Alex North delivers another chilling, emotionally rich thriller with The Man Made of Smoke. This is Alex North doing what Alex North does best! Dan Garvie is haunted by a brutal crime he witnessed as a child and now faced with the eerie possibility that the killer has resurfaced decades later. The mix of psychological depth and pure suspense kept me flying through the story.

North balances creepy, slow-burn tension with real heart, especially in the way he explores father-son relationships and how trauma shapes us. Definitely a must-read if you love smart, layered thrillers that keep you guessing.

Thank you Alex North, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#themanmadeofsmoke #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

** spoiler alert ** Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for the eARC!

Alex North is a fantastic storyteller. The build up in this is so good. I was not expecting Craig to be involved, even though I had a feeling James was really dead. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and multiple timelines, which can get a bit complicated but it felt organized and not overwhelming. In the end you saw how everything connected

I received this book as an ARC, and I'm disappointed it took me so long to read it finally! I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense building and the multiple POVs. The various timelines also pulled the story together well. It was overall a gripping read. It may have been my first book by Alex North, but it certainly won't be my last!

Absolutely loved this book! 5 stars! No one does an atmospheric setting better than Alex North. I read this in two days and could’ve read another 100 pages.

I liked the two different point of views from John and his son Daniel. Also, I enjoyed how we ‘heard’ the killers voice. It gave me an insight to how he became who he was. I had no idea who the killer was and was shocked when I found out.

* This book does have trigger warnings for kidnapping, violence and death.

I did enjoy this thriller. It was slow burn but I ate it up and could not put it down. This is my first book by Alex North, and it won't be my last. This book really ended up creeping me out but I couldn't help but love it.

Another amazing book from Alex North!! And this one is definitely one of my favorites of his. The Man Made of Smoke is full of the perfect creepy atmosphere and layered mystery, as well as a powerful look at the relationship between fathers and sons…all trademarks of North’s books to date…and I loved every minute of it! This story was so well developed and captivating that it lulled me right in and I didn’t stop listening until I reached the end.

Dan Garvie gets a phone call that his dad has disappeared and is likely dead, so he returns to the island where he grew up, only to discover his dad has been researching the serial killer Dan narrowly escaped as a child. Dan picks up where his dad left off, and the hunt for a truly evil serial killer begins.

This got under my skin from the start. The dark vibe is set with Dan in the prison, and is added to with the island that is only accessible by ferry certain times of the day. That feeling of being trapped pervades throughout the book, and is such a great way of making readers feel the way the victims of The Man Made of Smoke must have felt. I enjoyed the complicated relationships between the characters as well: Dan with his dad, his old friend, and his old nemesis. Alex North does serial killer thrillers so well and I cannot wait to read the next one!

North continues to be a must-read author for me and this is no exception! I did stop and wonder if we were straying into the supernatural, but ultimately decided (based on the characters themselves admitting) that it was just imaginations going wild. Sure the story pushed that a bit farther than reality would hold, so know that going in. But what you get in this story is a long twisty path of redemption and retribution. The characters have depth and are definitely not perfect people. The events in the story work to bring out both the best and the worst in all of them. And who said murderers have to play by the rules? This one certainly doesn't! Get ready for a page turner!

This was my first Alex North book. I really enjoyed the pacing and the way he wrote out chapters that kinda left me feeling enough of a cliffhanger that I wanted to read the next chapter. There were a few different spots that ramped up suspense and got my blood pressure up (which I enjoy out of a thriller read). I encourage people looking for a crime drama that also tugs a little on the heart strings to check this one out.

Another great read by Alex North thanks to netgalley - I think so much of tv/movies recently has been reboots /remakes or general recycling of old ideas and concepts and I know their is comfort in routine and predictability but I really appreciate writers who have accepted the challenge to keep the reader on their toes and to find new paths stepping of the standard crime stories / murder mystery plot or breakdown and this was that, another read that really kept me guessing! I knew who, but not why, at one point but it was near the end already so it took much longer than normal and it was just when there was something (no spoilers - if you read it let me know and I’ll tell you to see if you got it too) I picked up on that gave the me the “oh no” yelling at the screen “don’t do it” vibe but again I still didn’t know why and had so much to figure out - it was really entertaining ! I liked the criminal minds / mind hunter vibes with the psychological breakdowns and interpretations but also loved how this in no way gave away the plot or the ending!
This was my running read on the tread and it was a huge help through the intervals- I can only read really good books on runs because I need the mental distraction from my suffering!

After escaping a serial killer ,Dan Garvie decides to escape his home town and become a criminal profiler to help put these killers behind bars. When his father dies he returns to his fathers house but he begins to question his fathers death. Is the killer still here.
A tense read where nothing is as it seems, it's a totally page turning read that will keep you guessing. Will satisfy every suspense readers wishes.

Alex North has become an auto read author for me. This was not my favorite of his (that is still The Whisper Man), but this is a solid spooky thriller. I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded and all the complex pieces came together perfectly. Highly recommend checking it out when it comes out (and adding the authors other books to your TBR.

My first Alex North book and it didn't disappoint. This is a haunting crime thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its chilling atmosphere, relentless suspense, and unexpected twists. The tension builds expertly, pulling you deeper into a dark, gripping narrative that’s impossible to put down. While the story is captivating, there are a few elements I wish had been explained more clearly. Nonetheless, it’s a thrilling, unforgettable read—5 stars.

"Nobody sees, and nobody cares." I SEE!!! I CARE!!!

Alex North deserves a prize for being the only white man whose books I go out of my way to read. I feel like I have very high standards when it comes to thrillers, and it takes a lot for one to reach the five star mark for me, but North's execution in every aspect of this book was so exceptional that a five star rating was a no brainer. He is truly a master of his craft.

It's easy for a book to stumble when it tries to juggle multiple points of view and points in time, but North was able to utilize his cast of characters perfectly to build suspense. The pacing is excellent, and the reader is given the right information at the right time, and introduced to the right people at the right time. I devoured this book in one day because I was so locked in to the story and invested in the survival of the characters. I really enjoyed the complexity of Dan and John's relationship, and the exploration of how traumatic events affect people differently, and how trauma manifests and evolves as time passes.

As someone who has previously enjoyed The Whisper Man and The Shadows, The Man Made of Smoke was a highly anticipated release for me, and I am happy to say that it exceeded my atypically high expectations.

I think this is a great book for fans of Criminal Minds. The narrative and themes present are very similar to central ideas that Criminal Minds explores, and the flow of the story felt very reminiscent of an episode of the show.

Overall, 10/10 recommend The Man Made of Smoke, and I will be waiting patiently for Alex North's next release!

Alex North is an auto buy author for me, so when I received this digital arc, I was so excited! The beginning of this book is a little slow burn for me. Once I passed the first third of the book, the pace quickened and I couldn’t put it down. The way the tension builds and the twisted ending is so well done. So addictive and smart I’m 100% buying a physical copy of this book. Thank you Alex North, NetGalley and Celadon Books for this digital arc.

A GREAT thriller/mystery here. It was a tiny bit paranormal but made a lot of sense, and wasn't scary but insightful. A very elevated serial killer book. I enjoyed all of it!

**4.5-stars**

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

When he was a kid, Dan Garvie had an encounter with a serial killer that he luckily escaped physically unharmed, but he's been mentally haunted by that day ever since. It had a huge impact, not just on him, but also on his Dad, John, as well. John was a police officer at the time the killer was active, and to have his son directly impacted by that encounter definitely hit a little too close to home.

As an adult, Dan has moved away from his small island hometown and has dedicated his life to understanding criminal minds. Focused on forgetting his past, Dan doesn't keep in as close of touch with his Dad as he probably should. When he receives news that his Dad has passed away under highly-suspicious circumstances, he rushes back to the island determined to uncover the truth.

Returning to his childhood home stirs up a lot of feelings and memories for Dan. It also brings him into contact with people he hasn't seen in many years, including his childhood best friend, Sarah. As Dan starts digging around, trying to find out what could have happened to his Dad, he uncovers some startling things. Is it possible his Dad's unfortunate fate is connected to that horrible nightmare Dan has been running from for all of these years?

The Man Made of Smoke was so incredibly-engaging. Gripping and intriguing from the very start, I found it difficult to put this one down once I was reading it. The story is told via three perspectives and I appreciated what each of them brought to the story. I grew attached to each character, but particularly to John. This is one of those rare Crime Fiction novels that really tugs at your heart-strings, or at least it did mine.

We also get past and present perspectives, which I feel like helped to really build out the truth behind this story. The past perspective had a visceral feel to it; imagining being in the circumstances portrayed was gut-wrenching. The current perspectives were similarly impactful, filled with the character's inner regrets and turmoil.

It was so well executed and really made me feel connected with this story. I actually cared. There's no way I could have walked away from this one. It also didn't hurt that the set-up of a character returning to their hometown, after a long period of time away, and they have to reinsert themselves into their communities in order to solve something, either an old or new mystery, is one of my all-time favorite tropes.

As someone who moved away from their hometown many years ago, this idea always intrigues me. Maybe I should go back and solve some stuff, you know? Also, it's set on an island, which is another thing I love. All around it was clear from the start that this should be a hit for me, and Alex North definitely pulled it off. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of North's previous novels, or if you love darker Crime Fiction stories in general.

Thank you to the publisher, Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This definitely met my lofty expectations. Well played by North!

Dan Garvie didn’t just witness something awful — he walked into it. One second, it’s a routine visit to a rest stop after a trip to the zoo. His parents, his friend Sarah — the girl who made things feel just a little too intense, in ways he couldn’t name yet — everyone piles out, stretching legs, grabbing snacks.

Dan pops into the restroom and inside, he sees a boy. His age. Dirt-streaked, hollow-eyed, like something in him has already given up. A few stalls down, a man is whistling. A light, tuneless hum that slices through the air like a knife disguised as a melody. Dan doesn’t fully understand what’s happening, but he knows it’s dangerous. And he does the only thing his brain can process, he hides.

When it’s over, the boy is gone. Not dead. Not screaming. Just gone. And in his place, a photo has been left behind. That man — the one with the whistle — would become known as the Pied Piper, a serial killer who hunted children and left ghosts behind. And Dan? He hears the words echo through the rest of his life: “Nobody sees. Nobody cares.”

That moment is the crack everything leaks through. It spawns a profiler. It builds a man out of shame. It drives a wedge between Dan and his father, John — a cop who also couldn’t stop what happened. And when John dies under suspicious circumstances years later, Dan is dragged back to the island he’s spent decades running from. Because maybe the past isn’t buried. Maybe it’s pacing, waiting, still whistling.

But this isn’t a healing journey. This is a reckoning in slow motion. The island is drowning in silence, rot, and secrets that smell like sea air and bad apologies. No one wants to talk. Everyone looks the other way. It’s like the whole damn town is still hiding with him in that bathroom stall, waiting for the danger to pass if they just stay quiet.

And Dan? He’s had enough of staying quiet.

The first half of this book crawls. It broods. It stares at you. But that’s the point. Alex North doesn’t just write thrillers. He writes trauma puzzles, and this one takes its time slotting every jagged piece into place. Dan digs through his father’s old files, talks to people who’ve been lying to themselves for decades, and slowly realizes that he might not be chasing the past — he might be walking straight into it.

Then the back half hits. And it burns. The mystery deepens. The bodies surface. The truth? Not just ugly — it’s annihilating. The Pied Piper isn’t just a man. He’s a metaphor. He’s a legacy. He’s what happens when guilt gets passed down like a family name.

It’s a heavy, haunting, 4-star read. The pacing will test your patience, but the payoff is smart, sharp, and soaked in dread. Dan’s relationships — especially with his father and best friend — are a heartbreak cocktail of missed signals, grief, and emotional repression served over ice. And the ending doesn’t feel triumphant. It feels like survival. Barely. With just a hint of hope.

Whodunity Award: For Proving That Yes, Someone Saw — and Cared the Whole Damn Time

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC. I was emotionally unprepared and wrecked in the best way.

Dan Garvie had an encounter with a serial killer when he was a kid that changed his life forever. Now that day has come back to haunt him and everyone else that was there that day. Can he solve the mystery that has followed him his whole life or will he be the next victim?
What a great story. Alex North always hits the nail on the head when it comes to weaving the web of mystery. Always has me wanting to keep reading.

Creepy like only Alex North can do! From the start of this book I was hooked and it never let up. Probably my favorite book by him!