The Smiling Man is the second book in the Aidan Watts series. It is a series that I enjoy for its darkness, honesty and local setting. Manchester is a city I know reasonably well and I always enjoy reading a novel ‘knowing my way around’.

It is safe to say that neither Aidan, Sutty or Superintendent Parrs, who has the power to destroy Aidan would be the police officers who be my first choice for assistance. I think, after reading this book and learning more about Aidan’s life he would be the better option.

I was aware from reading Sirens of the problems that Aidan has had in his life. I knew he faced dismissal from the police for his actions. More of the hatred he faces from fellow officers and the control from the extremely sinister Parrs is revealed. You see the battle he faces with drug and alcohol abuse and living with what has happened in his past. I felt that most of the hatred felt was self hatred.

As well as the murder investigation, there was another story that ran through out the novel that concerned a young boy who had to assist a criminal. This side of the novel had more impact on me than any other part of the story. The guilt and fear for his sister’s safety if he’d didn’t do as he was told was chilling and often uncomfortable to read. More so, because it was so convincing.

I am currently reading book 3 in the series and I am loving reading the books together. It is highly recommended.

I devoured the first Joseph Knox title, so was looking forward to reading this enxt one - it didn't disappoint! I like the character of Aidan Waits, and his track record lends his personality a gritty aura.

With two stories running alongside eachother - the discovery of the body of the 'Smiling Man' and the unknown young boy helping commit crimes in the past on behalf of a sinister figure (obvious enough to figure out who the child was, but not so much that it ruined the plot), you were wondering whether the stories were related or not.

I would say that reading the first Aiden Waits novel would be recommened, especially to understand why he is treated the way he is by colleague.

This was a very complex murder/mystery story which also showed a lot of the darker side of the police.. Excellent characters and descriptions which all joined together to make the story compulsive reading.

This is the author’s second novel and a sequel to his incredibly impressive debut, Sirens (you can read my review of Sirens here: https://bit.ly/2znmENN). Once again, we’re with Detective Aidan Waits, a deeply flawed officer with Greater Manchester Police. Waits has a history of drug abuse and corruption, he’s also a man with many enemies having been pressed into undercover work in the plot of Sirens against some of Manchester’s biggest crime gangs.

In The Smiling Man, we find Waits relegated to the night shift, alongside his partner, DI Peter “Sutty” Sutcliffe. Sutty is another deeply flawed character; obnoxious, a man who revels in the misery of those he encounters. The night shift they’re assigned to entails patrolling the city in an unmarked car, responding to any call outs that might require a CID presence. They then hand the cases over to the “proper” CID in the morning. So, it’s a dead-end and thankless shift, a graveyard for problem officers such as Sutty and Waits.

One night, the two are called to an incident at The Palace, a derelict hotel. There they find the night-watchman has been assaulted and upstairs, on the fourth floor, a corpse with a rictus smile. The labels of the man’s clothes have been cut out, his teeth and fingerprints altered, nothing on his person to identify him. The case is going nowhere and Sutty and Waits are allowed to keep ownership, Sutty wanting to close it down as suicide for his stats (the assault on the security guard written off as a coincidence). Waits, at heart having a core of decency, won’t let it lie however and begins to investigate.

There are a number of strong subplots supporting this central tale – a vulnerable student in need, a ghost from Waits’ past rearing its head to torment him. Together with the main plotline they create a compelling tale. Some reading this might spot a flaw: would CID really allow Sutty and Waits to keep the case of The Smiling Man for themselves? Would it not be subject to the full murder inquiry treatment? Of course, the answer is yes, but this misses the point.

One of the things I loved about Sirens, and equally enjoyed when reading The Smiling Man, is a certain confidence to not be too realistic. That might sound counter-intuitive, but to my mind too many crime writers try too hard to pursue realism. They research police procedure ad nauseum and try desperately to make their books as accurate as can be. Joseph Knox has sidestepped that urge. First, in Sirens, he made Waits an undercover officer on a deniable op, thus freeing him of the need to adhere to the rules. In The Smiling man he performs a similar trick with his graveyard night shift. Yes, in the real world The Smiling Man case would likely be taken off him and Sutty, but Knox writes so well, crafts such a convincing narrative – a Manchester and Great Manchester Police almost dystopian in its dysfunction – that the artistic license is believably compelling.

I so happened to read The Smiling Man when the GMP was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, a number of corruption scandals rumbling away in the news. It made for an ominous drumbeat to Knox’s fictional vision and if nothing else the reports might have given him ideas for future outings in the series. Like Sirens before it, The Smiling Man is a brilliant novel. Bring on book three!

A strange and somewhat disturbing tale of the man found in a hotel room with a smile on his face. Investigated by yet another of these dysfunctional detectives who is yet very bright and very good at finding the criminal, we find all sorts of interesting facts about this murdered man, as the story continues.

The story is dark and not uplifting but also compelling and whilst I can't say reading it was enjoyable, I was determined to find out what had happened to the man. I did not warm to any of the characters and thus would not necessarily read more about this detective. But the story line was good as was the writing style, so I may yet be convinced by this author...

This is the second book in the Aiden Waits series, a dark and gritty read that is even better than its prequel
It takes no prisoners! Within the dark underbelly of the city, evil is ever present. I loved the way that the author manages to deliver a great plot, with a terrifying theme and yet still demonstrate a dry humour. This shows just how good the author is in engaging with his audience. Highly recommended!

If I had known this was the 2nd in a series I wouldnt have started it without reading the first BUT Im so glad I did... this is excellent and I didnt feel like I had missed anything by coming to the party late!

This is a dark crime thriller featuring an unusual hero in the form of Detective Aiden Watts who is facing the night shift due to past sins.

With a mysterious murder and a dark subplot this was a real page turner.

Looking forward to book 3!

The second in the Aidan Watts series

DC Aidan Watts is a flawed character. Drink and drugs and all manner of other vices have left his character tarnished and his reputation indelibly stained. He has been relegated to the permanent night shift together with another reprobate, DI Peter Sutcliffe (Sutty). They don’t get on and the atmosphere, when they are together, is charged with mistrust and something leaning towards malice.

Watts has always been a loner and someone who kicks against authority. When he finds a body in a hotel which is being renovated he decides to investigate despite being ordered to focus on other more mundane tasks. After all, investigating a murder is much more interesting than chasing after someone who has been lighting fires in dustbins.

The plot is a good one. It draws the reader into a complex web of intrigue. You feel that the individual parts must be linked in some way but it’s difficult to see how. The personality of the main protagonist shines through and is well-drawn. The other characters are slightly less well-formed which is why I have docked a star. I am also not a fan of the staccato dialogue approach, so popular with many thriller authors these days but that is a very personal thing and it can be very effective in small quantities but not throughout the whole book in my opinion. I also had trouble keeping up with the relationships between the numerous characters but blame age, not Mr Knox.

I am not surprised that the author has quite a following and his books, according to an Amazon search, have been translated into several languages. His growing reputation is well-deserved and I would be more than happy to review his future tomes.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I hadn't read the previous book in this series, though I had read good reviews and had been told by friends that it was worth reading, so I was looking forward to reading this. It took me a little while to get into it and I definitely think it would have helped if I'd read the first one as it may have helped me get into this book sooner. Having said that, once I got into it and started understanding what had happened to the main character, Adrian, I found myself not wanting to put it down as it was full of action and the story itself was good. Adrian is something of a maverick, he's not your typical Detective and at times you wonder how he's managed to stay in the Police Force! I found myself warming to him as the book progressed and by the end I really wanted a happy ending for him. I hope there are more to come in this series as I enjoyed it.

The Smiling Man is chock full of characters, not least the archetypal anti-hero, Detective Adam Waits. The story twisted and turned more than the Rio Grande, and the climax was suspenseful!

I will buy more from Joesph Knox!

Brutal, noir, gritty and authentic featuring a flawed hero this is the second of what is turning into an unmissable series of police procedurals.

Set in Manchester it portrays the underbelly of the city and is written by an author with a deep knowledge of the city and what goes on there.

I enjoyed the first Aidan Waits thriller but this is far, far better. Well written with a well plotted story line and peopled with great characters, this is really worth a read.

Highly recommended.

Terrific story with a damaged loveable character. Very simple but cleverly written and compelling history. Hopefully the beginning of a new series of books with Aiden Waits.

Detective Constable Aidan Waits has been relegated to the night shift. This means long hours of boredom sat in the car with his hated immediate superior, DI Sutcliffe, hours interrupted only by the occasional petty crime, such as an arsonist setting fire to litterbins, but nothing to really get his teeth into - and if there were the day shift would take it over. Then Waits and Sutcliffe receive a call from an empty hotel - a security guard has been knocked unconscious, and, investigating the premises further, Waits finds a dead body, smiling as if it had no troubles in the world. The man seems completely wiped clean of anything that might identify him - no wallet, no labels on its clothes, even his fingerprints have been removed, and his teeth replaced. It looks like Waits has found himself a proper case at last, and he's determined to hang on to it.

DC Aidan Waits, hero (or antihero) of Joseph Knox's first novel Sirens is back. He hates the guy he's partnered with, he hates the higher up brass at the station, he hates been demoted to the monotony of the night shift, but he's still determined to make a go of it as a detective. The discovery of a dead body leads Waits on a seemingly hopeless chase for a murderer through the grimier side of Manchester. Meanwhile, he's got himself involved, against his superiors' wishes, in a case of blackmail of a young female student , and is himself being followed by someone sinister from his past.
Waits is definitely one of the modern breed of troubled detectives, and as some of his backstory was gradually revealed I began to wonder if through his career he sought to gain a certain level of absolution for his past.
Whereas, though, I loved Sirens, I was less comfortable with The Smiling Man; this isn't in any way Knox's fault - in fact in might be because his depictions of child cruelty, and the less salubrious side of Manchester were just too real and disturbing.

For those waiting patiently for the sequel to The Siren, your dreams are about to come true! The Smiling Man brings with it the masterful return of Aidan Waits as a new spider's web of intrigue and difficulty faces our anti-hero.

Aidan is as close to a poster boy for troubled protagonists as you are likely to find. He is suffering under the weight of a lifetime of bad choices but refuses to give in. Here, we learn a lot more of his past and how he came to be where he is. He is still languishing in the police force sin bin, being snubbed by peers and superiors alike. But, looking to reset the balance, he keeps his head down and does his level best to fight for the underdog, by whatever means necessary.

This second book in the series carries all the strengths and grit of the first book, and, if possible, is even better. This is a complex story with many threads tangled tightly which Aidan must unravel. Be warned, there are some disturbing passages of child cruelty and violence. Hard to stomach but it explains so much. This is a brilliant novel sure to excite even the toughest police drama thriller critic out there.

I found this detective very unusual and obviously sort out of his mind from his past. With his colleagues almost working against him and his past chasing him, he does well to get where he solves the crime.

Grit and drama collide in this, the second in Joseph Knox’s excellent and dark Aidan Waits series. With intrigue in spades, this tightly-plotted thriller serves up a peek into the dark underbelly of Manchester.
One of the first things that hits you about this novel is that it’s dark in only the way that a Danish (or English) noir can be. We pick up after the events of Knox’s fantastic first novel Sirens, meeting Detective Aidan Waits after the near-career-ending drug addiction that plunged him into hot water in the first place. Now, he’s on the night shift- deliberately quiet, deliberately out of the way- with his loathsome colleague Sutty, but when they’re called to a hotel break-in in the middle of the night to sole the mystery of why an anonymous man died in one of the rooms, things suddenly get a lot more complicated.
One of the things I really liked about The Smiling Man is complex and tightly-woven the plot is. We dig more into Aidan’s not so savoury past, finding out more about what made him the way he is, as ghosts come back to haunt him, and we find out more about his everyday life too, as he connects with his former flame Sian. That definitely makes the book as a whole more compelling: as we get to know Aidan better, we grow to care more about him- and the decisions that he makes.
So, we get three plots: Aidan’s life, a sex-blackmail case, and the main Smiling Man case, all spun together. In the hands of a lesser writer, this could quickly devolve into a messy, tangled web, but Knox makes it all hang together, and keeps us interested in all parts of the case, and how it reflects on Waits. He’s the fascinating character in the centre: desperately flawed, jaded, desperate and damaged. Watching him operate is part of what makes the book so interesting- especially given his not-so-savoury recent past.
The plot itself races along, as you’d expect from a book with so much to cover. Though it can get a bit overcrowded at times- and the sex-blackmail subplot isn’t really necessary- the twists and turns are what kept me reading. I also really loved the way in which Knox brings Manchester to life: like in all good noirs, the city has an identity of its own, with a very contemporary darkness hidden at its centre that gives the whole book an atmosphere of claustrophobia and unease.
This is one of the best noirs I’ve read in some time. Complex, grappling with the idea of identity, and featuring a damaged, ruined protagonist who is nevertheless compelled to do the right thing, it’s a great follow-up to Knox’s first book, Sirens. Now for a cup of tea…

The Smiling Man is the second book in the Aidan Watts series, the first being Sirens ( which I really liked). Although I think you could read The Smiling Man as a standalone, definitely towards the end it would make more sense if you'd read Sirens.
I actually enjoyed The Smiling Man more than the first book. Aidan Watts is a really simple yet very complicated character and in this book we learn more about his background and maybe get an insight into his complexities, running along side his investigation into the death of the "Smiling Man". There is a "twist" in this case and in my opinion its brilliant I never saw it coming! Aidan Watts relationship with every other law enforcement officer seems to be rock bottom and yet he still seems to come out of it with the upper hand. Really like Joseph Knox style of writing and as this is my "normal" genre I read a lot of crime/thriller I have definitely placed him up there with my favourites and sincerely hope that we get a book 3!

This book was even better than the previous one! I loved Sirens last year and I knew I’ll continue reading this series. So when the sequel to it called The Smiling Man was available on NetGalley, I had to get my hands on it. And I’m glad I did! In Sirens, I neither like our protagonist Aidan Waits nor did I hate him. He’s the perfect example of anti-hero. But in The Smiling Man, I absolutely loved him and felt for him. Not for a moment did I want to leave him alone. I was way more invested in this book than Sirens. The plot was way more complicated, with four plots running parallel and all converging in the third act. And what’s more, each one of the plots were equally important. You couldn’t have done away with any of them. The writing was crisp and easy flowing than the previous book, which is a major plus point. The third act was an absolute blast! I was at the edge of the seat, reading as fast as my eyes could run across the text. I hope to see more of Waits whenever he is ready.

The Smiling Man by Joseph Knox gets 5 out of 5 stars from me.

Detective Constable Aidan Waits isn’t exactly the golden boy of Greater Manchester Police, and to a certain extent, he seems accepting of that. Consigned to night shift, stuck in a loop of answering emergency calls he never gets the chance to see through to resolution, he’s drifting, personally, and professionally. When he and his partner, DI Peter Sutcliffe, are called to a disused hotel, the monotony is broken by the discovery of a body. A man whose identity seems to have been erased, right down to his teeth having been replaced, and the tags sliced out from his clothes. Most disturbing of all, the man appears to be smiling, even in death. Waits starts to piece together strands of the mystery man’s life, a seemingly impossible task, and when some of his own ghosts look like they’re coming home to roost, he’s not sure he can trust anyone, including his own colleagues, to uncover the mystery of the smiling man, as well as coming to terms with the darker parts of his past.

It barely feels like yesterday since I read Sirens, one of the standout debuts from last year, so set about the sequel with a certain level of anticipation. Happy to say that it more than lived Joseph Knox’s Manchester is as gritty and raw a setting as you’ll come across. Waits is an interesting twist on the classically flawed protagonist. Most of his colleagues see him as damaged goods, some believe he’s as corrupt as those he’s up against. As readers, we see this perception clash with moments of moral clarity and strength, almost like he deliberately fosters the tarnished image, to create the space to do things his own way. His quest to learn the identity of the Smiling Man turns borders on a voyage of self-discovery, and being along with him for the journey, seeing behind the face that he presents to his boss, and his partner, you can’t help but root for him every step of the way. This has the potential to be one of the classic series in coming years, and a dead cert on my TBR pile.

Having really enjoyed Joseph Knox’s debut novel, Sirens, I had been looking forward to the follow up and am glad to be able to say that it lived up to expectations.

The book starts with the main character from the previous book, DC Aidan Waits, back working on the night shift in Manchester and having nothing more exciting to do than investigate dustbin fires. That soon changes when a break in is reported at a local hotel, the Palace, and a dead body is discovered. The plot then quickly accelerates through numerous twists and turns, finally reaching a dramatic conclusion.

What is impressive is that the author starts the book with several different seemingly unrelated characters and incidents and gradually brings them all together over the course of the book. In Sirens I felt that despite the story taking place from DC Waits’ point of view he was, at times, slightly incidental to the events that were unfolding. Here he has a much greater role in the story and his determination and disregard for playing by the rules has a major impact throughout. The quality of the writing is excellent with a fast pace maintained, some fantastic descriptive paragraphs and sharp dialogue, with some excellent one liners from Waits’ partner, Sutty.

A number of characters return from the previous instalment and, while this book works completely fine on a standalone basis, having read Sirens would provide more background to the story.

This is a really outstanding effort for a second novel and, for what it’s worth, Mr Knox seems to be treading a similar path to Ian Rankin in writing crime thrillers set in and around one city which he clearly knows very well. It really is that good and comes highly recommended. Look forward to the next one!