BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The Man Made of Smoke, by Alex North, from Celadon Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

I sure do appreciate how I can count on Alex North to deliver both creepiness and commentary on society hand in hand.

I also appreciate how he leaves most of the “ick” to the reader’s imagination.

I will say I wasn’t a big fan of how he went back and forth between both characters and time frames. I usually don’t have a problem keeping up with such shifts, but for some reason I especially felt like I stumbled each time I returned to the perspective of the retired police officer.

DESCRIPTION
"Fans of Thomas Harris will be creeped out by North’s hair-raising antagonist... This is a winner."
—Publishers Weekly

The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?

With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

a new serial killer mystery that was an absolute creepy nightmare which left me feeling more unsettled with every passing chapter. some passages had me checking the locks on my own doors
.
the plot twists left me stunned by how i didn't see them coming yet how in hindsight it added up. the ending felt gratifying and it took the proper time making sure there were no loose ends in the plot.

if you like serial killer thrillers written with spine-chilling prose this is one to look out for next week.

The Man Made of Smoke is an atmospheric, chilling thriller that kept me up past midnight to race to the ending. Heart-pounding moments paired with multiple POVs kept me thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book.

I really enjoyed narration by Shane Zaza and loved his accent.

I received an ARC and ALC from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Celadon Books for the ARC, and for introducing me to Alex North, as I've read all of his books published by Celadon. I love getting a new Alex North book as I know I will be caught up in a mystery that will keep me engaged until the end. The Man Made of Smoke did not disappoint. I felt like I could see the setting due to his descriptive writing, and the father-son relationship was revealed slowly and added additional suspense to the story line. I recommend this for those who enjoy well developed mysteries with a touch of creepiness.!

3 stars – Atmospheric and intriguing, but didn’t quite stick the landing.

*The Man Made of Smoke* by Alex North offers a moody, unsettling atmosphere with a strong premise that blends psychological suspense and the supernatural. North’s writing is evocative and darkly lyrical, creating an immersive sense of place and dread that lingers throughout the novel.

The setup is compelling—mystery, memory, and a haunting presence—but the pacing felt uneven at times. While the first half builds tension effectively, the second half struggles a bit to maintain that momentum. Some plot threads felt underdeveloped, and the payoff didn’t fully live up to the eerie promise of the beginning.

The characters are well-drawn, though a few emotional beats didn’t land as deeply as they could have. That said, fans of Alex North’s signature blend of horror and thriller elements will still find plenty to appreciate.

Overall, *The Man Made of Smoke* is an atmospheric read with some great moments, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me as a fully satisfying thriller.

Alex North never disappoints I love his books so much! They keep my guessing and I carve away reading time every minute I can to finish his books. I can't wait to see what else he will write next, until then pick up this book!

THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE is a fast paced thriller that captured me from the start. It was hard for me to put down and stop thinking about. I can highly recommend getting yourself a copy.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

For me, every book I’ve read by Alex North has been winners! They’re dark, creepy, and have the most intense storylines that have you flipping the pages quickly. Then Man Made of Smoke started off a little slow, but I was so intrigued by the storyline that I didn’t want to put it down. There’s just something about being in the midst of a serial killer like our MC was in the beginning that had me interested to see what would happen next. So, what does? Well, tracking a serial killer of course! This book has so many pieces and putting them together isn’t easy. But the way the author explains it through the story makes it unique and fascinating. I love how everything came together in the end- you just need to have some patience to get there!

If you’re a fan of thrillers that slowly but surely reveal the pieces of the puzzle, then I highly recommend this one. It’s sort of a serial killer thriller but it focuses on the boy (now a man) who is following in his footsteps after his disappearance. With the help of many years of research his father had saved he may finally be able to figure out what happened with the elusive serial killer (the Pied Piper) who brutally murdered 5 children and the subsequent murders that follow after.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Celadon books for this ARC. From 20% on I did not want to stop reading this. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m hesitant to say much - but this is a thriller in its truest form. It is Alex North’s best novel even ahead of Whisperman - which I loved. Please buy and read this book.

The Man Made of Smoke was absolute perfection. I do not know how Alex North does it, but his writing just effortlessly carries you from page to page, making every book of his an instant page turner, and impossible to put down. The emotion I felt reading this book, and the overall suspense, was fantastic. The relationship with Dan and his father, UGH, tragic. But I loved how it drove the story forward. The entire storyline was impactful, gut wrenching, and devastating. However, the ending brought everything together in such an effortless yet extremely impactful way. Truly an amazing read, highly recommend if you enjoy crime thrillers/mysteries!

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

The Man Made of Smoke begins with so much ominous tension and doesn't ever really let up. It's a Russian nesting doll of mystery. Just when you think you've revealed the next layer, there's another to crack open and the dread just keeps coming closer and closer to the surface. I loved the father/son dynamic and how clever the author was with creating such an emotional bond. The writing was A++ so obviously it's a 5/5 stars for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🥊 Criminal profiling
🥊 Serial killer storylines
🥊 Perfectly crafted mystery
🥊 POVs and timelines expertly woven

Welp, Alex North is an autobuy author for me. I was absolutely invested in this crime thriller and the writing was perfection.

I’ve been a fan of Alex North for a while, so I was excited to get my hands on The Man Made of Smoke—and it did not disappoint. This eerie thriller follows Dan Garvie, who returns to the isolated island of his childhood after the suspicious death of his father. What starts as a visit quickly spirals into an investigation that forces Dan to face buried memories—including a traumatic encounter with a serial killer he narrowly escaped as a child.

This book had everything I love in a thriller: layered suspense, a haunting atmosphere, and a protagonist with a past that refuses to stay buried.

If you’re looking for a dark, twisty page-turner with emotional depth and an undercurrent of dread, this one’s for you. The Man Made of Smoke cements Alex North as a go-to author for smart, chilling thrillers.

Really good. Was creeped out the entire time trying to figure out what was happening. Will be a great fall time read. Spooky for sure. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I loved this thriller! It was the perfect mix of pacing, POVs, and twists. I enjoyed the characters and different perspectives. I did not see the ending coming either which was a fun surprise. I’d highly recommend this to all horror/thriller readers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for access to this work. All opinions are my own.

North gives us a pretty unputdownable serial killer thriller here! It’s a gritty dark yet fast paced story - i’ve read several books similar to this lately and this is definitely one of the better ones. But I do wish there was just a little bit more character development for me - we were following a lot of different characters at once, which got confusing at times. Definitely recommend this one though!

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting, however, I did enjoy reading it. The way that certain characters were tied together in the plot was well done, and it wasn't obvious at first what their relationship is.

A phrase you hear throughout the book is "nobody sees and nobody cares". And that is partially truth. It's not that we don't "care". As adults with busy lives, we often don't take time to really SEE what is happening around us, or to look closely at the people we pass by. As children, we don't always know what to do about the things that we see. We may notice that something is wrong, but can be scared to bring attention to ourselves by saying something.

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Alex North for the early read and opportunity to share a review prior to publication.

Wow! The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North was fantastic! This was the first book that I have read by Alex North and it won't be the last. I have already ordered The Whisper Man. North did a great job from chapter 1 capturing my interest. Each chapter kept me immersed in the simultaneous stories that were playing out. Many of the chapters ended on a cliffhanger. What more could you ask for? It was a fairly fast read, but that is because it held my attention throughout.

The character development was also exceptional. I was able to connect to each one's story. Because his words illustrated so well, it was a semi-slow burn.

If you are a fan of thrillers, I would definitely recommend reading this book! It was dark and twisty in such good ways.

A huge thank you to Alex North and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Some books hook you right away. Others take their time—and The Man Made of Smoke is one of those slow burns that’s absolutely worth the wait. 🔥

When I started reading I wasn’t sure where things were going with the multiple timelines and fragmented memories. But around the one-third mark, it clicked. And once it did, I couldn’t stop reading.

The only other book I’ve read by Alex North was The Whisper Man which was a five star read and I cannot wait for the upcoming series!

And this one, just as amazing. This book carries a weight of grief, guilt, and generational trauma—wrapped in a genuinely eerie mystery. Dan Garvie isn’t your typical lead. He’s deeply flawed, scarred by childhood fear and silence, and it makes his journey toward redemption all the more compelling.

There’s a monster at the heart of this book, and he’s not just lurking in the shadows—he’s in the memory, in the silence, in the regrets. That line—“Nobody sees, nobody cares.”—still gives me chills. 🥶

The final stretch of this book is wild. Tense, clever, and emotionally layered in a way most thrillers don’t dare to be. The father-son dynamic, the atmospheric setting, the psychological depth—it all lands.

Easily five stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Highly recommend if you love intelligent thrillers that creep under your skin rather than jump out at you.

Thank you @netgalley & @celadonbooks for my eARC.

I really enjoyed The Man Made of Smoke. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style kept me wanting more. Overall, it was an intriguing exploration of grief and the supernatural earning 4 stars for it's compelling storytelling. Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Man Made of Smoke was a good suspenseful mystery. It has some good twists and leaves you on the edge of your seat. The ending was okay. Who was revealed as the killer kind of bored me. Up until that point, I was sold but then I felt like it was kind of blah.

I did enjoy reading back-and-forth between Dan and his father. Although sometimes I got confused and had to make sure whose point-of-view I was reading.

Overall, it was interesting but a bit clunky.