This is my second book by author Alex North. Sadly this book was not for me. The book started off promising with an intense beginning but after a few chapters in, I lost interest, which the audio didn’t help.

I wasn’t a big fan of narrator Shane Zaza. The story was confusing at times on whose POV I was listening to. I tried to enjoy this one and maybe having the physical copy would have helped.

In the book The Man Made of Smoke, author Alex North writes about Dan Garvie who has been haunted by his childhood when he narrowly escaped being taken by a serial killer. He has dedicated his life to helping get justice for innocent victims and profiling criminals. When his father dies, he returns to the island he grew up on to discover answers. Has the killer from his past resurfaced? And can Dan stop him? This was a haunting story that kept my interest. I would recommend this book.

Wow! This book was a ride! It was a very interesting way to present a serial killer mystery having the main character be a prison psychologist. There were major creep factors like the whistling from the killer and the mantra that Dan kept saying to himself....I didn't expect the ending but I did appreciate it. I liked that the story was wrapped up nicely too. Definitely recommend to those who love thrillers and suspense.

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Pub Date: May 13, 2025
How I Read It: 🎧

Synopsis
Dan Garvie has never forgotten the crime he witnessed as a child. He was lucky to escape an encounter with a serial killer in a public bathroom. He’s now a criminal profiler seeking justice for innocent victims, and when his father dies under suspicious circumstances, Dan returns to his small island hometown looking to find the truth about his father’s death. Is it really possible that the serial killer from his childhood is killing again? Nobody sees, nobody cares.

My Thoughts
This is my favorite Alex North book to date! The story was creepy, suspenseful, and kept me guessing and on my toes the whole time. The book has different view points and goes back and forth between the past and present to tell the whole story. I was surprised by the ending, it was not what I was expecting! I thought the narrator was great and did a fantastic job portraying the characters to where you feel their emotions in this psychological thriller.

Themes
🫣 Suspense
🔪 Murder
Kidnapping
Multiple POVs

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 4 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 4 ⭐️
Narrator: 4 ⭐️

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

The Man Made of Smoke was super intriguing right from the beginning. I was really excited to see where the story took us and how it was going to end. I loved the criminal profiler element to this story, as I find that profession so interesting and impressive. However, I quickly got lost in this one. I feel like I would have had a better time if I were to read it physically, as I had a hard time knowing when the POV switched and keeping track of who was who. All of the names used in this story were very basic, so placing the name to the character was not easy for me, at least through the audio.

I wish that the narrator could have used different voices for each POV or clearly announce when it switched to keep the audiobook easier to follow.

I'm a fan of this author, and I love how he spins tension and nightmarish plots to hook you and keep you hooked.

This was a well-paced story with strong character arcs and many questions to answer with past crimes and present. I did not see the reveal at the end of who the killer was. At all. Total mind-blower. Dark and creepy as hell. It's a thriller that is almost horror, but not quite.

This was a great story! The narrator did a great job of telling it. There was a lot of suspense and drama involving the protagonist and what he witnessed when he was younger.

My first read by Alex North and it did not disappoint! This book was a mastermind with a gripping and chilling story.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this thriller with me in exchange for my honest opinion!

10/10! LOVED THIS! Honestly, I feel that it would be an amazing movie one day. It was very detailed and kept you hooked. It wasn’t predictable to me either which made it so much better.

🎧 4.25⭐️

I had the audiobook of this serial killer with amateur sleuth fused with psychological thriller read by Shane Zaza. We get several points of view but I didn’t find the voices of Dan and his father John distinctive enough.

For me the author is back on form with this more traditional crime / psych thriller, as usual it’s very character driven. I found his previous book overly complex and complicated with the theories he utilised. This one is much less complicated.

The pace is on the slower side, so it relies on you engaging with the characters. I think having the audiobook helped with the slow burn as this style isn’t usually a favourite for me. You need to concentrate as we get John’s voice as his own point of view but also as an inner monologue with Dan.
It’s very dark but not at all graphic. It flips time frames from the present to Dan’s experience as a child. There’s a constant sense of foreboding and the tension builds well. As well as the mystery it also explores the feelings of guilt, (I felt that was a little over done) and father /son relationships. The Whisper Man still remains my favourite, but this is well worth a read if you loved that book.

This was a super creepy and suspenseful story! Alex North knows how to make awful men. It was atmospheric and I was pulled in immediately.
Shane Zaza was a perfect narrator, he really helped to capture the mood.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
🎧Audiobook review:
I can easily sum this book up in three words!
1️⃣Mysterious!
2️⃣Suspenseful!
3️⃣Chilling!

But wait! There’s so much more…
Dan had a close brush with a serial killer when he was just a child. As you could imagine, this singular encounter has shaped his life. He now dedicates his life to help others as a criminal profiler.

After receiving word his father died somewhat mysteriously, Dan returns home to find answers. Dan may not be prepared for what he finds!

Could the serial killer be back? After all these years?

If you’re a fan of Alex North, don’t miss this latest! Now available!

The narration by Shane Zaza was mesmerizing. A wonderful performance!🙌🏼

Thank you to NetGalley Macmillan Audio and Alex North.

Posted to www.instagram.com/kaceey_readsalot

In the book The Man Made of Smoke, author Alex North writes about Dan Garvie who has been haunted by his childhood when he narrowly escaped being taken by a serial killer. He has dedicated his life to helping get justice for innocent victims and profiling criminals. When his father dies, he returns to the island he grew up on to discover answers. Has the killer from his past resurfaced? And can Dan stop him? This was a haunting story that kept my interest. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up. I love the authors previous books; in fact, The Whisper Man was one of my first thrillers as an adult and it's what jumpstarted my love for the thriller genre. I also really love the serial killer subgenre, and this one did a great job of creating that creepy and scary atmosphere I look for. The narrator did a great job, although with multiple POVs I do wish we had a different narrator for each. The POVs changed by the chapter and did not specifically distinguish whose POV it was. That made it a bit confusing for me but after a while, it did start to get easier when the storylines were more established. This was a heart pounding, edge of your seat thriller and I binged the audiobook in a day, I could not stop. There were no real dull moments. I really enjoyed how the story wrapped up and I truly did not expect the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the multiple timelines in the POVs of Daniel Garvie, his father John, and a boy named James. The layered and traumatic mystery connecting all of them unravelled at the perfect pace, holding my attention throughout. The narrator, Shane Zaza, did a great job conveying the tone of the story. Fans of crime thrillers will enjoy this book.

The Man Made of Smoke is a slow-burn thriller that kept me hooked with its eerie atmosphere, layered storytelling, and creeping suspense. The novel blends the chilling legacy of an old serial killer with a current wave of disappearances—some of which end in grim discoveries.

What sets this book apart is how it builds tension without rushing. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the mystery to unfold gradually while giving readers time to question everything. There’s a constant sense of unease that lets you feel the anxiety the characters are all feeling for different reasons.

The plot weaves past and present in a way that feels organic, and as the pieces start coming together, I found myself genuinely surprised by the twist near the end. It’s the kind of reveal that makes you want to rewind and see all the clues you missed along the way.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you’re into atmospheric thrillers with dark secrets, missing people, and a clever payoff, The Man Made of Smoke is worth the read. It’s not a fast-paced rollercoaster, but the slow burn pays off in the end.

This was a good one! There were plenty of twists and turns, that kept me guessing (which is my favorite type of thriller/horror read). Definitely one that I am going to recommend to whoever will listen.

5/5

A Man Made of Smoke is an atmospheric serial killer thriller. This dark, haunting psychological thriller features Dan Garvie, a criminal profiler and therapist whose life has been impacted from an event in his past. When he learns of his father’s supposed suicide, he returns home and discovers that a mystery awaits him. As he unravels the disappearance of his father, he uncovers so much more, linking the past to the present.

As the plot unfolds there is a constant sense of tension and foreboding that keeps the reader gripped from beginning to end. The recurring mantra, “Nobody sees, nobody cares” and the whistled tune, add chilling elements. Shane Zaza narrates the audio-version of this story and his accent and tone add just the right amount of authenticity and creep-factor that make this story so much more impactful. I really enjoyed the narration and recommend this well-written story to mystery/thriller readers.

If I had a rooftop to shout “FIVE STARS” from I absolutely would! Shockingly this was my first Alex North book (I’ll be catching up now) but I’ve always heard such great things and I’m so glad I listened to this audiobook. I loved the story - hello serial killer(s) and missing people - but I loved the characters. I could relate to Dan as a fellow mental health professional who provides therapy in a prison setting and I enjoyed the island residents and their dynamics/histories. There’s just something about coming home and seeing people you wanted to escape that I can relate to. I listened to the audiobook and LOVED the narration. Despite the creepiness of the story I felt soothed by the narrator’s voice.

When I picked up this book, I didn’t quite know what to expect. What I got was an atmospheric mystery that melted effortlessly with elements of slow-burn horror and thriller. The author does an incredible job of setting the mood right from the start, and I found myself completely immersed in the story.

One of the aspects I enjoyed the most was the pacing. It’s not the kind of horror that jumps at you from the beginning. Instead, it slowly creeps in, building tension with every chapter. The sense of unease kept growing, and I couldn’t help but feel constantly on edge, even when nothing explicitly scary was happening.

The mystery element was equally gripping. I genuinely had no clue where the story was going, and every twist caught me off guard. The way the plot unfolded felt natural, never rushed or forced, which I really appreciated. It’s rare to find a story where horror and mystery balance so well without sacrificing one for the other.

Listening to this book during a buddy read made the experience even better. My friend and I couldn’t stop discussing our theories and thoughts after every chapter. We rushed through it together, unable to put it down, and by the end, we were both genuinely surprised by how everything came together.

If you’re looking for a book that blends atmospheric horror with a gripping mystery, I highly recommend this one. It’s a slow burn, but the payoff is more than worth it. You’ll be hooked from the start, just like I was.