex North's books. The story was overly convoluted, and after finishing, I'm still not sure I understand why certain things happened. The tropes were a little too similar to The Whisper Man, almost as if they were in the same series. I would like to see the author branch out from "serial killers who target children."

This suspenseful and captivating novel tells the story of a mysterious death of a philosophy professor who knew he would die. The plot is intricate; it kept me engaged from start to finish. However, I got a bit lost at times. The characters are well-developed, and the author does an excellent job exploring their complex relationships. The story kept me guessing with all the plot twists and turns. If you are a fan of suspense and mystery, this might be the book for you. The audiobook was a bit slow for my liking; the pacing for this type of story should be faster to keep the audience engaged.

This was my first novel by this author & I think that will turn out to be a good thing given what I’ve heard. This book was a bit confusing & I had to rewind a few times to figure out what was going on. I enjoyed the mystery of Kate and Chris. I also thought it was really interesting that one of John Lock’s kids turned out good and saved the day in the end while the other was pure evil continuing the disturbing activities of his father. I thought the ending was good but I thought there were a few loose ends I would have liked tied up. All in all a decent story.

The narration was good and added to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to listen to this book.

I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this story. The mystery was solid - kept me guessing the entire time.

When an author writes a bunch of great serial killer thrillers...who hurt you?!???! Who did this to you, Alex?!??!

Thanks NetGalley and @macmillan.audio for an early audiobook of Alex North's new book, The Angel Maker. Published Feb 28, yesterday!

North's books need big content warnings for violence against children, but the way he writes pain, suffering, and parent/child relationships is deep and tender. For whatever it's worth, Whisper Man is my fave, Angel Maker is second, The Shadows third.

The audio is good but not great. This would have benefitted from both male and female narrators, but it was easy to follow the twisty story via audio!