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.

The Man Made of Smoke is atmospheric, twisting and engaging. I couldn’t wait to read this having read another book by this author. I liked how the story develops, there are time shifts and different view points that allow for tension and big reveals like only a thriller can give. I loved the more horror elements that trickled throughout but the main plot is a murder investigation.
The characters are complex and real making for this to be that bit more terrifying to read, it just rings so true to life.
I felt the pacing of this one is a slower burn than usual thrillers and though captivating I didn’t stay up into the late hours missing sleep. I think this one on the whole explored deeper emotion that makes for a heavier and darker read to take your time with so I think this is why I paced myself.
Overall a great thriller that I would recommend.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This is the first book I have read by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got a banger of an opening, lots of twists and turns, a great sense of atmosphere and a surprising ending. However, the story moves around both in time and with different characters taking the lead, and I admit to finding it a little confusing at times - it wasn’t always clear who we were listening to. I also felt some of the Daniel/John chapters were overly repetitive, and I feel like the story could’ve been shorter and not lost any content. In conclusion, I didn’t love this book, but nor did I hate it.

I requested this because I love a good thriller, anything dark and creepy that keeps you guessing.
I can’t really say much without spoiling it.
I thought this was okay, it was pretty fast paced but I felt like it still could’ve been shorter.
The story moves around in time and with different characters so I did find it a little confusing at times and the story kinda lost me in the middle but did pick up in the end.
However, it was a decent story and a quick read!

It starts in a service station and a disturbing encounter, also a mother and son on a beach. What happens at this time resurfaces 20 plus years later and Daniel is left a message by his dad. What happens next is lots of twists and turns. Nail biting and heart stopping.

Loved it!
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I found the writing style so relaxed but engaging throughout.
Although this book felt mostly like a thriller/crime novel, the horror elements did shine through. Getting in to the thrill... JUMPSCARE!

I will definitely be looking out for more books by Alex North!

Having previously enjoyed The Whisper Man and The Shadow Friend, I was keen to read this book by Alex North and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

As a child, Dan Garvie’s disturbing encounter with a young boy and a faceless man when visiting a service station after a family outing, changes him irrevocably, shaping his whole future existence.

The man encountered (though not actually seen) by Dan as a twelve-year-old is the eponymous character of the title, believed responsible for the murders of four local boys whose bodies were never found, one of whom, convinced by the police to be Robbie Garforth, was the boy whose terrified face now haunts Dan, who feels responsible for not saving him.

In the main, the narrative alternates between Dan’s and his father John’s perspectives, interspersed with occasional input from others linked to ‘The Pied Piper’, as the perpetrator comes to be known. Throughout his teens, Dan’s obsession with the case casts a shadow over the Garvie family home. After his mother walks out, he and his father co-exist uncomfortably until Dan finally leaves the island to begin university and puts the past behind him.

Now a criminal psychologist, Dan holds the view that no-one is truly a monster, despite whatever heinous crime they may have committed. But a phone call telling him that his father, retired police officer John, is missing, presumed to have thrown himself from a cliff into the sea, sends Dan back to the island where he grew up and where one monster from his past still seems to be lurking.

Dan learns from his childhood friend, Sarah, that shortly before his father’s disappearance, John had discovered the charred remains of a woman’s body in woods where he was walking. It becomes apparent that John, although retired, had been digging into the case himself and its possible connection to the dark events from the island’s past.

As the story unfolds, the reader is taken on a harrowing journey, deftly plotted and unpredictable, with more than a few unexpected revelations along the way. The central characters are believable and empathetic, the exploration of Dan’s complex, strained relationship with his father deeply moving. I found the details shared by The Pied Piper’s one young victim, James, particularly heartbreaking. This was a dark, twisty and emotional read and one I highly recommend.

My thanks to the author, Penguin Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the ARC.

As I've come to expect from Alex North, this was a grippy, scary serial killer novel with a lot of humanity and heart. It kept me hooked from the beginning and the characters, flawed though they may be, were enticingly complex.
Twisty and easy to devour

A brilliant and twisty psychological thriller where one event from childhood can never be forgotten. This book kept me guessing as well as turning the pages. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

A chilling psychological thriller following Dan Garvie, a criminal psychiatrist haunted by a childhood encounter with a serial killer known as the Pied Piper. When his father mysteriously disappears, Dan returns to his isolated hometown and uncovers a disturbing trail that suggests the killer may be back.

Told through shifting timelines and multiple perspectives, the novel delves deep into memory, trauma, and the darkness people choose not to see.

This is a slow burn that builds tension expertly. The creeping dread grows chapter by chapter, which really drew me into the mystery. While a few moments linger longer than necessary, the payoff is worth it. The final act is a tense, twist-filled race to the truth that’s hard to put down.

Dan is a compelling lead - complex, wounded, and deeply human. His guilt over the past and his drive to understand killers make him a fascinating lens for the story. The supporting cast, especially his father and the victims, add emotional weight, while the killer’s eerie presence looms throughout. North’s characters feel real, their pain and fear palpable.

It’s atmospheric, unsettling, and emotionally charged, The Man Made of Smoke blends crime and horror into a gripping tale of guilt and redemption. Alex North delivers another twisty, thought-provoking thriller that lingers long after you finish. A must-read for fans of dark, character-driven suspense. It’s my fourth of his, and it won’t be my last!

A huge thanks to Alex North, Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own. Out 8th May (UK)

An excellent psychological thriller from the author of the Whisperman. Dan is haunted by events he witnessed as a boy returning home from holiday with his family. Feelings of guilt have stayed with him for not trying to help a young boy in need. Years later and now a qualified psychologist he returns to the island of his birth after the apparent suicide of his father a retired police officer. Looking into his father later life and the circumstances of his death he soon finds strong connections to the past. This is a really well plotted story and written in an interesting style. By an author at the top of his game.
I highly recommended this book.

The Man Made Of Smoke is a very dark and chilling read.
Dan Garvie is a criminal profiler in a prison, this is possibly because of his past twenty years ago. When Dan was 12 years old he was at a service station toilet when he could have saved a young boy from the clutches of an evil man bur instead he hid in a toilet whilst the man left with the boy. This has haunted him ever since. The man was nicknamed ‘The Pied Piper’ and was a serial killer. Present day and he’s had a call from where he used to live with his father to say his father has committed suicide by jumping from a cliff although no body has been found. His relationship with his father is fractured due to his young experience. He travels back to his father’s house and uncovers that he has been researching the Pied Piper and has found evidence that has inadvertently created a new serial killer.
This was a dark read with some horrific actions taken place against children. The book was a good read even if quite slow going but this was nice to read for a change. The pace worked well although some things were repeated and could have been cut. The characters apart from the obvious ones were likeable and the ending was fitting for the book.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Daniel Garvie is a criminal psychologist, possibly because, twenty years ago, when he was twelve, he ‘met’ a serial killer and his next victim. He has been haunted by that near contact with “The Pied Piper”. It defined his life and created a barrier between him and his father, John, a police officer then but now retired. When Daniel receives a message from the local police saying that his father has committed suicide by jumping off a cliff into the sea, he returns to the island where he had grown up. The body has not yet been found so Daniel stays on in his father’s home, where he finds that John has been investigating the serial killer and his victims, and had made some discoveries which throw a new light on the events, but have inadvertently triggered the activity of a new serial killer.
This is obviously a psychological thriller, mainly told in the present from Daniel’s POV and in the immediate past from John’s. Interpolated short sections describe the activities of the “The Pied Piper”. The writing is powerful and the characterisations are solid and believable, but it is a bit repetitive (inevitable since Daniel is essentially following John’s tracks). The plot is quite intricate and the reader is definitely misled down at least two rabbit holes. The final resolution is surprising, a bit rushed, and some parts are not clarified or explained as well as they might be.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Loved this book. I was gripped from start to finish. Love this author and the way he keeps you guessing. Lots of great twists.

Alex north has created another atmospheric twisty thriller that keeps you guessing right till the end, This type of story is always difficult to review as I don't want to give anything away but it is definitely worth a read if you like a suspenseful story,

I am a big fan of Alex North and was so excited to read it. It is gripping tense and addictive. I wasn't able to put it down and really enjoyed it. It is really perfect for the miserable April weather and I can't wait for more from this superb writer.

Alex North at his best. Spine chilling page turning and oh so creepy.
Difficult to review without spoilers, but this is another twisty turny masterpiece of a story and I loved it.
Highly recommend.

I was so hooked from chapter one!! I couldn’t stop making my own theories which were all wrong but so much fun! The story of the victims was heartbreaking and emotional, especially James. Such a phenomenal read.

This is a book for those that like a slow burner with a creepy atmosphere a tense and creepy read this is my first book by this author though I do have a couple of his others on my shelf so I'll be sure to get those read soon

This was a great story full of twists and turns and then an unpredictable ending to it which I hadn't seen coming!

Highly recommend.