Alex North delivers a chilling psychological thriller in The Man Made of Smoke, where a criminal profiler returns to his isolated hometown and confronts a deadly past. With eerie atmosphere, emotional depth, and slow-burning suspense, this is a haunting story of memory, trauma, and buried secrets. Fantastic on audio!

The Man Made of Smoke was an eerie story told in multiple POV, and had me gripped from the get go! At times I felt like I needed to look over my shoulder while listening, and felt like I was being watched. Shane Zaza did a phenomenal narration job, and his sound effects added an additional layer to the story for me.

I do wish I had a print copy to look at while listening, because I feel like I needed to go back to look at certain things I was getting mixed up on, or get the story straight in my brain.

Overall I really enjoyed North’s newest story, and might have to grab a print copy to look through once it’s out!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest feedback!

I was fully invested in all of the flashbacks scenes but found myself struggling to follow along with the present-day scenes. Eerie vibes. Alex North does a great job with storytelling.

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.

Although the audio narration is excellent, I think it would have helped me to at least start this one in print (there is one element of the story telling that was confusing for me on the audio, but I do not want to give any spoilers so reach out if you have questions). The book hooks you immediately with the crime that impacts the characters for decades. I liked the way North portrayed the impacts of trauma on his characters, and how that played out in the solving of present day crimes. I felt the tension throughout the story, and was constantly trying to figure out the whodunit of it all. The way North brought it all together in the end was well done! This is my favorite North since The Whisper Man, and I look forward to reading more from him in the future.

This was a compelling book but the multiple POVs didn’t work with having one narrator. It was too confusing to figure out which character was speaking at any given time. The narrator didn’t distinguish the multiple POVs with different character voices so it was impossible. I’d recommend people read this book instead if they want to be able to follow the story.

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.

The audiobook was great, you get a sense of the raw, emotional build up. Shane Zaza is a great narrator.

Thank you to Celadon Book / Macmillan Audio for the ALC / ARC.

I listened to the ALC of The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North narrated by Shane Zaza and I have some thoughts. First, the narration was excellent. This is a dark and creepy thriller and the style of the narration emphasized this atmospheric thriller. Our main character, Dan Garvie, when he was young 12 or 14, he went with his family and a friend to the zoo and they stopped at a rest stop for some refreshments on the way home to the island where they live. As they are headed back to the car, Dan decides he needs to visit the restroom. He enters the restroom and sees a young boy with a dirt streaked face that seems terrified. There is a whistling man in one of the stalls. Dan feels the danger and immediately hides in another stall. The whistling man exits his stall stops in front of Dan's stall and says "Nobody sees. Nobody cares." Dan has just encountered a serial killer dubbed the Pied Piper. Dan grows up studies psychology at university and becomes a profiler studying these monsters and how they become who they are. Dan is summoned back to his home on the island when the local police tell him it appears his dad has committed suicide. Dan stays at his father's house and discovers his dad's cold case investigations and begins delving into them himself including the Pied Piper. This book is just creepy and atmospheric and I felt on edge the entire time I was listening to it. I thought this was extremely well done audio production as well as a story and I gave this book 4.25 stars. I need to thank MacMillan Audio and Net Galley for my ALC. This book releases May 13th.

One word I would use to describe this story is atmospheric. I really enjoyed the town it all took place in and the history of the main character. I definitely didn't see the direction it ended up heading in and I feel for anyone that enjoys slow suspense with waves of thrilling moments this one is for you.

3.5⭐️ I found the beginning to be slow and I almost didn’t stick with it, but I’m glad I did. This mystery is a slow burn that involves an event that takes place when John is younger and shows how guilt affects all of his relationships in his life. I started out listening and the narration was not my favorite, but once I switched to my physical copy from BOTM, it was easier to follow and enjoy the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Audiobook Review: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
Narrated by Shane Zaza

I received this audiobook from NetGalley, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to discover and read new authors and share my thoughts.

This was my first book by Alex North, and while I had high hopes based on the intriguing premise and the author’s reputation in the thriller/horror genre, The Man Made of Smoke just wasn’t quite for me. I did listen to it in its entirety, and I can appreciate the imaginative elements and dark, atmospheric tone, but I struggled to fully connect with the storyline.

The narration by Shane Zaza, however, was excellent. His voice was clear, well-paced, and his accent added richness to the overall listening experience. He brought a steady and engaging tone to the eerie, supernatural elements of the book, and I found his delivery easy to follow.

The story centers around a man dealing with the death of his father, uncovering long-hidden family secrets, and confronting an unsettling figure from folklore—the “man made of smoke.” It blends psychological suspense with gothic horror and family drama, but the pacing felt uneven at times and the emotional connection I was hoping for didn’t quite land.

That said, I recognize the creativity behind the concept and know that fans of darker, more surreal fiction may enjoy the blend of horror and psychological introspection. Even though this story wasn’t the right match for me, I’m still glad I had the opportunity to explore Alex North’s work and would consider giving another of his books a try.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the chance to listen to and review this audiobook!

I throughly enjoyed this and did not see the twist coming! This was my first Alex North book and will most definitely not be the last. One thing I would have liked to see, the change of POVs from chapter to chapter. It took me reading a few lines to realize who's POV I was reading. Other than that, the writing and narration was fantastic.

The man made of smoke was my first book by Alex North and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the use of dual timelines in this thriller , I felt this added depth and intrigue to the story, especially with the different character perspectives. In this book we follow Dan, a criminal profiler, that witnessed a life altering trauma as a child after coming across a notorious serial killer. As his life progresses he is haunted by the memories he experienced and returns to investigate the mysterious death of his father. While the pacing was a bit slower than what I typically look for in a thriller, the plot remained engaging and held my interest throughout. The narrator did a good job bringing the story to life, though I do wish there had been multiple narrators to better differentiate the characters and timelines. Overall, it was a well written and enjoyable read and do believe that it will be quite enjoyable for thriller lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think this is one of those books that works better if you read it. I just couldn't keep all the characters and time lines straight in the audio and the voice was all the same so it was hard to follow.

The book dealt with how to forgive yourself after trauma and moving forward. As father and son were both wishing they could have done things differently in the past and maybe things would have had a different outcome.

I have really enjoyed his previous books.

ALC review

“The Man Made of Smoke” by Alex North is mystery thriller full of suspense.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

This is the first book from Alex North that I read and it got me interested in reading more.
Dan is a criminal profiler that works in a prison.
When his father passes in suspicios circumstances, he goes back to the small island where he lived to uncover the truth about his death.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Shane Zaza, but I wish I also had the e-book.

The story has dual timeline and multiple POVs.
Even if the narrator is good, it would have been helpful to have different narrators for each POV.
It is a bit hard to keep up with the perspective and time change, but it is helpful that the present is narrated in 1st person and the past in 3rd person.

I liked that the book is split in parts named after the stages of grief, mirroring Dan's feelings.
Dan's father, John, is an ex policeman that was investigating on his own the suspicious death of a woman.
While Dan follows his footsteps with the help of clues that he left, we also find out more though the chapters in his POV.

The story is full of suspense, mystery and action. It has a fast pace that keeps you engaged in the story.
The twists are unexpected and overall there is a lot of tension.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for offering me this Alex North audiobook. What a treat! I have enjoyed many of this author’s books previously and this one lived up to the hype. I went into it with little information. The story is about a gentleman named Daniel who is a therapist at a prison housing murders. His job is to try to uncover the underlying reasons behind their crimes. What motivated them? What drives them now? His choice of career stems from an encounter he had as a child. He was on vacation with his family when they made their usual stop in a shop prior to getting onto the ferry when Daniel went to use the bathroom and saw a small, disheveled boy standing outside of a stall and a person in the stall was whistling. The two boys made eye contact and the disheveled boy mouthed “help me”. Daniel became frightened and when he heard the whistling stop, he shut himself inside a stall and hid his feet. When it appeared that the boy was taken as part of a serial killer’s spree and murdered, Daniel felt ongoing guilt and remorse.
Daniel received a call about his father dying and rushed back to the island where these events happened. He then picks up the case himself to try to solve the mystery.
The pace of this book was good. I enjoyed the narrator, Shane Zaza, who did a great job with this audiobook.
Definitely recommend!
#TheManMadeofSmoke #NetGalley #MacMillanAudio

Psychiatrist Daniel returns home after learning of his father’s death. Daniel is still suffering, the aftermath of his encounter with the victim of the vicious serial killer when he was a child. Is Daniel tries to understand his father’s suicide, he is drawn back to his childhood and the consequences of his lack of action when he failed to act to save a child. I really like Alex North, but this lacked a little of the surprise and intensity of his first book about the Pied Piper.

This one was not for me. The beginning was very scary. I was lucky enough to be given an ALC audio from the author and NetGalley. I would recommend you read this as opposed to audio. I thought that the narrator did a good job with pacing, but many of the character voices sounded the same. I found it very difficult to follow. I rewound it a lot because I did not know who the characters were in the scene. I think I will go ahead and read the hardcover because I was very excited to read another Alex North. Sometimes the narrative just doesn’t lend itself well to audio.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and I really liked the narrator. I loved Alex North’s debut, and while I have enjoyed his other books none have come close to that debut until this one. This book wasn’t quite at that place for me, but it was very close. Daniel is a profiler but instead of chasing serial killers he mostly treats those already caught in prison. He’s called back to the small island he grew up on when his father is presumed dead, his car left at a cliff known for suicides. This draws Daniel into an investigation, following in his father’s footsteps. I think the most haunting part of this story was the repeated “nobody sees and nobody cares.” I don’t want to go into more description because I’m afraid I will spoil something. But this was definitely a fun and yet super creepy read.

This one had potential but fell a bit flat. The changing pov's made it confusing and hard to follow while listening to the audio version. The narrator was pleasant, it was the intricate plot that was off putting. Not a bad story but nothing much more than average to me. My thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing an audio copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.