I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. You THINK you know what's happening, but you don't. To be fair, neither does Dan Garvie, and he's a profiler. A story of fathers and sons, secrets and shame, and how past trauma effects our current lives. This was well-paced and plotted. I like the characters.

"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?"

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Alex North is back and better than ever with his latest book The Man Made Of Smoke. I’m a huge fan of Alex North and enjoyed reading his previous books. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Man Made of Smoke. I’m so happy that I had the opportunity to read an early e-ARC of the book. This slow-building, gripping, utterly terrifying serial killer thriller that did not disappoint at all. The storyline kept me up reading until the wee hours of the night, and had me on the edge of my seat up until the very last turn of the page. A big thank you to Celadon Books, the author and NetGalley for the advanced e-ARC of the book.

Many years ago when Dan Garvie was just a young boy he had a near encounter with a notorious serial killer, the Pied Piper — he barely escaped. What he witnessed has haunted him for years. Present day Dan has made a career out profiling, and catching the criminals. When his father, John Garvie, who was once a police officer himself suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances, Dan must return to the small Island community of his childhood. The place he swore he would never return to. Now he is back home sifting through his father’s old police files to trying to unravel the long held secrets to figure out how his father actually died. Is it possible that the monster that tormented his childhood has now returned? Can Dan connect all the pieces together to uncover the true identity of killer before it’s too late.

The Man Made of Smoke is a well-written, emotional, multilayered, chillingly suspenseful story that kept me guessing and totally exceed all of my expectations. Alex North has completely out done himself with his newest book. It’s definitely a must read that should be at the top of your reading list.

Alex North has a writing style that always hooks me into his stories and keeps me there, guessing in suspense!

This was another good book by North. It kept me engaged and absolutely needing to find out who the man made of smoke was. Thanks to multiple twists, I definitely didn't guess the ending of this book.

It was a slightly anticlimactic ending compared to the rest of the story, but almost everything was explained. I just wish that man made of smoke had more of his story told. BUT, that may leave room for a prequel. Who knows?
I gave this 4.25⭐️

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher Celedon for the advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very well told story that kept me guessing. I was engaged the entire time and wondering what was going to happen. I love that North is able to keep me guessing, but not confused. It gives the book such a suspenseful feel.

This one involves abuses to various people including children, so if you are sensitive to that be aware beforehand. The story includes discussion of people and how they handle the guilt they feel for things they had no control over and how minor misinterpretations of of other people's thoughts or intentions can blossom into something unexpected. It ends up being an emotional read as well as a suspenseful one.

Told in different timelines and through multiple perspectives it was really interesting to see it all come together. We have the point of view from Dan, the main character of the book, but we also have the POV from his father and from a boy that was involved in the crime Dan witnessed as a child. All three perspectives were engaging and worked well together.

I can't wait to read whatever Alex North puts out next.

This was so terrifying and I kept thinking "what if Dan's family had not of stopped at THAT rest stop at THAT exact time? All of their lives would be different."

I enjoyed the unmasking and linking to all of the puzzle pieces to the mystery of the killer.

However...

*** spoiler alert ***

I wish more time had been spent on the original serial killer. The whistler. The man made of smoke. I'd like to have known more about his background and motives.

I thought the pacing was maybe a little bit too slow of a burn. And I felt some of the conversations and observations were too repetitive.

Nonetheless, this was a tough story to get through with the child abductions and murders, but it paid off in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an e-copy of THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE to review.

I rate THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE four out of five stars.

This is my first book by Alex North and why have I waited so long to read one of his books? This book grabbed me from the beginning and did not let go until the final chapter. I will not be forgetting this book any time soon.

Dan Garvie has always been haunted by a crime that he witnessed as a child. The serial killer named, The Pied Piper. Dan was too young to understand what he saw/heard. Nobody Sees, and Nobody Cares. Dan chooses a career as a criminal profiler to always seek justice for victims.

Dan's father, John, has passed away under suspicious circumstances. Dan returns to figure out what happen and uncover the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of The Man Made of Smoke! Alex North has really cemented himself as an automatic read for me over the last few years. He has a way of weaving a thrilling story that has me on the edge of my seat, never wanting to put it down until it’s finished. As always, I never found this to be a predictable journey and his ability to weave together different viewpoints and successfully making me wonder all the while about morality, the human condition, relationships to others and our deepest selves will always keep me coming back for more! #TheManMadeofSmoke #NetGalley

This book had me so intrigued at the beginning! I really thought it was going to be a winner.

I read The Whisper Man some time ago (3⭐) and was excited to get an ARC of Alex North's latest from Netgalley and Celadon Books, so thank you!

There are a lot of characters in this book, so be prepared to try to keep things organized in your head. For me, with the addition of multiple timelines, things were confusing at times and I really had to think about who was talking, which is too much effort for this old bag.

The middle was a little slow, but I like fast paced, binge-worthy books, so I'll chalk that up to personal preference. I do wish the final reveal packed a little more punch, as I wouldn't say it was anticipated, but it was definitely anticlimactic.

In the end, not my favorite, but I do appreciate the ARC.

This brilliantly written psych thriller gave me all of the chills of a Stephen King novel without all of the gory details. Alex Finlay has obviously mastered the art of characterization as his villain, the Pied Piper, is just as scary and spooky as anyone could ever imagine. A serial killer with a mantra that no one sees him or cares, he is eerily always showing up in unexpected places and scaring his victims as well as this reader. I had difficulty with the pacing at first as the first part of the book was slower paced as I got to know the characters and the setting. The action quickly picked up when Dan returns to the island to find out what happened to his father, a suicide as suspected by the somewhat incompetent local police or something more sinister? The twists in this novel are numerous and come fast and furious during certain scenes. I must confess that I missed many clues as to what was really happening and who the “man made of smoke” was but I had a delightfully entertaining trip trying to figure it all out. This book is not to be missed by fans of the author and all readers who like a fantastic scare now and then as you read.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Daniel travels back to his hometown on the island after receiving the news of his father's disappearance. Police believes it to be a suicide but with no body and the clues left behind by his father, Daniel begins drawing some chilling connections to their past.

One of the common themes in Alex North's books is father/son dynamics, and this novel is no exception. Tragedy caused Daniel and his father, John, to drift apart years ago. It was really interesting to see how it drove them to dedicating their separate lives to making sense of that tragedy.

Serial killer thrillers are not always the easiest to read. The author was fantastic at setting the perfect backdrop of dread and despair without being graphic. The writing was so descriptive it was easy to get the imagination run wild.

The story had many twists and turns, and the ending was definitely not what I expected. The author usually adds a little supernatural element to the narrative, and in this book it was very fitting, creating that eerie feeling and blurring the line between imagination and reality.

I loved other books by this author, but this novel is probably my favorite. It combines a gripping, spine-tingling narrative with serious topics such as living with guilt, escaping traumatic past and seeking justice. If you haven't read a book by this author, I highly recommend this new novel.

The Man Made of Smoke starts off with Dan Garvie returning to his island hometown after his father’s suspicious death, all while still haunted by a terrifying crime from his childhood. He’s a profiler now, and the past might be catching up to him in the worst possible way. This was my first Alex North novel, and it was okay. I mostly listened to the audiobook, which helped but at the same time it often felt like nothing was happening but things were happening? This was an okay read for me!

Thank you to Netgalley, Alex North and Celadon books for an ARC and ALC of this book for a review!

Book Review: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
Rating: ★★★☆☆

The Man Made of Smoke kicks off with a haunting premise and a richly atmospheric tone that immediately pulled me in. Alex North’s writing is vivid and immersive—I even got goosebumps reading it before bed one night. The characters are deeply developed, and the emotional undercurrent adds real depth to the creeping horror.

However, the story began to lose momentum in the middle. It became a slow burn that didn’t fully hold my interest, and by the end, the payoff didn’t quite match the promise of the setup. I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t land for me.

A chilling read with strong elements, but ultimately not as impactful as I hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.

The Man Made of Smoke is an atmospheric thriller with North's signature suspense and complex characters, a compelling page-turner that I burned through it in less than a day.
When Dan Garvie was twelve years old, he had the chance to help a scared young boy who had been abducted by a serial killer. But, only a child himself, Dan hid instead. Now an established and well-respected prison psychologist, Dan is called home to the island he grew up on after his father disappears, all signs pointing to him having committed suicide. While waiting for the sea to give up the body, Dan starts to piece together clues his father left for him, clues that point to a connection between current events and what happened when Dan was twelve. In addition to being a gripping story of suspense, The Man Made of Smoke explores father-son relationships, how past failures haunt us, and real and emotional consequences of having to decide between doing what is right and putting yourself at risk.

As a child, Dan has a chance encounter with a future victim of a serial killer. As an adult, he's obsessed with the case, drawing his father, a retired police officer, into his obsession. When Dan learns that his father has killed himself, he is drawn even deeper into the mystery that has plagued him all his life.

Alex North is the king of thrillers--no one else writes them like this. Atmospheric and engaging, The Man Made of Smoke will have you urgently turning pages until the very end.

Dan can pinpoint the exact moment his life changed forever. He was just a child when it happened. His father had pulled into a quiet rest stop so Dan could use the bathroom. As soon as he stepped inside and saw another boy standing there alone, he knew something was wrong. Their eyes locked—briefly, urgently—and Dan could feel the danger. From the last stall came a faint whistling, a deceptively cheerful tune that masked the malevolence waiting within. Dan should have done something. He should have taken the boy’s hand and run. But when the whistling stopped, and the man in the stall realized they were no longer alone, Dan panicked. He hid in the nearest stall, trembling, listening. Then came the chilling words: “No one sees, no one cares.” Moments later, the man was gone, his whistling fading into the distance. The boy walked dutifully behind him, resigned to whatever fate lay ahead.

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

Years later, Dan still lives with the guilt of that day. He would eventually learn that the man he encountered was known as the Pied Piper—a serial killer responsible for the disappearance of countless boys. The child Dan saw was almost certainly one of his victims. Now an adult, Dan works as a criminal profiler, devoting his life to saving the innocent lives he once failed to protect. But when his father dies under suspicious circumstances, Dan is pulled back to the place he thought he’d escaped. As he investigates the final days of his father’s life, a terrifying truth begins to take shape. The monster from his past may never have left.

The Man Made of Smoke sees Alex North return to the kind of chilling, standalone thriller that first put him on the map. I was introduced to his work with his breakout debut, The Whisper Man, and this latest novel draws on the same atmospheric dread and psychological intensity that made that book such a standout. Only here, it feels even more urgent, more unsettling.

North is a master at preying on the imagination, understanding that what we conjure in our minds is often far scarier than anything he could explicitly describe. In The Man Made of Smoke, mere suggestion becomes nightmare fuel. There were moments I had to pause just to collect myself before diving back in. The story alternates between Dan’s present-day investigation and the haunting perspective of one of the Pied Piper’s abducted victims from two decades earlier. North weaves these timelines together with precision, gradually building toward a final act that’s both terrifying and emotionally resonant.

This is a remarkably effective thriller—dark, original, and full of psychological menace. The Man Made of Smoke will have you second-guessing what’s real, what’s imagined, and what’s lurking just beyond the shadows. Keep the lights on for this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by Alex North, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Shane Zaza. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars!

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child and the fact that he narrowly escaped 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. 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?

Alex North has done it again – created a creepy, scary story to immerse yourself in. This one has such a unique perspective too; it’s told in the voices of both a father and son, each dealing with trauma and guilt over their actions/non-actions decades before and how things could have been different. This goes beyond just a spine-tingling thriller and becomes emotional and thought-provoking as well. But don’t worry – it’s scary because it feels so real and we all know that there are monsters lurking!

North does such a good job of providing a creepy atmosphere. The sense of foreboding and dread really starts from the beginning pages and doesn’t let up until the end. I have read all his books and he always does a good job.

I wasn’t really sure the “whodunnit” of this one. I was completely shocked by it which always earns extra points for me. The whole concept and reasons behind the villain were thought provoking and sad. The story is dark, and the suspense really builds at the end. I don’t want to give too much away as its best to just go into this one blind.

Thank you @netgalley for my copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books/Macmillan Audio, and Alex North for the advance copy of The Man Made of Smoke. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

I really enjoyed this latest thriller from Alex North! We follow Dan Garvey after his father dies and the mystery of the Pied Piper that has haunted Dan since his childhood. This story kept me guessing, and I was really drawn to the dissection of the relationship between our main character, Dan Garvey, and his father. I think I was expecting a bit more action, but I truly was not disappointed in this read!

The multiple POVs across timelines were easy to follow and definitely kept me engaged in the story. I fell for a red herring or two (which is always a good sign to me)! I was definitely hoping for more details in terms of the criminal profiling, but I can look past that. If you’ve been a fan of Alex North before, I HIGHLY recommend checking this one out!

I have read every book Alex North has written. I have enjoyed every single one. So, when 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙚 landed, I already knew what I was signing up for. Dark atmosphere? Check. Unsettling mystery? Check. Characters who refuse to give you easy answers? Absolutely.

The story follows Dan Garvie, a criminal profiler whose life is shadowed by a chilling encounter with a serial killer from his childhood known as The Pied Piper. When Dan’s father “dies” under suspicious circumstances, Dan returns to the island. What starts as a personal investigation into his father’s death soon spirals into something much darker. As Dan starts sifting through his father’s notes, the past begins to twist into the present.

The novel shifts between Dan’s present-day search for the truth and glimpses into his father’s own private investigation years earlier. The dual timeline works brilliantly, adding depth and making the father-son dynamic even more complicated and emotional.

Then there is the other layer the author touches on. The society’s tendency to disregard people living on the margins. The novel quietly but powerfully addresses how the homeless, the mentally ill, and the most vulnerable are often invisible to the rest of the world. The chilling refrain “𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴” stays with you.

I loved how North builds tension not with constant action but through atmosphere and psychological unease. There was a point where I was reading this at 2 in the morning, telling myself I would stop after the next chapter, then the next, but I could not. I had to know what was going to happen! And yet, I kept getting the creeps. That mix of urgency and unease was done so well.

The Man Made of Smoke is exactly the kind of book I expect from Alex North. Dark, gripping, and emotional in ways you do not see coming.

Thanks to @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Man Made of Smoke delivered the creep factor that I fully expect from Alex North. Right from the beginning, I had that sense of foreboding and fear that comes with a book in this genre. I knew that this book was going to keep me eagerly flipping the pages.

When Dan Garvie was a child, he spent a few moments in the midst of a real monster. Luckily for Dan, he wasn’t the child on this monster’s radar. This monster already had his young victim, and Dan was helpless to do anything to help him. After years of guilt and obsession over this encounter, Dan became a criminal profiler, hoping that he might not only be able to help others but also help himself heal from this traumatic event that consumed him for so long.

When Dan receives news that his father has died, he goes back to the island and home where he had grown up. His father, a retired policeman, spent most of his time filtering through cold cases, including the files associated with the infamous Pied Piper, which was the case that had affected Dan. While the Pied Piper was believed to be dead, strange things are happening and people are going missing that suggest that there is something evil at play.

I could visualize everything that was transpiring in this novel. The setting was eerie, the characters were definitely intriguing, and my suspicions were constantly on high alert. I am pretty certain that I had goosebumps on my skin for much of this story.

With every turn of the page, I was deeper and deeper into this story. I wanted to discover what had happened to Dan’s father, why people were going missing, and who was responsible. It kept me on pins and needles, and that is exactly what I want when I read a book in this genre.

The Man Made of Smoke delivered just what I wanted it to and even more. The one thing that surprised me was that I found the story to be quite emotional. It made me sad, not only for the victims and those they left behind, but also for the relationships that had been affected. I honestly didn’t think that The Man Made of Smoke would make me feel much beyond fear and apprehension. It’s a true testament to the author’s writing ability to be able to deliver so much more.

*4.5 Stars