A dark, suspenseful new thriller about the mysteries of fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer who was said to know the future.

I just want to start off by saying that this is the first book by Alex North that I have read and I went in blind so I really didn't know what to expect.

This book has multiple time lines and POV's. At times I had a hard time keeping things straight in my head. At the beginning I felt completely lost as to what was going on but by the midway point I was able to grasp it.

I haven't listening to a lot of audiobooks that aren't nonfiction so I wasn't used to having to pay close attention to the story. My opinion is I probably would have enjoyed the physical copy better rather than the audio.

Thank you @celadonbooks and @netgalley for an ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

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."

My Thoughts:
This story is told in one of my favorite formats with multiple POV's and dual timelines. However, this one didn't quite work for me. With each chapter we would get a date to indicate the timeline, since I was listening to the audiobook I struggled to remember the dates from one chapter to the next. As a result I would rely on the chapters content to try to place it within the overall story. This, paired with characters that I just didn't really like pulled me out of the story at times.
With all of that said, I did really enjoy how the story came together in the end. I thought that the overall concept was fantastic, I just struggled with the format.

Katie and her brother Chris have had a strained relationship ever since the brutal attack on Chris that changed their lives forever. Decades later, it might be too late to fix things when Chris goes missing.

In this book, we are introduced to two separate mysteries that inevitably wind together – the disappearance of Chris Shaw, and the murder of Alan Hobbs – and the way that they come together made me exercise my brain and sometimes stretched my incredulity. I would hesitate to call this a mystery, as we are given nearly all the pieces in the first section of the book – it is fitting them all together which takes time.

I enjoyed the clever writing, and the theme of determinism that forms the keystone of the story, the question of if our pasts determine our present, or if we are more than the sum of our parts. I also really liked the sibling relationship between Katie and Chris, which is very complicated but still loving, and empathized with Katie’s need to not give up on her brother.

However, I thought the story moved along rather slowly, and while some reveals were well-done, I felt that others had been so telegraphed so obviously that they were rather robbed of their impact. There was also a supernatural elements to the story which I wasn’t expecting – though they are alluded to in the blurb, I did not realized how thoroughly the author leaned into them – and it seemed that many other readers were taken aback as well. Also, while I liked the character of Detective Page, I felt that his side of the narrative never really rose above being a device to move the plot along.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, which is narrated by Rosalie Craig. I thought she did a good job of differentiating characters, and was especially good at portraying the fear and horror that characters felt during the story.

I've not read an Alex North book yet that I haven't enjoyed. His books are just creepy and twisty enough for my taste. Once again, I really enjoyed the writing and following along with the story. Some of the twists I figured out, or at least partially figured out, before they were revealed and others I did not expect. I had a theory or two that didn't pan out at all, so I'd say overall it was unexpected enough to keep me engaged the whole time.

I was fortunate enough to have a physical copy of this book as well as an audio copy. I enjoyed listening to the audio and the narration was very well done, but I found it difficult to keep track of everyone at first. Two of our main characters have different names at different times in the story and there are a few additional players as well. I was happy to have the physical book to refer to in order to keep every one straight in the beginning. Once the story progressed a bit, it was much easier to remember all the characters, but I would recommend the physical book for this reason.

This one has a bit of a paranormal twist to it. I can't say which bits are real or not, because half the fun is figuring that out as you go. However, I will say that I didn't find it to be overly done.

Once again, I really enjoyed this book and the concepts that it is based on are interesting to think about.

#FirstLine - PROLOGUE : “If you could see the future,” Sam asked her, “would you want to?”

This book was so well plotted. There was something sinister and unsettling underneath the mystery that kept me on my toes. I could not believe how beautifully woven together all the pieces of this story were. The ending was very satisfying as well! A must read.

I read and listened to this story. The audiobook was really well done. The narration was spot on. Either way you enjoy this story it will not soon be forgotten!

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty thriller with its potluck of reliable/unreliable characters, philosophy gone wrong, and hints of the evil that can lurk inside of tormented souls. I loved the relationship between the two detectives and the touch of humor it brought to the otherwise intense storyline. I especially like a clever thriller that is well-plotted with an ending that leaves me with a little surprise and a smile of satisfaction and this novel does both. The audiobook is fantastic with Rosalie Craig doing the narration and bringing so much life to all of the characters.

I was invested in this book at the beginning but it became confusing and I couldn’t keep the characters straight.

I finished The Angel Maker, but unfortunately I'm not really sure if I completely know what happened. I was unable to focus on the details of the audiobook. At around 80% I switched to the physical copy and had a bit better of an understanding, but I missed too much in the meantime! This is one that I'd like to come back to later, but I'm going to leave it alone for now. I loved Alex North's previous books, so I was sad that this one didn't hook me!

This copy was kindly given to me by Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Alex North really does know how to weave a tense story. The only complaint I have about this book is I didn't feel like it followed the serial killer aspect of the plot enough. It centered more on the MC, her brother and the possibility that a man could see and alter the future. The moments where we are in the father serial killer (who was a nut job) and his son that followed in his footsteps was dark and twisted but we lost the killer aspect of this story which I think would have made it a 5 stars.

Overall I tend to enjoy Alex North's books. My only complaint about the audiobook is that many of the characters we follow has similar names (and sometimes go by more than one) and that was confusing at times while listening.

This was my second Alex North book and I wasn't disappointed. Though I have to say the ending wasn't my favorite, it shocked me a little. It had me on the edge of my seat and I did have to put it down at points to let my mind take a break. The anxiety this book caused was crazy but in a good way. At some points, I wanted to shake Katie by telling her that she is being stupid and the same with her brother Chris. I could also feel the love she had for her brother and that the need to keep him safe was there. I really can't wait to read more from Alex North soon. The Shadows is on my TBR for April.

Thank you Netgalley for gifting this book for an honest review.

THE ANGEL MAKER
Alex North

Never have I ever restarted a book from start to finish immediately after reading it. But that’s exactly what I did with this book.

This is my attempt at a plot summary:

Katie’s brother Christopher has gone missing and needs her help again. Years ago when they were children Christopher was attacked by a stranger, changing their lives forever. And just as she was so many years ago she is there to help her brother, no matter the circumstances.

Where is Christopher and what does his missing status have to do with a notorious professor and a serial killer?

Katie will find that out and more.

The Angel Maker has tangents on tangents. It looks a little like shattered glass. It is fragmented.

There is a philosophical underpinning to the story created around the philosophy of DETERMINISM. I have never heard of the theory being explained quite the way it was explained in the book.

To paraphrase, DETERMINISM is the philosophy that all matters have been predetermined. There is no such thing as free will.

The book itself is playing with time and what happens when someone decides to take things that have been predetermined and affect change to those things. Change the course of time.

I enjoyed the writing and parts of the story. However, the concept is huge and all of it is not executed very well. When the author started to play with time and cause and effect it got really, really complicated and extremely confusing.

I felt like the author was spinning too many plates in the air and unfortunately dropped a few and me, the reader, in the process.

I think most readers will be lost in the pages and not in a good way. It was extremely confusing and all the while I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. So the confusion felt trifling. It was a total time suck.

I look forward to Alex North’s next book but this one didn’t work for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

THE ANGEL MAKER…⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my favorite ways to read books is to tag-team between ebooks and audiobooks. It’s the best of both worlds and means when I’m busy I don’t have to leave my story at a critical point. I was over the moon when I received my very first dual advanced reader for The Angel Maker from @CeladonBooks and @MacmillanAudio . I didn’t hesitate to download both platforms and get going. I was right…getting both the ebook and audio is as good as it sounds…awesome!!! Thank you so much!

Years ago Katie Shaw’s younger brother, Chris, was brutally attacked. This set him into a spiral of petty crime, homelessness, and drug abuse. Katie has grieved this relationship, as well as always feeling second best in her mother’s eyes. Now married with a young daughter, Katie becomes concerned when she believes the man who attacked Chris is stalking her family. Meanwhile her mother has seen Chris recently, he’s doing well and working. But he’s gone missing.

Told through current day, flashbacks, and multiple POV, Alex North has written a dark tale that asks us to question free will versus a preordained fate. What if you could know the future? Do all roads lead there no matter what, so your actions consciously (and subconsciously) ensure it, self confirming your own thoughts? Or can you toss a pebble towards the water, turn your back, and change everything? It’s this mind-muck of philosophical twisting that is interwoven throughout his character’s deeply disturbed motivations. The audiobook is expertly narrated by Roasalie Craig. I credit her skillful voice acting for a good portion of my goosebumps!!

I seriously overestimated my capacity for leveling up on the disturb-o-meter. I’ve been loving suspense-thrillers but think I aimed too high. I recommend for those that like their thrillers on the scarier side, and descriptive police procedural. I think it’s a fantastic book that would make a great movie!

Katie Shaw made a mistake in her teenage years that continues to haunt her, an error in judgment that resulted in an attack on her brother Christopher. Having trouble separating real threats from the imagined, will a phone call from her mother one day threaten everything that Katie holds dear?

Detective Laurence is lead on a case involving a deceased professor. When he sees a recognizable face on video at the professor's house, will the past come crashing into the present?

The Whisper Man and The Shadows were both well done thrillers, with a good amount of spookiness and suspense. The Angel Maker, unfortunately, just did not hit any of the high notes like their predecessor. There was a lot to unpack in this novel and it was just too twisty to make heads or tails of it. I never felt any connection to the characters and the plot from the beginning was sluggish at best. By the middle of the novel, I found myself struggling to finish. For this reason alone, I would not recommend The Angel Maker to other readers.

UPDATE: I was also given access to an Advanced Audio Copy of The Angel Maker. Though the narrator, Rosalie Craig, did a good job of voicing the characters and giving them life, the audio version of this book was not strong enough to keep my interest. If anything, I found it harder to keep track of all of the intricacies and struggled to make sense of it all. If I were to choose between the audio version and the print one, I would recommend the latter. It was easier to go back when something was not adding up.

3.5 stars rounded up. I had read Alex North’s The Whisper Man and really enjoyed it so when I discovered that he had written The Angel Maker I was excited to read it. From the start, I was a bit confused. There were so many characters to keep track of. The timeline in The Angel Maker often shifted between the present and then reverted to things that had occurred in the past. Between keeping track of the various characters and the timelines of present and past, I almost gave up a few times but I didn’t. By the time I arrived at the satisfying conclusion, I was glad that I had not given up on The Angel Maker. I listened to the audiobook that was well read by Rosalie Craig. The Angel Maker by Alex North was a suspenseful and gripping mystery thriller with an ending that was more than satisfying for me.

There were once two brothers that were brought up by a father who was evil and controlling. One of the brothers was compliant and would never even think of disobeying his father’s instructions and orders. The other brother thought nothing of going against his father’s orders. There was a house, an inheritance and a secret.

In present day, there was a mysterious murder to be solved. Alan Hobbes, a professor of philosophy, was discovered murdered in his own home just a short time after dismissing and firing all his help that were employed to help run his home. Detective Laurence Page had been assigned to investigate this murder.

Christopher Shaw had become Detective Laurence Page’s main suspect in the murder investigation. Detective Laurence Page was not entirely sure, though, that Chris could have committed the murder even though Chris’s image was seen on the video surveillance. The details and lack of concrete motives were not adding up. Detective Page had met Chris when he was a teenager many years ago. Chris had been a victim in a gruesome attack on his way home from school. His older sister, Katie, who usually walked her brother home, decided to let Chris walk home by himself that day so she could spend more time with her boyfriend. Katie never forgave herself for what had happened to Chris that day. Now that Chris was in danger again, Katie was determined to help him this time, no matter what. Chris had all but disappeared though and there was a serial killer out there who could see into the future. Would Katie be able to help her brother this time? Could she put the pieces of the puzzle together in time to help Chris?

Alex North was able to weave several storylines together in The Angel Maker to create one believable and compelling mystery thriller. Although the characters seemed very random and unconnected initially, they did come together in time for the unexpected ending. I must admit that The Angel Maker was confusing for me in the beginning. It required more patience than I had expected but I was glad that I did not give up on it. The Angel Maker was not my favorite book that Alex North has written but I did enjoy it and would recommend it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Angel Maker by Alex North through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed Alex North's previous books, but I will be honest I struggled a bit with this one. I thought the narration was great and it really helped me connect better with the story, but in the end there was still something missing. I'm not sure if it was the multiple timelines that didn't quite connect for me, or what it the characters. It definitely read more like a mystery than a thriller, but overall, I enjoyed it! I think Alex is an amazing writer and I look forward to more books!

4.5 stars rounded down

Katie's brother is missing. Someone may be watching/following her daughter. The police respond to a gruesome murder. How are all of these connected? Could they all be related to legendary serial killer who claimed to see the future?

This book was a fun ride! I was intrigued the whole time and read this book very quickly. Actually I listened to the audiobook and think the narrator did a great job! I think Alex North did a great job of weaving together a lot of characters and plot points into a cohesive narrative. The beginning was a little bit confusing because of the many characters and plot threads, but it came together quickly. I enjoyed getting all the characters POVs because it allows for information to be learned slowly throughout the book. It also gave me a sense of each character's personality. I found the addition of philosophy and the theory of determinism a very interesting component of the book. My only real complaint is that I wish this book leaned more into the telling the future idea.

This was not my favorite, but it was an original story, and I enjoyed hearing it. The story felt like it dragged on through about the first 2/3 of it, I feel like nothing notable happened that just pulled us in and it got confusing (and is still confusing) with the different timelines, POVs, and characters who had multiple names. I only got into it at about 70% when it picked up. I enjoyed the narration. Overall 3/5.

🔥BOOK REVIEW🔥

The Angel Maker - Alex North
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

“North's latest thriller does not disappoint, weaving an intriguing cast of characters across multiple time periods into a story rich with layers and plot twists and perfectly suspenseful pacing. A delightfully bone-chilling tale.”

This was my first Alex North book. I listened to the audiobook - narrated by Rosalie Craig - which was exceptional! Honestly a stand out narration and I can’t wait to listen to more from her!

However, the actual story fell short for me. This is a tough one to review - it was just too many overlapping narratives and it made it confusing. BUT I’m still thinking about it days later.. and that’s not an easy feat!

I did really enjoy that it was very twisty and had a great reveal! It’s definitely one that you need to pay close attention to - and as beautiful as the narration was, I honestly think it may have been easier to keep the timelines and characters straight in print.

Recommend if you like:
- Multiple POV
- Overlapping timelines
- Dark thrillers
- Stories about serial killers
- Philosophy/nature vs nurture/fate

I will definitely be checking out Alex North’s other works.

Thanks to @netgalley, @macmillan.audio and the author for access to the ARC!

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This is one time where I wish I kept to the physical or ebook version, instead of listening to it. While the narration was great, I had a hard time staying focused and I got lost a bit. Even though I know the ending, I think I'd like to read this book again in a few months to fully get the story. (3.5 rounded up to 4)

The parts of the story I did understand, I thought were great. I really like the way Alex North writes. I thought it was a slow burn with good twists. I don't necessarily think it was a thriller though!

This was my first book by Alex North and it won't be my last! I actually bought The Shadows and am so excited to read it! I was lucky when it came to this book, I have so many copies! Thank you to Celadon Books for my physical and digital copy, and to Macmillan Audio for my audio!

Alex North to me presents incredibly ambiguous thoughts. This is partially because plots with paranormal aspects are often a struggle for me to connect with but can still be enjoyed if done the right way. This one’s either going to work for you and be a standout, as I’ve seen numerous five star reviews, or it’s going to fall completely flat and there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. I’m here to tell you, I am that middle ground 🤣

Now, I’m going to say that I’m going to keep this pretty vague as I don’t want to spoil anything and I highly encourage going in as blind as possible!

The core of this one is spooky and dark and creepy and the horror elements are strong. It’s thought provoking and the alternating timelines really seem to work well for the story! The cast is intriguing and certainly deep and diverse, but can sometimes be overwhelming and slightly confusing. As a whole, it wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I will say I enjoy North’s story telling abilities and I’m intrigued enough to see what he’ll do next!