I just finished this book and cannot even tell you what happens. I found the story to be extremely slow and repetitive. I also was not a fan of this narrator at all.

Author Alex North always knows how to play on the edge of readers' nerves, on the fray of our senses, and even right in front of us. "The Man Made of Smoke" begins to a young boy and ages throughout as the fear and murders entangles ever deeper.

4 eerie and suspenseful stars!

“Nobody sees and nobody cares.”

A closed serial killer’s case is reexamined. The serial killer died decades prior, but witnesses from his past crimes are now going missing.

I had an immediate connection to this eerie and atmospheric story. It has a dark, creepy, haunting, suspenseful, shadowy tone to it that had me feeling slightly uncomfortable throughout.

I enjoyed how the story unfolded through the father and son perspectives, a retired police officer and a criminal psychologist. Through both of their perspectives, the case unfolds in clever and unique layers.

One of the characters hears his father’s voice in his head leading him forward and providing wisdoms and guidance. I really enjoyed this element and felt like it added immensely to the characters personality.

I was fully invested throughout the story but took a star off for the unrealistic and overly dramatic ending. Regardless of this, I still thoroughly enjoyed this novel and do recommend it.

Audio rating: 5 stars! Although it took me a few minutes to click with the audio narrator, I ended up loving him and found he greatly enhanced my connection. He added to the eerie atmospheric tone of the story. I highly recommend the audio!

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced listening copy!

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North is a gripping serial killer thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story follows Dan Garvie, whose life has been haunted by a crime he witnessed as a child. Narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer, Dan has since dedicated his life to becoming a criminal profiler, seeking justice for innocent victims.

The narration by Shane Zaza is exceptional, capturing the tension and emotional depth of the story. North's writing is both introspective and terrifying, exploring themes of trauma, family, and the shadows of the past. The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

Overall, The Man Made of Smoke is a must-listen for fans of psychological thrillers and crime fiction. Alex North has crafted a chilling and unforgettable story that will stay with you long after the audiobook ends.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @macmillan_audio for this audio book is exchange for an honest review 🖤⁠
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I was really looking forward to starting this book but unfortunately, the audio version just didn’t work for me.⁠ 😞
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I found the story confusing and hard to follow, and it never fully held my attention. After chatting with others who read physical copies— it seems like the reading experience was much smoother and less disjointed than the audio.⁠ 😬
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For me, this one lacked tension, atmosphere, and scares. I wasn’t invested in the characters or the storyline, and I kept waiting for that moment when everything would click— but it never really did.

4.25 ⭐️ Advanced Reader Review!

Daniel Garvie's life was forever changed after almost becoming a victim of a notorious serial killer when he was a child. He has built a life for himself and even became a criminal profiler, aiming to help bring justice to innocent victims. However, when his father passes away under mysterious and strange circumstances, he returns to the small island when he grew up, determined to find out what happened to his father.

My thoughts: I thought this story moved at a good pace and held my attention. There were some scary elements to the story that weren't too graphic or horrifying, but they left me unsettled. There were a lot of characters, some of whom were hard to distinguish. The story also bounced between narrators and timelines, and that got confusing at times. I admit I had to read an "ending explained" post on Reddit to fully understand what happened; it moved so fast.

I really liked the narrator; he really brought the characters to life! Overall, I thought this was a really moving story about father son relationships and how trauma can affect everyone. 4.25 stars

This was a dark, twisty thriller that really pulled me in. It kicks off with the main character getting news of his father’s unexpected death, and from there, he’s pulled into whatever mystery his father was chasing before he died. As he digs deeper, things start to connect back to a disturbing incident from his own childhood—one that’s haunted him for years.

The story does a great job weaving past and present, slowly building the suspense until everything finally clicks into place. The reveal at the end felt satisfying and emotional, giving long-overdue closure to the main character’s past. If you like moody thrillers with a personal edge and a few good twists, this one’s worth picking up.

I usually love Alex North, but this one didn't work for me. I think a large part of my issue was that I listened to it as an audiobook, and keeping the timelines and characters straight was nearly impossible. It's a much slower burn than most of his novels, which wouldn't bother me if I thought there was more THERE there.

I read and listened to this excellent book, and I'm not sure which was scariest. Shane Zara's narration adds so much to the story......much more than my "picture in my head" had added.


Each author has their strengths and weaknesses, except I haven't found a weakness in Alex North's books yet. North's style of building a story is unique; instead of layering each character's story to build a strong foundation, North circles. It reminds me of some of my favorite Stephen King books. As THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE opens, you start an unforgettable journey that moves back and forth. Pay close attention, the clues are there, just well hidden.
At the age of 11, Dan Garvie witnessed a crime but was too scared to help the victim. Since then, he has borne the guilt that comes with knowing he might have saved the life of another young boy. In the first chapter, we meet today's Dan Garvie. He is a criminal psychologist who also works as a profiler. He lives by the credo that a criminal is still a human being. He receives a phone call that his father is missing, an assumed suicide. Dan will return to his hometown to assist in the search for his father. This town is the setting for most of the book.
As Dan visits his hometown, he will remember the summer he would rather forget. His movements and actions to find out why his retired policeman father killed himself will take him step by step back to the past, where he finds that what he remembers is only a small part of the story.
I'm not a fan of the horror genre, as I scare easily. North's writing is so skillful that the horror parts sneak up on you. He builds the tension to a snapping point, then does a 180-degree turn. Many times I thought I knew what would happen next, only to turn the page and find myself very wrong. And the killer......I never suspected him at all. WOW!!!! Easily a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the copy of the audiobook.

This was mid at best. I was interested in the beginning and then it felt repetitive. I felt like there were key details missing. The killer seemed so random I wouldn’t even consider it a plot twist it was just weird. I really wish I liked it but it just didn’t hit.

This book started out really good and I liked it a lot. But then it dragged on too long and I lost interest in the story and who did what to whom by the end.

☾ ⃰ The Man Made of Smoke | Alex North ☾ ⃰
🎧 ALC - Audiobook
★ ★ ★ ★ 3.75 /𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜

Thank you partner MacMillian Audio and #Netgallery for the Advanced Listeners Copy!

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.

💭 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:

My introduction to Alex North, known for his Bestselling Novel, The Whisperman, he comes back and brings us The Man Made of Smoke.
Let me just say the whole time I listened to this book it had me looking around me uneasy at some points of the book but I think that’s what North loves to do!

A haunting disappearance in a small town located remote island in England. We get multiple timelines and perspectives that dig deeper into the towns hidden secrets. When Dans father died he returns, while being haunted by his own past discovers something off about his father’s death, but is it connected to the things that have taunted him his whole life, he takes it in his own hands to find out the truth.

This psychological thriller is a slow burn that literally feels like it’s creeping under your skin.
The narrator for this book was perfect! First thing that came to my mind was Lemony Snicket movie! His voice sounds just like the man narrating the movie and I loved the tone throughout the whole book.

⁕ PUB DATE: May 12, 2025
The Man Made of Smoke is brought to you by Alex North MacMillian Audio and St. Martin’s Press!

DNFed the audio at 35%. I could not understand the narrator or follow the story. I tried moving to the physical and am on page 140 and debating on DNFing it as well. The lack of placemarkers for the shift in POV makes it hard to follow

Book Review
The Man Made of Smoke
Alex North
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Experience the inner musings and “games” of a serial killer and his far-reaching legacy. Alex North treats us to a non-stop, edge-of-your-seat thriller that morphs into a police procedural, offering a harrowing view into the minds of both the killer and the victims. Coined the “Pied Piper Murders” by the press, this chilling and suspenseful account begs to be read—or listened to—without pause.

Dan Garvie’s life changed during a rest stop after a long day trip to the zoo. Twelve-year-old Dan scoots to the bathroom, only to encounter a dirty, shabbily dressed boy of similar age who has the look of a terrified, wounded animal. The boy appears to be accompanied by a gaunt man who lingers in the shadows, whistling an eerie and mournful tune. Dan rushes into a stall and fearfully locks the door. Before the shadowy man leaves, he mutters aloud: “Nobody sees, and nobody cares.”

When the coast is clear, Dan opens the stall door—only to discover a photograph, likely dropped on purpose by the boy. The image sends an involuntary scream to his lips. Dan has just encountered—and narrowly escaped—the clutches of a heinous serial killer: the Pied Piper, who targets unattended children.

Weeks later, a camper van is discovered on the side of the road with a dead driver clutching the steering wheel, presumed to have died of a heart attack. A careful investigation of the van reveals the charred remains of four boys. The police consider the case solved, even though the identity of both the driver and the remains is never confirmed. Authorities insist the last victim was the boy Dan saw at the rest stop. Dan initially denies this, certain the boy he encountered was not the final known victim. The encounter leaves Dan with lasting emotional scars—guilt and shame that never fully resolve.

Haunted, Dan becomes obsessed with the case and reads the true-crime account A Man Made of Smoke by Terrance O’Hare multiple times. At sixteen, he remains fixated on the four known victims—Robbie, Sean, Paul, and Charlie—torturing himself with the possibility that his cowardice may have contributed to their deaths.

Dan eventually finds solace by devoting his life to investigating heinous crimes as a prolific police profiler, working from within a prison and studying the most depraved offenders. Decades later, he receives a phone call informing him that his father has died—possibly by suicide. Dan returns to the small island of his birth, only to discover that his father’s body has not been found. At his father’s home, he uncovers numerous files and boxes of data confirming an obsession with the Pied Piper Murders. John Garvie, a retired police detective, had continued investigating the case long after it was considered closed.

As Dan digs into his father’s research, he falls down a rabbit hole, uncovering evidence that suggests the murders may have continued in a similar fashion long after the supposed death of the Pied Piper. Could there be a copycat killer?

Alex North proves to be a master storyteller, weaving a horrific tale told across multiple timelines and perspectives. The result is a chaotic puzzle that comes together with escalating suspense and intrigue. North also explores the complexities of father-son relationships, as well as unrequited youthful friendships and love. This terrifying novel relentlessly builds toward an unforgettable denouement.

I personally found myself frequently switching from Kindle to the audiobook, expertly narrated by Shane Zaza. Shane brings his acting talent to bear, capturing the nuances and voices of each character with precision. His exceptional narration drew me in more than the written word.

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and Advance Audio version in exchange for an honest review.

This was a creepy, intriguing story about a man who comes home after the disappearance of his father. As a boy, the protagonist had a brush with a notorious serial killer, which has haunted him for years.

I enjoyed the story and the narration.

The mixed emotions I have deep down inside for this book is the most unsettling part of it all. This expertly written story follows Dan’s life as his past and present collide. As a boy, he was within seconds of interacting with a serial killer, leaving him with a lifelong feeling of guilt. In present day, Dan’s father’s suspicious death brings him back- back to the island, back to the thoughts that haunt him, back to the same serial killer?!

The beginning of this story was a slow burn, taking plenty of time to give off a creepy, unsettled feeling. The dark atmosphere continues from there, building suspense and keeping the reader flipping pages and asking for “one more chapter”!

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

This is my second Alex North novel and it was pretty good! Definitely eerie with the way the settings were described and the actual serial killer gave me chills.

“Nobody sees, nobody cares”. This ominous line gave me goosebumps everytime I read it. As a kid, Dan sees another young boy at a rest-stop who appears to be in danger. He can immediately tell this boy needs help and that the man whistling in the bathroom stall is a threat, but unfortunately, Dan doesn’t help the boy. He hides in a nearby stall. That boy he didn’t help ended up being another victim of the “Piep Piper” and now it’s years later and Dan is still grappling with his guilt, but his past isn’t done with him yet as he has to return home and deal with his father’s unexpected death. Things don’t seem quite right, so Dan starts digging into what his father was doing all those months before his death and, horrifyingly enough, it all seems to be connected to that awful night as a kid when he made the biggest mistake of his life.

I liked this one, but it kind of lacked that edge-of-your-seat quality I prefer in my thriller books. This was more of a mystery/police-procedural while we follow Dan slowly uncover what his dad was working on before his death, and we also get some of his dad’s POV chapters (which I wish were labeled, this got very confusing fast). There were some personal tidbits (like drama with a cop over the girl he loved as a kid) that added some depth to his character but ultimately left something to be desired since the cop isn’t mentioned at the end after everything that had happened in the book.

Overall, the reveal of the serial killer was surprising but also nothing groundbreaking. I was just hoping for a twist that would WOW me and take it up a notch, but in the end this was a very steady mystery that felt very average to me.

I also DO NOT recommend the audio. Thank you MacMillan for the ALC but to be honest, I don’t think it was narrated well. There were issues with flow, pacing, enunciation, and not enough variance in voices for other characters.

This book had so much more potential and I would have rated it 4 stars but I didn’t love the ending. So honestly more like 3.75 ⭐️.

Dan’s life has been haunted by a crime that he witnessed as a child. He has dedicated his life to be a criminal profiler. He is trying to seek the truth for innocent victims.

Dan gets a call that his father is missing and presumed to be dead. Dan is trying to figure out if the serial killer from his childhood is back and if his father’s disappearance is because Dan’s father has also been trying to find this serial killer.

Overall, I read this book very fast but the last 20% of the book kind of went in a different direction than I had wanted it to. I do think it’s a decent read though.

I did listen to the audiobook while reading this book on physical. I’ve heard mixed reviews that people wish they would have read the physical copy instead of listening to it. I agree the audiobook wasn’t as engaging as I was hoping for but it was still good.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this for free in return for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book! I listened to this audiobook, and once I started it, I listened to the whole thing in one sitting! What an intriguing plot, with all the unpredictable twists! I had no idea what was going on, but I had to keep listening to figure it out! The narrator did a great job of drawing me in and keeping me interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy!

Alex North is the king of atmosphere and is one of the best to bring you into the depths of the story.

Slowwwwwwwwwwww Burn. Not my favorite from North. I started it and started over as I was afraid I missed something. The storyline fell a bit flat and predictable. Excellent reveal premise.

Audio Narrator Shane Zaza was the perfect choice to bring this to life.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.