4.5 Stars

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers for the ARC copy of The Man Made of Smoke in exchange for my honest review.

As a huge fan of Alex North, I went into this one with high expectations—The Whisper Man set the bar incredibly high for me. While The Man Made of Smoke didn’t quite surpass that personal favorite, it still delivered a chilling, emotionally resonant experience that I won’t forget anytime soon.

North’s signature atmosphere is in full force here: haunting, lyrical, and layered with unease. The way he blends folklore, memory, and grief is masterful, creating a slow-burning mystery that feels both deeply personal and universally unsettling. The emotional depth really stood out—certain moments lingered with me long after finishing the book.

If I had to nitpick, the pacing did lull a bit in the middle, which is what ultimately kept this from being a full 5 stars for me. That said, the payoff is absolutely worth it, and fans of North’s previous novels will find plenty to love.

Overall, The Man Made of Smoke is another strong, haunting story from an author who consistently delivers thoughtful, suspenseful reads. Just don’t expect The Whisper Man 2.0—this is its own beast, and it’s beautifully done.

What a ride this read turned out to be. I read The Whisper Man last summer and absolutely devoured it, this book carried a similar vibe.

The multiple POVs leave you on edge as the details of the story slowly unravel, revealing an unsuspecting picture.

I loved how the MC took us through each of every step he took, taking us through both past and present as he attempted to solve the mystery behind his father’s death. North also gives insight into other characters, having those insights really got the wheels turning and helped to give the mystery additional layers.

Despite my love of the POVs, they did become a bit challenging for me to follow at points which is why I dropped the rating. Not sure if it was just the placement of certain sections but it became a bit of a mess in some places.

Overall. I really enjoyed this read and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good crime thriller.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to arc read!

THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE was atmospheric and creepy, setting the story up quickly and drawing me in right away. The various timelines were a bit confusing but the author did a nice job weaving everything together. The second half of the novel started dragging though and the ride to the finish line was a bit bumpy and convoluted.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! The Man Made of Smoke delivers a haunting, atmospheric mystery with a creeping sense of dread that kept me turning the pages. The writing is immersive, and the unsettling premise had so much potential.

That said, while I enjoyed the eerie vibes, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me the way The Whisper Man did. The tension was there, but the payoff didn’t fully deliver, and some moments felt a bit dull. Still, if you’re in the mood for a slow-burn thriller with a chilling atmosphere, this one is worth a read!

You will never recover from the creepy hair raising intensity of this book. I loved Whisper Man, but this is utterly terrifying. Alex North is the master of darkness and what lurks inside.

I absolutely LOVED The Whisper Man, and also enjoyed The Shadows, so when I saw North was coming out with another novel I knew I had to jump in.

And man, I am so glad I did. This book had me hooked literally from page 1; more literally, I was hooked from the first sentence. While not as creepy as The Whisper Man (still one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read), it had its own creep factor.

I really appreciated the way that Dan tried to get into the minds of others, like his father and the murderer. It reminded me so much of Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds, which is high praise as he’s one of my favorite characters of all time.

I will say, I do think it dragged a bit in the middle for me personally. I’m not a slow burn gal and I just wanna get to the good stuff. But again, simply a personal thing. I still devoured the book in 3 days- which is basically like finishing it in a day as I’m the mother of 2 very small children (4 and 13months). My only other beef is that the big reveal with the killer fell a little flat for me. I feel like it was here and done in the blink of an eye and I think I was expecting to get a little more from it.

All in all though, I very much enjoyed. This was the perfect little thrilling palate cleanser that I hoped it would be. Kudos on another job well done to North.

Special thanks to Alex North, Celadon books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to devour this eARC!

My favorite book so far in 2025!

Wow!

Alex North has done it again in his latest book. It grips you from the beginning in his normal chilling prose.

Daniel has made a life for himself outside of the island he grew up on, and away from the encounter that shaped his life when he was entering his teenage years. Years ago, he came across a boy taken by a serial killer, and the serial killer himself in a rest stop bathroom. Dan had known something was wrong, but hadn't done anything until it was too late. Plagued by guilt following that moment, he has become a psychologist working with prisoners who have done horrible things.

His world is titled when he gets the call that his father has committed suicide. Dan goes back to the island to take care of his dad's estate. But then he finds out that his father discovered a murdered woman not long ago, and the strange things that came next.

I couldn't put this down, and loved the entire book, especially the different POVs and the twists along the way!!!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!!

The Man Made of Smoke is a mystery following Daniel. When Daniel was a child, he survived an encounter with a serial killer that has affected him for the rest of his life, including his decision to work as a psychiatrist who treats violent prisoners. One day, Daniel gets a call that his father, a former police officer, has taken his own life. Daniel goes back to the island where he grew up, but soon discovers his father was looking into the serial killer he escaped as a child., and that there may be more behind his death then meets the eye.

This was a solid mystery novel. I found myself really engrossed in the mystery, and trying to figure out what was going on. This book also talks a lot about grief, and how trauma we experience as children impacts us our entire lives, which we appreciated. I did find that the pace was a little slow, but overall, I did enjoy the mystery, and how everything wrapped up.

“Nobody sees. And nobody cares.”

I just finished the latest masterpiece from Alex North and I can’t stop thinking about it. I flew through ‘The Man Made of Smoke’ in one sitting this week and it is still consuming my every thought!

“Maybe it takes someone who hasn’t quite grown out of their own nightmares yet to recognize when they’ve just walked into someone else’s.”

When I read North’s ‘The Whisper Man’, I was so moved and enmeshed in that story that I wanted more. With an entirely different story and cast of characters, North has finally given me more. More mystery. More heartbreak. More love. More redemption.

“Help me, James thinks. Help us. Because if you won’t then nobody will.”

I don’t want to say too much about this one because I think you should experience it for yourself but, if you loved ‘The Whisper Man’ as much as I did, grab this as soon as you can. Same vibes. Same emotional impact.

“I see you, maybe. I care.”

It’s a must read. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

This book was so good. I’ve really enjoyed The Whisper Man and Angel Maker and this is also a fantastic addition to his work. It’s a must read for anyone that enjoys a serial killer thriller .

Alex North novels never disappoint. The Man Made of Smoke makes it clear he just keeps getting better. The Pied Piper was a infamous serial killer who targeted children. Our protagonist was someone who had a close encounter with both the killer and one of his victims. The events of that day left a lasting impression on him. He is left with a lifetime of "What if..." questions about that moment in time. This becomes even more terrifying when he realizes people close to the events of that day are being targeted. But, The Pied Piper is dead, isn't he? That's one of the many questions which will keep you turning the pages. The past and present collide in a chilling conclusion. This is another truly terrific thriller from North. Thank you to Celadon Books & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Dan was just a boy, he saw another child who looked terrified. Being so young, all he could do was hide until the man the boy was with, and the boy left. Turns out, the man was a serial killer known as the Pied Piper and the boy another one of his victims. The encounter left a mark on Dan that he has never outrun.
Years pass, and Dan receives a call from the police. His father is missing, presumed dead. Dan heads home and realizes his father, who was retired from the police force has been following this old case. But the Pied Piper is dead, right? Time will reveal the connections and perhaps finally bring Dan some peace.
The line, “nobody sees, and nobody cares” was repeated over and over during the course of this story. A very telling statement about our world and how people just look past so many things.
The Whisper Man is still my favorite book by this author, though this is a close second. I thought I knew where this was headed, but I was proven incorrect time and time again.

While this book didn’t work the best for me, I strongly believe that is more due to the fact that I was expecting a more straightforward thriller as opposed to one with more of a supernatural feel to it.

This novel starts off strong, with our main character encountering a notorious serial killer - and his last victim - during a bathroom break on a road trip. Despite knowing something is wrong, our main character - being a child - decided to hide and to abandon the other boy he sees to his fate. Haunted by this choice, he became obsessed with the case and even pursued a career in criminal profiling and psychology.

However, the story started to fall apart for me once his father goes missing and he tries to investigate his last days before his sudden disappearance - and assumed death. Attempting to put himself into the head of his father is written like his father is a kind of ghost in his mind, communicating and giving him information about his reasonings. Granted - nothing this “ghost” says isn’t something the main character already didn’t know, but when this is then stretched to try to understand the serial killer he begins hunting it made it difficult for my suspension of disbelief to hold. At times, it felt like this device was used to keep the story moving along without needing to do anything further. (And there was a scene where he recreated his encounter with the boy in the bathroom that simply…took me entirely out of the story.)

In the same way, much of how this mysterious “man made of smoke” serial killer worked - both as our main character as a child and as an adult - felt, at times, too unbelievable. I’m unsure if it was too much focus on how no one wanted to look this man in the eyes when he went into public - despite him looking dirty, saying strange things, and dragging a child behind him that looked both dirty and terrified - or the absurdity of how the crimes are occurring as an adult.

Finally, this story is told through the points of view of both Daniel and his father, John, but - unlike the chapters labeled with the name “James,” there is no distinction for which POV we are operating in. The first time this switch happened I was both extremely confused and assumed I remembered the main character’s name wrong, in all honesty. I also felt like having these multiple POVs gave us, as the reader, too much information that wasn’t present in our “main” character. At multiple points we are given information our other character doesn’t have, and so it makes watching him investigate something we already know a bit tedious to watch - and at times, unbelievable to see him come to some wild conclusions without access to the same information.

And this isn’t anything too bad, but I felt like the reveal was a bit anticlimactic and did not explain anything that happened in the first half of the novel.

However, I can clearly see that I am not in the majority of my dislike for this novel and I would encourage anyone to check this out to see if you feel differently. It’s entirely possible I simply disliked this because reading this felt much less grounded in reality than I was expecting, and found the mysteriously almost-supernatural aspects a bit too ridiculous so they took me out of the story.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Celadon Books for providing this e-ARC.

Review Copy

4.5 Stars

Nobody sees

and nobody cares

The Pied Piper Killer knows how people think. And he is seemingly right.

The story starts with a small boy waiting outside a rest stop bathroom stall for the man who kidnapped him. Even though people knew something was wrong, nothing was done.

This story is extremely well written and full of sub-plots and twists and turns. Anyone who enjoys books about serial killers and the police will enjoy this. While it is not graphic in nature author Alex North brings his world to life. It's easy to envision the island where this takes place.

Alex North has out done himself in this new book. It starts off with these chilling words, " nobody sees, nobody cares " and from that point on you are hooked.
Daniel was a boy when he encountered a serial killer with one of his victims, what follows is the aftermath. Creepy, haunting, dark and twisted.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review this ARC.

Alex North delivers another suspenseful, atmospheric thriller with The Man Made of Smoke. The island setting is beautifully described—though the main character doesn’t seem to appreciate it as much as I did. And speaking of the MC, I love a good criminal psychologist at the center of a mystery.

As expected from North, there’s no shortage of suspense, and the father/son tension that runs through so many of his books is back in full force. The story also does a great job capturing that particular kind of helplessness that comes with losing your sense of purpose—retirement from police work, for example—and the way that kind of aimlessness can snowball into something darker. That aspect felt very real and well done.

That said, there were a few things that didn’t totally work for me. The timeline threw me off a little—realizing it played out over years was a surprise. Some thriller tropes felt a bit overdone, and I’ll admit, “disorientated” is a personal pet peeve. Also, “my boy” being used repeatedly? Gave me the creeps, but maybe that was the point.

Despite a couple of minor gripes, the tension kept me hooked, and the conclusion was strong. If you’re a fan of North’s work, this one won’t disappoint.

Great news—Alex North is back with another psychological thriller featuring his spookiest, most monstrous villain yet! Even better news? He has outdone himself, delivering his best work to date!

I’ll admit, the beginning of the book is a slow burn. With multiple timelines and intertwining storylines, it takes some time to get your bearings and wonder when things will heat up. But trust me—once you pass the first third, the pace picks up dramatically, and everything starts to click into place. The tension builds masterfully, leading to a flawlessly executed final twist. The moment the villain’s true purpose is revealed, the book becomes an unputdownable, addictive masterpiece!

I've been lucky enough to read all of North’s works before their release, but this time, I’m ordering a hardcover copy for my library—because this book is something special and might just be the best thriller of the year!

I want to start with the monster’s chilling words:
“Nobody sees, nobody cares.”

Dan Garvie, a present-day profiler, has spent years haunted by a tragic event from his childhood. When he was just a boy, he hid in a restroom stall while another child—his own age—was dragged away by a dangerous man. That man became known as the notorious serial killer, the Pied Piper, and Dan has lived with the guilt of not doing anything to stop him. He’s not the only one tormented by that day—his father, John Garvie, a police officer, was also there and felt powerless as the killer walked away with his victim.

Now, in the present, Dan receives a call from his childhood bully—now a police officer—Fleming, who tells him that his father may have died by suicide, though his body has yet to be found. This call forces Dan to return to the island he swore he’d never revisit—the same place where the Pied Piper once hunted and killed children. As he digs into his father’s old case files, he realizes one chilling truth: The Pied Piper is back.

His father believed Dan was the only one capable of connecting the patterns between the victims and uncovering the killer’s true identity. But what if the twisted mastermind behind these crimes enjoys the game far too much? What if he has no intention of stopping—until he gets to Dan? Can Dan unmask the monster before the game takes a deadly turn?

Overall:
This book is brilliantly written, gripping, and downright chilling—the kind of smart, twisty thriller that will make your blood run cold, give you goosebumps, and keep you on edge the entire time. It exceeded my already high expectations, and I’m giving it five smoky islander stars!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this brilliant and highly anticipated thriller with me in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Alex North does it yet again. He is a master at weaving a great tale, leading in one direction until the truth smacks you in the face. The Man Made of Smoke is no different. After a brush with the "Pied Piper" as a kid, Dan does everything he can to forget the small boy he could have saved that day. Running away from the island he called his home, Dan becomes a criminal profiler who spends his days psychoanalyzing violent inmates. When the apparent suicide of his father brings Dan back to the island, Dan must unravel the clues his father was leaving behind.
The repeating line of "Nobody Sees, and nobody cares," drives home the fact that humanity only pays attention to the people they think matter. Could the "Pied Piper" have been caught years earlier if someone at the rest stop other than Dan had just paid attention? I guess we'll never really know.

"Nobody sees," the man says. "And nobody cares."
Dan's chance encounter with a strange man and a little boy at a restroom at a rest stop has haunted him his whole life. Later, they discovered the little boy dead in a camper with an adult, but the situation was more complex than it seemed. It turned out to be a chance encounter with a serial killer who kidnapped and murdered children. Rereading the true crime novel repeatedly until his copy was worn out, Dan showed his interest in the case. However, after going to college, he gradually left it all behind and slowly healed, putting the encounter in his past.
Grown Dan is now a psychiatrist at a prison, and he knows that there are no monsters; they are just men. But the discovery of his father's car and the suspicion of his father's death brought him back to the island. The note in his car stated, "Notify my son."
Dan returns to the island to get all his father's affairs together however, chance encounters and following his father's notes and some eerie encounters he finds out that after his father's police retirement, he still followed different unsolved cases and he found a body on his routine walk and everything started spiraling from there. Dan must follow his father's notes and team up with a childhood friend to figure out what is going on as people are dying and what is the event that is connecting all the deaths.
Oh, man! This one had me hooked from the first chapter, and I dove into it. It was full of mystery, murder, horror, serial killers, and everything in between, and I loved it! I was hooked, and I think this is his best book yet! Sooo freaking good! I recommend it! Thank you to Celadon Books for being part of their reader's program!

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Man Made of Smoke. Alex North truly is a one of a kind author. He weaves a Tale that is complicated without being overly complex.
This novel is layered with deep and interesting characters and a very different plot.
The story centers on Daniel who is a Psychiatrist who deals with incarcerated inmates who have been imprisoned for serious crimes. He is a single and lives a quiet life. He no longer lives on a small island where he grew up. An island that holds dark secrets and memories of a single incident in his childhood that still haunt him.
He has to return home when he learns his father is missing and presumed dead.
The memories resurface and soon he finds himself trapped in the dark places he has been trying to escape from.
This book is written very well and is quite scary.
Childhood trauma and depression don’t disappear and can rear its head. But in this book the memories become reality and Daniel is forced to confront them head on.
5 stars.