The Whisper Man was one of my favourite reads, so I was eager to start this one. It started off very well, but as it went along, it seemed to lose its flow, and I found it hard to take to the main character, which made it even harder to get into.
Based on the other books by this author, which I really enjoyed, I was expecting more. For me, nothing much really happened until the end, which was good.
Im hoping other readers will enjoy more as Alex Norths books are really worth reading, I look forward to reading more in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House UK for the Arc.

Terrifying and compulsive/ I absolutely could not put it down. Like Daniel I checked all the doors and windows!

Brilliantly conceived and executed. I can’t say much as I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone but if you like suspense this is absolutely for you.

A very creepy book, this story stays with you long after the last page. The first chapter sucks you in and from there you're stuck until the end. Great characters, fast paced and atmospheric.

The man made of smoke

“Nobody sees and nobody cares” and right now in the service station near Rampton that is certainly true but in years to come it won’t be. Daniel Garvie is a teenager when he first encounters the serial killer who comes to be known as “the man made of smoke” but he’s way too scared to help his latest victim. Years later Dan is a successful criminal psychiatrist working in a prison and also profiling. In the present day, his father John, an ex police officer, has gone missing and somewhat reluctantly. Dan returns to the island where he grows up. It soon becomes clear that after John discovers a badly burned female body, he goes on the trail of a killer. As Dan retraces his father steps, there are some very unsettling links to the “man made of smoke“. This time Dan won’t ignore his fear, perhaps he can find his father and in the process gain redemption for something that has haunted him for years. The story is principally told by father and son.

Brace yourselves. As per usual, Alex North ramps up the creep factor to its max and fear ain’t far behind. The five stars clearly indicates that this is another cracking read as it’s so powerfully dark and richly atmospheric. The plot unfolds organically from past to present, the storytelling is haunting,eerie, elusive and shadowy, as if you’re trying to clutch at a dark cloud. It’s one of those cold chill down the spine reads, with a frosty whisper at the back of the neck. It seems to tap into so many fears via the power of suggestion and more. As Dan follows the breadcrumbs he’s left, it builds in intensity and on occasions it’s the scarcely breathe variety as it’s terrifying as well as completely gripping.

The characterisation is excellent and it’s true for all the characters but especially Dan and John. The teenage encounter deeply impacts Dan as the shame and guilt and trauma changes his personality. He may seem calm and detached on the outside but underneath he’s frantically paddling. He seems to be floundering in the dark as he chases after his father and what else?? John becomes very driven and possibly obsessive and it also has an impact on his personality and the father/son relationship.

As the novel reaches a suspenseful crescendo, towards the end the tension is off the scale and there’s a surprise or to in store. I’ll say no more but it’s good. Very good.

Overall, I genuinely couldn’t put this down as I don’t just want to know I need to know. This has got best seller written all over it as it’s Alex North at his absolute best. I highly recommend it to fans of the dark thriller genre. As for that cover, it certainly does the book justice.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE is the first book i have read by Alex North, i have had the whisper man on my shelf for ages and just havent got round to it. i think ill be reading it soon after enjoying this one.

It started off a bit of a slow burner but there was so many twists and turns i didnt see coming. The only thing i wasnt too sure about was the paranormal themes, but i think some people with love that.

“NOBODY SEES and NOBODY CARES"

Thanks as always to Netgalley, Alex North and the publishser for the ARC

Very different from other crime novels or novels in general for that matter. Exciting, thrilling, sad and original it takes you on a wonderous journey, dragging you by the heels through its tale.

Another exceptional thriller from North, centered around a serial killer known as the Pied Piper, who abducted and murdered young boys several years ago. The story follows a man who had a brief encounter with the killer and a potential victim during his youth. In the present day, it seems that someone is seeking revenge against those believed to have failed in their duty to prevent one particular tragedy. North continues to solidify his reputation as one of the finest in this genre, delivering a story with well-developed characters, strong writing, and a plot twist that genuinely surprises. This suspenseful narrative explores themes of guilt, revenge, and missed opportunities. From start to finish, I was thoroughly captivated

“The Man Made of Smoke” by Michael Joseph is the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you turn the last page. It’s unsettling in the best way—blurring the lines between reality and nightmare, pulling you into a world that feels just familiar enough to be truly terrifying.

Joseph has a knack for building tension, creating a story that’s not just about fear, but also about memory, loss, and the things we try to forget. The antagonist is more than just a villain; he’s an ever-present force that seeps into the edges of the story, making the suspense almost unbearable at times. But what really makes this book stand out is how much heart it has. Amid the creeping dread, there are moments of deep emotion and character insight that make the whole experience feel meaningful, not just thrilling.

If you love books that mess with your head and keep you glued to the pages, this one is definitely worth picking up. Just be warned—you might find yourself double-checking the shadows after reading it.

The Whisper Man is one of my favourite thrillers so to be approved this arc made my week! Our main character is a criminal profiler who, as a child, had a close encounter with a serial killer known as the Pied Piper. It weighed heavy on him that he couldn’t intervene as a child and save the Pied Pipers last victim, so he was quick to leave the island and dedicate his life to seeking justice for crime victims. When his Dad dies, he has to return to the island and soon realises he died under suspicious circumstances. He quickly picks up a trail his father left him, and sees an old, too familiar pattern. Echoes of the past are suddenly breathing down his neck - ‘Nobody sees, and Nobody cares’. Just like The Whisper Man, this book had some heart in mouth moments, and put a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was really eerie in places, and sad in others. I enjoyed the MC’s perspective. He was measured, and possessed lots of self control. He had logical thought processes and insights that I enjoyed being privy to. I felt he was competent and there wasn’t a moment I was frustrated with his decision making or choices. I also really liked that the formula for showing the order of events was a back and forth timeline which immediately gave you answers to the present as the next chapter went straight back to the past. Usually a thriller will make you wait until the end to see what happened in the past timeline. I found this style really effective as I was enjoying the sense that these two paths were echoing each other and so close behind each other that they’d eventually join. It kept me completely engaged despite the medium-slow burn, but the TENSION in the last 25%!! 😱 Added a whole star to my rating, my heart was literally pounding in my chest! Crime isn’t normally my kind of genre, and on paper I’d avoid the topic of child abduction/killer like the plague but this author is just an auto buy for me … even if he does make me cry for a fake serial killers fake victims! 😅

3.5 rounded up to 4. I've read Alex North's previous books and I enjoyed them more than this one. I found this book a bit over complicated and I thought the main characters were a bit too introspective. However, it's still a clever plot and Mr North knows how to write a whodunit with twists. It's another good read.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North has a byline of 'You never forget the day you meet a serial killer' and this couldn't be any more true than in this chilling and atmospheric thriller.

Dan Garvie was just a teenager returning from a family holiday when at a motorway service station he chanced upon a young boy obviously in distress asking for his help. Dan knew something wasn't right, was scared to his core and wasn't sure what to do and when a fearsome adult seemingly accompanying the child made his ominous presence felt, Dan decided it was easier, and safer to hide, rather than take the risk to help. It was only afterwards when it became clear that he had narrowly avoided an elusive serial killer, known as the Pied Piper that Dan's family realised how close he had come to a violent tragedy and nobody could blame Dan for acting in self-interest. However, when the Pied Piper went on to take more victims, Dan came to blame himself for being too scared to intervene.

Driven by this feeling of guilt, Dan has forged a successful career as a criminal psychiatrist, dealing with the more abhorrent examples of human behaviour, to try and determine why people might act in the most despicable ways. If he can understand this, perhaps he can stop it from happening again in the future and shed some of the guilt he has carried for so long.

When Dan is informed of the passing of his father in dubious circumstances he returns to his childhood home, a remote island community, to put his fathers estate in order and also hopefully to make sense of his passing and answer some of the questions he has about his fathers demise. When he learns that shortly before his death that his father found the incinerated body of an unknown female, Dan begins to piece together clues that lead him to suspect that his father's death may be suspicious and might actually be linked to the childhood events that formed such a part of his adolescence and defined him as an adult.

Suspenseful, and to be honest a little bit terrifying in its depiction of the worst that humanity has to offer The Man Made of Smoke, which is how the Pied Piper is described as being completely anonymous and unremarkable with his ability to move unseen around his victims before he strikes, is as inventive and absorbing a thriller that you will read. It's delicious in its creepiness almost to the point of becoming a horror story, but only because the tension is wrung out with every page turn, and every plot twist is unforeseen and unpredictable.

This is the third novel of North's that I've read and it really feels like he is growing his storytelling skills with every book release. Previous books were easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐ reads, but this has developed into an easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ cracker.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I was absolutely over the moon to receive an ARC copy of The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North through Netgalley.

I've read all of Alex North's books The Whisper Man being my favourite so far. This book did not disappoint though.

Found the story to be fast paced, the flashbacks adding extra layers to the story and the whole thing just kept you gripped and guessing until the final chapters.

Excellent book, would highly recommend. Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book

This was amazing from start to finish!!! I had high expectations from the author and boy, did they deliver. Its well written with such a natural, easy writing style that before you know it, you've lost hrs of your day. The premise was interesting and there is so much tension built over and over again. The characters come alive, the setting is so perfectly created that it's like being there with the characters. There are sub plots cleverly woven through the main plot and it all just combines perfectly to make the story really come alive. And as for the twists and turns.... just when you think you know.... nope! And you have to rething everything. So creepy, so eerie, so captivating. I loved it

One of my favorite books of 2023 was *The Whisper Man* by Alex North. I fell in love with his writing style—his ability to seamlessly blend reality with paranormal themes is second to none. He was one of the authors who got me back into reading. So, you can imagine how ecstatic I was to be approved to read his latest novel, *The Man Made of Smoke*, thanks to NetGalley (and as always, all views are my own).

This book follows the gripping story of our main character’s quest to track down a killer, as a crime they witnessed resurfaces in haunting ways. From the very first page, the prologue hooked me and set the tone for an incredibly tense, dark, and suspenseful read. It’s everything you could hope for in a thriller—gripping, emotive, and full of surprises.

I particularly enjoyed the twists; just when I thought I had everything figured out, Alex North threw in a curveball that left me stunned. His writing has a way of making you feel as though someone’s watching you with every page turn. It's chilling and masterful.

The characters, especially the father and son, were incredibly well-written, and I found myself deeply invested in their journey. While I wish the ending had a bit more to it—it felt like it wrapped up a little too quickly—I truly appreciated how everything came together.

Although *The Whisper Man* will always hold a special place in my heart, *The Man Made of Smoke* is a very close second. Another stellar effort from Alex North—well done!

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

The Man Made Of Smoke is an well crafted, expertly written thriller which I very much enjoyed-I don't think the words nobody sees and nobody cares will ever leave me!

With twists and turns aplenty this book will not disappoint if you are a fan of this particular genre.

5 stars from me!

Rounding up to 3 ⭐️

When I saw this book I was really excited, I had really enjoyed The Whisper Man so was keen to start this.

The opening chapter was SO good and the ending actually was pretty decent.

Sadly for me the rest of the book and maybe I will be in the minority here but was a bit meh .. there was a lot of repetition between Daniel and his dad’s POV. Whilst I understand why it just got a bit much.

I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and if im honest the whole middle of the book, nothing was really happening, just a lot of retracing steps constantly.

Again this is my persona opinion and should be taken as just thst, you may love it and I hope you do.

I absolutely will still be reading more from this author, this one just didn’t grab me like I hoped. ❤️

I’m slightly on the fence with this book. Having read and enjoyed previous novels by this author, I was eager to read this and the first part had me hooked. However I found the pace soon dropped off and it didn’t grip me as much as I expected. I did enjoy the creep atmosphere though so would rate it 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

Unfortunately not for me as a reader. I could not connect with the story and writing style. Others may enjoy it.

Alex North, known for his psychological thrillers, takes readers on a dark and atmospheric journey in The Man Made of Smoke. This novel blends elements of suspense, mystery, and psychological depth, making it an engaging read for fans of complex narratives and eerie atmospheres.

The story revolves around the disappearance of a young boy, and a central figure, Frank, who is deeply entangled in the haunting mystery. Frank has a personal connection to the case and is forced to confront the secrets of his past, which are inextricably linked to the chilling events unfolding in the present. North masterfully builds tension by weaving a sense of dread throughout the narrative. As the plot unravels, the reader is drawn deeper into a world where nothing is quite as it seems.

North's writing is impeccable, with vivid descriptions that create an unsettling mood. The themes of memory, guilt, and the fragility of the human mind are explored in depth. The pacing is steady, keeping readers on edge, though there are moments where the plot feels a bit slower, especially as the story delves into its more introspective elements.

One of the standout aspects of The Man Made of Smoke is its exploration of the psychological states of its characters. Frank's internal struggles are depicted in a raw and authentic manner, drawing readers into his mind as he grapples with the mystery and his own demons. The characterization is rich, and North excels at portraying complex, morally ambiguous characters.

While the novel’s dark and brooding tone might not appeal to everyone, those who enjoy psychological thrillers that are more focused on atmosphere and character development rather than pure action will find The Man Made of Smoke to be a compelling read. The ending, while satisfying, leaves a lingering sense of unease, keeping readers thinking long after they’ve finished the book.

Overall, The Man Made of Smoke is a haunting, atmospheric psychological thriller that showcases Alex North's skill in creating tension and exploring the human psyche. Fans of his previous works will appreciate the twists and depth, while newcomers may find themselves captivated by the eerie mystery and emotional complexity.

I don’t really have a strong opinion on this one, it was just okay. The first quarter was gripping but the pacing changed and ended up too much of a slow burn for me. The plot in itself was dark and interesting, and not like anything I’ve read before, but I still prefer the author’s previous work, The Whisper Man.

Thank you to @netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House, for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts!