Alex North’s <i>The Whisper Man</i> is the only thriller I’ve ever rated 5 stars (I most often give them 3 stars–I’m very picky about my thrillers…😅), so requesting his newest book on Netgalley was a no-brainer for me. While <i>The Angel Maker</i> didn’t quite hit all the same notes for me, it was still a solid 4-star read that I really enjoyed.

One of the reasons I’m so picky about my thrillers is that I often find them predictable, and this was not the case here. The storyline with its interconnected characters was complex enough to keep me guessing, and I felt like North did a great job of dropping clues at the right pace to make me feel like I was figuring some things out without giving it all away. I also enjoyed the philosophical meditation on free will vs. fate through the divergent paths that brothers Alan and Edward took in their lives, after both being raised by a serial killer. What this book was missing for me that kept it from earning all 5 stars was the level of hair-raising and spine-tingling that I experienced with <i>The Whisper Man</i>, but this one still had plenty of tense moments and a similar dark underpinning. Some readers might find the larger cast of characters who initially didn’t seem connected to be difficult to follow; however, I felt that they were each developed enough to allow me to keep track of them fairly easily.

I would recommend this book to anyone who prefers a little more meat to their thrillers or who likes to be at least somewhat in the dark until the book’s conclusion. Bonus points for any level of interest in philosophy. Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a review! I will definitely be on the look-out for more from Alex North in the future!

The Angelmaker" by Alex North is a gripping and intriguing mystery novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The story centers around a small English village where a series of bizarre events begin to unfold after a retired clockmaker passes away.

As the story unfolds, we are introduced to a cast of interesting and complex characters, including a former detective who is haunted by his past, a troubled young man searching for answers about his family, and a mysterious figure known only as "The Angelmaker" who seems to be pulling all the strings.

North does an excellent job of building tension and suspense throughout the book, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of the Angelmaker's motives and identity until the very end. The writing is sharp and evocative, with vivid descriptions that bring the eerie setting of the village to life.

Overall, "The Angelmaker" is a captivating and well-crafted mystery novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. North's skillful storytelling and richly drawn characters make this a book that is difficult to put down, and the unexpected twists and turns of the plot will keep you guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

Read this book if you like: Multiple POVs, multiple timelines, creepy reads

Wow. This is my first Alex North book. I could not look away from this. 😲 This read is so creepy. Celadon sent me this book with little envelopes to open after certain chapters. I LOVED this concept. It made reading the book so much cooler. The story had multiple POVs and multiple timelines. It had a lot of moving parts, which at times can be a little confusing. That wasn't a big deal though. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the author and Celadon Books for the gifted book ❤️

I have loved the previous two Alex north books but this one was not for me. The writing is fine, taut as ever. The storyline was just not for me. May try finishing it another time

Thank you to Netgalley & Celadon books for this ARC! I give this book 2.75 stars, but since Netgalley only allows whole-star ratings, I listed it as 3 stars.

This is my first book by the author, Alex North, and I have heard good things about their work! This book started off strong, and definitely reeled me in. Katie feeling the weight of "what if I had done something different" from her teenage years into her adulthood was depicted well. I felt invested in her relationship with her brother Chris and wanted to know more about their dynamics even beyond what was given in the novel. The love she has for her brother paired up with the feeling of being left behind/feeling like her parents didn't worry about her in the same way was an interesting struggle that was written well and I wish they had gone into that more! Overall the story started out with good, creepy atmosphere, and it did leave me wanting to know what happened. There were moments of suspense and unsettling descriptions that were well done. There is philosophy intertwined in this book as well, and aspects of that were interesting to think about.

However, where the story lost me was when too many different characters and plots were added into the mix, and some plots skipped time without much warning. Within a single chapter, we would sometimes skip from present to past to present again. I didn't quite understand how some of the plots tied together, and felt the story could have benefitted from cutting some plots to tighten up the story. Even at the end when most of the storylines crossed, I had a hard time really fully understanding it. It felt like there was at once a lot going on, but the connections weren't clear enough for me as a reader to feel invested in most of the plots or characters.

Ultimately I think if you enjoy complex thrillers with lots going on you might like this book. I still want to check out other books by this author, especially The Whisper Man as that has very high praise. I think this specific book just did not work for me personally.

Another amazing work by Alex North; I will day I was slightly skeptical because the Shadows was such a let down for me after the Whisper Man but this work has redeemed itself. Bone chilling, spine tingling and an intricate plot make this an almost 5 star read except you really do have to pay incredibly close attention early on to fully appreciate and watch the plot unfold.

I’m not sure what I was expecting reading this book, but I was kind of disappointed. Based on the description, I thought it would be much more suspenseful and more of a thriller. Instead, I found it incredibly confusing and I struggled to finish it. By the end, I just didn’t care for the characters or the plot… I was just glad it was over.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.