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!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC!!

Alex North does it again. This book gave me heart palpitations and chills simultaneously the entire book. I have loved both of the previous novels and cannot wait to read more by this author.

I was so excited to receive this ARC because I have loved both of Alex North’s previous books. When I started this book I was left confused for roughly half of the book by the amount of characters and the name changes along with the story line jumping around. In retrospect I think that using a characters first name in some chapters/timeline then on others going by the last name was what did it for me. By the end the story had truly picked up in North fashion and I couldn’t put it down. While I had made a crib sheet early on to keep track of characters this proved helpful in figuring out the underlying plot and even though I figured it out it didn’t spoil it. By then e I really enjoyed the book. Wish there were some 1/2 stars. Solid 3 1/2 for me

I may be the wrong audience for this, but I felt it had far too many storylines. As I read it over several days, I found myself having to refer back to remember characters, details.

Usually I would start one of these off by writing a synopsis of the material. With this book, however; writing a synopsis would be the ultimate spoiler. Seriously. I don't know how I would I would be able to compose a recap without spoiling one thing or another. My biggest piece of advice when starting The Angel Maker would be this: go in expecting nothing and maybe with a notebook, some pens, and your favorite highlighter. This one is a ride.

I have a lot of gripes with The Angel Maker, but one of my biggest ones is how it's marketed. I went in thinking this was going to be a mystery-thriller. What I got was a true crime whodunit. It's not a major issue, but a big reason I wanted to read this book is because I thought it was a thriller. And sure, it had it's thriller-esque moments, but not nearly enough.

The Angel Maker definitely had a lot of potential and I found myself enjoying the first 40-ish%. I was very intrigued by the characters and was excited to see them become fleshed out and complex... That never happened. Every character remained surface level and then even more got added. The "what happened?" part of this book was also very exciting... Until several timelines are introduced and everything goes haywire and it's nearly impossible to follow along. I am a good reader. I tested at a 12th grade reading comprehension level in 6th grade. I don't have problems with complicated reading materials and yet this book completely lost me several times.

All-in-all, it was a very underwhelming book when it finally ended. The conclusion was rushed and short. The plot was... meh at the best. Ultimately, this book was far too short. The characters, plot, and timelines deserved to be fleshed out and they didn't get to be. 100 or so more pages would have made this book awesome.

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy of The Angel Maker.

I have enjoyed all of Alex North's books, and The Angel Maker was no exception. It was super creepy and bizarre, and I loved the serial killer aspect of it. It was such a strange story, but it captivated me from the first page and I refused to put it down until I had read the entire thing in a day! It was dark, twisty, and right up my alley!

This was my first read by Alex North although I have heard great things about his other Book, The Whisper Man. After reading this one it definitely has moved up on my TBR list. Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for this Arc.
This book has it all revenge, detectives , a serial killer and then there’s the book that is supposed to tell the future. It all sounded weird at first, but the twists, turns, and suspense that brought this entire story together was clever and had me guessing until the end, much like the detectives on how everything fit together until the jaw dropping conclusion. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. Add it to your TBR immediately !