A huge thank you to Celadon Books and Alex North for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Man Made of Smoke!

This book had a hold on me from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs from Daniel, his father, and one of the victims, as well as how the author gave voices to those involved through Daniel as he tried to get into their heads.

This story is gripping and twisty, and it had me questioning who was truly a victim and whose actions were a result of their experiences the entire time. Any fan of true crime and/or documentaries, I think, would really enjoy this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

• serial killer thriller
• cat and mouse
• eerie atmosphere

Interesting plot and pretty dark/heavy themes. I was confused with the POVs - there isn't really a distinction, so I was having trouble keeping up with who was narrating. This is my favorite book by this author since The Whisper Man, though.

🗣 Thank you to netgalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

If there is such a thing as a perfect book, it’s this one. 5 stars. 10/10. No notes. If this isn’t THE thriller of the year, something is wrong with the world. Thank you for the opportunity to read an ARC of this masterpiece.

Dan refuses to believe that monsters exist - as a prison psychologist, he sees people as people, & the trauma those individuals have both endured & inflicted on others. But he may just change his mind when the serial killer sighting he was present for as a child seems to have a connection to his father’s recent death…

Alex North has done it again. Creeping me out in the best possible way while simultaneously telling a compelling story is his forte, & everytime I finish one of his books I look forward to scaring myself (& going through an emotional rollercoaster) with the next one. The recurring theme of liminal spaces was particularly well done, & the bittersweet ending had me pondering the connections we as humans have to one another.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & Celadon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alex North never misses, NEVER.

From the very beginning you’re sucked in. We’re following Daniel Garvie, a criminal profiler who had a passing encounter with a serial killer. Dan ends up having to go home to the island he was from, because his father committed suicide. But Dan uncovers things, making him think his father didn’t kill himself, but instead had a suspicious death.

Following along multiple POVs and timelines, he weaves the horror of it all as Dan unpacks all of his shame, guilt, and trauma from the past.

“Nobody sees, nobody cares.”

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.