This was a great thriller. It’s definitely on the darker side and comes with and unreliable narrator that keeps you guessing.

Lovers of character development will be happy with this one, and those who pay close attention to detail.

I listen on audio, the narrator did a great job, there is an accent, so if your use to listening at a higher speed you may have to slow it down a bit at first.

Overall it’s a great read and listen.

I’ve been loving thrillers lately but I didn’t love The Angel Maker by Alex North. I think overall there was too much going on in this book with multiple storylines and lots of characters. It’s a quick read and I was curious to find out how the storylines connected and the twists but they weren’t shocking. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Rosalie Craig was good. I’ve read his previous book The Whisper Man and I enjoyed it so I would still consider reading his next book.

Thanks for this read NetGalley!

Not sure how to classify this one, honestly. It has elements of mystery, thriller, horror and a smidge of police procedural, but those labels probably don't matter. I throw in horror because readers who're curious should know that there is definitely an element of "things unexplained and otherworldly". And also a little horrific. But here's the key: not so horrific or graphic (even for non-horror fans) that you'll feel an impulse to put the book aside and hope to forget what you've read. I would even go so far as to say that the premise is thought-provoking, even though the action moves very quickly.

The story begins with the violent death of an old man, who is strangely resigned to meeting this end. He reflects on, and invokes the names of several people, leading disparate lives seemingly unconnected to his. A really great beginning because before you're three pages in, you're asking yourself questions that you must keep reading in order to have answered. And so it went for me ... I read (or in my case listened) "just for a little while more" to get the next piece of the puzzle, and the next, and the next, until the book was done.

If, like me, you're someone who might say, "I don't really read horror", this one just might intrigue you nevertheless. Recommended.

Audiobook note: Excellent narration. The variation in British accents conveyed so much about each character--class, region of origin, the works. I have no doubt that this narrator enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

Alan Hobbes was murdered in his bed. An older man, a retired philosophy professor, he was clearly close to the end of his life. But someone wasn’t willing to wait and stabbed him. Detectives Laurence Page and Caroline Pettifer took on the case, noting immediately how things just seemed off at the scene. First of all, why kill a man who is so close to death? And why was he living in a big house that was damaged so badly that the detectives can feel a slight breeze in the windowless room where Hobbes had lived, and died?

Across town, teacher Katie Shaw was upset with her husband Sam for letting their three-year-old daughter Siena sit in front of the television until she got home from work. Sam is a good man, maybe a little distracted that his music career isn’t exploding the way he’d hoped. But Katie doesn’t want Siena to fall through the cracks. It can happen. It almost happened to her brother.

They had just been teenagers when Katie had gotten home from school late because she’d been with Sam. She was supposed to watch her younger brother Sam get home from school okay, but he was fifteen, and she was starting to resent how her parents seemed to care more about him. So she spent one afternoon with Sam. And she came home to her neighborhood to find police cars, crime vans, and police tape. A man had jumped out of his car and attacked Chris, stabbing him and then trying to cut his face off.

The investigation into Alan Hobbes’ death raises as many questions as it answers. The man acted like he knew what was coming, but there was no way to know the future. But digging deeper, Detective Page starts to think that somehow his murder was related to the attack on Chris Shaw all those years ago and to a legendary serial killer who was known to tell the future.

Meanwhile, Katie gets a call from her mother letting her know that Chris has gone missing, and a report of a man watching the kids at Siena’s daycare makes her sense that her family is in danger. But will she be able to figure out what that threat is before it’s too late?

Alex North is back with The Angel Maker. The bestselling author of The Whisper Man and The Shadows has crafted a story that is mysterious and a little creepy but layered with so many characters, so many ideas, so many surprises, and a surprising amount of grace and compassion for a novel with so much violence.

I listened to the audio book of The Angel Maker, narrated by Rosalie Craig. This is not an easy book. There are a lot of characters and some gruesome descriptions of violence. But Craig handled it all with panache, seeming to understand what each character’s motivation is and imbues her performance with that layer of understanding.

I do not think that this book is for everyone. You have to take on some difficult criminals, some very dark characters and actions. I also struggled some with keeping the characters straight in my head (I thought that a print book or ebook might have made that easier). But this is a truly beautiful story that also brings forward the best that humanity has to offer, and as I got closer and closer to the end, and all the pieces of the jigsaw were falling into place, I just wanted to savor the masterful conclusion. I’ve read all of North’s books, and this was by far my favorite. I think I’m going to have to listen again, just to see again how perfect this story is.

A copy of the audio book for The Angel Maker was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I didn’t love the audio for this one. I had a hard time wanting to continue listening and felt compelled to read. Sometimes the narrator doesn’t sync up with the pictures in my brain. No fault of theirs.

#happypubday to @writernorth & his latest novel!

this thriller tests the mystery that surrounds fate & destiny amid a legendary serial killer and one of his loyal followers, who has long been seeking ultimate revenge to those jeopardizing his manifest destiny.

the book also focuses on Katie Shaw, who lives in guilt and fear after what happened to her brother years ago. as she grapples w/ her abundance of emotions, detectives nearby have responded to the brutal murder of a local professor of fate & free will. eventually, the stories begin to intermingle, connecting one’s past with another’s present, as Katie realizes that her family has somehow found themselves in the midst of imminent danger.

i looooved The Whisper Man, so I was super excited to start this one! while this book was equally as twisted as the former, i just didn’t find myself as connected to the storyline. truthfully, I think this was huuuugely in part to reading this as an audiobook vs. a physical copy. this was my first #arc in audiobook form, so it was a bit of an adjustment for me. the narrator was British, which I found to be soothing but also a little hard to understand at times.

moreover, there was SO much going on (which I normally love because it’s that much more fun to put the pieces together), but it was hard to keep track of everything happening without being able to look back or stop and process what I read. i don’t think I fully grasped all of the connections happening until about 80% into the story, and even at the end I was still a little unclear on one specific plot line.

overall thoughts: I’m a little bummed that my first experience of this book was through audio; it was a mistake on my part, especially knowing how complex his writing is. combining that with my rookie audiobook skills was just a recipe for disaster. I think this book would have been SO much more enjoyable had I read my ebook version instead. womp, you live & you learn I guess. 🤷🏼‍♀️

thank you to @netgalley & @celadonbooks for my #advancedreaderscopy! you can get your copy today (and I highly recommend that you get it in physical form)!! 😅

This book was my first read by this author and when I was done I immediately went out and bought his other books.

I received an audiobook from Netgalley for an honest review.

I listened to this book each day while I walked and let me tell what a mistake that was, I was so scared at some points I was looking over my shoulder to make sure that I wasn't being followed.

This author has a way of writing dark suspense books that will make you feel part of the book and keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation (and let me tell you suspense is not my usual genre of read).

After reading his other books I really like that the police officer is the same in all the books.

Really great read

I liked the narrator and I felt like it went really well with the story. The book started off strong and I was hooked in but it went downhill from there. It was creepy and dark and I wanted to see how it ended but it was confusing at times. It was slow and all over the place. It was an okay read but I probably wouldn’t recommend it. The plot was really creative and interesting but there were to many time jumps.

The narrator for this Novel was fantastic. I really enjoyed the narration.

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.

The Angel Maker, by Alex North, is a creepy, chilling dark thriller. This novel truly borders on the edge of the horror genre, and is disturbing, but also gripping. This suspenseful story has a lot of characters and interweaving plot threads, so you’ve got to be paying attention to the details to be able follow along.

This mystery features a serial killer and two siblings and a highly intricate well-plotted storyline. Kate is haunted by a decision she made years ago that cataclysmically affected her brother and their future relationship. As she moves forward in her life, she can’t quite let go of her past. When an opportunity arises to help out with a current, but potentially related mystery, she seizes the chance at redemption, not quite realizing the price she will have to pay.

This is a compelling, complex thriller that raises a number of deeper questions and issues that will make you think. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy edgy, pulse-pounding stories, this one is for you!

The audio-version of this novel is narrated by Rosalie Craig and she does an amazing job setting the tone for the whole story, creating a tensely atmospheric mood and ambiance. Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audio-book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations for this novel and I really wanted to like it but,unfortunately, it fell flat for me. This novel had a strong start but then the space slows down. The story is told from multiple points of view and has several different timelines and subplots. There are quite a few pieces to the puzzle and it was really difficult to figure out how they would all fit together. This story has family secrets, hidden identities, serial killers, and a deadly sibling rivalry. I enjoyed the writing style. I felt that the author did a really good job of bringing the characters to life. I like it when an author can really make you dislike the villain and Alex North definitely does that. The mystery was interesting but parts of it were too far fetched. There were a few subplots that could have been tied in better and several loose ends that made the novel feel unfinished. The narrator does a good job but my mind kept wandering due to the slow pace so I had to keep rewinding. This novel also explore some deep philosophical questions which might be interesting to some but didn’t work for me. While this novel was interesting, it did not quite live up to the hype for me.

Happy Book Birthday to The Angel Maker by Alex North🖤

It’s twisty, it’s creepy, it’s truly captivating from page one!!! I did a hybrid of the physical and the audiobook together. A HUGE thank you to Celadon Books for my physical copy because without it I’m not sure I would have made it thru the audiobook alone. I was able to make notes, flip back & forth, it was perfect. Don’t get me wrong though, the audiobook was fan freaking tastic!! The narrator was top tier! Her voice / her inflections were perfect with this book … it’s just that there’s a LOT going on!! Lots of folks over multiple timelines. It got a little confusing but it came together so nicely and was worth sticking it out to the end!! Macmillan Audio thank you too for this advance audiobook copy. It was the perfect reading experience paired with the book.

🔥𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫🔥

Happy publication day to The Angel Maker!! Isn’t this bookish package amazing?! Thank you so much @celadonbooks !! I am obsessed!!

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: suspenseful thriller
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞: serial killer/police procedural
𝐏𝐮𝐛. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Feb. 28th, 2023
𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🎧
𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.65 stars

“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.”

REVIEW:

I listened to the audio and I will say, I loved the narrator! This book is set up like a police procedural and it has a MILLION characters that have similarly sounding names so I would actually maybe recommend reading the physical copy. That may have helped me keep things straight better.

With the large cast of characters and multiple time periods, The Angel Maker has a THICK plot full of twists and turns. I would only recommend this book to those who enjoy complicated crime novels and police procedurals🖤

While I always enjoy a good thriller and I appreciate receiving this audiobook, this one was not for me. I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read a physical copy of this book. There were many different characters and storylines and the audiobook was too difficult for me to follow each character. A friend provided some insight on Michael Hyde which made things a little clearer. But by the end of this book I was still very confused and had many questions about pieces of the plot.

Happy 𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘆 to 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 by Alex North !

𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨!

This book was everything I was expecting, a serial killer, different timelines, a bit dark and disturbing, add to that some paranormal elements and you have a twisty read that will keep you a the edge of your seat.

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for this gifted copy.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

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).

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 - that narration was excellent and easy to listen to. I would recommend this book, especially if you like either of his previous publications!

3.5 I've read and enjoyed Alex North's previous books. The Whisper Man was especially creepy.
North's newest book is The Angel Maker. "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."

Okay, that's a novel idea for sure. Think about it - a killer who can justify each and every crime he commits as 'its meant to be'. The Angel Maker has many, many characters and timelines. I admit I found it overwhelming at times to keep everything and everybody straight. I really liked Katie as a lead character. She came off as believable and it was easy to be behind her. The unfurling of the book was slow for me and my attention started to wander, so I thought I would try a read/ listen combo.

The reader was Rosalie Craig. She did a wonderful job at bringing the book to life for me Her voice has so much movement, rising and falling, capturing the emotion, action, horror, danger and more with her reading. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, she speaks clearly, and I liked her accent. The pace was just right. I've said it before - sometimes I am drawn more into a book when listening instead of reading. And that was the case here. I still found there to be too much in terms of timeline, jumps and points of view, but was able to know who was speaking, by the different voices. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of The Angel Maker. Or if you prefer - read an excerpt of The Angel Maker.

Gentle readers - there are triggers in this book.

This one wasn’t for me so I won’t be reviewing it publicly. The audio narration didn’t work for me either unfortunately. I found it confusing and hard to follow.

This book was kind of a wild ride and didn't end like I thought it would, which in my mind is a good thing! I think this is my first book by Alex North so I will definitely be going to look at his backlog of books and adding some of them to my TBR.