Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book, all thoughts in this review are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I thought it was so well written, it was very descriptive. It was creepy and it did keep me entertained. While I wasn’t surprised by the killer, it was still dark and twisted. It was my first Alex North book but it certainly won’t be my last.

A thriller to keep you turning the pages. It is complex in story and in its execution as it follows various timelines and voices . Alex North excels at protagonists with a dark and twisted past. The main character Dr Dan Garvie , a criminal psychologist , has a link somewhere to a series of murders being investigated by his father, a retired policeman and news of his fathers disappearance sets Dan off on this eerie journey of discovery

OMG! WOW! An unforgettable story, with twists & turns to keep you guessing. An absolutely brilliant, creepy, atmospheric, book which gives you serious heebie-jeebies. Loved everything about this book. Amazing characters & a fantastic plot. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

The Man Made of Smoke is an incredibly gripping and fast paced novel that is packed full of twists.
I highly recommend.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. Told in three different styles; first by John, the retired policeman, then by his son Dan, a psychiatric doctor in a prison and finally by the story of the various victims of The Pied Piper and his copycat killer. In slightly different time lines both father and son are on the trail of the killers both racked with different senses of guilt but united in their quest to finally put the story to bed. Loved the relationship between father and son plus the author’s ability to reveal their individual characters’ imagined conversations. At one point in the story Dan comes across his nemesis Detective Liam Fleming and I was so very pleased that Dan gave him his comeuppance. It was a very satisfactory moment and I did feel myself doing an imaginary fist pump after reading it! Loved it! Think this would make for an excellent TV drama!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. The Man Made Of Smoke was a fast paced, cleverly written thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The twists were incredible and I definitely didn’t see them coming. I really liked the characters and the development of their stories. The book is really suspenseful and very dark but exciting at the same time. I would highly recommend this book to any thriller readers. 5 stars

This was a very very slow burn of a read. The exciting bits were few and far between.
I did enjoy Daniels story and his story arc, but it could have been a heck of a lot shorter.

There were times I was confused, when the narrative switches from Daniel's POV to his Dad, John. There isn't really a clear indication until your into the chapter. I usually love multiple POV stories, but with this one I did find it very repetitive and slow.

On the whole it was a good storyline and eerie plot. But because of the pacing I did struggle to pick it up to carry on reading.

The title of the book is reflected in the story as it smoulders away throughout As the reader, you find yourself questioning what exactly guilt is. Is it due to an action, a reaction or no action. And what happens when you are as scared as the other party. The story is also partially set on an island and the dynamics of living on such a small area were very true to life, having lived on one myself. You are never too sure which way the tale is going and it does have a few "wow" moments towards the end. First time for me reading this author and I enjoyed the book very much.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

I was really excited to read this book as Alex North is a fantastic storyteller and the Whisper Man was a 5 star read for me.

I found this book a little harder to get immersed in. The switching between different point of views was hard to keep track of with no sign posting as to who’s point of view we were reading. This took me out of the story a lot.

The story itself was very well thought out and plotted and I loved the character of Dan. I did find this book quite slow and then the ending to be rather rushed. I must admit I was hoping for more suspense.

All in all this wasn’t a bad book, but far from the authors best.

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.