The Angel Maker takes you on one twisting turning roller coaster of a ride. listening on audio (great narrator!) you had to pay close attention bc there’s so many characters that it was hard to keep up sometimes, but I eventually figured out who everyone was lol. Following the detectives, the family that survived a killer years ago, and two brothers who are connected to a different serial killer, we get a story of how all of these folks are connected, while seemingly strangers on the surface. This is a book that starts the action on page one and doesn’t let you stop until you’ve reached the end. I’m still not sure on where I stand on some of the more mystical aspects of this story, but it fully shows that belief can do more damage than reality. Great thriller!

Short synopsis: Senior year of high school, Katie has everything going for her. Until an attack on her younger brother changes everything. Now years later, her brother goes missing ands professor is killed.

My thoughts: After reading The Whisper Man and loving it, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on North’s new book.

I liked how the book started right off with a mystery and a punch, then towards the middle things got soo discombobulated and confusing. The different stories didn’t seem to mesh well and the transitions between them left me somewhat confused.

I see what the author was trying to accomplish but it just didn’t work for me. I still intend to read more of his works, in fact the shadows is high on my TBR.

Read if you love:
* Serial killer mysteries
* Intersecting storylines
* Suspenseful
* Detective stories

Alex North’s upcoming release, The Angel Maker is a gripping thriller surrounding a family haunted by an act of violence committed years prior. Katie Shaw’s little brother was attacked years ago and he survived, but Katie’s guilt was never truly assuaged. Years later she sees something that alarms her and makes her believe her child is now in danger. Protective as ever, when Katie receives a call that her little brother is missing, she knows she will go to any length to protect her family. Simultaneously, detectives are working on a brutal murder case of Alan Hobbes, where they think the Chris Shaw case from years prior has a connection. What follows is a hair-raising mystery thriller that brings surprising reveals, detailed histories, and shocking connections.

The plot of The Angel Maker is strong and the inclusion of a serial killer who could maybe see the future is excellent. I also really enjoyed the analysis of the theory of determinism where all events and actions are supposedly pre-determined and that free will makes no difference because these actions could not have been committed in any other way.

The Angel Marker is so much more than its synopsis. There is a whole storyline and slew of characters including Alan Hobbes, Chris Shaw, Michael Hyde and Jack Lock, “The Angel Maker,” that intersect and connect in the most unexpected ways to create an immersive and suspenseful experience.

The Angel Maker is a good story and a good listen (as an audiobook). It has precisely what you want from a thriller/mystery however I would not consider it horror. I would also caution readers that the story is highly confusing due to the diverging timelines and amount of characters. I wish I had written down the characters and made a Criminal Minds level mind map myself so I could figure out the mystery. I guess, being confused is one way to enjoy a mystery for those who guess the plot too easily.
Fans of thrillers and mysteries will like The Angel Maker. The book has an addictive quality and holds the reader’s attention, only easing up when all is revealed.

It felt like it spent a lot of time talking, but not much had actually happened. I feel like when I reflected back at the midway point I could only vaguely state what occurred. It just feels like this one was so drawn out. I was just really disappointed.

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 Netgalley and Celadon books for this arc
Unfortunately this was just not for me. I had a very hard time grasping the point of the story, the depth of the characters (I’m actually not sure they were whole characters tbh everyone was just paper thin). I don’t mind a thriller but I just didn’t vibe well with the execution. I think I’m in the minority on this though so it seems more of a “just not for me” type of thing.

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. The narrator was fantastic and did a great job with the wide array of characters. 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, absolutely recommend this one. 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.

Alex North has done it again!

Perhaps more puzzling and atmospheric than his other works, 'The Angel Maker' takes on family trauma, dark secrets, and several character arcs and plot lines that masterfully intersect in a chilling suspenseful finale you won't want to miss!

Detective Laurence Page is called to the scene of a murder which will kick off a grand scale multi-generation puzzle where nobody is safe.
Katie Shaw has a complicated family relationship, which is made all the more complex with the emergence of ghosts from her past and the disappearance of her troubled brother- Christopher- who finds himself involved in the investigation of the brutal murder Page is investigating.

This novel has one of the larger casts of a book I've read in recent memory, and there was a bit of a remembering curve at the beginning. Once you can keep track of who's who and when we're in the past or present, the novel soars. North has such a great hold of the genre.

What I admire most about North's brand of horror is the ability to make the mundane suddenly terrifying. A quiet evening looking out the window can suddenly turn into a night of terror that will have your heart racing and your stomach in knots. He does this in his other works, but it is most admirable and effective in 'The Angel Maker.'

Overall the book is a strong showing, fear, suspense, and heart all come together to make a book you just can't put down (or stop listening to.)

Rosalie Craig- who narrates the audiobook- is a masterful narrator. She has an incredible grasp on the material and lends her theatrical background giving each character a unique voice (literally) and a specific cadence of speech which really helps differentiate who is speaking.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex North for an ARC of this book in audiobook format. All opinions are my own. Publication date: February 28, 2023.

A serial killer and religious fanatic abducts little girls and makes them into “angels”. He also can predict the future and writes it all down in a book. He is caught and his two traumatized sons are adopted by different families.
Jump to 2017, a millionaire is murdered and a “book” is stolen at the time of the murder.

This was a hard synopsis to write and doesn’t even include the main characters of the story, Katie, a truant officer, her brother Chris who was scarred as a boy by a man trying to steal his face and the two investigators of the present day murder.

There was a LOT going on here. A LOT. I think this book needed maybe 50-80 more pages to really flesh out the mystery. The foundation of this story has very good premise, families and secrets and trauma and forgiveness. The title of the book, The Angel Maker, was mentioned but really never discussed. The relationships of all the main characters were very hard to keep straight as their stories progressed, overlapped and intertwined.

I still enjoyed it, but I felt it was just too much in too few pages. More was needed to make this a very good book.

Okay, I'm not going to give thorough feedback on this title because I didn't seem to be able to fully engage with it and think it may just be a wrong time for me to read this one and I should take another go of it.

I did enjoy the book itself but it took me awhile to get into while we built the backstory, the backstory is not an indication of what the whole book is about and I didn't fully appreciate that when I was trying to make it through the first few chapters. I think that the serial killer addition to this book is surrounded with all the best aspects of this book. I got a little frustrated with the character development of Kate because I felt like it used overused tropes, but overall they're over used because people think they're effective so I cant fault the author on that!

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.

Meh, meh, mehhhh. Oh man. The latest from Alex North, The Angel Maker started off SO strong. The opening scene involving a handful of the key characters: Kate, Sam, and Chris was chilling. It made me shiver. But things just went downhill from there. I’m generally a major fan of multiple timelines, but this one just didn’t work for me. The present day timeline held my interest, but the past was a major snooze fest. I also found it very confusing, and it bored me to tears. I probably should have DNFed this one, but I kept hoping that it would get better. Unfortunately, it just continued down the old, crumbling, and mediocre road. If you loved The Whisper Man, and are expecting another thrilling standout in North’s latest, I’d lower your expectations. This one is just downright underwhelming, so I think it’s alright to skip it.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was definitely a complicated read that you really need to be paying attention, otherwise you WILL miss a lot of details. I had to go back a few times because I wasn't listening fully and missed a lot in a short time. Complicated but well written. The narrator was good as well.

Yet again, another fantastic creepy thriller from Alex North!! This was fast paced, and constantly had my brain trying to think two steps ahead. It kept me guessing and I was pleasantly surprised for the little science fiction twist around the book that supposedly tells the future. I had the pleasure of listening to the advanced audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. Their voice inflection and pacing kept me engaged the entire time.

I am currently reading/listening in audio.. the book so far has been good, there are lots of characters and twists. The narrator is not one I personally like. The narrator is the only reason I almost DNF this book, I plan to purchase the physical copy so I can truly get into this book. This author has an amazing writing style! Just the narrator chosen for this book is not so great!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy.

This was my fourth Alex North book. I will say this was my favorite and my favorite audiobook.

3.5 stars, rounded up

This is overall a very good thriller, but it does take a lot of concentration to be able to follow who all of the characters are through the various timelines and how they are all interconnected. In the end, I was satisfied and all of my questions were answered.

I'm not going to even try to give you a synopsis, this book has a brother and sister who have become estranged as adults. Police investigating an unexplained death. Two men. A book that might tell the future. And so many other threads that this author skillfully weaves together to create a complete picture. At one point in the book Katie (the sister) comes across a portrait of her brother made from photographs from over the years. When she is close she sees the individual elements, but when she stands back she sees the big picture. That's what the reading of this book is like.

It's an intriguing mystery, trying to puzzle out what exactly is happening and hoping that those you are rooting for will survive. It's a breathless adventure and a game of cat and mouse over many years. I listened to the audiobook and at 2.0 speed the narration seemed like regular speed to me, so you might need to increase the speed to keep your interest. Other than that, if you have trouble following multiple timelines with multiple characters you might want to read this one on the page in order to keep them straight.

This is the third book I have read by North and feel like they keep getting better and better.

For someone like me who reads 100 murder books a year, you have to tell quite a different story for me to remember it even a week later. Alex North is able to do that repeatedly.

A complicated sibling relationship is pushed to the extreme with Katie being stalked by someone who attacked her brother, Chris disappearing, a strange philanthropist, and a murderous sadist masquerading as a religious zealot from the past, who attempts to fashion his family into his disciples. It's a creepy, fast-paced, thriller that will keep you both on edge and furiously trying to unravel the pieces before the story unfolds.

What makes Alex North's books so memorable is that while the mystery wraps up in the end, he doesn't necessarily give you the happily-ever-after warm fuzzies. You've been emotionally beaten up a little, you've lost some sleep, you've spent time thinking about what you'd do in their positions, and that doesn't just go away because you finished the book. There's no bow on top telling you it was totally worth the struggle to get here. Life isn't fair. People suffer who don't deserve it. Bad guys don't always get exact justice. His books are far too life-like to just fade from memory and be discounted as if it was all someone's crazy imagination. I mean it was, but it also feels plausible, and that can be haunting.

Review: https://www.tiktok.com/@manda.lyn_reads/video/7190111221696171307?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7186331371500521003
Summary: https://www.tiktok.com/@manda.lyn_reads/video/7189808024964353322

The Angel Maker was a dark thriller about a woman who is haunted by a horrible event that happened to her younger brother when she was supposed to be watching him. Now as an adult, she's distant from her family, and something bad is happening to her brother again.

Once again, Alex North has written an interesting dark thriller. Just when you think you understand what is going on, another element is added and you're shocked all over again. This was an easy book to read, keeping you hooked from the very beginning.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me a copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review.

I am typically good at following along different storylines in an audiobook, but sadly I found myself more confused than anything when listening to this one. In the end, I really enjoyed when it all came together, but getting there was challenging for me. I think I would recommend reading this one or consecutively reading/listening.