3.5 Stars

The Angel Maker is a thriller with several timelines and characters that are somehow all related. Katie Smith is devastated when her brother, Chris, becomes a victim of a crime and blames herself for not being around to protect him. Alan Hobbs, a philosophy professor, is found murdered shortly after letting his staff members go. Without providing too much information to give things way, detectives are trying to connect the two crimes and determine how a serial killer is able to predict the future.

This was the third book I’ve read by Alex North and unfortunately it’s my least favorite of his. The biggest issue I had with this book was the amount of concentration it required to follow along. I didn’t even try to piece together the puzzle due to its complexity. I felt as though there were too many characters and stories to follow. I was definitely hooked on trying to figure out how the crimes were connected but it took until halfway through for me to feel fully invested. As the story came to an end, I was satisfied to have all the answers.

Told in third person via multiple narrators with flashbacks to previous timelines, I found the concept of this book to be fascinating, but the storytelling format caused a disconnect for me. The book was both clever and ambiguous in characters and timelines despite the specific labels. I enjoyed the parts that were narrated by Detective Laurence Page as he followed the clues to the ultimate conclusion. He pieced together several apparently unrelated events into a cohesive story that led him and his partner the right place at the right time in the end, though at times it was difficult to sit through since the reader already knew or could guess most of the information.

When it comes to the brothers, I found their narratives to be ambiguous, especially with regards to their referenced names. At times they are referred to by their first names then others by the surname and that’s where I started to get muddled by the inconsistencies. Was I supposed to think that they were other than what they appeared to be? Was I not supposed to notice that there were two references to characters with the first names “Edward” and “Alan” also referred to as Leland and Hobbes at times? It made me think I was confused over the characters, but it was actually just a name reference confusion.

I enjoyed the exploration of Katie’s guilt for her actions surrounding the incident with her brother as a teenager. I found Katie and Sam’s relationship rather lacking but I suppose that provided the story a catalyst in places. They supposedly loved each other very much but their support of each other failed on the follow-through. I also enjoyed the parts narrated by Chris and would have loved to see more from him, though perhaps that was to ramp up the mystery.

I thought the futuristic journal kept by a serial killer was an intriguing idea and wished that had come to a more satisfactory conclusion. I found the end to be anticlimactic. Ultimately, I think that this story would have benefited from less narrators with just a straight-forward 3-narrator perspective from the Detective, Katie and Chris. While the brothers lent a distinctive foreboding feel to the book, I could have done without their ambiguous narratives.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was one of my most anticipated books! I am a HUGE fan of Alex North. I love the suspense he creates in his books and the perfect pace at which his discloses those twists. This book, didn’t really take me on that ride. It was slow and I felt like I couldn’t keep my focus. The ending was not as strong as I would’ve have wanted, but it didn’t stop me from finishing the book!

Katie Shaw's little brother Chris was violently attacked when they were younger. Years later, he goes missing and Katie is afraid the man who attacked him has come back to finish what he started.

This story is very unique. North has an intricate way of weaving a story together. I had some trouble keeping track of all the different points of view. Overall, this was a well written story, however, there was one loose thread that wasn't tied up in the end, and that always bothers me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“It’s just an example, because I certainly do. But on an evening, when you’re deciding whether to have that second glass of wine or not, it might feel like you’re free to make up your mind either way. But you aren’t. What will happen will happen. What happens was always going to happen. You had no more choice than the pen did just then.”

QUICK RECAP 🖊️
A sister who is still living with grief of a brutal attack on her brother leaving him scarred is caught up in more than she could have imagined years later. A detective who keeps coming back to two old cases, trying to find a connection.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Thank you @netgalley @macmillanaudio & @celadonbooks for a copy of both the eARC and audio ALC. I was able tandem read these, Alex North has been on my radar since The Whisper Man so to receive these I was thrilled.
I will say this book is PACKED so I enjoyed reading vs. listening for this reason alone.

I did enjoy the narrator, but like I said, there’s so much packed into this book the book makes it easier for me to follow.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Press for the ARC! This book left my head spinning for most of the narrative, but in a good way. The book is told through different narratives. One is Detective Laurence Page as he investigates the brutal murder of a well-to-do elderly man. Another follows Katie Shaw, whose brother was the victim of a violet assault when they were teens. A third line follows a man set on putting right events from the past - but to what end? All lines come together through various twists and turns, and make for a vary dark, but moving tale.

This book was gripping and intense. North has a gift for creating suspense where the reader winds up white knuckling the book to the end. I found myself looking forward to picking the book back up at the end of the day and even snuck in a few pages on my kindle app at work because I had to keep the story going. My one complaint about this book was there were a lot of "main characters" and sometimes it was hard to keep track of who was what and to whom. I almost wish we hadn't had the backstory (no spoilers) as the present day characters are unraveling the plot so we could be in suspense along with them, but I still enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it to fans of North or anyone who enjoys a good horror novel.

The cover, title and author of this book all caught my eye. The beginning jumps right in with a lot of action. It’s a slow burn after that for a big chunk of the book. There are many characters to follow from the past and present so I had to read slowly and sometimes stop to think who was who. There are separate subplots that later entwine so you have to pay close attention to details as it all comes together nicely for the overall plot at the end of the book. By the end, you understand who everyone is and it all makes sense.

The story includes family dynamics, sibling bonds, a crime from the past, a serial killer and fate. The philosophical discussions were something totally new to me so that was different and interesting. The book was definitely suspenseful and had some more scary parts which I enjoyed.

Thank you @AlexNorth @CeladonBooks and @NetGalley for a free digital ARC. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.
#TheAngelMaker #NetGalley

Sadly, this one was a DNF for me. I try really hard not to DNF ARCs because of the privilege of receiving them, but I could not get myself to want to read this book at all. The plot was confusing, as it seemed to be multiple plots at once that you have to keep straight (which I’m told makes sense in the end, but I just didn’t feel like I wanted to get there). The characters were flat to me, and there were far too many to keep straight.

Really wanted to like this one, as I have enjoyed other Alex North novels, but this one wasn’t for me.

Alex North has created another creepy, yet delightful story with The Angel Maker. The idea behind this thriller is a unique one, and had me questioning the philosophy behind it the entire time in a good way. In any thriller, I always love getting to see the point of view of several characters all tied together to tell the story. I did find the shift in POV a little hard to follow at the beginning while still trying to learn who all was involved, but once the story began to pick up I was locked in!

“A dark, suspenseful new thriller about the mysteries of fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer who was said to know the future.“

This in not my usual fare, but I’m glad I dipped my toe into the Thriller/Mystery genre.

The story itself was fairly convoluted, with lots of timelines and characters and points of view.

I enjoyed the different familial relationships – parent/child, siblings, spouses – and was happy with how several of them were resolved.

I also liked that, while this book is considered Horror, it wasn’t GROSS. I mean, it wasn’t a HAPPY tale, but the author didn’t revel in the literary blood-lust that some do.

For that I am eternally grateful.

The things I liked most, however, was all the philosophical talk of Free Will vs Determinism, and the question of whether or not the killer can see the future. There’s something nice about some of the parts of the story being left unresolved.

Lots of gristly bits on which to chew.

I’ve heard good things about his other book, The Whisper Man, so I’ll check that one out next.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Macmillan Audio for this creepy ARC.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Net Galley for my early access to read this book. I was so THRILLED to receive this as right when Alex North announced this would be his next book, I added it to my to be read list immediately.

The Angel Maker is a slow start (pretty close to Alex North's other books; The Whisper Man and The Shadows) to get familiar with all the characters in the book. Once you start getting comfortable in the book, you think you have it all figured out. BUT things are never as they seem and you will be in for a ride figuring out the murder for Alan Hobbes, who is Christopher Shaw actually, and the RED CAR that Katie Shaw's daughter Siena talks about throughout the book.

Be ready to start slow and ease in to figure out the characters and then get ready to not want to put the book down until you get to the end!

Need something to think about while you wait to read your copy? Here are the questions that I feel will be common while you read...Is Christopher Shaw in trouble or is he the trouble? How can possible all these characters be connected? How can Alan Hobbes be so ready and prepared for him to just be murdered?

Alex North does a great job on making sure his thriller/horror books are original and to stand out from the typical "who done it". You will never know truly what to believe/think until you read it, because he is able to make you think one thing while another thing is really happening. His books are great with "reading between the lines".

Will Katie Shaw or Detective Laurence Page be able to stop the killer or solve all the problems with Christopher Shaw before it's too late? Find out on February 28th, 2023 when The Angel Maker is released.

Also 5 stars on this book cover.

#TheAngelMaker #NetGalley

I am a huge Alex North fan and it pains me to say that I didn’t like this at all. It felt extremely disorganized and I couldn’t keep anything straight. Overall it was very lacklustre and that makes me sad

This was a good book but not my favorite. I wasn't a big fan of the way the story was written with the different timelines. They came off as disjointed.
Katie was an annoying character. There is one time in the book where she does something (trying to avoid spoilers) that is just like "seriously?!" She is just a ridiculous character.
The story came together in the end and I can see why it was written why it was but it took a long time to get there and something could have been left out.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is entirely my own.

Oh my gosh!! Alex North never misses with these mystery/thrillers. Every chapter is quick and keeps me on my feet. The story line was great but could be confusing at times. There was a bit too many characters going back and forth and sometimes one would pop up after awhile and I'd forget who they were and have to go back and remind myself. I really liked how all of it was some how connected. Something about his writing that really keeps you wanting more. It had the perfect amount of creepiness, like when Katie was looking at herself in the window drinking her coffee that night and all the sudden she sees herself smiling back because someone was watching her. It definitely made me go around my house and make sure my blinds were shut!! Great book again!

DNF. I wanted to like this book but couldn’t keep the characters straight and just honestly couldn’t pay attention

This is a very good thriller, but it does require a lot of concentration to be able to follow along with the characters and the various timelines that move quite quickly, and yet somehow, are all interconnected.

The Angel maker is about unrivaled sibling loyalty, a serial killer, and a detective determined to put the pieces together.

Katie has a younger brother Chris, who was attacked and permanently scarred & turned to drugs. They have not spoken to each other in years.
Alan Hobbes is murdered. Is there a connection with her brother?

#thriller #mystery #horror
3.5 stars, rounded up

I am a fan of Alex North’s The Whisper Man and was excited to be picked to read an arc of The Angel Maker. Starting out I had some difficulty keeping the characters straight, but as I read on Wow it was a great read. It was a unique story a book that told the future that a serial killer used, and I liked the supernatural elements of the book. Alex North did not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon books for the advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Woah I have so many opinions about this book and I need it to be released and one of my friends to read it so I can discuss it.

I was confused until around 55% of the way through the book and had to look at reviews to make sure I wasn’t the only one—which I was not! But 60% and on I couldn’t put the book down. Prior to that, it was a slow burn and I felt if I kept a notebook of everyone’s names it would’ve been helpful.

4/5 stars because the very last part in the ending I did not care for. And also being very confusing in the first half of the book.

I would classify this book as crime fiction and horror. It also kept giving me season 6 Dexter vibes. My first Alex North book, but not my last!

Alex North is my favorite thriller author, and his latest book confirmed this once again!
The Angel Maker by Alex North~ 5/5 ⭐️

I think North is masterful at writing believable twists and somehow always succeeding in making them genuinely surprising to the reader.
Also tell me how I somehow always end up having a tear-filled breakdown while reading his books?? Like very time! 😅 I think it’s bc love is always at the center of them, whether it’s platonic, familial, or romantic love. He writes characters that you truly care about and root for. Specifically in this book, the sibling relationship at the center of it between Katie and Chris was so beautiful to me 🥹 As an older sister myself, I could really relate to Katie’s intrinsic, almost all-consuming desire to protect her little brother ❤️

Thank you so much to @celadonbooks and @netgalley for this digital ARC!!! Literally gasped out loud when I saw I was approved to read it early