Release: May 13, 2025
Author: Alex North
Publisher: Celadon Books

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

This is hands-down my favorite Alex North book yet. I was hooked from the very first chapter and could not stop turning the pages. The atmosphere was eerie, the pacing was tight, and the psychological depth made it stand out from other serial killer thrillers.

The story follows Dan, a criminal psychiatrist who returns to his hometown after his father, a retired police officer, is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Years ago, Dan had a chilling encounter at a rest stop with a man and a boy who later turned out to be a victim of a serial killer known as “The Pied Piper.” That one moment left a mark on both Dan and his father, and now, it seems that past is catching up with them.

What I really loved was how Dan’s professional background—working closely with criminals and his ability to empathize with their minds—played such a big role in unraveling the mystery. It gave major Criminal Minds or Hannibal vibes and made his perspective compelling. North switches between timelines and POVs—Dan in the present, his father before his death, and even the killer’s chilling voice from the past. It took a little extra attention to track who knew what and when, but honestly, it just added to the suspense.

The mystery itself was super twisty. Every time I thought I had it figured out, the story threw another curveball. The emotional core—especially the father/son dynamic—added real heart to the darkness. And by the time everything came together at the end, I was completely satisfied. No loose ends, just a brilliantly crafted conclusion.

Creepy, clever, emotional, and completely addictive. North nailed this one.

Dan Garvie has never been able to shake the trauma of a chilling encounter he had as a kid—an encounter with a serial killer that he barely escaped. That moment shaped his entire life, pushing him into a career as a criminal profiler where he’s committed to giving a voice to victims. But when his father dies under suspicious circumstances, Dan returns to his isolated island hometown to get answers. As he digs deeper, he begins to wonder: could the same killer from his childhood be back?

The Man Made of Smoke is a haunting, emotional, and suspenseful story about the weight of past trauma, the bond between fathers and sons, and the monsters—both real and remembered—that we carry with us.


Favorite Quote:
"there's a difference between knowing something and understanding it."

𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾
The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North (out 5/13)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After reading The Whisper Man, I’ve never missed an Alex North book! To me, his stories are a perfect amount of creepy.

In The Man Made of Smoke, criminal psychiatrist, Dan, returns home after his dad, a retired police officer, is reported dead. After a haunting encounter with a serial killer at a rest stop, the guilt of surviving and of not being able to save the victim has followed both men for decades. Now home, Dan learns that prior to his death his father, John, had discovered the body of a dead woman and was working his own investigation to track down the killer. Then a mysterious photo arrives on Dan’s doorstep, and is the first breadcrumb that leads him along his father’s trail of research. It soon becomes clear that these events are somehow connected to that first encounter years before.

Though Dan officially works as a psychiatrist for inmates, he has taken on jobs as a profiler because of his ability to empathize and assume the mentality of others. This element made his quest to solve the mystery really interesting. It reminded me of Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, or the Hannibal tv show. North’s book are typically pretty emotional and this one had touching insights on father/son relationships and vulnerable communities. Since Dan and John both follow the same trail in different timelines, I did have a little trouble keeping track of who knows what- but nothing a little page flipping couldn’t solve haha.

Thanks @netgalley and @celadonbooks for this early e-galley!

I have read every Alex North book and this is by Far my favorite. I was hooked from beginning to end and found myself desperately trying to figure out the ending. I found it so original and such a page turner. I will be reading this again and buying it when it comes out. His best book to date.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 13, 2025
Dan Garvie is a psychologist who works with mentally ill individuals who have committed atrocious crimes. To others, Dan works with “monsters”, but Dan doesn’t see it that way. Because Dan knows what a real monster looks like. When Dan was a child, he had a brief interaction with the serial killer the media labeled, “The Pied Piper”, and it has haunted him since. When Dan gets news that his father has died under suspicious circumstances, he immediately returns home to deal with the aftermath. But once there, Dan begins to uncover information that has him questioning if his own past is actually as far behind him as he hoped.
“The Man Made of Smoke” is the new novel by “The Whisper Man” author, Alex North. More of a psychological suspense than a horror novel, “Smoke” is engaging, suspenseful and, best of all, features a deliciously twisted serial killer.
North’s novel is multi-timeline, with multiple narrators. Dan is the protagonist, in the present day, but we also hear from Dan’s father in the days before he died and there are segments narrated by the unnamed serial killer, that start back when he was a child. Although the majority of the story takes place in modern day, Dan’s interaction with “The Pied Piper” from his childhood has such an impact that readers get a portion of the novel focused on that experience as well. North combines all of these into a well-formed, flowing, creative storyline that kept my attention throughout.
The original “Pied Piper” serial killer is dead, officially and legitimately, so right away, we can strike him from the suspect pool. But North makes the who-dunnit guessing game an intricate labyrinth of exciting twists and turns, ensuring that when the killer is revealed, the culprit is completely unexpected. The conclusion of the novel was a journey, as there was no simple, straight line to identify the killer but North was able to ensure that any leftover questions were answered.
North never disappoints in providing fast-paced page turners, and “Smoke” is no exception.

"Nobody sees," the man says. "And nobody cares."

Absolutely phenomenal! I was hooked from the first chapter and never wanted to put it down!

A small rest area - a little boy, a grown man, and eerie feeling left behind. When Dan was almost a teenager but still a boy, he bumped into a man and a child at a rest stop bathroom. The encounter was unnerving. And, later, they learn that the boy had been kidnapped and the rest stop was the last time he was seen.

Now, it's years later Dan has grown up. He works in a prison psychiatric ward with the prisoners. But he's called back home when they find his father's car parked near a cliffside with a note in the glovebox.

The story kicks off from there. I was so completely hooked from the start because Dan was an easy main character to like. He did all he could to stay cool and analyze what was going on. We also get the POV of his father, John, from before the fateful day his car is found. It was nice to get the lead up to what Dan was doing - and his father was another easy POV that I really enjoyed. There were so many moving pieces, the plot was so easy to get wrapped up in, that I completely missed all the clues and never guessed our twists and turns.

This was an excellent, well-paced mystery that kept me feverishly flipping pages until the very end. This was a very good read!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

So creepy! I love Alex North thrillers and this one was great. Told in different timelines and from different perspectives, this novel kept me guessing until almost the very end. John, a retired police officer works on his own to solve the mystery of a child serial killer. His son Daniel saw the killer with one of his young victims (James) in a restroom… But the young victim was misidentified. Daniel spent years blaming himself for not saving that little boy. John spent years trying to figure out who the boy was, and who the current killer is. Anyone who had anything to do with not saving that little boy was targeted.. the mystery deepens the farther into the book you get and you realize the killer is playing a bizarre game with his victims… Making them watch while he murders others. This book was so scary and I couldn’t put it down. Another winner for North. Thank you, NetGalley for the digital copy. All opinions are my own.

I was really excited to read this arc because this author has been a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, this book was just so difficult to follow. There were so many Time jumps and points of view and people talking to people who weren’t there that it just made it really hard to follow. I wish that there had been some kind of chapter titles or something that would include the reader in as to what was going on because often times I didn’t know who was speaking or when they were speaking. I really liked the concept of the book. The idea that this traumatic event has stuck with this man his entire life and now someone is killing everybody involved. I just really couldn’t get into the bucket and it took me so much longer to get through than it should have.

In The Man Made of Smoke, Alex North returns with his most unsettling novel yet—a psychological thriller woven through with supernatural dread and horror. It's a story about memory, guilt, and how far we're willing to go to uncover the truth.

Dan Garvie grew up trying to forget the worst day of his life: the moment he hid in fear while a child was taken—by a man who became known as The Pied Piper. Now an expert criminal profiler, Dan has built a career trying to understand killers… and trying not to see that man’s face in every nightmare.

But when Dan receives a call that his estranged father, a retired cop with secrets of his own, has died by presumed suicide, Dan returns. As Dan he begins reading through his father’s cryptic notes, a pattern emerges: people connected to the original case are dying. They’re seeing things. Hearing things. Being hunted. The lines between past and present blur—and Dan begins to wonder if he’s following the killer’s trail or being hunted himself.

Unnerving, and atmospheric, The Man Made of Smoke is a thriller about the damage we carry, and the dark that waits at the edge of memory. #manmadeofsmoke #celadon #alexnorth

✨✨✨Entertaining. Haunting. Emotional✨✨✨

The Man Made of Smoke gripped me from page 1 and kept me intrigued throughout!! This book is packed with a lot of chilling twists, multiple povs and timelines (never confusing though which I appreciate), suspense, and emotions.

This serial killer thriller had a bit of everything. Overall it was entertaining, haunting, and surprisingly very emotional and introspective. I absolutely loved it and devoured this one!!

This is the first book I’ve read from Alex North and I’ll definitely be reading more from him in the future! This one is a new favorite for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released May 13, 2025.

Daniel Garvie's life is haunted by a moment. As a young child he witness something linked to a series of disappearance. Now Dan will have to confront the past as his father joins the list of missing. His father left him a trail to follow that will take him back to the past and the moments that changed their small community. Dan has devoted his life to seeking justice for innocent victims, now it's time to return to the day that changed it all.

Alex North has a unique storytelling ability. As the reader you jump between POVs as well as timelines. North does this fluidly creating a streamline consciousness that leaves you guessing. This had all his trademark signs and fit well with previous work. Thank you Netgalley and Celadon for the advanced copy of this book.

Really well written thriller that felt authentic. There were genuinely scary moments, richly written characters, and a fantastic story that kept me intrigued from start to end.

This one got under my skin—in a good way. It’s creepy, emotional, and keeps you guessing. Dan Garvie’s been haunted by a killer from his past, and when his dad dies under weird circumstances, he heads back to the island he grew up on to figure out what’s really going on. Right away, you start wondering: is the killer back, or is something else going on?

The atmosphere is super moody—dark, foggy island vibes, full of secrets. It’s not just a murder mystery; it’s also about trauma, family, and facing stuff you’ve been running from your whole life. The relationship between Dan and his dad gives the story more weight, which I didn’t expect but really liked.

Only reason it’s not a full five stars? It slowed down a bit in the middle, and a couple of twists didn’t totally land for me. But overall, it’s a solid, eerie read that sticks with you. Definitely recommend if you like your thrillers with a little more depth and a lot of tension.

“NOBODY SEES and NOBODY CARES” ... after reading this "thriller" I too didn't care.

The story begins with young Daniel, on his way to "the Island" with his family and friend, Sarah, when they stop at a rest stop and he encounters the "Pied Piper" and a small boy, in a men's room. Unbeknownst to Daniel, and the other Employees of the rest stop shops, the "Pied Piper" is a serial killer who has abducted the young boy, who may turn out to be his last victim before meeting a gruesome end.
Flash forward several years and now young Daniel is a prison psychiatrist who remains haunted by what he witnessed, and his inaction when confronted by the young boys plea for help.
Soon we learn that his estranged father, a former police officer, has disappeared and possibly died on the island setting Daniel off to "the island" to unravel the mystery of his disappearance. As he follows in his father's footsteps the body count rises as another serial killer emerges with ties to the events that transpired at the rest stop decades before.
Daniel is helped by a rather tedious gimmick; conversations he has with his missing father in his head. These are intertwined with the Father's own investigation into the abducted boy and the more recent murders.
The writing style and gimmicky conversations derailed what would otherwise be an engaging thriller.
I will at least state that the modern day murder was not who I suspected, but that is probably due to the voices in Daniels head leading us both astray.
I've read better by Alex North.

No body sees and nobody cares!! From the beginning I was gripped. I loved the back and forth way North tells a story! I never saw the twist coming and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller and a good twist!

First of all, THANK YOU for the opportunity on reading an ARC!!! Alex north will always be one of my favorite authors. This book had me on the edge of my seat, total page turner. I read well into my bedtime because I couldn’t put it down! 5/5

I have loved books by Alex North in the past, and recently read one of his. However, this one was too slow for me and I did not finish it. What I did read I enjoyed and had I been in a different mood, I would have loved it.

Dan Garvie has felt haunted since the moment he nearly came face to face with a notorious serial killer as a child. Carrying years of regret he goes on to become a criminal profiler, hoping to seek justice for innocent victims.

After years of rarely visiting the island he grew up on, Dan is brought back to face the facts of his father’s suspicious death. Is it possible that the monster who once plagued his dreams is back for more?

The Man Made of Smoke is a slow burn mystery that grips you from the start. The twists in this book I could not see coming. I was actually fully convinced of the ending pretty early and was completely off 🤣 thank you Alex North for keeping me on my toes and making me feel like I should double check that the doors are locked. 🥴

Thank you Celadon books and NetGalley for the arc! This book releases May 13, 2025.

This was a good twisty, murder mystery with some romance and regrets in it. I gave it 4 stars though because many times, it was hard for me to follow who was speaking in the story. Just my issue, because it was a good book. Just not an easy to follow in my opinion.
The ending was stunning and good !!!

Many thanks to Alex North, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this novel. I’m a huge fan of Alex North, and I’m happy to report that this is his best work to date. The Man Made of Smoke is a smartly plotted, character-driven, well-written mystery/thriller. This is well done from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Alex North for an ARC of The Man Made of Smoke. Wow honestly what a chilling story. Alex has absolutely outdone himself with this. The beginning is a bit trying to figure out what is going on - but the slow burn is completely worth it. Once the first puzzle piece fits in it’s a wild ride from there - dark, terrifying, tension filled, traumatic. Everything that makes a great psychological thriller. Dan Garvie was at the wrong place at the wrong time as a child. He witnessed the Pied Piper, a serial killer, at a rest stop and it has haunted him for his whole life. As an adult he dedicated his life to becoming a criminal profiler to help seek justice. Dan receives a call about his father’s passing and makes his way back to the island where he grew up. He doesn’t understand what happened to his father and starts wondering if it has to do with what happened when he was a child. Dan and his father had a rocky relationship while growing up and he has to face decisions and emotions he has put away for decades.