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.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for an ARC!

This was nearly a one-sitting read. My favorite Alex North book yet. I loved the Garvie father and son and chapters with their alternating POVs.

I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review on my Goodreads page. This book is due out on May 13, 2025.

This thriller follows a criminal profiler who, as a child, witnessed a traumatic crime. When he returns to his hometown after the death of his father, the unsettling memories of that crime resurface, pulling him into a dangerous investigation that intertwines with his past.

The book had a very strong start for me—the premise was intriguing, and the opening scenes were vivid and gripping, painting a very intense picture of the crime. However, as the story progressed, I found it slowed down a bit. The pacing became uneven, and I had some difficulty connecting with the characters. The narrative structure also made it challenging to fully immerse myself in the story. The frequent shifts between multiple points of view were sometimes jarring, and I often struggled to identify which character was narrating until I was midway through a chapter.

While the premise and early chapters held great promise, the execution didn’t fully live up to the tension I expected. In the end, I would rate this book 2.5 stars—I appreciated the strong beginning and the premise, but found the pacing and character development lacking.

Have really enjoyed Norths previous books and this one was just one more to add to the list. Great storyline with a tangle of threads to try to follow.

The Man Made of Smoke is one of the most enticing thrillers I've read in a while and shares many themes with Alex North's first hit, The Chalk Man (which I also enjoyed), including complex father-son relationships and a nefarious villain.

From page one, this book had my full attention, starting with a flashback to the day our main character, Dan Garvie encountered the serial killer known as "The Man Made of Smoke" (real identity unknown) and one of his victims as a child at a rest stop. Now an adult and psychologist working at a jail with convicted felons, Dan goes back to the island where he grew up and must tangle with his childhood memories of "The Man Made of Smoke" after Dan's father seems to have committed suicide abruptly.

While some of the twists were a little predictable, the story was captivating and well-written, with Alex North integrating many different viewpoints and timelines. I also found the characters to be well-developed, with many of their decisions to be well-explained and believable.

Overall, the best thriller I have read so far in 2025.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my free electronic ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this fabulous book! This was a classic serial killer book with a twist.

The Man Made Of Smoke was a really refreshing perspective from typically main characters of this genre. A father and son who have been torn apart yet brought together due to an event that took place 20 years earlier. When Dan was a young teen him and his parents and his friend Sarah stopped at a rest stop and he encountered a sad and scared little boy in the bathroom. Inside the stall, was The Pied Piper; a serial killer who had his latest capture with him. (This creeps whistling I swear I could hear it)!

Dan did not take action at the time and the killer escaped with the little boy.

Now Dan returns to his hometown because his dad, John has died in suspicious circumstances . Staying in his childhood home, he sees what John has been working on. Finding out who the little boy was at the rest stop. There’s been more murders and all of them have to do with that day.

I loved how Dan basically put himself in John’s head as he worked to figure out this puzzle and during John’s chapters same thing.

This was sort of a heartbreaking story as the Pied Piper is a kid killer. Luckily, It doesn’t go into great detail regarding that. The ending was really shocking and explosive. I was totally surprised at the conclusion.

I received an advance copy of this book for review. This was a fast-paced story that I finished in just a couple of days. I really enjoyed the method of psychoanalysis used throughout that also built up the bond between father and son. The author also has a few tricks up his sleeve that I must admit, I didn’t see coming. Ultimately I thought it was a great thriller, kept me engaged and had just enough of the various relationships to make it even more interesting.