First off, I'd like to thank the Publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this novel.
I've read and enjoyed Whisper Man and The Shadows, but this one is by far my favorite. This book grabs you in the beginning with a child being assaulted and then quickly after you have a brutal murder. It will entice you to see what happens next and even to see who/why it is all connected. You'll probably guess a few of the connections of the case as you go along, but more than likely, it won't be to the extent of how far.

I had a hard time getting into it at the start, and there were a lot of characters that seemed random (but ended up being the point...they seemed random, but were connected through the twist), but the end got better and once connections were being made it was easier to follow.

This dark, supernatural thriller was my first Alex North read and I’m excited to finally take The Whisper Man off my tbr list next.

While it took me a minute to orient myself in the story, I really liked that it demanded my attention. It was a relatively convoluted story with a large cast of characters and multiple timelines, which is not typically something I enjoy. However, this story was intriguing and suspenseful enough to keep me hooked.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
“Deus scripsit”

The Angel Maker - Author Alex North
Celadon Books ARC - Pub Date: 2/28/23
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Alex North’s new novel, The Angel Maker, is a killer thriller. I can’t honestly, break down this story’s premise because it's unusual, dark, and shocking. I can’t even fathom how Alex North develops his plots since they are often scary, evil, and insanely believable. If I were his wife, I might sleep with one eye open…just a personal observation. Here’s my take: this book concerns good versus evil, hate versus love, rivalries, bankrupt moral character, and parental mistakes. I could see an underlying parallel to the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau, who were brothers that made life-changing mistakes. This is a story about a family's future and how it gets muddled. It’s about the jealousy of one brother over another; it’s about a father with a shady past. I LIKED it. I would advise keeping a list of characters as there are so many, and it isn't easy to keep track. I keep saying I’m not sure I can handle reading another Alex North book, but then I know I won't be able to resist his next novel. Sweet dreams...or not. #brothers #fathers #life #love #future #jealousy #hatred #predestination #fire #loss #TheAngelMaker @writernorth #determinism #theology #book #books #bookstagram #alexnorth @celadonbooks @netgalley
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Celadon Books, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023.

The Angel Maker is a page turning mystery thriller by Alex North. I've read and enjoyed books by the author in the past but this one is by far my favorite.

The story juggles many Point of Views. Two set of siblings, Chris and Katie and Leland and Alan, along with the point of view of the detective trying to put the pieces of his case together. It also jumps from past to present throughout, but it was so well written that I was never confused.

Leland's character is chilling, Alan's is complex. Thier backstory is dark and unsettling. Chris's character slowly breaks your heart, and Katie's brought out frustration in me. The more you learn about Chris, the more you feel for him and just want everything to turn out for him and his boyfriend. Katie brought out frustration because she cared so much for her brother no matter what and carried so much guilt, and her husband was less than supportive during his pager times in the book. The bond between them was resilient and no matter what happened between them, they cared for each other fiercely.

Usually I always try to guess the outcome of a thriller but with this from the start I was just along for the ride. I loved all the little things that tied each chapter together, and I was invested in each plot twist reveal. The story is perfectly weaved and has an over lying paranormal aspect to it with one of the characters' ability to know the future.

The Angel Maker is a captivating thriller with a highly satisfying ending, and I can't wait to see what Alex North thinks up next.

Finished ✔️ The Angel Maker by Alex North and enjoyed it a lot. ☺️

4 ⭐️’s
Publish Day: February 28th, 2023
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
My first book by Alex North
Alex North is also the author of The Whisper Man & The Shadows {both are on my TBR}
This book is a dark & suspenseful thriller in more ways than one
Mysteries about fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer.
I found the serial killer in this book quite interesting, kind of felt like I was trying to analyze said serial killer like to do with the criminals of Law & Order SVU episode - guilty as charged! 🙈
Enjoyed the characters a lot as the main character Katie Shaw’s life changed in more ways than one.
The Angel Maker reminds me of Law & Order SVU episodes I’ve seen over the years.
For a first Alex North book, I’d call this one a win over all.
I’d highly recommend others purchase this book when it’s released tomorrow! 😉

#DeesReading #DeesRecs #DeesBookRecommendations #BookNerds #BookNerdProblems #BookNerdsUnited #BookProblems #BookProblems101 #BookNerds101 #Bookworms #BookwormProblems #BooksOfFacebook #DeeTheBookReviewer #BookReviewer #NewToMeAuthor #AlexNorth #ReadOfTheDay #BookOfTheDay #MysteriesAndThrillers #PsychologicalThrillers #TheAngelMaker #NetGalley

Thank you @CeladonBooks and @netgalley for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review. This is my second book by Alex North. I loved The Whisper Man so I was very excited when I heard about The Angel Maker. I love atmospheric Mystery/Thriller books about serial killers and detectives trying to solve the case. This book did not disappoint.

I loved the pacing and the characters. I had no problem following all the different POV's. I also loved how dark the book was.

I don’t know what it was but I haven’t struggled this hard with a book in a long time. I spend a good majority of it trying to figure out what was even happening. I think because the audiobook didn’t really differentiate the characters in any way, and it didn’t acknowledge any times where they were discussing different periods of time. So I feel like I spent a good chunk of time trying to figure out whose POV I was reading from at the start of each chapter.
I loved the idea of the plot, it wasn’t executed super well in my opinion. It felt like there was a lot going on. I was left with a lot of unanswered questions by the end. I enjoyed the dynamic between the siblings. I wanted to see how they ended up and it’s honestly what kept me reading.
I recommend If you pick this one up to read the ebook or physical. It’s a good choice if you enjoy books that have serial killers, multiple pov, police procedures, with a little sprinkling of paranormal. I just don’t think this was the book for me.

If you loved The Whisper Man than you are in for a real treat with this one!

Starting off in the past, Kate was meant to be looking after her younger, timid, brother Chris, but on a spur of the moment decision she let him make his way home from school on his own. It is that decision that still haunts the family years later.

Set in different time frames, this story starts with a murder and introduces us to a whole cast of characters, all fleshed out, all connected in a whole host of different ways, some self explanatory, others that take you further into this dark, suspenseful thriller to find out the connections.

With both likeable and despicable characters, scenes set in high definition and a storyline that sucks you in, it might not be the fastest paced book, but it is a creeper, slowing working its way beneath your skin and working its insidious plot into your brain!

For all fans of thrillers and suspenses this is going to be a book you really aren’t going to want to miss, it could even be put forward for the winner of thriller of the year 2023! That’s how good it is!

4.5 stars, I loved this book.

I'm going to keep to brief and simple to not give much away, this story is brilliant.

Alex Norths writing is engaging and easy to read. The story follows multiple characters over several time lines, this was very well done and for me personally it was easy to follow. All the characters and their side stories were unique and crucial to the overall main plot. Everything had a purpose. -0.5 stars because I just wanted a bit more on the serial killer backstory.

I finished this book almost 2 weeks ago, I'm still thinking about it and going ever everything. I want to reread it to see if I missed anything and to experience it again now that I have all the puzzle pieces put together. For now, I'll be on my way to read the rest of Alex Norths books.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex North for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my authentic review.

The Angel Maker is a boom largely based on psychological principles and/or the science fiction of predicting the future. The story was super intricate and intertwined. I enjoyed the philosophical elements that made you really think introspectively. The back story was very creative, with the different killers and motives, and survival mentality. I would’ve enjoyed more of Chris’s story as a survivor of such horrific events.

-0.5 stars for the slow build. Seems like it could be made into a great movie.
-0.5 for the character plots. Took me a while to figure out how all the characters came together. Still not sure how the brothers ended up with different last names. Didn’t love Katie’s character build either, she felt somewhat sporadic
-0.5 for the character involvement. Still not sure why Hyde chose Chris and then subsequently stalked Siena and their family. Felt a bit too random but somehow “intertwined”

Side note: Why was every single door unlocked in the book? Doesn’t anyone lock their doors anymore?

This was my first Alex North read, even though I own his other two books. The Angel Maker was fast paced, which I loved, and had an interesting opening and beginning. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there for me. I had trouble keeping up with the characters (there were many), and then lost what the story was about. Alex North knows how to write a story, but this one seemed like it was much bigger than what he was able to fit into the number of pages he gave us. I’m still very eager to read his previous two books.

A notorious serial killer claims he can see the future and has written it all down. When his diary goes missing, the threads of past, present, and future become intertwined.

Alex North's THE ANGEL MAKER is perfect for fans of spooky suspense. The novel is well-plotted and includes interesting, three-dimensional characters.

“If you could see the future, would you want to?"

After reading The Whisper Man and The Shadows I was so excited to receive an ARC copy of North's much anticipated book The Angel Maker and moved it to the top of my TBR.
The story follows Professor Alan Hobbes death and how his brutal murder will impact the lives of three individuals who are linked to his journey. It's about Kate Shaw and her younger brother Chris and how a past incident shaped their future. Along with a serial killer who has a superpower. North has a way of writing spooky and creepy words and chill your bones and make your hair stand on ends. In all transparency this book seemed more of a whodunnit/ detective storyline.
While The Whisper Man remains my favorite of the three, this is still worth reading!

I loved the back and forth timelines because it helped build the character setting. With that being said you really have to pay attention while reading so you don't get confused.

Thank you @celadonbooks and @netgalley for the advanced
copy.

I really enjoyed Alex North's previous work, but I had a hard time focusing on this one. I found myself a bit lost throughout this book - and not in the way of an amazing, challenging buildup to the aha moment that I love in a suspenseful story. The Angel Maker reeled me back in the last few chapters, but overall, I was left underwhelmed.

Thank you to Alex North, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this. The mystery was interesting and I liked all the characters. I always enjoy stories where the characters are connected in ways they don't understand and that was fun here. I think the only thing I'm a little confused on is Hyde and why he did all the things he did? Like the stalking bit at the end? But overall the story was fun to read and engaging.

Thank you Celadon for an Advanced Copy on NetGalley.

Katie felt very protective of her younger brother Chris when they were kids. Her brother was attacked and he nearly died on the one day she decided not to walk home with him after school instead she chose to go to her boyfriend's place. This resonates with her for many years and she feels her brother Chris has struggled on the margins of society for which she holds herself responsible.

This book was scary, tense and eerie. I usually read before I go to sleep but I couldn’t read this one before I went I to sleep without reading something lighter. If you enjoy spooky reads that keep you on your toes while figuring out what the story is about this is one is for you. If you like reading about crimes I highly recommend reading it but if you are like me and read before bed time read you'll want to find other times during the day to squeeze this in. To be clear this is a great read that is written over a few different timelines and a few different characters perspectives but you will have to pay attention and not skim through it or you will get confused. I found it clear to follow and helped the reader put the pieces together. I rate this a 4/5, although I am still thinking about this book a few days after I finished so I have a book hangover.

The Angel Maker by Alex North was a very complex and intertwined story. There are multiple storylines spanning the past and the present. It can be a tad confusing to follow, but the overall story kept me interested. The Angel Maker deals with the topic of determinism and whether or not you would want to know the future if you could. I do not feel I can do the plot justice because it is so intricate, I do not want to give anything away. I really enjoyed the twists and how it all tied together. I personally felt the ending was a tad abrupt, but it didn't leave anything up in the air. I did not fully feel like one of the characters involvment was fully fleshed out in relation to the others, but maybe I just missed something.

A thrilling, puzzle-piece, creepy mystery that I could not put down. It did start a little slow, and it was confusing at times, but the puzzle pieces came to a satisfying click.

Plot: What happened to her brother after he was attacked as a teenager? What does it have to do with the death of a mysterious man living in a house never fixed from the fire that took his son? Is it really possible to know the future? Recommendation: if you're an Alex North fan, run to your nearest bookstore when this comes out tomorrow.