I have had a literal hit and miss experience with this author. I have had one 5 star read and one 2 star, so this book was very much a decider. I am so happy that we're firmly in the hit space as I thorough enjoyed this book and couldn't get enough of it.

When I say this story was tense, I mean that it was TENSE. I raced through this within 24 hours and some of that was because I wanted it to get to a point where I knew what was going on and relax. The atmosphere was eerie throughout and I was living for it. The fact that it was told from multiple perspectives at different timelines I think added to the pace and helped me go so quickly.

One of my favourite things about this book was the way that Daniel was chasing his father's investigation; following the breadcrumbs left by John. The father son relationship was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. They were definitely much more alike than they thought it just took some murders and suicides to make them realise.

If you're in the market for a dark, serial killer thriller that truly does pack a punch and will clasp you in it's grip, then I wholeheartedly recommend The Man Made in Smoke.

A thriller with pace that twists and turns. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This is a slow burn, creepy as hell thriller that gave me goosebumps. I did enjoy it but I did feel there was a lag in the plot at times. And a lot of repetition in places. Or at least that's what it felt like. Overall, I was intrigued by the story and wanted to read on to find out the conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into themes of trauma, memory, and the haunting nature of the past. The story follows Dan Garvie, a criminal profiler who has been haunted by a childhood encounter with a notorious serial killer.

The plot kicks off when Dan's father dies under suspicious circumstances, prompting Dan to return to his small island hometown to uncover the truth. As he digs deeper, he begins to suspect that the serial killer from his past may have returned. The narrative is told through multiple perspectives, including Dan's and his father's, which adds depth and complexity to the story.

North masterfully explores the psychological impact of trauma, portraying Dan's internal struggles and the tension between his past and present. The story is filled with suspense, keeping the reader on edge as Dan uncovers startling truths about his father's death and his own past.

The Man Made of Smoke is a compelling and well-written psychological thriller.

This is a great mystery thriller.
Daniel sees a boy of a similar age to him looking scared in a service station, and his lack of action still haunts him today.
He was only young himself but still that experience affects his adult life.
When he gets a call to say his father has died he heads back to his childhood home. It seems his body has not yet been found but the Police think it’s only a matter of time before the sea brings him in.
When looking round his house Daniel realises his Dad has been looking into old cases and is shocked when his research has links to the boy at the service station.
There’s quite a few layers to this story and I liked how it all came together at the end.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Michael Joseph publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North is a slow-burn thriller. I was expecting to be thrown into the action but it began slow, building up the tension. As the narrative unfolds, the story deepens in complexity and emotional resonance, drawing you into a haunting exploration of trauma, memory, and the thin line between reality and imagination.

By the final chapters, the pacing picks up considerably, delivering a satisfying conclusion.

The Man Made of Smoke is a thoughtful and eerie read, I would recommended to readers who appreciate atmosphere and a narrative that takes its time.

A gripping, gut-twisting thriller, The Man Made of Smoke will appeal to readers of MR Craven; it also reminded me in places of Karin Slaughter’s early work (if she was British). 3.5 stars rounded up.

Children are going missing with no clues about who the perpetrator is. Daniel Garvie a young boy sees the victim and is so scared by the man with him who is whistling a strange tune that he hides and both the man and the boy disappear. Years later Daniel is now a criminal profiler who is haunted by the decision he made as a child. However, when his father goes missing in a presumed suicide he realised that the past may be coming back to haunt him.

This was a really engaging and suspenseful novel. I really liked the details about Daniel and his father's relationship and how the incident as a child had shaped his adult life. I was also completely engrossed by the murderer's plan and the reasons for the killing. A gripping and thrilling novel which I had to finish in one sitting; 5 Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

The Man Made Of Smoke really gave me the heebies! From the first chapter this book had a real sense of foreboding and uneasiness. Our main chap is a guy called Dan, a criminal psychiatrist who returns to his hometown when he’s informed that his father is missing. His return is accompanied by a trip down memory lane, when, as a teenager, he had an encounter with ‘the man made of smoke’. His encounter with the serial killer left him feeling guilt ridden and he spent years he obsessed over the man. As Dan starts to investigate what could have happened to his father it seems that every road points back to the man made of smoke.

This book brutally shot down three of my theories as to what the heck was going on! The plot just kept twisting out of reach. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters as well. They felt so genuine and down to earth which was refreshing in this genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The book sucked me in at the beginning with a very strong opening chapter that left me thinking this is going to be good. However, at the end I was left with questions that I would have loved answered.
The plot had huge potential but there were too many loose ends for me to say it was properly executed.

I don’t think running dialogue that the main character had going on in his head really worked either as it implied he had a close relationship with his dad and that his intuition was spot on everything single time he tried to work through what to do next.

At one point I did have a working theory as to how it would end but I am so glad I was proven wrong by a great twist.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book, all thoughts in this review are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I thought it was so well written, it was very descriptive. It was creepy and it did keep me entertained. While I wasn’t surprised by the killer, it was still dark and twisted. It was my first Alex North book but it certainly won’t be my last.

A thriller to keep you turning the pages. It is complex in story and in its execution as it follows various timelines and voices . Alex North excels at protagonists with a dark and twisted past. The main character Dr Dan Garvie , a criminal psychologist , has a link somewhere to a series of murders being investigated by his father, a retired policeman and news of his fathers disappearance sets Dan off on this eerie journey of discovery

OMG! WOW! An unforgettable story, with twists & turns to keep you guessing. An absolutely brilliant, creepy, atmospheric, book which gives you serious heebie-jeebies. Loved everything about this book. Amazing characters & a fantastic plot. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

The Man Made of Smoke is an incredibly gripping and fast paced novel that is packed full of twists.
I highly recommend.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Told in three different styles; first by John, the retired policeman, then by his son Dan, a psychiatric doctor in a prison and finally by the story of the various victims of The Pied Piper and his copycat killer. In slightly different time lines both father and son are on the trail of the killers both racked with different senses of guilt but united in their quest to finally put the story to bed. Loved the relationship between father and son plus the author’s ability to reveal their individual characters’ imagined conversations. At one point in the story Dan comes across his nemesis Detective Liam Fleming and I was so very pleased that Dan gave him his comeuppance. It was a very satisfactory moment and I did feel myself doing an imaginary fist pump after reading it! Loved it! Think this would make for an excellent TV drama!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. The Man Made Of Smoke was a fast paced, cleverly written thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The twists were incredible and I definitely didn’t see them coming. I really liked the characters and the development of their stories. The book is really suspenseful and very dark but exciting at the same time. I would highly recommend this book to any thriller readers. 5 stars

This was a very very slow burn of a read. The exciting bits were few and far between.
I did enjoy Daniels story and his story arc, but it could have been a heck of a lot shorter.

There were times I was confused, when the narrative switches from Daniel's POV to his Dad, John. There isn't really a clear indication until your into the chapter. I usually love multiple POV stories, but with this one I did find it very repetitive and slow.

On the whole it was a good storyline and eerie plot. But because of the pacing I did struggle to pick it up to carry on reading.

The title of the book is reflected in the story as it smoulders away throughout As the reader, you find yourself questioning what exactly guilt is. Is it due to an action, a reaction or no action. And what happens when you are as scared as the other party. The story is also partially set on an island and the dynamics of living on such a small area were very true to life, having lived on one myself. You are never too sure which way the tale is going and it does have a few "wow" moments towards the end. First time for me reading this author and I enjoyed the book very much.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

I was really excited to read this book as Alex North is a fantastic storyteller and the Whisper Man was a 5 star read for me.

I found this book a little harder to get immersed in. The switching between different point of views was hard to keep track of with no sign posting as to who’s point of view we were reading. This took me out of the story a lot.

The story itself was very well thought out and plotted and I loved the character of Dan. I did find this book quite slow and then the ending to be rather rushed. I must admit I was hoping for more suspense.

All in all this wasn’t a bad book, but far from the authors best.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. It is a slow-burn mystery that will creep under your skin from page one. You'll feel that sense of dread building as Dan Garvie returns to his island home after his father's suspicious death.
Growing up, Dan witnessed something horrific, a brush with a serial killer that shaped his entire life. Now, he's a criminal profiler and the possibility that the evil from his past has resurfaced? Absolutely chilling.
The author masterfully shows how that childhood trauma affected both Dan and his father. This book is dark, it's haunting, and it's a total thriller. This twisted journey will keep you guessing until the very last page. Get ready to be seriously freaked out. You won't be able to put this one down.