Thank you @netgalley and @celadonbooks for an advance ebook copy. A criminal profiler is haunted by a run in with a serial killer in his youth, and returns home when his father disappears under mysterious circumstances. I’m intentionally trying to be vague here, because I think it’s best to just jump in. Alex North’s newest novel was smart, page turning and full of suspense. I’ve only read The Whisper Man from North, but in comparison I would say his latest is faster paced and more gory (much of it was insinuated or hinted at, while some was detailed on the page). It also deals with a father son relationship. A binge worthy thriller perfect for summer reading!

The Man Made of Smoke was a well plotted thriller!

Loved the dual timelines of father and son. I definitely did not see that ending coming and was pretty surprised.

It was creepy and eerie with the perfect amount of scare factor! If you're a fan of North then you will definitely want to pick this one up!!

4/5 stars

Not sure what happened here, but the story didn't see to intrigue me the way it did everyone else that rated it, maybe it was just wrong timing so not gonna rate it anywhere else just gonna move on and try to read it some other time maybe..

Overall I loved the way Alex North decided to tell this story. Whenever there's a thriller about a serial killer I feel like authors often choose to instill fear in the reader by depicting the crimes on the page, but North decided to talk about the ancillary feelings that come when you feel like you're in the presence of something or someone dangerous. This choice in storytelling method really captured me from the very beginning. While I often wasn't fearful while reading this, my heart was in my throat for almost the whole book.

The Man Made of Smoke is the new book from Alex North and one of his best.

"Dan Garvie is still haunted by his brush with a serial killer when he was a kid. He's dedicated his life to becoming a criminal profiler. When his father dies under suspicious circumstances, he returns to the island community he grew up in. Has the monster of his childhood nightmares returned?"

North kept me engaged for the entire book. You're wondering what are the connections? Who is the killer? What happened to the dad? What's the endgame?
Dan has regrets. What if he had done something different at the rest area? A lot of his internal monologue is full of what he could have done differently and includes his interactions with Sarah and his father. North leads you one way and you'll think you've figured it out but of course there's a different outcome. North has always had a level of creepy in his books. The setting here adds to that - an isolated island - a mysterious killer - and a man made of smoke.

Great story from North.

The Man Made of Smoke is an eerie, atmospheric novel that leans heavily into folklore and psychological dread, trademarks of Alex North’s style. The premise is gripping—blending ghost stories with childhood trauma and the lingering effects of grief—but the execution feels uneven at times.

The novel builds a strong sense of mood and mystery early on, but the pacing drags in places, and the story occasionally gets lost in its own shadowy ambiguity. While North delivers a few truly chilling moments, the emotional depth of the characters felt underdeveloped, making it harder to stay fully invested.

That said, the writing is solid and the final act offers a satisfying, if slightly convoluted, resolution. Fans of slow-burn supernatural thrillers may find it worthwhile.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

Alex North had me hooked from the very first page with The Man Made of Smoke! It was eerie and heartbreaking with a bit of a supernatural element that I really enjoyed. I loved placing the puzzle together with our main characters, and I appreciated seeing their father/son dynamic evolve as the story went on.

Some of the timeline was a bit confusing to me, but otherwise I very much enjoyed this book and would love to read more by this author!

As a young child, Dan Garvie saw a serial killer in action. Haunted by what he saw, Dan becomes obsessed with the Pied Piper. So dedicated he became a crinimal profiler. Dan's father John, a police officer, spends his retirement also searching for the infamous serial killer. This was a simmering slow burn with emotional build up. This one will send chills, examining father/son relationships, guilt, and recenge. Dont miss out on this one.

Thank you to Celadon Books ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this arc! I had really high hopes for this book, but truly struggled with this read. The beginning was quite slow to me, and I kept getting confused regarding whose POV I was currently reading. This may be improved with formatting with the finished copy, but for me the frustration of trying to figure out the basics as a reader put me off from this story.

Another creepy Alex North novel! This was too scary to read at night so I had to stick to daytime hours. "The man" was sufficiently scary and his whistling creeped me out!

The Man Made of Smoke is another clever and page-turning psychological thriller from Alex North. I really liked the point of view of both father and son and how their relationship was impacted by the child’s disappearance. North’s writing is riveting, and he leaves so much suspense at the end of chapters. I got a bit confused during James’ chapters in the early pages, though things made more sense as the story unfolded. The ending threw me for a loop, and I had to go back and reread a few parts to make sure I understood. I expected a chilling novel from North, and was not disappointed by the story! Read this one with the lights on!

This book hooked me in right from the beginning and held my attention throughout. Switching perspective and timelines throughout, there is a natural curiosity and confusion that really drives the story. While the different narrative weave together and unveil more and more, I found that everything was revealed in a way that never felt repetitive or redundant. I really appreciated the depth and dimensionality added to the narrative throughout. While the central mystery remained consistent, North still managed to include personal development and feelings into the story which added an earnestness and believability. This added care to the characters really helped create a deeper understanding into their mindset and made much of their decision-making, even when flawed, understandable. I think the overall mystery was really well handled and allowed for much conjecture along the way; while the ultimate reveals ended up being much more emotionally striking than I had anticipated.

I did feel like, at times, the characters lacked the appropriate amount of urgency, which I found most surprising given Dan's connection to the past and what he had uncovered; it almost felt like he removed from the main drama a bit and I couldn't make sense of that. Even given Dan's mantra for being detached and calm, there was a point where I was really waiting for him to finally reach a boiling point earlier.

Probably 4.5

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with a digital review copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC. This was a bit of a slow burn but overall I enjoyed it. I felt for Dan. As a young boy, what would you do if you saw another child who needed help? I liked how Fan had to get into his father’s farm of mind to solve the case.

Thank you Netgalley & Celadon Books for an eARC ♥️

No stars. No rating. Just a confession: I finished this days ago, and my hands still feel cold when I think about it.
This isn’t a story you read—it’s one that happens to you. Like realizing too late you’ve been whispering along with the words, only to choke when they twist into something unspeakable.
At first, it feels almost mundane. Dan’s strained silences with his father, the way they orbit each other’s grief like planets doomed never to collide—you’ll mistake it for backstory. But that’s the trap. By the time you understand how deep those cracks run, you’re already falling through them.
There’s no flashing sign when the horror shifts from *creeping* to *crawling down your throat*. Just a sentence—maybe two—where the air changes. Then suddenly, you’re reading faster, fingers slipping on pages, because something is wrong and you need to outrun it. (Spoiler: You can’t.)
The ending won’t give you peace. It’ll give you the awful, gilded gift of knowing,while leaving you stranded in the echoes of what you’ve witnessed. And that last line? It’s not a period. It’s a blade left halfway in.
For Those Who Want (Need?) To Try:
- You’re okay with stories that don’t end as much as abandon you.
- You’ve ever wondered what your own heartbeat sounds like when you’re truly afraid.
- You suspect the most terrifying things are the ones we almost understand. 😟

Another 3 star read from Alex North.

Once again, Alex North has yet to wow me like he did with his debut The Whisper Man. The creepy elements and spooky atmosphere were there, but as the story went on, the pace dragged and tension dropped, and I found myself getting bored. The main character was annoying with the constant talking to himself and others in his head. That got old very fast. The ending reveal was also dissatisfying.

Nobody sees, and nobody cares

Daniel Garvie has a successful career as a prison psychologist, his patients those convicted of crimes (often quite heinous). He also has helped law enforcement from time to time by compiling profiles for those who committed as-yet-unsolved crimes. He was inspired to choose the profession by an event from his childhood, a chance meeting at the age of eleven at a highway rest stop with a serial killer. The Pied Paper, a he came to be known, kidnapped and killed five boys between the ages of five and fifteen, and was only brought to justice when he was found dead of an apparent heart attack in the camper van he used to transport the boys, the final victim dead in the back. Daniel had seen that boy in the restroom at the rest area a few weeks earlier and had known instinctively that the boy was in trouble and needed help, but couldn't bring himself to act. The man was inside one of the stalls readying to come out, and Daniel instinctively ran and hid. His guilt at not having grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him to safety colored his adolescence and adulthood; he has erected too many walls around his emotions to have a successful relationship. His family splintered after the encounter and the ensuing publicity, his mother leaving him and his police officer father behind and his relationship with his father has been difficult at best. A phone call one day from the police on the island where he was raised, letting him know that his father has gone missing and is likely dead (a suicide off the highest cliff on the island) is a tremendous shock and engenders more guilt. Why hadn't he made more of an effort to be a better son? How could he not realize that his father was ready to take his own life? Returning the the island he thought he had escaped forever causes Daniel to look at his life and that of his father through a new lens, and he comes to suspect that the unfortunate events of that day when he was eleven may have some bearing on his father's recent actions. Why was his father looking into that old case, and what had he found that so disturbed him? Putting his profiler skills to work, Daniel retraces his father's investigation....and discovers that another killer may be at work.
The Man Made of Smoke is a psychological thriller featuring a protagonist who experienced great trauma as a child and blames himself for not having saved a scared young boy from death. His mantra is to remain detached and stay calm, which certainly helps him keep his anxieties at bay but also has prevented him from having a successful relationship. He finds it difficult to believe that his father would kill himself, especially since no body has been found, and hopes that looking into the Pied Piper case as his father had been doing will provide him with answers. He also has to come to terms with their difficult relationship. On the island the head of police is a former school bully who had made Daniel's life unpleasant years earlier, which makes him reluctant to share with the police what he is doing. That this same man is in a relationship with the woman who was once Daniel's best friend and for whom he still has feelings further complicates things. The book shifts between the present (Daniel's actions), the near past (Daniel's father's actions), and further back to when the Pied Piper was gathering victims and avoiding detection because, as he explained to one of the boys, nobody sees him and nobody cares what happens to them (which seemed to be demonstrated when the killer and his soon-to-be-victim walked around the rest area without anyone seeming to notice that there was something wrong except Daniel, who did nothing). The pacing is steady, the atmosphere is tense and eerie, and the characters of Daniel and his father are well-developed. There are more than a few plot twists along the way, and the reader is kept guessing about not only what is happening in the present but also what transpired all those years ago. I wish there had been a bit more development of the secondary characters, but overall it was a gripping read that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I suspect that in addition to readers of author Alex North's previous books those who enjoy authors like John Connolly, C. J. Tudor and Megan Miranda would find this to be an excellent read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me access to this well-crafted thriller in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will start with the fact that I am a huge fan of Alex North and his novels. Unfortunately, his latest release missed the mark.

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child committed by a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler. So when his father dies under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits the small island community determined to uncover the truth about his father's death.

This is a character driven, slow burn story that has excruciatingly slow pacing and honestly not much going on. Usually I am completely consumed by his books but I just could not get into the story. I did not like Dan. I found his incessant talking to himself and the voices in his head annoying. For a profiler, he was a bit of a nutter.

I will always be a fan of Alex North, but this was my least favorite of his books. Read it and see if you like it as this is just my opinion.

3.5 stars. Nobody sees and nobody cares. 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?
Told in a few different timelines and POVs, The Man Made of Smoke will haunt you.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this digital e-arc.*

Nobody Sees.
Nobody Cares.

No creepier words spoken than what appears throughout this story. This slow-burn mystery begins with a young boy witnessing something that haunts his life. Many years later things begin to resurface that put him the position to relive his nightmare.

Your skin will crawl with the flashbacks and the story of James. Alex North surely knows how to make a reader sleep with the lights on after finishing his novels.

Thanks for the free book Celadon Books.

I have been searching for the perfect creepy mystery this year, and I’ve found it!

“Nobody sees, and nobody hears.”

This line is deliciously haunting and set the stage immediately for a sad and unsettling story.

In 2001, Dan Garvie sees a young boy his age at a rest stop—a boy who is clearly terrified and needs help. Dan freezes, hides in a bathroom stall, and is haunted by this story forever. Over two decades later, the people at that rest stop that day start disappearing one by one.

This book is paced more like a mystery than a thriller, but I could not stop turning pages to see who was responsible and how they pulled off all their crimes. I felt such deep empathy for almost every character, and I felt a sense of dread and anticipation all thr way through—a perfect combination for a book like this. Alex North never disappoints!

Alex North knows how to write a spooky thriller, and this book was just another example of that.

This book had me hooked in the first few pages. Right off the bat we’re introduced to the bad guy, and I loved how it sets up the whole story. There was almost a hint of supernaturalness to what was going on, and I liked how that was kind of left up in the air for a lot of the book. The book switches between a few POVs during a couple different timeframes, but I had no problem following along. There were a few times where the amount of characters referenced got a little confusing, but it was nothing that context clues couldn’t fix. I thought I had the twist figured out, but I can honestly say I was completely taken by surprise at the end.

You know a thriller is good when it freaks you out in real life.