Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

Creepy and full of suspense. A couple of little niggles that stopped me giving five stars, but all in all a great read.

A first read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It kept me guessing to the end, it was gripping and I enjoyed the different viewpoints, which I usually don’t like unless it’s written well.

5* from me!

Daniel Garvie was just a child when he saw a little boy at a service station with a terrifying stranger. who turns out to be a serial killer known as The Pied Piper. The encounter has always haunted Dan, who is now a criminal psychiatrist working with imprisoned murderers.
When he receives the news that his father has apparently committed suicide, he goes back to the island where he was brought up. He finds himself caught in a race against time in pursuit of the truth.
The Man Made of Smoke is an incredible, horrible thriller. I had me on the edge of my seat with filmic moments that made me shudder.
Weaving the story through multiple viewpoints, Alex North pulls off a masterpiece in th crime/horror/thriller genre.
Pacy, insightful, frightening, atmospheric, very well written and a great denouement I did not anticipate.
I have no hesitation in giving five stars to The Man Made of Smoke. A terrific read if you like this sort of thing - which I do.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

Wow Alex North and raised the bar with this one. The Man made of Smoke is an exceptional read.
Dan Garvie has been haunted since he was twelve when he failed to help a boy in a restroom who was the victim of the serial killer The Pied Piper. Now a Criminal profiler he comes back to his hometown as he has heard his dad a retired Police officer has died. But when he returns to the small town and tries to do his own investigation on how his father died. The memory of that fatal day returns and when a local woman goes missing that the killer may have returned.
What can I say that is not already said in other review. This is chilling atmospheric, and tense read. Brilliant writing by the author. Great storyline and well-developed characters especially Dan who you just can’t help routing for. For him to find the killer and the truth.
This is a fantastic read and no doubt a bit hit. 5 stars from me.

This is my favourite by the author yet!
You never forget the day you meet a serial killer
Dan was a teenager when he had a chance encounter with the Man Made of Smoke. A serial killer, in a rest stop bathroom, a victim leaving with him and Dan making a lucky escape. Dan tormented himself for years about what he could have done. Now years later, he is a successful criminal psychiatrist, working with darkest of humans but Dan knows that monsters do not exist.
Dan is suddenly called to return home as his father, John, has gone missing, last seen at a lookout and locals fear the worst. Though Dan knows his Dad and has his doubts that is the case. John had stumbled across a body not long before his disappearance and as Dan begins his own investigation, all roads lead back to the Man Made of Smoke.

I am always lured in by the subject of serial killers and this one was so mysterious and chilling. In the present tense, considering John and the body he finds in the woods, Dan and his own patients, along with Dan's backstory and his close encounter with the serial killer. It was all so fascinating and the writing was masterful. A sensational novel and one I recommend.

A truly horrible thriller... Tense, and I have to say, depressing - but it does really hook you in. Then again any serious serial killer story is not going to an enjoyable experience. This feels real. Good plot, lots of guesses at who's responsible for what (no giveaways here) but totally unpredictable.
Interesting relationship between Daniel, the main character and his father, a retired Detective. They've never been close, but things are improving.
I can't say I 'liked' this book - I was glued to it but found it too disturbing to say I 'enjoyed' it.
Tense, claustrophobic, dark, intricate and if 'disturbing' is your genre - get reading! One star removed simply because it was disturbing. Some might call that unfair.

Ever since I read The Whisper Man I have been keen to readmore of this author and this did not disappoint. A slow burner but just enough to keep you hooked and wanting to know more. Very creepy. Hard to say more without giving spoilers but if you found this in your hotel library and took it by the pool you'd probably get sunburnt! Great read

Book Review: The Man Made of Smoke

The Man Made of Smoke is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully blends childhood trauma, buried secrets, and the haunting lure of redemption. The story follows Dan, a criminal psychiatrist whose chilling encounter with a mysterious killer as a teenager has left scars far deeper than he’s ever admitted. Now, years later, his father’s sudden disappearance pulls him back to the island he thought he’d left behind—along with the nightmares it harbors.

The novel thrives on its creeping tension and clever narrative structure, gradually peeling back layers of the past while keeping readers on edge in the present. Dan’s internal conflict is compelling—his belief that monsters don’t exist is challenged at every turn, forcing him to confront the possibility that what he saw all those years ago wasn’t just trauma clouding his memory, but a truth far darker.

Atmospheric and suspenseful, this book is as much about fear and guilt as it is about truth and justice. The titular “man made of smoke” becomes a chilling symbol of the unknown and unknowable—a villain who feels mythic yet disturbingly real.

Perfect for fans of slow-burning thrillers with emotional depth, The Man Made of Smoke asks a haunting question: What if the thing that scared you most… was real all along?

Recieved from NetGalley as an ARC.

What I expected: a serial killer comes out of retirement to torment the now-grown child who witnessed his crimes as a child as the child's father begins to investigate him

What I got: an investigation which I enjoyed much more from the father's perspective and the son following in his footsteps to uncover the events.

Dan is forever changed by an event he witnessed as a child, a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a notorious serial killer and his recent victim, and enters the field of criminal psychology because of this. He is called back to the small isolated town that he fled from when his recently-retired police officer father goes missing shortly after finding the corpse of a woman who is seemingly left for him.

I haven't read Alex North before but his work has been highly recommended to me. He is a good writer, that isn't in doubt. The plot of the book is well-crafted and easy to follow, even if I thought the 'twist' was deliberately obscured for the sake of it. I do enjoy a police procedural type book and while Dan isn't police, his father was. The connections between characters and the reoccuring message about the lasting impact of a single, previously thought to be minor, incident was an interesting one.

The dual POV, with Dan's father, John's, POV following on when he uncovered a new piece of the investigation to tie everything together was very cleverly done. It added some stability and variety to the rather-wooden voice of Dan, which may have been a deliberate choice due to his latent trauma and his choice of profession, but it started to drag between John's sections. The romance with Sarah felt like a strange inclusion, aimed specifically to warm Daniel's icy tightly controlled exterior, and felt like it butted into the trope of sexy lampshade.

The Pied Piper was a very good villain. The method he operates under of 'nobody sees and nobody cares' was haunting, I would have liked for him to feature more overtly in the book.

This book was super suspenseful from the very beginning. It was a thriller that truly kept you guessing all the way through, and I truly couldn’t stop reading. I just needed to know what was going to happen next. I can absolutely see this book on the best sellers list.

The Man Made of Smoke You by Alex North
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication date: 08/05/2025
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Described as “the most terrifying novel of the year”, when I saw this one advertised I knew I had to request it.
As a teenager, Dan accidentally meets an elusive killer. Knowing something was wrong, Dan had the opportunity to intervene but chose not to. No one could blame him. Now, years later, his father goes missing and Dan returns to follow the trail across his small island.
Whilst this was a good read, it lacked the terrifying, the plot line was weak and I felt confused at multiple times. Such a shame but not one I’m going to be shouting about.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alex North, Michael North, Penguin Random House for this ARC in return for an honest review.
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#books #booknerd #bookworm #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstack #bookchallenge #booklover #reader #readersofinstagram #reading #bookswithcookandacuppa #NetGalley #2025Reads #AlexNorth #TheManMadeOfSmoke

Classic on the edge of your seat novel.

Dan returns to the small Island where he used to live to find that his father is presumed dead but no body has been found. Only then does the drama start to unfold. Dodgy police performance of the past of which his father was a serving officer.

Dan tries not to get involved with past school friends especially an old flame, but she is tangled with the police officer in charge of his fathers case and is none to happy.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

Nobody sees....so true in so many situations and terrifying in this one, where the man made of smoke can abduct children without anyone seemingly witnessing his actions.
The story moves fast and in some places it is easy to lose track of the investigation due to the complexity of the case but as things resolve and Dan makes some leaps of faith, trusting his instinct, the pieces fall so very cleverly into place.
An excellent read!

Alex North specialises in the scary - but this is my absolute favourite
A murder mystery tinged with heartbreak
Can’t wait for the next !

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

Only a person right?!

Wow. Frightening, fast paced, intriguing, unexpected, brilliant.

Loved this book and could not put it down.

The man made of smoke takes children. Witnessed once by another child who cannot forget what he saw (or forgive himself). This has far reaching effects on his family and personal life. Until......

His Dad goes missing and the whole "casebook" is opened again.

Spooky and chilling The Man Made of Smoke kept me gripped throughout.

This is the latest book by Alex North and is as uncomfortable and dark as his previous books.

Thoroughly enjoyed and recommend to fans of dark crime.

Read this off the back of reading The whisper man, which was such an amazing book. This had the same eerie feel to it which. I loved, but it didn’t stand up to Whisoer man.. I struggled in the first half with the constant change of characters, talking about similar events and different time frame. I was lost a lot. But towards the end it really picked up and the book was well written, I felt like I could see the characters. The son’s voices in his head really grated on me though.
All in all 3 out of 5. A good read but with some pitfalls

This story creeps up and infiltrates you, like smoke twisting around your spine, innards, heart and mind 😱

Dan is a criminal psychiatrist and finds that his father, John, has disappeared, likely suicide by jumping from a local cliff. He returns to the island to follow events and to sort out the household.

Dan finds out that John found a body prior to his death and that he had also been investigating cases from the past. One of these cases was one he will never forget as a child, The Man Made of Smoke.

Wow, what an epic read! This is one of the best written horror thrillers I have read in a long time. The questions, twists and turns keep the reader guessing right to the end. The phrase The Man Made of Smoke uses “Nobody Sees… nobody cares”, resonates within and makes the hairs stand up on your entire body. I can hear the evil in my head whilst turning each page to the story’s conclusion.

This read had every element to keep you riveted, suitably spine chilling at times, including suspense, mystery and atmosphere. This would make an amazing film or series.

Really well recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Alex North for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Due to be published on 8 May 2025.

When Daniel Garvie gets a phone call telling him that his father is missing, presumed dead, he returns to his childhood home. This return brings back childhood memories of his brush with the Pied Piper, a serial killer who abducted and murdered young boys.

I've not read anything by author Alex North before but have seen a lot of mentions on social media for his latest novel The Man Made Of Smoke and the consensus is 'prepare to be terrified'. It's been a little while since I read anything that truly scared me so I thought I'd give it a go.

Daniel Garvie is a psychiatrist who works with prisoners who've committed truly horrific crimes. His choice of career is probably linked to an incident that happened when he was twelve years old. During a trip out his family, along with a childhood friend, stopped at a motorway service station. When Daniel walked into the bathroom he saw a boy, not much younger than himself, standing in front of one of the stalls. Although nothing was said he knew the boy was terrified and the look on his face was pleading for help. Rather than help Daniel hid in an empty stall. Not long after it became clear that the boy was a victim of a serial abductor and murderer known as the Pied Piper. Daniel has lived with the guilt of not helping ever since.

A phone call informs Daniel that his father, John, a retired police officer, is missing and that it looks like he's taken his own life. Returning home brings back unpleasant memories, particularly about his brush with the Pied Piper. Life on the small coastal island hasn't changed much since Daniel left and he is astonished to find that one of the boys who bullied him as a child is now a police officer investigating his father's disappearance. The police are convinced John Garvie took his own life but Daniel doesn't believe he would do such a thing so sets out to track his father's movements in the days leading up to his disappearance. He is shocked to learn that there are links to the fateful day when he didn't help the young boy at the service station.

The story alternates between John investigating a body found on the island and Daniel tracking his father's movements. I enjoyed the way the two stories mirrored each other, just a matter of days apart. As possible witnesses are tracked down we learn of horrific events. Thankfully, Alex North avoids graphic details, it's the implication of what happens and the threats that follow that add to the suspense. The avoidance of lurid details keeps the storyline just short of terrifying but I did feel my anxiety levels rising as Daniel got closer and closer to answers. Had the Pied Piper resurfaced? Was one of his victims now on a crime spree? The author keeps the big reveal well hidden throughout.

What a creepy and disturbing read

Tense and atmospheric, its a slow burn at first but gradually chokes you in its hold.

It is a serial killer thriller but there are lots of emotions in this and although some of the timelines can be confusing, it whips you along with it.