“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 force their own path?”

Personal Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This plot had so many characters and so much driving it forward that at times, I became confused jumping from character to character. This novel was dark, and suspenseful but also showed the bittersweet unbreakable bond of siblings and a close up look of a notorious serial killer - which is a lot going on in a novel!
I enjoyed the multiple points of view and how Alex North intricately connected them all in the end, the final pages were breathtaking and unexpected. I was a huge fan of The Whisper Man, this novel has the same vibes! I received a gifted copy of the ARC from the publisher and am honored to give my thoughts in exchange! Grab your own copy on February 28!

Synopsis:

Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever. Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined. Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more. Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome crime. A distinguished professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer who, legend had it, could see the future.

This book was a slow start for me - it took me awhile to figure out who was who and how everyone was connected, so it was hard for me to get fully absorbed in the book. However the plot was very original and story was very well written with very catchy sentences.

3.5 stars!
This book definitely took some concentration to keep the story together. I had to reread a couple of times to make sure I got parts correct. Overall a good book, but I feel it would have been better if less disorganized. Thank you to Netgalley for the early read.

I really wanted to like this book more. It just had so much going on and I felt lost for the majority of the book. I enjoyed the ending somewhat but this was a miss for me.

I’ve rated other Alex North books higher than this one, and it’s because by this one I’m coming in hoping for a bit more. There’s nothing really wrong here, but there’s nothing that stood out for me either. It’s like the other books and if you’re happy with that, you’ll like this one just fine. For me though, it’s falling into the category of easily read and easily forgotten.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

Katie Shaw, guilt-ridden sister, mother, wife, and teacher is estranged from her drug-dependent brother, Chris, after he steals money from her purse. Chris was viciously attacked by a man, Michael Hyde, who claims that he was compelled to attack Chris that fateful afternoon. Detective Laurence Page is called to a grizzly crime scene of the murder of Allen Hobbs (wealthy professor and philanthropist) and the last image the security camera captures before being shut off is that of Chris Shaw. But the professor also has some secrets of his own and a massive muderbilia collection of serial killer Jack Lock who claimed his writings predicted the future. So begins the journey in piecing together why and how all these people are connected.
Told from various character POVs and jumping through timelines, this book is definitely one you need to pay close attention to. There are a lot of twists and turns that leaves a reader reeling after each chapter. Though chapters alternate POVs of five major characters (Katie, Chris, Det. Page, Allen Hobbes, Edward Leland, and one chapter told from Michael Hyde's POV), the chapters are not titled to give reference of who is the dedicated narrator and jump into various timelines; therefore, it's a bit unsettling when beginning a new chapter (especially if it's been a few days...). An added brain tease are the overarching philosophical themes of determinism, fate, and coincidences that felt like a relief when each piece of the puzzle was slotted into place for the larger narrative. Overall, 3 stars. It was solid, confusing, twisty, dark, full of flawed characters, and I felt like I was also piecing a puzzle together after each clue.

Rounding up on this one because I love how Alex North writes! About jumped up and down when I was approved for this a few weeks ago. I was obsessively following the little free library placements Celadon did for the Angel Maker, to no avail! So thank you Celadon and netgalley for the early read!!
If there was one thing I could tell future me regarding this book- it would be to make a list of characters as they come. I really struggled keeping up with who was who and what was going on because of it. It came together in the end but I think I would have enjoyed this so much more if I didn’t feel like an idiot half the time I was reading.
It’s creepy and original and about half way thru I couldn’t put it down. If it is a BOTM pick next month, good chance it will be in my box.

First, I just want to say this is one of my most anticipated 2023 releases. Serial killer thrillers and police procedurals are my favorite genre and Alex North is one of the greats. When Celadon did the LFL drop with advance reader copies, I made my husband drive me two total hours to the nearest participating LFL and I was very sad it was not there. Then I basically begged the publisher’s instagram page to send me a copy. Which they did eventually (thank you!), but I had already been approved for the audiobook through NetGalley/Macmillan Audio, so this is how I decided to consume it. The first time, at least.

I finished the audiobook last night and unfortunately while I believe I understood most of the overarching plot, I am still very confused about the characters and some of details and I’m left with a lot of remaining questions. When I listen to audiobooks, it’s normally when I am at rest and not doing something else simultaneously, so it wasn’t for a lack of paying attention.

I consume books in three ways - digitally on my kindle, on audiobook, and through physical copy. Although the narrator was fantastic, I think this book is probably better read and understood through physically reading whether it be a physical copy or on an e-reader, particularly given the continuous shift between using first and last names for characters, characters with multiple names, multiple characters referred to by the same names… etc. I could have done without that until which time it may have become necessary through the plot.

I am totally willing to give my physical copy another stab in the future, but for now at least, I’m rating this book at three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alex for an advance reader and listener’s copies in exchange for an honest review!

I was really looking forward to this novel by North after loving his last 2 so I was ecstatic when I was given the opportunity to read an eARC. And maybe it was my over-anticipation that did it, but I was ultimately a little let down.. I just didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a good story and I did enjoy it. But I found it to be confusing- both the different characters and how the jumps in time were set up. I couldn’t remember what happened when and I kept having to look back to remember who each character was. I also didn’t feel like the characters had much depth. I wanted to like them but they just fell flat to me. Also, Sam sucked. There’s nothing more to it than that. He was absolute garbage.

But the premise/“mystery” were interesting enough and I enjoyed the ending. All in all, not a bad story… but not as great as The Whisper Man or The Shadows.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for allowing me this advanced copy!

“The Angel Maker” by Alex North is a book that I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced. I will say in advance that I’ve read all of the other Alex North books, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all.

Katie Shaw has a perfectly life in the English countryside. That is until Katie’s brother Chris is violently attacked, and she can’t help but feel she’s responsible. Years after the attack, Katie learns that Chris has gone missing. At the same time Chris is missing, a murderer is also on the lose, and famous professor Alan Hobbes is his victim. Are these two cases somehow connected?

This book makes you think. It has multiple timelines of the past and future, which you definitely need to pay attention to while reading. Overall though this book did live up to the hype I created for it in my head. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Alex North.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC of this novel.

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!