Thank you to Celadon publishing for the newest Alex North.

I really enjoyed The Whisper Man, but have not gotten into any of his other novels. But I could not pass on an opportunity to read and review his newest. The plot sounded too good.

And I am so happy I read this one. It was hands down his best novel. Creepy AF-- let's start there. Reading this at night really gave me the creeps. Like was waiting for someone's face to pop into my window like a car window (iykyk).

There were enough twists in the book to keep you guessing, but no so many that the heart of the plot got convoluted. Our main character was really interesting, especially his methods for working with criminals. I felt for his childhood character, and enjoyed reading about the relationship he had with his father.

This was a great suspense novel. Highly recommend.

I was so excited when I was chosen to read and review the new Alex North thriller and I was not disappointed. This was another fast-paced thriller with a taut suspenseful story. A young boy and his family stop a rest area and they encounter what they later learn to be a serial child killer and what authorities believe is his last victim. Flash forward to the young boy, now a profiler working with prisoners, called back to his small island town after the disappearance of his retired police officer father. What is seemingly a simple suicide becomes a cat and mouse game with a killer who has too much knowledge about a seemingly solved crime from many years ago. Dan embarks on a cat and mouse game with someone who wants to see his family pay for the sins of the past.

*This book was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest review*

I don't even know where to begin with this review! Alex North has did it again.

What a twisty, wild ride this was! It kept me guessing and I was so invested in these characters! This was an amazing, slow burn mystery that would not let me go!

This book was brilliantly written in a way that the twists and turns just make sense and trust me! It's twisty. I though I knew who was behind everything but I was wrong.

If you are a fan of true crime and chilling suspense, pick this one up.

Solid 4.5 Stars! Only thing that kept it from being 5 was sometimes to me the jump in timeline wasn't always made clear and it took a minute to get my bearings but other than that well worth the read!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this ARC!

Taught and intense mystery - gripping and well written, weaving past and present, you can feel the raw emotions, almost smell the air. Kidnapping, murder, guilt, and interactions you can only find in a small town. Definitely recommended!

Lately my reading list has gotten too long and I quickly find myself skimming but not with this book. I found myself slowing down to read this book. There are different POVs and the story draws you in slowly.

I was afraid that it may be too difficult to read given the child abduction subject matter, but no, not too many gory details to turn one off. This lets you focus on the psychological aspects and slow unfolding of the story.

I won’t go through the synopsis since many already have, but this is a good thriller that I would recommend at book club.

Thank you to Celadon, the author and Netgalley for an enjoyable ARC to review.

Another suspenseful and twisty story from Alex North. I enjoyed this book was a quick read, easy to follow, and had a good amount of twists. Would definitely recommend. I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

“Nobody sees, and nobody cares.”

What a deliciously slow burning read.

This was such an intense read. I loved the cast of characters and the parts people played, even the small ones that we only hear about.

“How could you carry an experience like that without buckling under the weight of it?”

I also found a lot to highlight while reading. North is an author who delivers books that you tuck into and don’t want to put down.

I alternated between sadness and curiosity a lot. I’d like to picture Dan and his father John bridging the gap the years have built.

Overall, a super fun read.

I really wanted to like this but it was just a miss. The book seemed to take a long time to get to the end and that wasn't very exciting. To many characters, random plot pieces that just filled space, killer came from left field. I wish the killer would have been someone we spent so much time with but oh well. Still enjoy North books so appreciate the opportunity!

This book was very slow for a mystery. I found it to be quite boring and not much happens. There were way too many descriptions and extra words. It felt like there was a minimum word requirement that the author was trying to reach.

A psychological labyrinth that seized me from the first unsettling page and refused to release its grip. North pulled me through the pages with masterful precision, constructing a narrative that feels like shadows gathering at dusk—inevitable, mesmerizing, and profoundly disquieting.

The story unfolded before me through multiple perspectives, each one a fragment of a larger, more terrifying truth. I found myself holding my breath as these viewpoints gradually coalesced, revealing the intricate architecture of North's mystery with psychological depth that sliced to the bone.

At the heart of this darkness stands Dan Garvie, a profiler whose analytical brilliance illuminated the narrative's most shadowed corners for me. North crafts Dan's character with remarkable nuance, particularly in exploring the complex relationship with his father—distant yet inextricably binding. As Dan's determination to uncover his father's fate intensified, I felt the emotional current beneath the thriller elements surge forward, carrying me through increasingly treacherous psychological terrain.

What distinguishes North from his contemporaries, in my view, is his ability to balance meticulous plotting with profound emotional resonance. The characters haunt me long after I've turned the final page, their psychological scars and motivations lingering like specters in my peripheral vision.

In the landscape of contemporary thrillers, "The Man Made Out of Smoke" stands as a testament to what the genre can achieve when elevated by genuine literary craft. North transcends conventional serial killer narratives by excavating deeper psychological truths, creating not merely a puzzle to solve, but a human experience I had to confront—unsettling, illuminating, and impossible to forget.

Thank you, Celadon Books and Netgalley, for my free E-ARC.

4.25 stars!

This was so fun! I love Alex north’s books so much and this one was no exception. This book made me feel creepy crawly all the way through like a sinking feeling you can’t shake. I didn’t see the end coming and so that was such a fun little twist!

I really liked Dans character and how he used his trauma as a crutch to get him into his profession and try to move on from him past. I enjoyed the chapters from different points of views and even flashes back to the past. I thought that added a really cool element and background to the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Okay, The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North was not what I expected—but in the best possible way. I picked it up thinking I’d get a straight-up creepy thriller (which, don’t get me wrong, it absolutely delivers on), but what surprised me was how layered and emotional the story turned out to be. North balances horror with heartache, grief, and that quiet ache of memory in a way that kind of sneaks up on you.

The atmosphere is chef’s kiss—moody, slow-burning, and soaked in dread. North’s writing is as sharp and beautiful as ever. He knows exactly when to twist the knife and when to just let you sit in the unease.

The only reason this isn't a full 5-star read for me is because the pacing dragged a bit in the middle. Some of the introspection felt a touch repetitive, and there were moments I wanted the story to get on with it already. But when it hits, it hits—and that ending? So quietly devastating, I had to just sit there for a minute after finishing.
If you’re in the mood for a haunting that’s more psychological than paranormal, more melancholic than terrifying, I’d definitely recommend this one. Just don’t read it alone at night unless you want to question every creak in your house.

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

I’d like to thank Netgalley and Celadon Books for graciously giving me the opportunity to read this book before publishing. All views are my own.

Wow. This book had it all. Suspense. Horror. Mystery. Grief. Parent/child relationships. Mental health representation. This book makes you feel the things you WANT to fell while reading a horror story.

Daniel is a psychologist working in the prison system, trying to figure out what makes serial killers tick. This book goes back in forth in time and is in the POV of three characters - Daniel, John (Daniel’s father), and James (a child abducted by a serial killer with the nickname of The Pied Piper). We follow the journeys these characters experience while dealing with trauma, grief, and guilt.

This book touches on the importance of parent/child relationships and the way humans react to others’ trauma. There’s a form of survivor’s guilt in this book, which I thought lead to a very interesting perspective.

The Man Made of Smoke is a story of courage, determination, healing, and introspection. This book had me feeling sad, mad, and anxious (sometimes all at the same time). Alex North doesn’t disappoint. If you loved The Whisper Man, you will love this. I had the same feeling reading this as I did The Whisper Man and The Whisper Man is one of my favorite books (ironically the same author).

I highly recommend this book for those looking for a creepy read with deep-rooted emotional elements. If you like to be scared and get your anxiety raised (in a good way), read this. You won’t regret it.

When Dan Garvie and his family were on holiday during his childhood he had a brief encounter with an evil man and one of his victims. The serial killer known as the Pied Piper has haunted him ever since as he feels he should have done more despite being a child himself. For this reason he has trained as a psychologist becoming a criminal profiler to help prevent such crimes. When he receives word that his father, a retired policeman has gone missing under strange circumstances he returns to his hometown . Learning of other deaths in the area he begins to suspect his father was investigating cold cases. Did he discover links to a copycat or is there another serial killer at work? What put his father in the crosshairs? I have read rave reviews of this author's works and am glad I chose this one. Dark and atmospheric The suspense and questions build with each page as the plot thickens. Dan is a well developed character and his dark and brooding personality is clearly presented as he comes to life on the page. The plot thickens slowly in the beginning but bursts into flame as the chapters unfold. One of the underlying themes throughout the story line is how unobservant and isolated humanity can be and how events of the past shadow and shape the present. Although this is my adventure with this author I was very impressed and will seek out other works from him. I recommend this to any reader looking for a haunting compelling crime novel.

Have you ever read a book that gives you creepy vibes starting at the first page. This is that book!! This book made me feel uncomfortable in a good way. Very suspenseful and an interesting read.

I did fine the narration hard to follow. I wasn’t sure who was talking and who was it directed at. Sometimes I would confuse the characters as well.

Overall 3.5 stars and I am glad to have read it.

3.5 stars rounded up! One my favorite thriller authors does it again. This book had a steady pace all throughout and kept you wondering what would happen next. With alternating timelines and a good character development it ties up nicely at the end!

Thank you netgalley and celadon books for giving me an ARC copy of this book!!

A MILLION TIMES YES!!!! I have loved every single Alex North book that I have read (all of them) and I highly recommend if you havent read any of his!!
His writing is so descriptive and amazing, i get a little creeped out when reading at night. His books give me urban legend vibes and i live for it! Fast paced and heart racing. 10/10 yes!!! So glad I got the opportunity to read his new book in advance!

What a fantastic, creepy, suspenseful, edge of your seat thriller!! This book had me holding my breath the entire time!! The ending was beyond perfection!! This is definitely a #1 bestseller for this year! You'll definitely want to run to the bookstore on release day!!

Woah that was super dark and creepy in the best way. I had chills and was hooked from the first chapter. The way Alex North developed the overall atmosphere and settings was incredible.

A criminal profiler goes back to the remote island where he grew up after the unexpected death of his father. As he tries to figure out the mysterious circumstances surrounding his dad’s death they lead to more questions about an unidentified serial killer from the past, one he had a close encounter with at a rest stop when he was a kid. There are flash backs and multiple POVs that maximize the suspense without being overdone or confusing.

4.5 stars ✨ Such a good thriller! Would be an amazing movie that I would never watch because I would be too scared. Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy. Pub date 5/13/25.

As a child, Dan could have stopped a crime, but as kid himself, he hid and escaped being brought into the horrible situation. He has lived with the regret of inaction since. Now he is grown, but has gotten the call that his father is dead, and the circumstances are slightly strange. Dan is determined to figure out what happened, so he heads back home to start digging for himself.

Oh hello first of two books I am reading at the same time broken down by the stages of grief! Seriously why can’t I escape it? This book was so creepy, and I just wanted to know who “the man mad of smoke” was and why he was doing this! The way everything fit together was perfection, and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened/would happen. If you need a great thriller, with a side of grief, look no further!

Thank you to @celadonbooks for my gifted copy of this book!