Ok so I was expecting something different .. this book did throw me a bit . At times it was hard to read because there's soooo many POVS going on.. too many tbh. The transition from one person to another sometimes was confusing & left you wondering if maybe you missed something in the multiple plots .
I love Mr Norths previous books & this one is different from those . I feel more of a religious aspect than horror ?? 🤔
Overall I felt this book was original . Cultish horror ? So def props for that but it wasn't my fave 😐

Thank for for the chance to read this Arc . 🖤

Thank you to Alex North, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This plot was good in theory, however the execution is the reasoning for my rating. Normally, I enjoy multiple POVs but the transitions to other POVs was not well done. It felt chopping and the pacing between the three was not exactly the same which made it harder to want to continue reading. It broke up anytime I felt like I was on a streak and added to the slow pacing of the book. The twist was pretty predictable as well. Additionally, I wish I had looked for trigger warnings, I found some of the subject matter especially in relation to small children, disturbing and that took away from the story for me too. Overall, the story had promise but fell a little flat for me personally.

I freaking love Alex North so I was surprised when the early reviews of this novel were coming back unfavourably. After finishing it, I have come to the conclusion that the lack lustre reviews are less about the actual quality of the novel and more having to do with how different it is from his previous work.

This was a dense plot with a lot of moving parts and complex characters which is something I have come to expect from North, and one of the reasons I love him. There were a lot of moments where I went “wait, what??”, but any momentary confusion was ultimately explained as the story unfurled.

The Angel Maker was definitely the least creepy of North’s work, which I think may be where peoples disappointment is stemming from. Personally, I actually enjoyed how he tried something different and went more philosophical, playing with the theory of determinism, an idea that, when you really think about it, is rather terrifying.

I will also say, I started to listen to this on audio and had to switch to the physical copy. I did not like that the multi POV - mostly male characters I might add - was read predominantly by a woman; I kept thinking that Chris and Lawrence’s POVs we’re Katie and ultimately abandoned it. If a novel is multi POV, I NEED a full cast!

If you’re able to separate what you’ve come to expect from North subject matter wise, this was still very North-esque; it was expertly plotted, had fleshed out and flawed characters, an original plot that made you think, and plenty of twist and turns along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC!

Absolutely loved this creepy horror-thriller! Alex North did it again!

This book follows Katie Shaw who really has it all until a stranger hurts her brother. After this attack her brother is lead into a life of drugs. Years later Katie finds out her brother is now "clean" and is back in touch with their mother but has now gone missing. Katie feels she owes it to her brother to find out what happened even if that means putting her own family in danger.

I really enjoyed this book, often finding it hard to put it down. This book does have many POVs and at the beginning you may be confused. BUT stick with it! Everything comes together in a beautifully twisted way!

Fate or free will? Can we change the future or are we helpless to what is yet to happen to us? This is the perpetual theme as Katie races the clock to unravel the mystery of the past that has sucked her brother in.

I loved this book! The Whisper Man is one of my favorite thrillers from last year and I had high expectations for this one, which it definitely lived up to. This is such a masterpiece of taking multiple strings of story and weaving them together to leave behind a full quilt of story that fits together perfectly. North is a master of this and I now can’t wait to go back and read The Shadows! I highly recommend this for lovers of suspense and mystery!

TW: kidnapping, violence, child abuse

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 - 5/5

I loved this book! This was my first by Alex North and I was definitely impressed. The twists were great and I never knew where it was going.

Only one of my most anticipated reads of the year! The synopsis and the cover immediately captured my attention and I enjoyed North’s The Whisper Man well enough to know I had to read this. I started with the ebook first and found it much easier to keep up with the audiobook since there’s many characters and timelines to juggle. So if audiobooks are your thing, I definitely recommend it. I was expecting a bit more from the story, but found it to be an interesting read that touched on topics that aren’t too common in thrillers. I do think two characters in particular could’ve been scrapped, as they didn’t contribute very much to the overall story but I think this will be a big hit with North’s fan. The ending was so good! I love the way the plot came together. I do wish there would’ve been an epilogue, though. Everything wrapped up a bit quickly and it would’ve been satisfying to stay with the characters longer to see some ends tied. Overall, a solid thriller that is perfect for fans of serial killer stories, multiple characters/plot lines, and exploring fate as a theme.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC from Alex North! I had read in the past his book The Whisper Man and I loved it. This new book was actually pretty good, and I really enjoyed reading it, although I couldn't really connect with the female MC. The ending has good plot twists which I also enjoyed. I recommend reading this book in 2 or 3 sittings because if not, you can get confused with the different storylines and timelines. This was for me a solid 3.5 stars.

The Angel Maker by Alex North

A complex plot and lots of characters had me a bit lost at first. Trying to piece together who was who and how they were connected made it a slower read for me. Once I got all that figured out I could not wait to see where it would go. As always North delivered a unique and unexpected story.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

My thoughts and feelings were all over the place with this one and my idea of what my rating would be changed at least 4 times throughout reading this. It started out pretty slow and didn’t really pick up for me until about 60%. Once it picked up though, from about 60-80% it seemed like I finished every chapter wanting to read more and the chapters got shorter towards the end so that helped too! But by the end I just wasn’t interested anymore and it didn’t wrap up nicely for me. Throughout the book, the change in POVs was not super clear to me and it seemed to jump around with no warning or indication and I didn’t find it very easy to follow. Overall, the story was unique and at times interesting but I don’t feel like I liked it enough to give it 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books and Alex North for this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. The Angel Maker will be published February 28, 2023.

The Angel Maker by Alex North is a FANTSTIC thriller.

I absolutely love this author's other books, so I was so excited to receive an early copy.

I loved the author's previous books, The Whisper Man and The Shadows.

This book had my attention from page 1, and I could not put it down reading late into the night (best time to read a thriller)!

The plot was complex and intricate with a large cast of characters which are complex and well crafted.

The characters are intertwined, but that doesn't become obvious.

The timeline is in the present and reverts to the past during pertinent events.

When reading you don't know who the good ones are and who the evil diabolical ones are, and it is so fun to find out!

There are so many twists and turns and a perfectly plotted pace, only in a way that Alex North can craft.

Highly recommend this FANTSTIC book that is impossible to put down.

For starters, this cover is amazing!!

This was my third book by Alex North. Although his writing has always been unique and that's what I've come to expect, this writing was a little more difficult for me to follow than usual. There were so many timelines and plotlines and it was not an easy follow for me sadly.

I think the mystery itself could have been very good if it weren't for the confusing plotlines. Some of the topics were very intense and dark, so I'd recommend looking up some content warnings.

I'm sure this will still be a hit for many!

This book will be available on Feb 28th.

2.5 Rounded Up

This is by far Alex North's best book yet. I loved everything about the book. I loved all the twists and turns that the book had. By the end I wanted to know a bit more about the book that was left to Chris Shaw and what he did with the information.I also wanted to know about Edward and Allan's life with their father and what made him become a serial killer. Maybe it will be a sequal. Even though there was a lot of charaters and different time lines the plot was easy to follow.

Katie Shaw was always jealous of the attention and care devoted to her younger brother, Chris. One afternoon, when she had tired of always feeling like his caretaker, she leaves to take his self home from school but unfortunately that is leads into path of psychopath out for blood!. Chris survives but after the attack, he turns to drugs and spirals down hill, meanwhile, Katie's life thrives with a happy marriage and a perfect daughter. But, when Chris goes missing, Katie feels that she must help save him this time because she still blames herself for the attack on him as a teenager.

Around the time that Chris disappears, a wealthy former professor is found slayed in his bed and Chris is seen as the last person on his camera in his room. How is Chris connected? Is he guilty of murder? If not, what is he running away from?

I really enjoyed the opening of The Angel Maker and the synopsis made it sound like it would be a great read! However, the writing was dubious and the investigators were apparently mind readers! They could tell you if each characters was lying, not lying but hiding something, guilty of something but not guilty of the crime and how the suspects were feeling, etc...It really took away from the story when it felt like there were so many assumptions being made with little explanation! Great pitch for a story and I enjoyed how the characters were connected at the end but it was poorly played out.

While there are a lot of layers, timelines, and characters that make this book (especially as an audio) confusing, if you CAN at some point grasp it all, it's quite the story. I do feel like some of the chapters/perspectives could have been a little clearer, it still is a decent thriller. I do feel like title is a little misleading....there's very little related to "The Angel Maker" and truthfully, if some of that had been taken out, it wouldn't have taken away from the plot. I guess I thought there would be more to it if there was an entire plot related to it.

It felt like there was a lot of story/world/character building & then a lot of loose ends. I did enjoy the actual "twist", if you want to call it that, and those elements of it. I didn't find this especially thrilling...maybe more suspenseful?

Alex North has done it again!! Suspenseful, thrilling twist! Loved every page!! Criminal Minds vibes as always!

Katie Shaw had the carefree life everyone dreams of: about to graduate and head to college and her amazing relationship with her boyfriend Sam. When Katie decided to ditch her little brother Chris to hang out with Sam, her life and her family’s life is changed forever. Katie is still dealing with the guilt of Chris’ near death experience as she maneuvers adult life. When she gets a call from her mom that her estranged brother is missing, she knows she has to find him. A picture emerges of intertwined stories of Alan Hobbes, a professor, Chris and detective Laurence Page. Detective Page was there when Chris was attacked so many years ago, and now Chris is the suspect in professor Hobbes murder. There is more than meets the eye with each character and it’s Katie’s hope to put the pieces together
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I literally screamed when I got an email saying I was chosen for this ARC. Whisper Man and The Shadows are two of my favorite books, so I had been patiently awaiting the release of this one. This book DID NOT disappoint. Alex North is the best at weaving different character and their stories around until they eventually connect. It constantly kept me guessing and trying to figure out what happened next. Of course, I was completely wrong but my mind was blown by this book. I give this one all of the stars

First off, thank you netgalley, celadon books, and Alex North for this early copy of The Angel Maker. I'm a thriller lover through and through.

Chris Shaw grew up with his sister, mom, and dad. One day something terrible happens to Chris and thankfully he survives. Since that terrible day Chris started living on a downward spiral and he ended up involved in drugs. At a family even he stole his sister's money and disappeared for a couple years leaving his family to wonder what happened and if he was dead or alive. His father died at some point. And Chris returned to his mother looking healthy and off drugs. He explained to her that he got clean and has a successful job but would not go into further explanation. Then out of the blue he disappears again. Momma calls sister to investigate, even though she's the last person that wants to deal with it. She uncovers some sketchy things going on and also discovers that the guy who hurt her brother those many years ago is coming back to haunt them.

I enjoyed the twists and deeper backstory behind the book. I thought the beginning of the book up through about the halfway point was a bit confusing. It was hard to follow, but once I got past that, the other half really drew things together.

My favorite character is Alan. A selfless act saved his little boy even though he did have to make a huge sacrifice.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was slow to start, but it came together around 60% and I was enthralled by the plot. This is a slow-burn complex thriller that you have to take a little time with to understand completely. It had elements of a crime novel that I was not expecting, but I thought were necessary to help explain the plot.

I have not read The Whisper Man yet, I will add it to my TBR!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I am an Alex North fan and I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this arc. This book did NOT disappoint.

There are so many moving parts and to see them all tied together in end was a work of art. I would recommend this to people who love thrillers. It was amazing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!