Alex North may be my favorite writer of literary thrillers. Thrillers aren't often my thing, but the quality of writing mixed with the excellent plot lines make his books a win every time.

The children involved in this one made it a bit of a challenge, but I liked the use of multiple timelines and the look at how guilt and grief mix together.

Thank you for the ARC. I purchased a copy for my library and shared in groups.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a readers copy of this book. My reviews are freely provided and never contain spoilers.
As a child, Dan Garvie narrowly escaped a serial killer known as the Pied Piper. He spent years feeling guilty over a young boy who was with the killer, but instead of helping the boy, he hid. Now, people who were at the same rest area all those years ago are being killed in horrific acts of violence. Dan’s father (who was also at the rest area) is missing and presumed dead. Dan returns to his home to find his dad and try to figure out who is responsible. His ability to imagine what goes through the mind of a killer is one of the most powerful plot elements in this story. Fans of Alex North will love this one.

✨ The Vibes ✨
A slow burn thriller that explores relationships more so than crime

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re OK with a slow burn
✨ You like thrillers that spend plenty of time on characters and their relationships with one another
✨ You want a book that tells a story using a unique narrative structure

Alex North is one of my go-to authors for a chilling mystery. There are no ghosts or haunted houses in his stories, but they are some of the creepiest I’ve read. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the same creep factor in The Man Made of Smoke, but the family dynamic really shines through in this story,making it perfect for readers who want a thriller with a strong emotional arc.

The Man Made of Smoke centers on two men: Dan, a criminal psychiatrist, and his father John, a former detective. Both men have been scarred by Dan’s childhood encounter with a serial criminal and have been working to put the event behind them. However, years later, John disappears and Dan learns that the case might not be closed. It’s a great premise that fits right in North’s wheelhouse, but I personally found this to be much slower than his other books and had to force myself to pick the book back up. I think some of the pacing issues and my lack of interest are rooted in the structure of the story. There’s a lot of POV switching, mainly between Dan and John, but there are others introduced at random. POV switching is usually fine, but many of these POVs jumped across time periods, which made it difficult to keep track of what was happening when and become fully invested in the story.

One thing I do admire about North’s writing is how he is able to craft really emotional thrillers. They are creepy to the max, but at the heart of every one of his books is a story about family and relationships that is often very moving. In The Man Made of Smoke, it’s Dan and his father, trying to find connection and I was very invested in that plotline.

The Man Made of Smoke is out now. Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 3% — I only got a couple pages in and I didn’t have a desire to finish this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was bonkers and definitely didn’t turn out the way that I thought it would - I felt like I had everything all figured out and then it all changed as MC discovered new information. It was very sad and sometimes hard to read (I mean, kidnap and murder of children is always going to be a difficult read) but ended up with a very satisfying conclusion. It also made me think a lot about what people choose not to notice and the boundaries of privacy versus helping, and how the lines of what is appropriate can really be blurry in the moment.

Looking for a suspenseful summer read? Check out The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North.

Dan Garvie has lived with regret ever since he witnessed -- and failed to intervene in -- a child kidnapping when he was a child himself. That experience propelled him into a career as a criminal profiler.

When his father dies, an apparent suicide, Dan returns to the island where he grew up. Soon he begins to doubt the official story of his father's death, and the clues lead back to a serial killer and the crime he witnessed as a child.

This novel is much less predictable than many in the serial killer genre. (It's less gruesome, too. Thank you, author.) Follow along with the twists and see if you can spot the killer. I didn't!

Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy.

This is the first Alex North book that I have read (I know, I know.. he has others that are must-reads, too 😅. I will get to them, I swear!).

While I’m not usually a fan of crime fiction, this was a very enjoyable read. Throughout the story, we experience multiple POVs.

Dan is a therapist who witnessed something as a child that has never left his mind. As an adult, Dan’s father goes missing and Dan is placed into a situation that is linked to that childhood experience. Has the monster that has haunted him most of his life resurfaced?

Emotional. Introspective. Intense. It will suck you right in! 4 stars!

Happy Reading! 💜

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC read in exchange for my honest review!

Note: I was approved for the print and audio of this book i which I'm leaving the copied feedback

Dan Garvie is a haunted man. He's been haunted for decades by a memory of a child kidnapper/killer that he witnessed but was to scared to intervene, After not caring too much for The Angel Maker, The Man Made of Smoke reminded me of why Alex North is an absolute favorite. At times it was dark, chilling and very disturbing. Also incredibly impossible to put down! While the end twist wasn't a complete surprise, there were a few others that completely made up for it

I love Alex North and I loved this book! I've read every release and this one was one of my top, if not the top choice. Spooky and atmospheric it was so fun to read, it would be even better in the fall for optimal spooky vibes.

For Dan Garvie, silence is a burden he’s carried since childhood.
He didn’t speak up when it mattered.
Now he studies serial killers for a living.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North unravels Dan’s return to his island childhood home after his father’s disappearance. As he sifts through old files, missing persons, and half-forgotten fears, the legend of the Pied Piper killer becomes painfully real again.

Told through multiple timelines and POVs, the story explores guilt, legacy, and redemption. Dan’s emotional detachment turns out to be both a gift and a prison.

Eerie, emotional, and atmospheric—a thriller built on folklore, trauma, and the dark ties between father and son.

If you like slow-burn suspense rooted in psychological depth and familial tension, this one will leave you thinking long after the last page.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫💫 💫

Thank you to @writernorth @netgalley @celadonbooks for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This one may start slow but it def picks up as it progresses and once things are settled it gets pretty good. I thought the storyline was complex and gripping and there was a creep factor here that had me looking over my shoulder while I was listening. The narration was fine, I just wish that there were multiple narrators for each POV because it confused me a few times. Overall though really solid serial killer thriller!

I absolutely loved The Shadows so had high hopes for Alex North’s newest release. The beginning of the story was super creepy and I was intrigued by Dan’s profession as a criminal profiler. Unfortunately, the story didn’t live up to my expectations and I didn’t care for the way the Dan constantly spoke to himself subconsciously, it was distracting. Overall, there was a lot of build up for a lackluster payoff.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Alex North books! There hasn’t been one that has disappointed me. His writing is fast paced and the vibe is between paranormal and thriller. Definitely recommend for a quick read! Perfect pallet cleanser for me.

This was an incredibly interesting and well-plotted storyline that held my attention from beginning to end. I particularly enjoyed the novel's structure, with its different perspectives and seamless switching between past and present narratives. This dual timeline approach was highly effective in slowly unraveling the mystery and eventually revealing the killer in a genuinely satisfying way.

Alex North did an excellent job of keeping me guessing along the way, and the pacing ensured I remained fully invested in piecing together the clues. The ending provided a satisfying resolution that tied everything together neatly.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Man Made of Smoke." It's a well-written thriller that stands out from the crowd, offering a more engaging and intricate experience than many average titles in the genre.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a digital advanced reader copy (ARC) of "The Man Made of Smoke" by Alex North in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, the book was good but it wasnt the best. There were times where I was so lost and confused and had no idea what was happening but I did finish it because it was chosen for bookclub, I do love his work but this one was just not it for me, maybe because I wasnt really in the mood but it was good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars due to the unsatisfying ending. The first half of the book was good, and the villain was genuinely scary. I could feel the suspense. But my interest started to wan by the second half, and the build-up did not result in a worthwhile conclusion. I don’t truly understand the final villain’s motivations- he didn’t seem to have a close relationship with his son at all, so why the intense rage over what happened to him? I feel like something was missing here.

Pros: Very well-written. Evil villain. Parts were genuinely scary.

Cons: Ending wasn’t good and didn’t give me closure. Also, I did not like the main character’s inner monologue. The many conversations he had in his head were grating after awhile.

As always a fasci ating thriller from Alex north. I have read everything he has written. He keeps me on the edge till the very end of the book. Loved this one as I do all of his. More! More! More!. The way his books are so well crafted and the characters so real is great! When's the next one coming?

Once I started The Man Made of Smoke, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in a day. It's hard to say too much about this book without accidentally giving away spoilers except pay attention to the dates at the beginning of the chapter if there is one!

It's been a bit since I read this and am just now getting to finishing the review. I started flipping back through the book to refresh my memory on key plot points and I got sucked back into reading it. I love this author. This would be a great spooky season read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alex North’s books seriously creep me out. This one definitely did. His characters always come to life, and I feel like I am inside the story and facing these things with them.

The Man Made of Smoke, edge of the seat, serial killer thriller.

I absolutely love the premise of this book and the set up of the son and father dynamic between the characters and their relationship.

Very much a tortured past story with childhood trauma. Check trigger warnings! Dan has been haunted by a crime he witnessed as a child nearly escaping in encounter with a notorious serial killer one that leaves him with a career that everyone questions.

There are as many twists and turns as there are in other Alex North novels I have read.

This takes place In a small town set on an island where we get to ride a ferry.

The story immediately takes off from the beginning page and had me questioning the entire time. I felt like I had a great pace throughout the story. There was trickled information that brought the reader up to speed at just the right moment. The tortured past definitely gave light to why Dan is the way that he is.

Absolutely loved the POV bouncing between Dan (current) and his father (past). Very much a walk in my shoes type of ordeal. Which really added to the story and relationship dynamic between father and son.

This had a very creepy and eerie atmospheric read. No surprise, but I was reminded yet again of the detail and ability that north has to put you in the place of the character. Oh man, this story.

Thank you to Celadon Books for this e arc in exchange for my honest review.