Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early audiobook edition of “The Man Made of Smoke” by Alex North, narrated by Shane Zaza, for an honest review. Shane did a great job with the narration, especially since there were several points of view for which he needed to change his voice.

This is a psychological thriller with Daniel, a psychiatrist/psychoanalyst is at the center. Dan witnessed a serial killer as a child and did nothing to save the child from the serial killer’s custody. He has lived with the guilt of not doing anything his entire life. When his father passes, it brings him back home and to the memories of that fateful day.

As Dan follows the last steps his father took before his death, he begins to unravel a murder mystery, one his father seemed to have solved, but never told anyone. Can Dan solve the puzzle and let the authorities know before the next victim is killed? Alex is always very good at building up the suspense while telling his story. He makes his readers think and rethink who it could be. Oh, that is plausible, wait, no, maybe not, keeping you guessing until the end.

The only downfall is that it was a little difficult to jump between the characters and timeframes while listening. I found myself halfway through the chapter, thinking – “wait, this doesn’t make sense” and then I realized it was a different character and timeframe than I thought it was. So you have to pay close attention. Overall, a good story.

The Man Made of Smoke might just be Alex North’s most haunting novel to date—and that’s saying something. What starts as a chilling mystery quickly spirals into a layered, emotionally complex thriller about guilt, memory, and the monsters we carry with us.

The story follows Dan Garvie, a prison psychiatrist and former profiler who’s long been haunted by a childhood encounter with a serial killer known as the Pied Piper. When Dan returns to his isolated island hometown to investigate his father’s suspicious death, he’s pulled into a web of secrets that might connect past horrors with a new, present-day threat.

North juggles timelines and narrators with ease, building an atmosphere thick with dread. But this isn’t just a game of cat and mouse—it’s also a deep dive into trauma and regret. Both Dan and his father are compelling, flawed characters, each trying to make sense of a moment that shattered their lives decades earlier.

The pacing is slow-burn at first, but once the threads begin to converge, it becomes impossible to put down. North keeps the twists grounded in character rather than shock value, and the final chapters deliver a payoff that’s both devastating and deeply satisfying.

If you’re into thrillers with psychological weight and a touch of horror, this one is for you. It’s not just a story about a serial killer—it’s about what happens to the people left behind, and what it costs to finally look the past in the eye.

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!

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.

The prologue was so good. Maybe it set my expectations too high, because I was disappointed in the rest. It was still good- just not as good as I thought it'd be. It moved kind of slow at times and there were things that could have been better developed. It is hard to be specific without spoilers.

Shane Zaza does a great job narrating.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

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!

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North started off strong but ultimately didn’t quite land for me. The eerie atmosphere, the intriguing mystery, and the unsettling supernatural element all had great potential early on. However, about halfway through, the story began to lose momentum. By the end, I wasn’t confused exactly—I understood what had happened—but I was left feeling like things didn’t fully add up.

I liked the use of multiple points of view, though it would’ve helped if the chapters were labeled with the character names to make the transitions clearer. While the concept was compelling and the tone effectively creepy, the ending didn’t feel satisfying.

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.

Shane Zaza's voice adds to the malaise of the island and the residents.

Great story from North.

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 enjoyed this one! It was spooky and eerie and the dread slowly creeping in made the story even more compelling! I will say this one felt like it dragged a bit towards the end.

I have read a few books by Alex North and they were good. This one however, creeped me out. Alex's suspenseful and horror vibes definitely came through with this book.

I do think this would have been better to read over the audio version. I almost don’t think it works in audio format because the different POVs and timelines all blend together. I found myself very confused and I really expected to like this one. I was hooked at the beginning of this book, but slowly lost interest. This is definitely a slow burn thriller as well, which I am not used to. You have to enjoy a slow burn for this one.

I enjoyed this book. I think it would have been better read than listened to though.
I did get lost a little and got a bit board so I zoned out on some parts. I liked the premise of the book, figuring out a decades old mystery while trying to stop a current killer.
All in all I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone else likes a good mystery.

Very well written and narrated. I can see how some readers will struggle with detangling the different POVs, as they come at you without warning, especially in the audiobook. But in my opinion this element of surprise works really well for the novel. You do have to pay attention though. Each POV reveals an element of the puzzle and they all come together in the end.

The writing is personal and intimate. My only complain would be that some developments are just a bit too scripted. Especially when Dan is reconstructing events/dialogs by imagining having a conversation with another person. He ends up knowing things he just cannot and ends up somehow finding the truth to the smallest detail.

4.25 for me

I was so sure I would enjoy this and then I did, I think Alex North is fast becoming my favourite. I enjoy the writing story and I have to say the narrator really added to this, I wish I could read it again, as if it was new to me. A nice little twist, that was enjoyable, obviously very fast ending.


With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

The story started with a good atmosphere vibe and an interesting premise. The multiple POV were initially difficult to follow until you get used to it. This is not a book where you get to guess the killer with the clues and the red herring. This is a slow burn atmospheric thriller where the author takes you through different views. This is way better than the previous book angel maker.

This is a slow burn but keeps you wanting more. As a child he saw the victim of a serial killer and didn’t help. Now as an adult he carries that guilt with him. What he didn’t realize was his father also carried guilt about that day. Now he will go on a journey to find out what happened to his missing father and the connection to the fateful day many years ago. In his attempt to find out what happened, he is able to heal a relationship that was slowly falling apart.

The Man Made of Smoke is fantastic on audio--I really enjoyed the narrator, and the storytelling is superb. There are multiple points of view, so it took me a good chunk to get my bearings, but I ended up reading this in a weekend because I was so invested in the story. Dan Garvie and his policeman father, John, encounter a young boy and his abductor at a rest stop when Dan is a tween. Years later Dan, a criminal psychologist, comes back to his hometown when his father dies under mysterious circumstances. Dan soon discovers that his father was investigating the abducted child and the serial killer who took him decades ago. Is it possible that history is repeating itself? Dan starts his own investigation and must race against a disturbed killer before it's too late. Recommended for fans of literary, slow-burn British thrillers that will keep you guessing! Thank you to Macmillan audio, Netgalley, and author Alex North for the librarian preview copy.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook! All views here are my own. This was an immersive read for me (Also had the physical copy thanks to Book of the Month). I enjoyed this thriller and the narrator did a good job.

In the first few pages Alex North does a great job of locking you into this story. I liked the multiple timelines in this story. This was a slow burn but once you hit the 50% mark it really picks up. This book has quite a few twists that makes you not want to put it down.

This was my first book from this author and I plan to read more from them.

If you are looking for a new psychological thriller you should really pick this one up!!

I loved this audiobook so much. 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.