Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Celadon Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Man Made of Smoke in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Celadon Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: May 13, 2025
Summary:
The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.
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.
My thoughts:
I have now read every book Alex North has written and I fall more in love with his writing each time. This latest one just might be my new favorite, though I think The Whisper Man will always hold a special spot in my heart.
This one has that trade-mark creepy, haunting feel to it that made me fall in love with North’s writing in the first place. Exploring grief and trauma, this slow-burn crime thriller had me on edge the entire time. I found the repetitive refrain “Nobody sees, nobody cares,” to be as unsettling as it was chilling, yet I needed to know why it kept being said. The idea of a Pied Piper serial killer is all kinds of frightening and I could feel the guilt that Dan carried with him all those years for not doing anything when he had a chance. This one really kept me guessing as to where it was heading, the twists and turns taking me completely by surprise and I loved how it ended!
Audio thoughts:
I was given access to the audio copy of this and so I did an immersive reading experience. I loved the audio, narrated by Shane Zaza, who does a phenomenal job bringing the story to life, infusing just the right amount of tension and suspense into his voice as needed. I loved having the print book on hand, with all the changes in POV…it made knowing where I was a little easier.
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