4.5/5 i enjoyed this book a lot!! i think Alex North is back, i did not love his last two but this one felt like a movie in my brain, a creepy one at that. Daniel was a little too analytical for my taste in MC but I was glad North took the time to spell out the twist/plot for
me in this character because otherwise i would’ve been lost.

😶‍🌫️ F R I G H T E N I N G F R I D A Y review 😶‍🌫️ featuring “The Man Made of Smoke” by Alex North!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Dan Garvie witnessed a crime as a child and barely escaped his death by a notorious serial killer dubbed “The Pied Piper”. He has been haunted his entire life by the ‘what if’s’ and has dedicated his life to hunting serial killers as a criminal profiler.

When Dan’s father dies under mysterious circumstances, Dan returns home to the small island he grew up on to look for more information. His father John was a police officer and spent his retirement looking at cold cases. John also had an obsession with solving the case of the Pied Piper and wanting to find out answers for his son whose life has been shaped by the weight of his unresolved trauma as a child.

As Dan goes through his father’s things, he cannot stop the stirring fear at the back of his mind that the killer from his past may be back again … 💨

HOLY SMOKES 🤯!! Alex North is back again with a story so haunting, gripping, dark and disturbing! Absolute perfection! His ability to twist together trauma, emotion and suspense is masterfully written and totally grips you as a reader. The dual time lines and POVs alternating between father and son is brilliant and adds to the charged raw emotions of them seeking out justice!

Thank you kindly to @writernorth @celadonbooks @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on May 13, 2025! Do not sleep on this one!

Fantastic, dark, fast paced story about a serial killer who targets young children. Dan is a criminal profiler that had a chance encounter with killer as a child. Knowing that he could easily have been a victim, he works hard to get justice for others. When Dans father passes away under suspicious circumstances he returns to his home town to find the truth. In his investigation he finds that the past is coming back to haunt him. Terrifying story that is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Definitely my favorite from this author so far.

I enjoyed Alex North's haunting psychological thriller that crept under my skin from the first chapter. It expertly blends childhood trauma with present-day mystery. The book introduces us to Dan Garvie, whose life has been shaped by a childhood brush with a serial killer that continues to haunt him into adulthood. When Dan returns to his small island community following his father's suspicious death, the narrative takes us on a journey that questions whether the monster from his past has returned. I found myself pulled into a world where past trauma bleeds into present danger.

While I initially struggled with the shifting timelines and perspectives without clear signposting, the disorientation soon gave way to appreciation for North's clever storytelling technique. The novel doesn't just tell you about trauma—it makes you feel it through its very structure.

Just when I thought I had the mystery solved and the killer identified, North delivered a surprising twist that left me stunned. North demonstrates a particular talent for weaving psychological insight into the fabric of the mystery, creating characters whose motivations feel authentic even as they surprise us.

Despite some initial challenges navigating the narrative, I found that persistence was amply rewarded with a thriller that delivers both emotional resonance and genuine surprise. For fans of psychological suspense with heart, "The Man Made of Smoke" is a compelling read.

A big thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

In The Man Made of Smoke, we enter shadows of memory, grief, and long-buried horror. It’s a bleak, bone-chilling thriller that lingers and is not for the weak. Dan narrowly escaped the clutches of a serial killer as a child and has now built his life around understanding monsters as a criminal profiler. He has returned to his desolate island hometown after his father’s mysterious death. The killer Dan thought was long gone, but he may have returned or never left.

The author writes with a dark unease that hangs dread on every page. The isolation creates a feeling of claustrophobia and panic. As Dan searches for the truth, it takes the reader further into hazy memories, grief, and haunting possibilities of past deeds. This book is as much a psychological thriller as a mystery full of slow-burning tension, where each revelation cuts deeper than the last. It is a story about the monsters that wear faces we may know.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books, for the opportunity to review the ebook.

Dan Garvie is haunted by the past. His brush with a serial killer as a child has left him plagued with guilt over allowing the killer to take someone else. When he gets a call that his father has died, he’s forced to return to the scene of his childhood trauma, with the realization that the serial killer is back.

Alex North has done it again! Four years ago, I read the Whisper Man and fell in love with the dark atmospheric narrative. It was the kind of creepy mystery novel that sticks with you. I went on to devour the rest of North’s works, and I have to say that the Man Made of Smoke is one of their best yet.

The pacing was perfection, with such slow-build, quick-burn suspense. It was like watching someone pour gasoline out and then strike a match. I love North’s ability to layer timelines and perspectives in such a seamless manner, and it really helped build the tension and kept me hooked into the story.

The characterization was also some of North’s best work yet, and I was so, so, enthralled by both Dan and John. I loved the way Dan’s trauma and guilt effected him and how clearly that showed in the narrative, to the extent that Dan’s past almost became a character itself. This is spooky and compelling, and it’s more than a basic murder mystery. This is an exploration into the human psyche with a splash of pure fear. This is a book that made me get up to close the curtains.


Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

4.5 ⭐️! This novel follows Dr. Daniel Garvie as he searches for answers to the cause of his father’s sudden disappearance, with flashbacks to Daniel’s father John’s perspective in the days leading up to his disappearance. As memories of his childhood brush with a notorious serial killer rise, so too does the build-up to a shocking climax.

I really enjoyed this novel! I’m usually great at solving the whodunnit, but this one kept me guessing up until each twist reveal! The writing was cohesive and engaging.

The only drawback for me, that kept me from rating this 5 stars is that I really couldn’t connect with Daniel’s character that much. I found his actions and emotions to be somewhat counterintuitive to his career and intelligence level.

I would highly recommend this novel as your next surprising thriller!

Wow! The Man Made of Smoke is such a great thriller! Tense, scary, and haunting from the first page to the last. Alex North has crafted a mystery that kept me entranced throughout without a clue who was the diabolical murderer. Super story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"The Man Made of Smoke" by Alex North is a 5 star masterpiece in suspense and mystery written by one of the most talented modern mystery novelists.

Beyond being a thriller, it is also a descent into the shadowed recesses of memory and the chilling persistence of trauma. North crafts a narrative that's less a straight line and more a spiraling eddy, pulling the reader into its depths.

In the Man Made of Smoke Alex North successfully creates a tightly woven narrative that blends the protagonist's past youthful trauma with present crimes. as he returns home when he father disappears

North excels at creating an atmosphere so thick with unease, it clings to you like smoke. The island setting, usually a place of idyllic escape, becomes a claustrophobic stage for past horrors to resurface. The sense of dread is palpable, permeating every page.

This is a hunt for a killer, and also an exploration of the scars left by childhood trauma, the weight of inherited secrets, and the fragile nature of memory. Dan Garvie's internal struggle is as compelling as the external mystery, making this a deeply psychological thriller.

The concept of "the man made of smoke" is more than just a chilling image; it's a metaphor for the elusive, haunting nature of the past. North masterfully weaves together past and present, blurring the lines between memory and reality.

Beyond the suspense, there's a profound emotional core to this story. The complex relationship between fathers and sons, the pain of loss, and the struggle for redemption add layers of depth that elevate this thriller.

"The Man Made of Smoke" is a masterpiece of suspense, where the shadows of the past are as dangerous as any living threat. Alex North has delivered a novel that will linger long after the final page, leaving a smoky residue of unease and contemplation.

Thank you to Celadon for access to my early electronic copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5

A compulsive read that I devoured over two days that follows the trail of one or two serial killers that have targeted the same area years apart. Caught up between the decades of missing children and adults are father and son, John and Daniel. John the retired cop, Daniel the child who brushed up against the Pied Piper and his current victim. The dynamics of the father/son relationship are woven into the years after and all the missed opportunities to connect with one another adding depth and complexity to the current set of missing people.

"Nobody sees and nobody cares" is the tagline of the plot and can be extrapolated into the lives of the missing, the perp, and those that can't let it go. Sadly, it's all too easy to believe that crimes take place because of inaction of bystanders. Tension is woven tightly but the reader finds they can't look away from the buildup of the crime scenes.

So far I am always pleased and satisfied by the thrillers that Alex North is writing and The Man Made of Smoke is no exception.

First time reading this author and wow he certainly knows how to write a creepy book! It starts out really strong with a well written creepy introduction to the serial killer via the original crime. The events are revealed slowly using past and present timelines and two main characters, father and son. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will seek out others by the author.

This is everything you expect from Alex North - a perfect thriller that takes you on a crazy ride right from the beginning. It is heartbreaking, creepy and dark but so good that you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you Celadon Book and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My favorite novel of his yet.

He's back with a new serial killer; but the book is so much more than just that. It's what would you do for your family? How do you handle trauma? What makes one person go in one direction and somebody in the same situation go in the other?

Daniel Garvey, the main character had an encounter as a child with a serial killer when he was just a kid himself. He didn't know until after it was a serial killer; just felt that something wasn't right. That encounter haunts not only him, but also his family for the rest of their lives.

Daniel grows up to be a criminal profiler, when he is called back to the small island he grew up on because his father has commit suicide. Daniel often uses his profiler training throughout the story imagining his father, or victims, or the killer himself as being with him and what they'd say to solve the how's and why's of what is happening.

While going through his dads things and dealing with everything that comes with that he realizes his dad has kept secrets from him over the years - including that he never stopped looking into the case of the Pied Piper, the serial killer Daniel had a run in with.

The story is told through multiple POV, mainly Daniel and his father; however there are also flashbacks to the past and the Pied Piper's victims.

Since I don't like to write reviews with spoilers, I don't want to say too much more other than there are many more twists and deaths before the book comes to an end.

Dan Garvie has spent his entire life haunted by an encounter when he was a young boy, narrowly escaping a serial killer but not helping the young boy who was a victim at that time. Present day, he has become a criminal profiler, trying to make up for that day as a child.
Similarly, his father, a retired police officer, has passed away under suspicious circumstances that point to the direction of the same serial killer returning with a vengeance.
Dan returns home to investigate his father's death and face the traumas of his past.

**A perfect dark thriller that kept me up at night, but definitely note some triggers in this book that could be upsetting for some.

“We are shaped by our pasts, not defined by them”.

A book that may have lived in my childhood nightmares that plays out within the pages.

A chance encounter as a young boy to the case that was never resolved. Serial killer of boys to murders of adults that seem to have no connection at all. It’s twisty. Creepy. Terrifying. And maybe a little even paranoia in these chapters.

Glad I read this in the daylight because Alex North gets the creep just right. Perhaps to the point where I will be second guessing at every truck stop I go to going forward.

And more importantly, the readers, you’re going
To you know what is happening… slowly like breadcrumbs of terror being dropped on the path.

Or like the methodical plunk of fear that comes with knowing… ‘nobody sees and nobody cares’

Man made of smoke is a solid book by a great author. The pacing of this one was a little of for me. I love the characters especially John. My rating is 3.5. Bring a big fam of Alex North I really wanted to give it 5 stars. I promise a authentic Review so I have to give it a 3.5

The man made of smoke by Alex North

Dan garver has been haunted by his childhood after he is witness to a child abduction to which he did nothing about. A child himself at the time and not knowing what to do but witnessing the taking of a child by a dangerous killer known as the pied piper. This event has haunted him his entire life. As an adult now he is a profiler that has been interested in cases like this. He is contacted by his childhood bully who is also a police officer who contacts him to relay the sad information of his father’s suicide who was also a police officer who kicked himself for not noticing a child abduction.
Now Dan garner goes back to the place he swore he would never revisit. Only to find the dreaded pied piper has returned.

This book was gripping and chilling but creatively written. I was immensely immersed in the intense world of fear and riddled goosebumps with the unknowns of this book. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon books for this ARC

4.25 stars. A solid read from Alex North

As a child Daniel comes upon a scared young boy at a rest stop and his decision that day to act or not follows him the rest of his life.

Total honesty here I started this book and tried to read it during spring break so my focus wasn’t totally there and had very little time to read which may have impacted my perspective. Ended up putting it aside til I could get home and focus 100% which made it way better!

A slower paced book than I expected and I struggled at times to figure out when exactly things were happening especially concerning Daniel’s fathers timeline

I feel like the climax of the book started and ended very quickly. Would’ve loved to see that play out longer and build more tension.

I did enjoy seeing all the pieces come together and the multiple perspectives and timelines.

Would definitely recommend this read but would recommend some of his earlier books first.

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

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North was a bit of a letdown for me. I loved The Whisper Man, so I was really excited to dive into this one, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark. It started off with a lot of promise—the eerie atmosphere, the intriguing mystery, and even a supernatural element that felt just the right amount of unsettling. But somewhere around halfway through, the story started to lose its way. By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t confused in the traditional sense—I understood the plot—but I was left thinking, Wait, that doesn’t really add up.

I appreciated the use of multiple points of view, but I do think it would’ve been clearer if the chapters were labeled with the character whose perspective we’re following. While the concept was strong and the eerie tone was well-established, the ending ultimately felt unsatisfying. Despite this, I’m still eager to check out more of Alex North’s work, especially since The Whisper Man was so impressive. Here’s hoping his future books live up to that high standard.

This is my new favorite book by Alex North!
This book begins with a A young Dan Gravie, his parents and his friend Sarah when they stop at a rest stop on their way home after visiting the zoo. While in the restroom, Dan spots a young boy whose covered in dirt and seems to be silently pleading with him for help. Not knowing what to do, Dan hides in the stall and hears a stranger walking by whose whistling who then takes the strange boy with him. Through Dans childhood he’s haunted by the boy and the possibility that he could have saved the boy, especially when he learns the boy was kidnapped by the whistling man who was a serial killer “The Pied Piper” .
Now, as an adult and a criminal profiler, and his father whose a retired police officer, who spends his time investigating cold cases, hoping to solve them, especially the case of “The Pied Piper”. When Dan hears that his father has possibly committed suicide because his car was found on the cliff above the water, Dan returns to his home town and discovers that the past has returned to haunt him. He finds the cold case and the clues his father has left him and what happens next is a race against time, Dan tries to find his father and whoever is behind his disappearance/ suicide, as well as the missing boys of the past before it is too late before he’s next!