First of all, THANK YOU for the opportunity on reading an ARC!!! Alex north will always be one of my favorite authors. This book had me on the edge of my seat, total page turner. I read well into my bedtime because I couldn’t put it down! 5/5

I have loved books by Alex North in the past, and recently read one of his. However, this one was too slow for me and I did not finish it. What I did read I enjoyed and had I been in a different mood, I would have loved it.

Dan Garvie has felt haunted since the moment he nearly came face to face with a notorious serial killer as a child. Carrying years of regret he goes on to become a criminal profiler, hoping to seek justice for innocent victims.

After years of rarely visiting the island he grew up on, Dan is brought back to face the facts of his father’s suspicious death. Is it possible that the monster who once plagued his dreams is back for more?

The Man Made of Smoke is a slow burn mystery that grips you from the start. The twists in this book I could not see coming. I was actually fully convinced of the ending pretty early and was completely off 🤣 thank you Alex North for keeping me on my toes and making me feel like I should double check that the doors are locked. 🥴

Thank you Celadon books and NetGalley for the arc! This book releases May 13, 2025.

This was a good twisty, murder mystery with some romance and regrets in it. I gave it 4 stars though because many times, it was hard for me to follow who was speaking in the story. Just my issue, because it was a good book. Just not an easy to follow in my opinion.
The ending was stunning and good !!!

Many thanks to Alex North, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this novel. I’m a huge fan of Alex North, and I’m happy to report that this is his best work to date. The Man Made of Smoke is a smartly plotted, character-driven, well-written mystery/thriller. This is well done from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Alex North for an ARC of The Man Made of Smoke. Wow honestly what a chilling story. Alex has absolutely outdone himself with this. The beginning is a bit trying to figure out what is going on - but the slow burn is completely worth it. Once the first puzzle piece fits in it’s a wild ride from there - dark, terrifying, tension filled, traumatic. Everything that makes a great psychological thriller. Dan Garvie was at the wrong place at the wrong time as a child. He witnessed the Pied Piper, a serial killer, at a rest stop and it has haunted him for his whole life. As an adult he dedicated his life to becoming a criminal profiler to help seek justice. Dan receives a call about his father’s passing and makes his way back to the island where he grew up. He doesn’t understand what happened to his father and starts wondering if it has to do with what happened when he was a child. Dan and his father had a rocky relationship while growing up and he has to face decisions and emotions he has put away for decades.

This book gives creepy, eerie vibes that could give you nightmares. It's suspenseful with a supernatural feel. Dan is a criminal profiler who returns to his hometown after his father dies in mysterious circumstances. His quick trip home soon delves into a search for the truth.

Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with this book as much as I wanted to. Maybe it was the characters, maybe it was the 'voices' the main character was hearing, maybe it was the slow-paced plot. It's a book you need to concentrate on to really understand all the intricacies Alex North gives us. Overall, it was a well written book, but I enjoyed some of his previous books better.

“Nobody sees and nobody cares." This sentence is repeated throughout the book by the killer and is a phrase I will not forget. This was the first book I've read by Alex North, and it was haunting, dark and well-paced. I found myself reading it at night, and wishing it wasn't dark outside. It truly evoked a sense of terror (a feeling I love the reading a book, but one that is not for everyone). This would make an insanely great limited series or film. Highly recommend!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not a dull moment to be had in the new thriller by North. I read this on one setting and think it is a rival to The Whisper Man. I'm a huge fan of Alex North's novels and this one doesn't disappoint. I'm' not sure how he comes up with such creepy lines that stick with you, “NOBODY SEES and NOBODY CARES.” His novels always feel like stories you were told as a kid that just doesn't go away. My patrons are going to love this one!


Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by a serial killer, the Pied Piper. Dan met him in a gas station bathroom when he was a child and wasn't able to help the boy that was with him. He has dedicated his life to becoming a criminal profiler. When his father suddenly dies and Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death, while also finding out the truth of how everything is connected and may just be able to save someone this time.

Okay, so this one totally pulled me in like a fog rolling off a creepy island. It's eerie, slow-burning, and super atmospheric—in that way where you're like, “Do I need to turn on another light… or maybe all of them?”

Dan Garvie is dealing with a lot—childhood trauma, a very questionable family tragedy, and the possibility that a serial killer he barely escaped as a kid is back and playing games again. The story has that delicious, layered tension where you're flipping pages thinking, What is going ON in this place?!

It does take a little time to settle into all the timelines and shifting POVs, but once it clicks, it clicks. The whole vibe feels like peeling back layers of smoke and secrets—just when you think you've got it figured out, something else creeps in. I wouldn’t say it’s jump-out-of-your-chair scary, but it is the kind of story that lingers. Like, hello?? Childhood guilt meets island murder mystery? Yes, please.

Also, there’s this deep emotional thread about fathers and sons that hits in a surprising way. It's not just about the killer—it's about legacy, identity, and how we deal with the shadows we grew up under.

Anyway. Spooky, thoughtful, and definitely worth the read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 💀📚✨

Dan Garvie is a young child when he has a close encounter with a serial killer. He is on a family vacation when he enters the boys restroom, to see a young boy his own age, standing outside a stall looking terrified. Dan struggles to know what to do and his fear makes him lock himself in a stall as he hears the man behind the stall start to exit. Upon leaving he sounds the alarm but the man and young boy have both disappeared. Now the repercussions of those days and the trauma it inflicted stick with Dan, a psychologist and his dad, a retired police officer.
This was another great Alex North read. The chilling portrayal of the abductor and the alternating view points between James, the abducted and the father and son. And a very thoughtful portrayal into the psychology behind some of the characters. Alex North is a must read!

Overall I really enjoyed this book! I flew through it without realizing how fast I was consuming it. The twists were great. The only complaints I have have to do with the timing of his father’s account - I’m still confused on the whole timeline there. And the ending, the final showdown felt anticlimactic in a way.
4/5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC - I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

5 ⭐️ this was haunting, creepy, and so well written. The characters were well developed and the multiple timelines and POVs were executed perfectly. There were no chapter headings but I never found myself lost or confused. The way North sprinkles in pieces of information for the reader to put together is so impressive. What’s not to love about a serial killer thriller?!

“Nobody sees. And nobody cares.”

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 and Celadon Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author and the way he story tells! This book starts as a slow-burn, but quickly picks up and creates a clever web of connections leading to the outcome. Definitely his best book to date :)

I was a big fan of The Whisper Man, and while I enjoyed North’s newest book, it did not have the same tension and grip on me. The parts occurring in the present were far more enjoyable and easier to follow than the flashbacks. Overall, an enjoyable read but I could have used more. Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC!

Genuinely did not want to book this book down! Surprisingly, this was my first book by Alex North and 100% WILL NOT be my last. I LOVE how all the pieces of this thriller really came together at the end. I for sure did not see that twist coming. The killer's pattern gives off "The Chain" vibes for real though. I highly recommend this fast paced and twisty book and just wait while I binge his whole back log!

4.5 rounded up. This was not as short and easy to read as Whisper Man; I feel like North is pushing his development as a writing with this one. Some parts were confusing or lengthy, but I still couldn’t put it down.

Fantastic book! I would highly recommend both this book and other books by this author. Be sure to read this book!

I was able to preview this from NetGalley, and I'm so glad I did. I feel like it's been a while since we had a thriller from North, and this is solid. As a child, Dan Garvie witnessed another child in distress - along with several other people who encountered the same child that day. Years, later, Dan's father, a retired police officer, begins looking into the case that marked a turning point in his son's life. What he finds is dark - a Pied Piper-like killer that seems to have been resurrected with a newly developed, darker twist.
Dan is called home when his father goes missing, and using his father's notes is able to work the case with him, in a way. As a criminal profiler, Dan brings his own modern insight to the events he's forced to confront and the outcome is chilling.
North is a very skilled writer, and this is a very good book. My only quibble - and they're small - is that Fleming is a bit of a stereotype and I didn't fully buy why Dan and Sarah drifted apart. But this was tough to put down and it felt like it had been way too long between books.