Thank you Celadon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars for DNF as I'm unable to comment on the overall quality of the book. I've heard amazing things about Alex North and was excited to receive not only an audio ARC, but a physical ARC as well. I struggled with this one but I'm definitely going to give The Whisper Man a try.

Because I loved The Whisper Man, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of The Angel Maker courtesy of Celadon Books and NetGalley. The premise is fascinating. Is our destiny pre-determined or do we have the opportunity to change it by exercising free will? Serial killer John Locke wrote obsessively on the topic. After his arrest, his writings disappear as do his two sons: one who participated in his father’s hobbies and the other who did not.
This story is juxtaposed with a contemporary story involving Katie Shaw, married mother of the precious toddler, Siena, who is pulled into the search for her estranged brother Chris, an addict who never recovered psychologically from a random attack when he was a young teen.
The multiple story lines weave from distant past, to the current day murder of a beloved philosophy professor to flashbacks to the attack on Chris.
The book, which feels part police procedural, part mystery, party family dysfunction and part thriller never truly gels for me. There are too many non linear pieces that don’t fully create a cohesive story. While I truly enjoyed The Angel Maker, it did not leave me feeling satisfied, that the many loose ends ultimately worked, or left me wanting more.

This is the third North book I’ve read and, while this was my least favorite, I still really enjoy his writing style. The atmosphere he conveys is downright SPOOKY (slight spoiler but - the window part? Actual chills!) I also love how detail-centric this was. It’s not your traditional fly by the seat of your pants thriller; it’s a bit more nuanced and thoughtful, which is a great change of pace from a lot of the thriller books released these days.

My issue was, despite loving how all the different story lines eventually came together, it took a bit to get a cohesive narrative and felt a little convoluted (possibly because there were a million characters and I had a hard time keeping track of them all). It also took me about 70% to fully get invested in the story, mostly because I couldn’t see how it would wrap up satisfactorily. I wish all the threads were more solidly connected/started connecting earlier. I also wish the serial killer storyline was explored slightly more, because it felt secondary to everything else despite the book being named after him.

Overall, like I said above, I didn’t love this as much as I normally adore North’s books, but I enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to the next one! Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for the ARC.

3.5/5

Overall the premise of this thriller book was good but it definitely was a slow burn.

I had trouble keeping track of some of the characters throughout the book. It was confusing with so many different people, POVs and time lines. Everything eventually came together but it took a lot to get there.

I really enjoyed The Whisper man and if you are a fan of Alex North’s work then this one is still worth a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this eARC!

I was sent a digital galley for review. This was not my favorite of the author's books. The beginning bounced between several characters which was confusing. The book was good and had some twists I couldn't have guessed. There was at least 1 thing I felt was left unresolved in the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫STARS

REVIEW: Where to even begin with this one. It’s confusing, intriguing, puzzling, & dark. The first half of the book took me forever to read, there were so many moving pieces and people to keep track of, connections they all have and just figuring out what the hell was going on. The second half of the book really brought it all home. This is a book you have to pay attention to, there are multiple POV’s and if you aren’t focused you might miss something. Alex North knows how to write a chilling and creepy novel, so grab this one when it comes out on Tuesday, February 28th.

SYNOPSIS: This synopsis is hard to write because there’s so much happening in this book. So here are some key points:
☠️ Katie and Chris Shaw are siblings and go through a traumatic event in their childhood
☠️ A professor is murdered in the present
☠️ A serial killer is somehow connected and is supposed to know the future
☠️ Detective Laurence Page knows Chris and Katie from the past and is also solving the professor’s murder
☠️ Fate, Guilt, Sibling Bonds, and knowing the future are found all over this book

Thank you to NetGalley & Celadon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alex North has some pretty captivating stories, thrillers that get your attention from the beginning to end. The Angel Maker is not an exception. I really wanted to know how the events could possibly be connected. Some of the characters include two siblings that grow up together but then one day something bad happens to the brother and the sister blames herself for not being there; a serial killer from 30 years ago that could predict the future; and a millionaire that died in a suspicious way that led the police to launch an investigation.

Alex North has delivered another cleverly written novel and I completely inhaled it.

This story centers around a brother and sister. He is attacked as a teenager and she never fully recovers from the guilt. As adults, they have grown apart, but recent events bring them indirectly back into one another's lives. In addition, a central part of the story involves a serial killer that believes our life choices are pre-determined - - basically that free will doesn't truly exist. The legacy of this killer is far-reaching and impacts people for years.

I don't want to tell any more about the plot for fear of giving too much away. There are some creative ways that everything is tied together and I love the moments when things clicked with me. A great deal of the plot twists are subtle and not huge which in this situation are even more impactful and brilliant. This story really worked for me and I enjoyed every word.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This book is one that you need to focus when listening/reading, There are a lot of characters and storylines that somehow go together. To me - this book was a bit confusing - I suppose I didn't focus as much as I should have because I have just finished and quite honestly I don't really know what happened or why. I did love The Whisper Man by this author but this one was just kind of a miss for me.

Alex North is one of those authors I can't get enough of! And this one? It's going into my new "top favorites" pile. I didn't think any of his books could be as good as The Whisper Man but I was wrong!

Another great and well thought out thriller from Alex North. I found the beginning a bit hard to follow but the story really came together nicely. One of my top thriller writers right now.

Katie Shaw has a beautiful family. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, adores her five-year-old daughter, and lives in a beautiful home. So why do memories of a brutal attack on her younger brother that happened years ago continue to haunt her? The guilt she feels for not being there when Chris needed her the most is a constant ache in her heart, but it’s the spiral into drugs and homelessness he went through in the subsequent years that hurts the most. And now, just when he’s getting his life together and has fallen in love, a ghost from their past makes an appearance and throws the siblings’ lives into chaos.

When a philosophy professor is killed hours after letting all of his household staff go, Detectives Page and Pettifer are baffled by the grisly murder. But soon, a tie to a serial killer from the past comes to light, along with a grainy video of a man Page put behind bars years ago for the random attack that maimed a young Christopher Shaw- who is missing- while his sister is sure someone is stalking her family!

There are multiple timelines at play here, along with enough twists and convoluted turns to keep the reader guessing right to the end. Some scenes are seriously creepy and should carry a warning label, lol. Also, there is a child molestation/murder plotline that may not appeal to all readers.

I enjoyed the gothic noir vibe of this novel. The author did a superb job of building suspense!

If you were a father, which would you prefer? A child who always did as they were told—as you thought they should—or a child who disobeyed you and tried to forge their own path?” This line of the book stands out to me so much. I was told my whole life I would never be worth anything. So I decided to make my own choice and become something. I believe that is what happened in this book. One son did what he was told and the other did what he thought would change his life. This whole book was about each of the sons choices; one out of love, the other out of hate. That is why there is so much debate over nurture vs. nature. I believe it’s both plus the child’s temperament also. I could relate with this book throughout the pages. I will actually keep this book in my mind for a long time.

I have enjoyed Alex North's past books so when I heard about this one, I was excited to get my hands on a copy! I was granted an ebook copy through Netgalley and then Macmillan publishers and Celadon Books sent me a physical copy as well as the audiobook! I am extremely grateful!!

I'm very happy I could listen to the audiobook while reading along. The narrator was very good and has a truly pleasant voice to listen to. And, somehow it helped me concentrate more on the story, which is really needed with this book.

The Angel Maker contains many characters, dates, different POVs and even philosophical and theological ideas and explanations. I will say it was difficult for me to keep track of everything and would warn future readers to either annotate, take notes or just have some excellent brain power to help with all of the details.

That being said, the ending did fill in any gaps and answer any remaining questions for me, which is very helpful! And, looking back on the story, I can now see how everything fits into place. I can also better appreciate the inner workings and research behind this book and really sit back and enjoy the whole book. I could definitely see myself reading this again.

I gave this book 4.25⭐️. If it was just a bit easier to follow, it could easily have been five stars. Do not let this review discourage you from reading though. I'm very sure for some people it will be a much easier and enjoyable read!

I can not even tell you how excited I was to get an ARC of this book. Alex North is one of my go-to thriller writers, and this book just solidified that for me. I don't want to give too much away, but this book kept me guessing until the end. There were some things I had figured out, but others that I had no clue were coming. There were a lot of characters, and at first, I did have a bit of trouble keeping track of who was who, but that resolved itself pretty quickly. Once I picked this one up, I didn't want to put it down!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this boom to review. All opinions are my own.

The Angel Maker releases on Tuesday, February 28.

DNF about 1/3 of the way in. I need to just stop attempting this author's books. Though I was able to get through his others, I did not find them to be anything great. But I tried this one and I could not even get through it. Too many characters to the point where I wasn't even sure who was who any more. Eh. This is the last book by the author I will attempt.

Alex North comes through with another mystifying thriller. We follow several complex characters and timelines with seemingly different and traumatic traits that will eventually come together in the present. I was left guessing through the majority of the book how our main characters were all connected to a serial killer they called “Angel Maker”. Alex North has great skill in complexly weaving his characters stories so they intertwine through decades. As with all of his books, there are several twists, big and small. He also has that signature hint of supernatural influence in just the right amount. I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and twisty story and will continue picking up anything by this author.

I wanted to love this book, it just wasn’t it for me. I’ve never read anything by Alex North but have always heard SUCH wonderful things and maybe if I read his other books and then this one again, I might have a better review but for now 3.5 is where it’s at. The reason for the 3.5 stars is because I just could not get into this book. There was so many characters and timelines and I had constantly try to remember who was who and what was going on with them. All characters for sure needed their storylines but, I don’t know, I just wish it was done differently I guess. Less confusing. Will for sure try his previous books but this one was not for me.

This is my favorite type of book - a book that I’m thinking about even when doing other things that life requires like work, errands etc. - trying to figure out the connections and the various mysteries within the novel. The writing is excellent and riveting. My only critique is that there were a couple of loose ends/questions that didn’t get answered.

The Angel Maker is part murder mystery, part philosophical discussion making the reader think about motives, coincidences and destiny. It is fast paced and compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Celadon for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

I didn’t get this book.
I thought it was spooky and creepy.
Even when the strands came together at the very end I still couldn’t grasp the ultimate story.