I was so happy to be granted an ARC of the new Alex North! I started it immediately.

This one focuses on serial killers and determinism - the idea that everything is preordained.

The book begins with Alan Hobbes thinking about the lives that are connected to his as he waits to die:
1/ Katie Shaw, who feels overprotective of her daughter and guilty because of something that happened to her little brother when he was a kid and she left him alone.
2/ Christopher Shaw, who is Katie's younger brother and has a history of drug use amongst other things resulting from what happened to him as child.
3/ Detective Page, who will be assigned Alan's death and discover that it is linked with 2 cases he previously worked.

My only real complaint about this book was that it took me awhile to figure out the cast of characters and whether they were supposed to be good or evil. We get some past instances in Alan's life mixed in to the story following his death as well. I wasn't sure how it would end and I can definitely say I've never read this story before. Another big winner from Alex North!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Katie Shaw is haunted by a decision she made as a teen that changed the lives of her and her brother, Chris, forever. Chris is attacked and Katie is haunted by guilt and paranoia. Years later, Katie is still grappling with her long ago choice and then, Chris goes missing.

Alan Hobbes, a well-respected philosophy professor, is brutally murdered. Chris Shaw seems to be a link but how and why?

Alex North weaves a suspenseful and complex story, told through the eyes of multiple narrators and timelines. I loved the elements of theology and philosophy that enriched the narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital arc!

I have been waiting rather impatiently for another Alex North novel and I was beyond thrilled to receive this as an audiobook through NetGalley!

I gotta say though, I didn’t love it as much as the previous novels. I try not to compare but it’s hard when the others are easily in my Top 20 overall reads and this one just isn’t. I have a theory about that and I plan to test it when the book releases.

The theory: I didn’t listen to the others - I read the physical books. Perhaps the narrator just isn’t what I need from these books. Perhaps I need my own internal narration.

Anyway - there are many tales of Angel maker serial killers out there. I gotta say I did enjoy the route this book took with that story. We follow Katie as she tries to figure out how much current events connect to her past. She struggles with what is reality and what is in her mind and it’s interesting to watch the story unfold. Especially since we seem to have two stories competing for prominence in her life.

I’m gonna go a neutral ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for now and see how I feel later.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

*Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for my gifted eARC for an honest review*

If you could see into the future would you want to?

It's hard to even describe what went on in this book because there was so much to it. Yes, it was action packed but had many characters and many different timelines it was just kind of hard to understand. It had so many different puzzle pieces that made absolutely no sense until I got to the end of the book and things were explained, so really I had no idea what I was reading. In a small way this book reminded me of The season of Dexter with the Doomsday killer. This book had some religion and God references due to why some of the actions of some of the characters were committed. All in all this is my least favorite book by North and I personally would not recommend, but I'm excited to see what other people thought.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3

I was lucky enough to be able to do the LFL drop off for this book, and it was so cool to watch my community freak out about it just as much as I did.

Alex North can seriously write. This book was atmospheric, scary and believable. It made me think!

Highly recommend if you like his previous works.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy of The Angel Maker. I loved Alex North’s Whisper Man and was anxious to read this one. The Angel Maker is a unique story about determinism (serial killer style). I loved all of the interconnections between the characters and the story had me creeped out (in a good way). I find Alex’s take on thrillers to be so fresh. I think this book is best read in as few sittings as possible because the characters and their interconnections can be hard to keep track of if you put them away for too long. The last 100 pages of this book were so captivating that I didn’t want to put it down. The cover is also gorgeous!

Thank you NetGalley! I enjoyed Alex's book, The Whisper Man. I didn't care much for The Shadows but I wanted to give him one more chance. Unfortunately, this did not work for me. It was difficult to get through.

Just like The Whispers, Angel Maker dives right into the story. It's a little spooky, and a little weird, but in the best way that I've come to expect from Alex North. The way he tied everything together in the end was amazing. I do wish the ending had gone a little deeper, but I totally get why it didn't. Two thumbs up for this book.

I’m a fan of Alex North and I really enjoyed his two previous books so when I received the arc for The Angel Maker, I was ecstatic.

The cover and the title was giving me a creepy vibe and I was ready for it. I wanted to be scared. But sadly, this wasn’t that kind of book. Yes, it had a serial killer in it but it was more of a mystery than anything else.

This book can be a little confusing as it has different POVs with multiple timelines but when it unfolds itself, it’s a fantastic reveal!

I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy thrillers.

I always enjoy Alex North books. There was never a dull moment in the Angel Maker. This fast paced novel follows the like of Katie, whose brother was viciously attacked when she chose to leave him to walk home alone. The story also follows the death of an elderly Alan Hobbs and the investigation into his murder. This was so fun and really kept me on my toes. Like North’s other writings he keeps the reader invested and constantly guessing.

Holy moly...what a ride! The analogy of a jigsaw puzzle is used in the book and that precisely is what this book is. Katie and Chris, Alan and Edward how are their lives intertwined. Creepy, scary and so well written.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review.

The Angel Maker is a complex story that manages to exhibit a high level of creepiness without resorting to gore. Those that have read Alex North’s other novels will enjoy the Angel Maker’s pace and cast of characters.
I wish the author had filled us in on a few parts of the plot a bit more before ending the book. For example, Michael Hyde’s character is tormented and plays a big role in overall events, but there is not a lot of depth into the mental torment that led him to commit the acts he did. He is stalking Kate Shaw’s family and has planned something, but it is never revealed why he and his father blame Kate and her family for what he did to Chris. What is the cause of his obsession and thoughts over the years? It is implied that Edward Leland and the teachings of Locke have a lot to do with it, but I want to know more of the backstory that led to Hyde attacking Chris.
Alan Hobbes doesn’t seem like the type that would kill Nathaniel Leland, so I get the impression that he had him kidnapped but then placed somewhere else, but that is never really cleared up.
The ending seemed abrupt. I wanted to know Chris' reaction to reading Locke's book and understanding his history. Even just a few pages would have been better than the abrupt ending.
Overall I liked the Angel Maker, but I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars because of the lack of depth in the areas I described. If you are looking for a fast creepy read without sex and gore, then this is a solid bet. I could see Alex North continuing the story of some of the characters in this book in a future volume.
Finally, I think it is worth mentioning that this is not a book for people that are easily triggered by mentions of harm to children.

This book was very suspenseful and engrossing. The story is much more complex than it appears at first which made it even more exciting. Very well executed with a conclusion that readers won't want to miss.

Dark, suspenseful, and thrilling. This novel isn't your typical serial killer trope, It includes elements of the occult/supernatural in a way that's convincing and unnerving. An ambitious approach that includes multiple POV and timelines- a slow, suspenseful build that culminates in satisfying twist.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This one didnt grab me as quickly as his others and it didnt have the same creep factor. However, he made up for that in the twists in the end. You cant trust anyone in this novel and everyone appears as a villain.

Alex North is my favorite thriller author, so when I saw that he had a new release coming, I knew I had to read it as quickly as humanly possible. After the Shadows and the Whisper Man, The Angel Maker absolutely did not disappoint. This seems to be his most ambitious project yet, with multiple POVs and overlapping timelines, it has the potential to be confusing. Due to the nature of the book, I was barely able to put it down and flew through it in just over a day. I had chills from the prologue and North managed to maintain the aura of suspense through every page. It didn't outright scare me the way the Shadows did, but I found myself checking the corners and being glad I wasn't reading in sight of any windows.
It was clear early on that the pieces of this story would connect some how, but it wasn't until the very end that the whole picture came together. I often find myself making wild prediction as a read a book, especially thrillers, but my brain only had space for the information it was reading and I rode the twists and turns with the characters predicting very little. One of my favorite things about Alex North books is the POV of detectives as they do a large portion of the detective work in the story. So often thrillers leave the suspense up to amateurs who get themselves into unnecessary scrapes, ultimately making the situation worse. While there were elements of that in this book, it was refreshing to follow detectives on the case as well as both protagonists and antagonists who were directly involved.
Alex North writes the kind of books that make me want to check on him. Are we sure he's okay? Does he have a good therapist? We're truly convinced he's *not* a serial killer himself? I'm glad he's using his genius to entertain us rather than any of the alternatives.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for my advanced copy to review.

I love Alex North. This book cemented it for me. Each book is different and well plotted with wonderful characters. While I listened to the audio of his first two books, I actually read this one. It took me just a bit to wrap my head around all of the characters, but once I did, I was hooked. I love a story that unfurls by jumping through time. Will definitely be suggesting this one.

This book is just amazing! It ticks off all the boxes. It is full of suspense and horror. Although you know it is all connected, you can't quite put it together. It will have you up late as you won't be able to put it down! Another great novel from an awesome author!

Outlier alert!🚨

Reading a book shouldn’t be this difficult!

Oh my gosh I haven’t been this confused reading a book in, well… forever!💁🏻‍♀️

With such a vast array of storylines, it eventually felt that instead of reading, I was now multi-tasking!
The minimally developed, numerous characters made it nearly impossible to recall one from the other. Not to mention the storylines and the timelines they belonged to. (You see what I’m getting at!?)😫
Maybe my focus isn’t quite what it used to be…but still!

I can’t really say anything about the plot simply because I’m just too confused to write it down. (Hopelessly lost)

With both the audio and digital copies I still struggled to follow along no matter which version I attempted.

I am very much in the minority, as most readers enjoyed this book. So please read their reviews and I hope it works out better for you.

A buddy read with Susanne

Thank you to NetGalley Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review. When I got approved for this ARC, I screamed. Literally screamed. My coworker ran down the hall to make sure I was okay. I was, or maybe I’m not. Alex North has changed the game for me. To this day, his works are the only ones to have me so afraid to leave my bed in the night because of how unsettled I was.
Alex North has an uncanny ability to never let a reader settle. It’s like he offers you a seat but you just know if you sit down, you’ll end up sitting on nails. The sensation of not feeling settled at a hotel or an Air BnB is similar. Nothing’s wrong but something isn’t right . North’s works have an air of supernatural to them, an essence– not enough to confirm or deny the potential mysticality, but rather, just enough to make you tilt your head and consider– to unnerve you.
When a book has you gasping 14% through, when Alex North has you gasping 14% through the book, grab your life-alert, because you know it’s going down.
You know the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Well, when Alex North gives you information, details, or passing comments, you pin them to the red string board. It’s a very cluttered board, but eventually, with a single pull, a single new piece of information, it all falls into place.
Alan Hobbes, beloved professor and philanthropist is found dead in his manor after relieving all of his staff. It appears that he knew he would die. This single event brings about 2 mysteries– first, who killed Alan Hobbes (and why), and second, where is Chris Shaw? The beginning of this novel can be confusing, as there are so many characters, POVs, and even time jumps that it seems hard to keep track of everything. However, the red string spider web of this novel is worth reading. I’m so excited to read this again on release day.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💀💀💀/5