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!
😄

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

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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