I’ve read and enjoyed all of Alex North’s books, except The Man Made of Smoke. The story felt convoluted, with shifting perspectives and timelines that didn’t come together easily. The constant voices talking to the protagonist were irritating to me (his father, the killer, the victims). I found this long, slow and hard to follow. I ended up skimming a bit to get to the end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And sorry, the honest review here is not recommended.

Holy shit this was terrifying and perfect. I love Alex North's books so much, and I was pulled in right from the beginning in that rest area restroom. Good Lord. Creepy from beginning to end, great pacing, enough consistent jump scares to keep you going & wanting to read with the light on. Loved it!

The Man Made of Smoke
By Alex North
Release Date 05/13/2025


Dan is a criminal profiler who has
devoted his career to understanding the minds of those who break the law and live within prison walls.
As a young boy, he narrowly escaped the clutches of a serial killer, an experience that continues to haunt him to this day.
Having left his hometown shortly after high school, he has not returned but only a few times to see his father, John, a retired police chief still investigating unsolved crimes that haunt him.
Everything changes when he learns his father is missing, drawing him back to the town he once fled. This situation forces him to confront the shadows of his past and seek solace in the memories he left behind.
The novel is narrated from multiple perspectives and is an ingenious method to shift timelines.
This is my first Alex North book, and I’m unsure why. He has this unique writing style and crafty way of weaving the chapters together, and he now has a fan for life from me.

#alexnorth #celadonbooks #michaeljosephbooks #penguinrandomhouse #thrillmemore #pageturner #bookrecommendations #bookstagrammer #netgalley #suspensebooks #themanmadeofsmoke #nobodyseesandnobodycares

North did nothing short of astounding when writing all of these emotions and responses to trauma! It’s like he’s been through it hinge that help him write the psychological part perfectly Slow burn thriller with probably the best ending making it all worth it! I finished this in about 3 days! I never saw it coming who the killer was so be prepared to have your jaw drop! Five stars for me!

As a thriller fan & Alex North fan, I highly recommend this. This was reminiscent to Robert Pickton vibes (true crime girlie over here) in the best way. Helped to really set some of the scenes.

I loved these complex familial relationships woven throughout the entire book. I could have absolutely done without the forced romance & the crazy cop ex BF sterotype, neither added to the story and felt like cheap throw in compared to the rest of the story.

Pacing can be a bit slow, but it is a thriller so I think that should be kind of expected but, the last third of the book really goes and you won't want to put it down. There was quite the twist for me, which I really appreciated.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & the publisher for this ARC.

This is my first book from North and I was hooked from the first page! I really enjoyed the setting—it had that foggy, remote-island vibe that makes everything feel a little off. A few characters and their inherited trauma, as well as Dan and the complicated relationship he had with his father, leans the story a bit more into emotional depth than straight-up thriller.

That said, the big twist didn’t totally surprise me. If you’ve read a few thrillers, you might see it coming. Still, it didn’t ruin the ride for me—North’s writing kept me hooked, and the overall story had enough layers to stay interesting.

This is my second book from this author and I enjoyed it! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t wait to see how it ended. I was invested in the characters and would recommend this book to others.

As usual, Alex North manages to make me stay up late into the night and then regret it because I get freaked out by his book. The suspense was perfect, the characters were interesting, and I loved how the story switched POVs and created a more detailed and layered mystery. I give this book 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to review The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. All opinions are my own

Big fan of North’s The Whisper Man and The Shadows, while being thoroughly disappointed by The Angel Maker. I can say The Man Make Of Smoke brought us closer to The Whisper and for that I’m grateful.

It left some plot holes and unanswered questions, for that reason it wasn’t a home run.

3.5, rounded to 4

I really enjoyed reading The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. This was the perfect slow burn mystery thriller in my opinion. I loved format the author used with the story being told through different characters from past a present. The descriptive writing in this book was some of the best I’ve read. I could literally imagine and picture these scenes in my mind. This book hooked me immediately with that opening chapter! I can’t gush enough about this book! Read it!

Alex North has a knack for an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. 👏🏻 This book is so well crafted. It does start slow and take a bit to piece everything together (you have multiple POVs and timelines) but it’s worth it. I liked watching Dan and his Father’s relationship come to life throughout the book. The only downside with it was things tended to get a bit redundant because of the different POVs. Overall, this one is worth checking out.

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

Thank you to celadon books and NetGalley for this arc.

I love Alex north! So I was excited for this arc and wasn’t disappointed. The storyline was great and the characters are well developed. I would 1000% recommend this to anyone.

In The Man Made of Smoke, Dan Garvie is a criminal profiler whose life has been shaped by a horrifying encounter with a serial killer in his childhood. When his estranged father dies under mysterious circumstances, Dan returns to his isolated island hometown, only to confront unsettling echoes of the past. As old traumas resurface and new threats emerge, he begins to question whether the killer from his nightmares has returned—or if something even darker is at play.

The Man Made of Smoke felt like a bit of a departure from Alex North’s usual dark and horror-leaning style—instead, this one leans more into the territory of a classic mystery or detective novel. It’s slower in its burn but incredibly atmospheric, with just enough tension to keep the pages turning. The mystery itself is layered and detailed, with plenty of threads woven throughout that all come together in a really satisfying way. I honestly didn’t guess the murderer until nearly the final page, which is rare for me and always a sign of a well-constructed plot.

One of the standout elements for me was the structure of the story. The alternating timelines and perspectives between Dan and his father gave the book a richer emotional depth and allowed the mystery to unfold from multiple angles. These flashbacks didn’t just fill in backstory—they enhanced the present-day investigation and made the stakes feel more personal. While it may not have the same horror-driven punch as some of North’s earlier work, The Man Made of Smoke still delivers a haunting, introspective, and tightly woven mystery that kept me fully engaged.



The Man Made of Smoke comes May 13, 2025. Huge thank you to Celadon for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
Tiktok @speakingof.books
Website: SPEAKINGOF.ORG

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.