The Man Made of Smoke is the kind of novel that lingers in your thoughts long after the final page. From the first chilling line, “You never forget the day you meet a serial killer”, you're pulled into a layered, atmospheric mystery that’s as much about guilt and memory as it is about murder.

Dan, a criminal psychiatrist burdened by a traumatic encounter from his youth, is a deeply compelling lead. His return to the island where it all began feels like coming home to a place that no longer fits, claustrophobic, secretive, and loaded with buried truths. The tension builds steadily as Dan’s search for his missing father begins to blur with the hunt for a killer who may never have left.

What makes this book stand out is how it weaves together past and present, trauma and truth. It asks uncomfortable questions about culpability, about what we remember, and what we choose to forget. The writing is sharp and evocative, the pacing pitch-perfect, and the twists genuinely surprising.

If you're looking for a smart, unsettling psychological thriller that delivers both emotional depth and page-turning suspense, this one’s not to be missed.

Brilliant , just brilliant..
I have really enjoyed all of this authors novels and always look forward in anticipation for the next one.

I read the description on NetGalley and I instantly had to request this!
I was engrossed from the first page and could not put it down! "Nobody Sees, and Nobody Cares" has stayed in my head since reading this.
Alex North has did again with this story!

Just read this!!! Also, if you've not been introduced to Alex North's books before and you're a fan of masterful suspense writing I'd highly recommend you seek him out. People have said that this felt like a slow burner, however I read this in one day, something I've never achieved before! There are no 'cheap scares' here, just pointers that ratchet up the tensions in the readers minds...and this has been done extremely well!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this brilliant book....read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read my first Alex North Book, The Man Made of Smoke. This is thriller that will keep you thinking from the fist to last page. Look forward to reading more by Alex North.

This was quite the slow-burning thriller, and I don't mean that in a good way.

It started very well with a creepy prologue that reminded me of Alex North's writing in The Whisper Man, which I loved. The book lost momentum as it went on, and by part 4, it was dragging on. I wanted it to just end by then. What I liked was the father-son dynamic and getting to know the same events from both their perspective.

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph for the e-copy.

What a great read, keeps you guessing until the end. Told in a different way, with different timelines.

Definitely recommend to fans of crime novels.

An excellent story by Alex North, who will go straight in as a favourite author of mine. Following on from an incident when he was a child, this haunts him always. Going back to his childhood home when his father goes missing leads him straight back into the memories that have haunted him his entire life. Is this all connected and how? He delves deep to try to understand what is going on, but the deaths keep happening, and he feels he can solve them, but how? This will keep you reading all night as you just cannot put it down, you wonder if things will happen quickly enough. Highly recommended by me, and I am looking forward to Alex’s next book. This is another one to add to your summer reading list.

The Man Made of Smoke is a slow-burn psychological horror that blurs the line between myth and memory.

Alex North expertly weaves folklore with real-world trauma. The titular figure which is more legend than man, becomes a haunting metaphor for inherited fear and buried pain.

This book explores themes of grief, and childhood fear. It doesn’t rely on jump scares, but instead it builds an atmosphere, and makes you feel extremely unsettled.

And like Dan says “You never forget the day you meet a serial killer.”

My only cons were how the pacing was quite slow in parts, and no real clear answers were given throughout.

Not my absolute favourite book ever, but a good read, non the less. A solid 3.5 star read.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North is the story of Dan Garvie whose life has been haunted by a crime he witnessed as a child,narrowly escaping an encounter with a serial killer. This led Dan to become a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for his innocent victims.
When his father dies in suspicious circumstances, Dan returns to the small island community he grew up in, hoping to find answers to his father’s death. As with all Alex North’s novels there is suspense, terror and many twists and turns before the finale. A story of father and son’s and a childhood blighted by nightmares.
Highly recommended

Hmm, I'm a little conflicted on this book. I was a abig fan of North's previous book The Whisper Man. It was eerie, atmospheric and captivating all in one! So, of course, I had high hopes for The Man Made of Smoke. Unfortunately, I didn't love it but at the same time, I didn't dislike it.

The main point for me; it took me about a month to get through, which is rare. I'd pick it up, read a few chapters and it'd be a few days before I read any more. There was nothing really drawing me back. However, when I did read it I enjoyed it! I found the pacing slow but the tension and drama built nicely, it was atmospheric and there were little creepy moments sprinkled throughout to keep you spooked.

So, as I said, I'm conflicted! It felt very middle of the road to me but I'm sure others will read and adore!

Thank you to Michael Joseph for this gifted advanced copy!

Absolutely brilliant! The way the different character and periods of time all come together slowly but so cleverly to knit together such an enthralling story is genius. I read this in one sitting because it kept me guessing and I just couldn’t devour it quickly enough. The way it flits from the past to the present and casts suspicion on various characters is so smart that you’re left guessing until the very end. Even after I finished the book, I had to sit with it for a couple of minutes still to get it all right and straight in my head. Sinister but superb! Loved it!

The Man Made of Smoke is an emotionally resonant thriller which follows Daniel Garvie, a criminal psychologist haunted by a childhood encounter with a serial killer. Drawn back to his hometown to investigate a new mystery, Garvie uncovers links between this case and the one from his childhood. With themes of guilt, trauma and redemption, this is not a popcorn thriller but an intelligent, atmospheric and introspective story with multiple points of view and well timed reveals. The tension builds as the past and the present begin to converge and the stakes are raised.
I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoy their thrillers with a more literary or supernatural edge.
Thanks to Micheal Joseph, Penguin Random House and netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After seeing lots of people talking about this book, I couldn’t wait to dive into it too!

I found this book very enjoyably and gripping right from start to finish. I liked reading from the multiple POV’s - especially James’ chapters as these chapters really gave us an insight and nudge towards what really happened back when Daniel was a young boy.

I did manage to work out some of the twists but still really enjoyed how they were unravelled. I did not guess who the bad guy was though and absolutely loved how that bombshell was dropped - I literally gasped out loud!

The ending was really bitter-sweet and I loved the heart warming touch of the gravestone inscription.

I would love to know which song they choose for their duet on the karaoke!

The Man Made of Smoke a novel by Alex North is the first book I have read by this author.

This book is very long drawn out and it is only when it gets to the end that the reader discovers the identity of the man made of smoke.

Dan was just a teenager when he encountered the man made of smoke in a rest room at a service station who was like the invisible man as nobody even noticed him. Soon the newspapers and media will label him the Pied Piper killer who took children away. There is even a book titled The Man Made of Smoke by Terrence O'Hare.

Dan has grown up and has become a criminal psychiatristrist who has been called back to his island home as his father has disappeared and he is on a mission to find out whether he is alive or dead when a dead body has been found.

I loved these lines from chapter 16 called Bargaining which shows how the author Alex North captures the element of air and birds. 'I stood out on the deck, watching the gulls wheeling above, like caligraphy etched on to the rose-gold sky. The sea air was freezing, and I was shivering from the cold.'

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

The Man Made of Smoke is a dark, atmospheric thriller that blends psychological suspense with emotional depth. The story follows Daniel, a criminal psychiatrist returning home after his father disappears. As he revisits the past, he’s forced to confront childhood memories tied to a local serial killer known as the “Pied Piper.”

The book stands out for its layered storytelling and complex father-son relationship. It explores themes of trauma, memory, and guilt with nuance, all while maintaining a steady sense of unease. North’s writing is tense but restrained, never relying on cheap scares. My only negative is that I would have preferred some indication when the chapters changed to a different character’s POV.

This isn’t a fast-paced thriller, but it’s gripping in a more reflective way. Thoughtful, unsettling, and memorable.

When Dan Garvie was 12 years old, he almost unknowingly came into contact with a serial killer by the name of the Pied Piper. Dan has been haunted by this moment since then. He has become a criminal profiler, desperate to seek justice for the innocent victims of crimes. Dan's father goes missing under suspicious circumstances and Dan returns to the island of his youth to find out what has happened to his Dad. Has the man from his past returned or is it something else.

This book was a gripping page turner from start to finish. The story had lots of twists and turns. The characters were good and most were likeable. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

I loved this. It's one of those books that I got into straight away. The plotline is fantastic and i didnt want the book to end, it kept me up reading into the early hours of the morning. I really enjoyed getting to know all of thecharacters. A definite 5 star book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 stars rounded up.

Daniel Gavrie was 12 years old when he encountered the serial killer, Pied Piper, who was travelling with an abducted boy. Daniel always regretted not helping the boy, and this has haunted him ever since.

He is now working as a psychiatrist in prison, treating inmates who committed serious offences.

When he receives a phone call that his father, an ex-policeman, has gone missing, he returns to his childhood home, and the memories return…

It turns out that John, Dan’s father, found the body of a burnt woman. He has been retired for a year, but he felt unhappy and a bit lost. This case has sparked an interest that he hasn’t felt for a long time.

Now, it’s up to Dan to discover the truth and put all the demons to rest.

I loved this book from start to finish.

The chapter where Dan encountered the Pied Piper and the words ”Nobody cares and nobody sees” gave me goosebumps. The message was quite unnerving but apt in the circumstances.

I didn’t guess who the killer was, which is always a bonus, as I love surprises.

If you fancy a creepy but captivating read, then this book is for you.

Many thanks to Michael Joseph for approving my NetGalley request.