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!

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Man Made of Smoke, by Alex North, from Celadon Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

I sure do appreciate how I can count on Alex North to deliver both creepiness and commentary on society hand in hand.

I also appreciate how he leaves most of the “ick” to the reader’s imagination.

I will say I wasn’t a big fan of how he went back and forth between both characters and time frames. I usually don’t have a problem keeping up with such shifts, but for some reason I especially felt like I stumbled each time I returned to the perspective of the retired police officer.

DESCRIPTION
"Fans of Thomas Harris will be creeped out by North’s hair-raising antagonist... This is a winner."
—Publishers Weekly

The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?

With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

a new serial killer mystery that was an absolute creepy nightmare which left me feeling more unsettled with every passing chapter. some passages had me checking the locks on my own doors
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the plot twists left me stunned by how i didn't see them coming yet how in hindsight it added up. the ending felt gratifying and it took the proper time making sure there were no loose ends in the plot.

if you like serial killer thrillers written with spine-chilling prose this is one to look out for next week.

The Man Made of Smoke is an atmospheric, chilling thriller that kept me up past midnight to race to the ending. Heart-pounding moments paired with multiple POVs kept me thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book.

I really enjoyed narration by Shane Zaza and loved his accent.

I received an ARC and ALC from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Celadon Books for the ARC, and for introducing me to Alex North, as I've read all of his books published by Celadon. I love getting a new Alex North book as I know I will be caught up in a mystery that will keep me engaged until the end. The Man Made of Smoke did not disappoint. I felt like I could see the setting due to his descriptive writing, and the father-son relationship was revealed slowly and added additional suspense to the story line. I recommend this for those who enjoy well developed mysteries with a touch of creepiness.!

Alex North never disappoints I love his books so much! They keep my guessing and I carve away reading time every minute I can to finish his books. I can't wait to see what else he will write next, until then pick up this book!

THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE is a fast paced thriller that captured me from the start. It was hard for me to put down and stop thinking about. I can highly recommend getting yourself a copy.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

For me, every book I’ve read by Alex North has been winners! They’re dark, creepy, and have the most intense storylines that have you flipping the pages quickly. Then Man Made of Smoke started off a little slow, but I was so intrigued by the storyline that I didn’t want to put it down. There’s just something about being in the midst of a serial killer like our MC was in the beginning that had me interested to see what would happen next. So, what does? Well, tracking a serial killer of course! This book has so many pieces and putting them together isn’t easy. But the way the author explains it through the story makes it unique and fascinating. I love how everything came together in the end- you just need to have some patience to get there!

If you’re a fan of thrillers that slowly but surely reveal the pieces of the puzzle, then I highly recommend this one. It’s sort of a serial killer thriller but it focuses on the boy (now a man) who is following in his footsteps after his disappearance. With the help of many years of research his father had saved he may finally be able to figure out what happened with the elusive serial killer (the Pied Piper) who brutally murdered 5 children and the subsequent murders that follow after.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Celadon books for this ARC. From 20% on I did not want to stop reading this. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m hesitant to say much - but this is a thriller in its truest form. It is Alex North’s best novel even ahead of Whisperman - which I loved. Please buy and read this book.

The Man Made of Smoke was absolute perfection. I do not know how Alex North does it, but his writing just effortlessly carries you from page to page, making every book of his an instant page turner, and impossible to put down. The emotion I felt reading this book, and the overall suspense, was fantastic. The relationship with Dan and his father, UGH, tragic. But I loved how it drove the story forward. The entire storyline was impactful, gut wrenching, and devastating. However, the ending brought everything together in such an effortless yet extremely impactful way. Truly an amazing read, highly recommend if you enjoy crime thrillers/mysteries!

Thank you Celadon Books publishing for providing me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Man Made of Smoke begins with so much ominous tension and doesn't ever really let up. It's a Russian nesting doll of mystery. Just when you think you've revealed the next layer, there's another to crack open and the dread just keeps coming closer and closer to the surface. I loved the father/son dynamic and how clever the author was with creating such an emotional bond. The writing was A++ so obviously it's a 5/5 stars for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🥊 Criminal profiling
🥊 Serial killer storylines
🥊 Perfectly crafted mystery
🥊 POVs and timelines expertly woven

Welp, Alex North is an autobuy author for me. I was absolutely invested in this crime thriller and the writing was perfection.

I’ve been a fan of Alex North for a while, so I was excited to get my hands on The Man Made of Smoke—and it did not disappoint. This eerie thriller follows Dan Garvie, who returns to the isolated island of his childhood after the suspicious death of his father. What starts as a visit quickly spirals into an investigation that forces Dan to face buried memories—including a traumatic encounter with a serial killer he narrowly escaped as a child.

This book had everything I love in a thriller: layered suspense, a haunting atmosphere, and a protagonist with a past that refuses to stay buried.

If you’re looking for a dark, twisty page-turner with emotional depth and an undercurrent of dread, this one’s for you. The Man Made of Smoke cements Alex North as a go-to author for smart, chilling thrillers.

Really good. Was creeped out the entire time trying to figure out what was happening. Will be a great fall time read. Spooky for sure. Thank you NetGalley for this arc