Alex North’s The Whisper Man is one of my all-time favorites. While his second and third books were not as good, I was optimistic for The Man Made of Smoke seeing early reviews. As usual, I try to go into a new release ARC for a favorite author sans-synopsis and did this one well with no progress indicator on my Kindle.

This book immediately gave me the same ‘Sixth Sense’ eeriness of The Whisper Man. The author can make the reader feel the same fear from the characters with his writing. It was a steady page turner from start to end. The plot was creative with the various time perspectives of the handful of characters with a true mystery to find the perp. The story had strong psychological and relationship aspects woven into the story. I wasn’t sure if I initially enjoyed the amount and type of ‘reflection and introspection’ throughout the story but eventually felt it was effective to add to the eeriness. I enjoyed the ending as a final product to a solid plot.

Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

North does it again. If you've read anything by him before, you'll like this. And if you haven't I'd start with The Angel Maker.
For fans of Criminal Minds, Mindhunter, Silence of the Lambs. This book delves into the mind of a criminal profiler and how he pieces together the mind of the serial killer he is hunting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of The Man Made of Smoke.
This book started off strong, but about half way through the pace changed and almost came to a full stop for me. I did push through and found the story to be just okay. This is the first I’ve read by Alex North, and it seems this one should not have been my introduction to this author.

5⭐️s - Unputdownable. Dark and haunting thriller that kept me up turning pages the past few nights!! I was on the edge of my seat in this dark and twisty serial killer story. The characters were fantastic and we follow a few of them in their POV. So many questions and theories to think reading thru but it all comes together at the end once everything is revealed. This one comes out in May and highly recommended to thriller fans!

Expected release: 5/13/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Celadon Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

🔥 What’s it about:
Profiler, Dan Garvie, is forced to return to the island he grew up on when his father is reported missing. As a child, Dan narrowly escaped a well-known serial killer, the Pied Piper, and hasn’t ever forgotten that moment. Once back on the island he is confronted with his past and must figure out the mystery of the Pied Piper in order to figure out what happened to his father.

🔥 My thoughts:
Five stars for me is sooo rare and I happily give it to this book! Alex North is one of my favorite authors and truly writes such eery and foreboding stories. This is the third book of his where I’ve gotten creeped out during one of his scenes. Man Made of Smoke was written in such a unique style and I truly enjoyed Dan’s inner dialogue and way of processing situations. This read like a true crime story and had me looking forward to reading it each night. In terms of criticism, some readers might think the pacing was too slow but I think it was steady and full enough in every chapter. The relationship between Dan and his father was so well written that I could imagine each of their voices in my head.

🔥 Should you read it?
Absolutely! I recommend all of Alex North’s stories! This is more of a thriller but there is child abduction and murder so beware if that is a trigger for you.

I love every novel that Alex North has written and his new one did not disapppoint! A young Dan Gravie, his parents and his friend Sarah stop at a rest stop on their way home from a visit to the zoo. While in the restroom, Dan sees a young boy covered in dirt who seems to be silently pleading with him for help. Not knowing what to do, Dan hides in the stall and hears a stranger walking by and whistling taking the strange boy with him. Now, as an adult and a criminal profiler, Dan is haunted by this encounter that he learned was with the serial killer “The Pied Piper” and the fact that he could have saved the taken boy. Dan’s father, a retired police officer, is also haunted by the boy’s disappearance and spends his time investigating cold cases, hoping to solve them, especially the case of “The Pied Piper”. When Dan hears that his father has gone missing, he returns to his home town and discovers that the past has returned. He finds the cold case and the clues his father has left him and begins a race against time to try and find his father and whoever is behind his disappearance as well as the missing boys of the past before it is too late. This was an edge of your seat read that was equal parts thriller and horror. I gave this novel a solid 5 stars!

Alex North brings us another excellent and creepy read. When he was just a child, Dan saw the Pied Piper, a serial killer who abducted and presumably murdered little boys. He could have helped his victim, but he was too scared to and has been living with the guilt ever since. He is now a renowned criminal profiler, treating the worst offenders and trying to see the humanity in them. After all, there is no such thing as monsters. He then is called back home when his father disappears, most likely having taken his own life by jumping off a cliff. Dan finds out that he had been investigating the Piper case and tries to follow the clues to see if he can find absolution at last. Right from the beginning, strange, deeply disturbing things started happening, and the atmosphere of dread gave me goosebumps. In his signature style, North keeps the plot twisty and creepy. I liked Dan a lot, as well as his father, who we see in flashbacks. They are not perfect but are smart and keep trying. I thought I knew whodunit from the start, but I was mistaken. The last part is so suspenseful that I couldn’t stop reading. North is incredibly talented, and this is a very satisfying novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Celadon Books.

Thank you Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for a honest review. The Man Made of Smoke kept me on the edge of my seat. I thought the author was gently guiding me down a path I could see, but I was so wrong! This book kept me up all night.

I enjoyed this book, not as much as The Whisper Man, but it was well written and worth reading. I was genuinely surprised at the ending and felt it was atmospheric and the characters were likeable.

Thank you, Celadon Books and Netgalley, for this Arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alex North has yet again brought us an incredible thriller that is hard to put down. This story is told from a few points of view, but it still flows nicely and is easy to follow. All the characters have been affected in different ways by the serial killer known as the Pied Piper. These effects are still showing themselves, sometimes in horrific ways, years later. The story keeps you guessing all the way to the surprise ending that you'll never see coming. I highly recommend this and all of Alex North's books.

Review of The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)

Alex North delivers a masterfully crafted, slow-burn psychological thriller with The Man Made of Smoke, a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page. Blending a nonlinear timeline with multiple points of view, the story weaves past and present seamlessly—though at times, the shifts can be disorienting. The lack of clear indicators at the start of chapters, made for a frustrating adjustment, but once I settled into the rhythm, the novel’s brilliance became undeniable.

Told through Dan’s first-person perspective and John and James’s third-person narratives, the book creates an immersive and unsettling experience reminiscent of true crime storytelling. The eerie, isolated island setting heightens the tension, making every revelation feel all the more haunting. While the pacing is slower than my typical thriller preference, the psychological depth and atmospheric writing more than compensate.

Overall, The Man Made of Smoke is an intricately woven, chilling thriller that will appeal to fans of complex narratives and psychological suspense. Though initially challenging, the payoff is immensely rewarding, making this a standout read.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Celadon for the gifted digital ARC!

Move over "The Shadows," I've got a new favorite Alex North novel!

The Man Made of Smoke is a masterclass in eerie, suspenseful thriller writing. I absolutely could not put this down and it kept me up past my bedtime on multiple occasions.

The book is told from multiple different points of view and for the most part there are no chapter headings to tell you who your narrator is, but I was never once confused. It's a true testament to how gifted North is as an author.

The big reveal totally took me by surprise, I didn't see it coming at all. Highly recommend this one to fans of North's previous novels and thriller lovers in general.

The Man Made of Smoke pub date is May 13.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with this eARC, all opinions are my honest opinions.

I absolutely loved this book, we have put main character Dan who is a criminal profiler. Dan witnesses a horrific scenario when he was young and came across a serial killer and that trauma shaped him to be someone that wants to get justice for helpless people.

He gets a call that his retired policeman father who used to be busy trying to solve cold case suddenly committed ‘ suicide ‘ but Dan knows that’s not right and there’s something wrong. He goes to where his father was and it starts a mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. I will recommend this book!

Another great read from Alex North. The opening chapters had me gripping my seat. The suspense was pervasive and completely consuming. The ending had the same propelling suspense and unease that I found myself turning pages as quickly as I could. Exactly the way a thriller should be written. The middle did slow down quite a bit for me, but I get the need to set the foundation of the mystery. Definitely will never look at dirty, old camper vans the same way again.

I loved it! The pacing was great and the clues being uncovered kept me hooked. I’m not usually the biggest fan of crime thrillers, but I love Alex North. I will say at least 90% of “for an age” when talking about time could have been taken out. It actually started to become very distracting.

fun and ominously suspense-filled read with some well-written thriller portions and an interesting solution. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the book for me. The pacing was really slow, the characters unlikable, alternating POV repetitive, and I quickly tired of the conversations in Dan’s head. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Alex North knows how to write a thriller that sucks you in and refuses to let go - with villains that keep you up at night.

For Dan Garvie, it’s the Pied Piper, the serial killer of children that he encountered in a truck stop bathroom when he was young boy. Much like the young boy the killer had with him that night, with sad eyes that begged Dan to intervene…

Years later, Dan now profiles criminals, seeking justice for innocent victims like the boy he couldn’t save that night. When his father goes missing, Dan must return to his island home, where monsters and nightmares still linger around every corner - waiting to make Dan their next victim.

Really enjoyed this new offering from Alex North. This is definitely my favorite of his novels. It was creepy, intense, and wonderfully mysterious. North is great at setting the scene and making you feel like you are in the middle of the action. Pacing was great and I had trouble putting this one down. Will be recommending this one a lot.

If you want a good serial killer read can never go wrong with Alex North! So happy to be able to read this early! Excellent as his work always is! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for opportunity to read this early!