"The Man Made Of Smoke" is an intriguing psychological thriller that follows Dan, a criminal psychiatrist, as he returns to his childhood home after his father mysteriously disappears. While everyone assumes his father has committed suicide, Dan can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the story. As he starts digging deeper, he uncovers unsettling links to a frightening encounter he had with a serial killer when he was younger.

The writing in the book is engaging and immerses you in the story through multiple timelines and points of view, which really adds richness to the narrative. I loved the vivid descriptions—they made each scene come alive and helped me visualise everything. That said, I did find a few parts a bit repetitive, which slowed things down a little.

This book is a bit of a slow burn but it worked as it helps build tension, making it hard to put down. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me hooked. However, I did feel a bit let down by the ending; it felt rushed, and the final reveal didn’t quite have the punch I was hoping for.

I thought the characters were well-crafted, making them relatable and interesting.

All in all, "The Man Made Of Smoke" is a chilling and atmospheric read that sticks with you after you finish. I can’t wait to dive into more books by this author!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers, Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House, for giving me the chance to read a digital review copy. All thoughts in this review are entirely my own and I am sharing them voluntarily.

"We are shaped by our pasts, not defined by them."

This was another exceptional, suspenseful novel, masterfully crafted by Alex North, with a dark and atmospheric tone that, at times, borders on unsettling.

Dan Garvie, now a successful criminal psychiatrist, is still haunted by a childhood encounter with the Pied Piper killer. His failure to intervene when he witnessed a child in distress continues to weigh heavily on him.

A call regarding his missing father, a retired police officer presumed to have committed suicide, compels Dan's return to his childhood home. However, he soon discovers that his father stumbled upon the body of a dead woman and was investigating her murder. He is compelled to investigate and follow the clues his father left behind, but his investigation unearths increasingly disturbing details. A sadistic killer is at large, and the connection to the Pied Piper case is deeply unsettling. It appears that Dan himself has become the killer's next target.

'there’s no such thing as monsters' or are there...?

This exceptionally well-written book features richly developed characters and will take you on a wild ride!

4 Stars from me

There is a sharp eerie undercurrent through this book, it would make for a brilliant mini-series - I can visualise the scene where teenage Dan has a brush with the killer, the dirty toilets, the fear, the isolation, the feeling of impotence, but above all that whistle. Ugh, shudder!

I felt so desperately sorry for Dan, what a thing to carry with you through life. The knowledge that you let the killer vanish with their victim. It's unsurprising really that he became a criminal psychiatrist, devoting his life to understanding the mind of depraved killers almost as a kind of perpetual recompense for walking away as a child.

The story is a split narrative of Dan's attempts to retrace his father's steps in his attempts to trace the killer and the clues, alongside the story of the killer and his victims. The timelines mirror and blur, creating ever more questions as each layer is uncovered.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable thiller, which kept me guessing. My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Alex North definitely has the talent to come up with some very intriguing villains/killers! A bit similar to the Whisper Man, we have the Pied Piper in this book that steals children and apparently can go around with a whistle and a whisper that "nobody sees, nobody cares" and people just look away. Ultra creepy and also sad that it is true that people kind of tend to look away from others that they consider lesser or are uncomfortable to look without feeling like they should do something. Dan feels this way after his own close encounter with the Pied Piper. Now a psychologist for criminals in prison, he can get into the minds of them and so tries to do so when his dad goes missing and there are disturbing clues that point to the return of the Pied Piper. Lots of twisty turns, a careful unraveling of the past and only a small chance to solve it before more people end up dead. Lovely creepy and cool to see into the head of the killer via Dan's expertise and I loved the final twist about who and why all of this was happening.

This author is one I eagerly look forward to reading all that he writes and I am very thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read yet another thrilling killer of a book by Alex North!

Man made of smoke was another absolute cracking novel by Alex North that I was immediately gripped by. 

I love the menace that was brimming off the page as the story progresses. The talk of the ‘Man Made of Smoke’ has become an urban legend which gives it an almost supernatural horror story feeling but with it’s feet firmly in reality.

It’s a difficult book to review without giving away spoilers. It’s an incredibly multi-layered story that manages to balance creepy horror with emotional depth through characters that you really care about. The setting of the story was interesting, as it felt like it could be on any of 100 remote islands yet equally the setting was key to the whole story. 

I really enjoyed this and found myself racing through to the end late into the night, helped by the fact that is was all so unnerving I couldn’t sleep. A fabulous read once again from one of my favourite authors.

The Man Made of Smoke was the type of thriller that leaves you with shivers. It was heart-pounding and compulsively readable with a plot that me glued to the pages.

This is one of those nightmares brought to life – focusing on a child killer and abductor. It is incredibly chilling and North uses this to its full capacity. Right from the opening scene, you are in the palm of his hand. It sticks out and makes you unable to look away. All of this makes for lightening in a bottle with this twisty and tense thriller. You flick between different perspectives and timelines to start to slot the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle together and the overall picture is terrifying. The monstrosity of humanity is on full display with this cat and mouse game both then and now. North expertly leads you down a few rabbit holes with a wonderfully plotted story. These twists feel like the rug has been pulled out from under your feet as they completely upend the story as you knew it so far. It is so well-crafted.

Compounded with this is Dan’s overwhelming guilt about his inaction all those years ago. Throughout you have that ticking clock and sense of dread hanging heavy over both Dan and the reader. He’s grappling with fragmented pieces of his memory starting to come together and work out the layers of that encounter. North uses his story to grapple with the impact of trauma and guilt extending through the years with nuance and sensitivity. You get an immediate sense of how this has shaped his life and that of those around him. It adds an emotional complexity to the thriller and another layer to his motivations in solving this.

The Man Made of Smoke slivers under your skin and leaves you feeling uneasy. It is an ambitious and well-executed thriller that will keep you up until the early hours.

#TheManMadeOfSmoke #NetGalley
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years? With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.
It was an outstanding read. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me an advance copy.

✨“Nobody sees, and nobody cares” ✨

A statement that I think will haunt me forever, along with the whistling!!

I have so many thoughts but have no idea how to express them other than wow.
I love a thriller but often guess what’s coming next but this!! I had no idea what was coming! My first read by this author and will definitely be reading more.

This book had me biting my nails from the tension! Emotional, at times frightening and an absolute page turner.

The plot was brilliant and well executed and tied together perfectly at the end.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read and struggled to put it down.

5⭐️

I enjoyed reading this book. There were some good twists and turns and just enough clues to work out who did it so the ending was satisfying. The main character Dan and his father were likeable.

Well, gosh and hecky-thump. How do I begin? Chilling, atmospheric, and totally and utterly compelling, I think this might actually be my favourite of the author's books I've read to date. From the very beginning of this book I got that creeping sense of apprehension that comes from the very best psychological thrillers. That skin tingling unease that has me poised at the edge of my seat, and itching to find out what is about to happen, knowing that whatever it is, it is not good. Well, not for the the characters at least. Good for me as, with The Man Made Of Smoke, Alex North has delivered another cracking read that ticked all of the boxes.

This is not necessarily an easy read, especially if you are sensitive to any cases that include children. Whilst the majority of the depravity is kept off the page, there is no doubting about what happens to the victims of the eponymous 'Man Made of Smoke', especially one child who is a very key character in the delivery of this story. There are several themes which are touched upon in the book that may be hard to read, but then this is not cosy crime. It is not meant to be comfortable, and anyone who knows the author will know this is not his style. It is dark, it is brooding, it is tense and it is unsettling. And if that is your bag, you will definitely enjoy this book.

We spend a lot of the book in the company of Dan, a man who, as a teenager, had the misfortune to cross paths with the titular killer. Whilst Dan was not under threat directly, he has been understandably changed by what he saw, as was his father. He escapes his childhood home, following a career as a Psychiatrist where he tries to understand what motivates people to kill, only to be drawn back when his father disappears. Returning to his isolated island home forces Dan to face with a past he would rather have forgotten and ultimately sets him on a path toward real danger. the author has created a really interesting character in Dan, instilling a kind of authenticity and tenacity that made him a compelling person to spend time with.

Dan is not the only narrator in this novel, and the use of multiple perspectives, particularly the characters the author has chosen to focus upon, drie not only the mystery and suspense, but also heighten the emotions that are drawn out of you as you read. I think I went through pretty much every emotion as I read, from sympathy for the various young victims, to shock and perhaps even anger, especially at the ignorance of some of the characters. The murders on this book, the ones we are more witness too, are quite grotesque, the impact on those who come to witness really pulsing from the page, and that blend of tension, as well as the acceptance that their fates are inevitably already sealed, just added to the compunction to keep reading at pace. As we move towards the conclusion of the book, the pace gathers momentum, culminating in a showdown that almost seems too heavily weighted against a positive outcome.

How that plays out I won't comment on. Tragedy is inevitable. Whether there is also room for hope, well it's all there to be found when you read the book. Packed with suspense and tension from start to finish. Definitely recommended.

I received and ARC of this from Netgalley and had such a good time.

I felt the atmosphere in this book was its strength. There were times where I didn't want to put the book down cause I had to know what happened next and times where I didn't want to turn the page and see what was going to happen because it was so creepy. Th description in the book brought it to live and it would make a great screen play I think. I also really liked that the main character really showed that he was struggling with processing everything and for a change it was a man rather than a woman, the tone that this lent the book was very realistic and very well done.
My only criticism of the book was that in some places it was very repetitive, especially in parts that the author really wanted you to pick up on, but that didn't spoil the book for me. Alex North is an author that I now want to read the back catalogue of.

What an incredible and gripping suspense thriller from Alex North.

Dan Garvie is a criminal psychiatrist whos had his life shaped by a close encounter with a child serial killer, which happened when he was young himself.
Dan has to return to his childhood home when his farther goes missing, on what is thought to be suicide.

Upon returning to the island, Dan found out that his father had recently discovered a dead body, but it seems that is was not by chance. Dan now has to uncover a mystery leading back to his encounter with the serial killer that has shaped with life.

The Man Made Of Smoke is a must read. You will not want to put it down.

“Creepy, clever, and quietly chilling – a twisty slow-burn thriller that delivers.”

Book Review – The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

I’ll start by saying I’m not a massive thriller reader – more of an occasional one – but I really enjoyed this.

The Man Made of Smoke is a proper slow burn, in the best way. It creeps up on you, gradually building the tension until you’re completely hooked. Dan Garvie, now a criminal profiler, is pulled back to his childhood home after the death of his father – a return that unearths buried secrets and long-forgotten trauma from a crime he witnessed as a boy.

At the heart of it all is that haunting line: “Nobody sees and nobody cares.” It lingers throughout the story, setting the tone and making you question how much really goes unnoticed—or ignored—when we look the other way.

I liked the use of multiple timelines and points of view – it kept the story dynamic and added a real sense of depth. The characters were interesting and believable, and I was fully invested from early on. It’s well written, gripping, and genuinely kept me on edge. Also, bonus points for keeping me guessing right up to the end – I love it when a book does that and I don’t see the twists coming.

This was my first Alex North novel, but definitely won’t be my last.

Big thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Aged 12, Dan Garvie experiences something that will shape the rest of his life. He will always regret not saying something, not intervening in some way. Though, at his young age, it’s hard to know what he could have done. As an adult, he has done everything to distance himself from those memories; moved away from the island where he lived, and from those who were with him on that day. Years later, everyone who was a witness, will regret staying silent. “Nobody sees, nobody cares”, feels like a metronomic menace running through the pages.

The story has alternating narrators, allowing us to experience the story in real time, as opposed to flashback. I found the chapters featuring Dan, and his father John, to be very poignant. Especially their thoughts on how the other would cope with addressing the situation, and their own feelings of inadequacy. I wish they had felt able to voice these thoughts to the other.

It is a complex twisty book, a taut and tense thriller. As the story reveals itself, there is a feeling of knowing there is something just out of reach. A creeping sense of something lurking around the corner. I didn’t feel I could relax, and let my guard down. That same feeling of knowing something is about to make you jump, while watching a film.

As I came towards the end, I didn’t realise I was on the final page, I tried to flick to the next page several times. As it turned out, after feeling a little perturbed that there was nothing left to read, I loved the very last line.

The Man Made of Smoke is my first read from Alex North, but not my last. I’ve just bought The Half Burnt House, and look forward to working through the author’s back catalogue.

Read by my son in law and grumpy grandad ( not many books keep his interest for long but this one did).
They both spent a couple of days in silent reading (bliss) except when they were arguing (sorry, heated discussion) regarding the plot and what would happen next. Usually it is only Ann Cleeves who has this affect on them so Alex North is in good company. Brilliant apparently, and no they did not get all of the answers correct.

You wait ages for a great serial killer story to come along – and then two turn up at once!

Following in the footsteps of The Midnight King, Alex North's latest may seem the same on the surface but dig deeper and you’ll find they’re two very different beasts. There are similarities here, sure. A serial killer of minors, a father and son at loggerheads and a chain of events leading to shocking discoveries. There’s even a book-within-a-book element.

‘The Man Made of Smoke’ begins when one of the victims of the notorious ‘Pied Piper’ could have been saved by our (younger) main protaganist, Daniel, from a service station after a family outing. Years later, after being obsessed by the Pied Piper and a subsequent true-crime novel ‘The Man Made of Smoke’, Daniel is now a successful criminal psychiatrist.

Suddenly he has to return to his home town as his father has disappeared and the authorities believe he has died by suicide after finding his car by the edge of a very steep cliff. So the story unfolds of how John ended up at that cliff with various flashback POVs, not only from him but also of one of the Pied Piper's victims.

Halfway through this book, I had a lightbulb moment and thought I knew EXACTLY how this would all tie up. I was not 100% correct with my assumptions. Which is good because it meant that the book continually surprised me.

We have the main backstory of the serial killer and someone seemingly, somehow connected to the murders starting a spree all over again – with adult victims. Who is killing this time – and why? And is there a pattern to the murders? There's only one way to find out (I’m not giving spoilers here) and that’s to pre-order ‘The Man Made of Smoke’ for yourself.

There’s plenty to recommend here, from the pure horror of the crimes being committed, to the slightest sliver of the supernatural – all wrapped up in North’s continuously addictive prose.

At the start of the book, one of the characters exclaims “Nobody sees. And nobody cares.” But you need to SEE this book and – dang it – you WILL care about it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 but nearly 5 stars. This book was slow to get going but once it did I really enjoyed it.

Short chapters told from different pov’s that keep you guessing.

Only dropped a star because the end felt a little rushed and the big reveal was a tad underwhelming/ confusing.

Hard to say more without giving away spoilers.

My first read from Alex North. I really enjoyed this book! Thank you very much for early access.

This book had me on the edge of my seat. Fast-paced, engaging and honestly just great writing!

I will definitely be adding more books by Alex North to my tbr!
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Sadly I couldn't get into this at all.
I'm unsure if it was me or the book if I'm being honest. There were parts that I started to be interested but it would quickly fade again. Maybe I need to give this another chance in a different format.

This is a dark, chilling and atmospheric read. Dan is haunted by an encounter with a serial killer which happened when he was a child. As an adult criminal pyschologist Dan returns home when his father goes missing. The events of his childhood are rekindled as Dan searches for answers.
After a slow start the pace picks up and it turns into a gripping and terrifying thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review