“You never forget the day you meet a serial killer.

Dan was just a teenager when he had a chance encounter with the elusive killer known only as “the man made of smoke”. Nobody could blame him for being too scared to intervene, for being too scared to save the latest victim, for letting the killer vanish again.

Nobody except Dan himself.

Years later, Dan has a successful career as a criminal psychiatrist, unpicking the very darkest of human behaviour. Because, despite what he saw that day, Dan knows there’s no such thing as a monster.

But now his father, John, has gone missing. And, when Dan returns to the small island where he grew up, he finds out that not long before his disappearance, John had stumbled across a body.

As Dan begins to dig, he finds unsettling links, stretching all the way back to the man made of smoke.

Which means this might just be a chance to not only save his dad, but to finally find redemption.
But what if he’s been wrong about that day for all these years.

What if he was right to be scared?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. The Man Made of Smoke was published by Penguin Michael Joseph on 8th May 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow. I chose to read a free eARC of The Man Made of Smoke but that has in no way influenced my review.

I’ve been waiting very patiently for a new book by Alex North for a while now. So imagine my joy when I discovered a new release was imminent! I loved this authors first two books – The Whisper Man and The Shadow Friend. Loved them! I found myself comparing the author’s work to another favourite author of mine, C.J. Tudor (that’s a collaboration we all need in our lives!). There’s a creeping, eerie edge to the storytelling. Ominous things happening to normal everyday people. A bit of a chill in the air. If you’re familiar with this author’s earlier books I’m sure you’ll know what I mean! I was excited to see what North had in store for us next. And oh my goodness, The Man Made of Smoke is a wonderfully intense, highly emotional tale. I loved every second I spent in its company. Heartfelt and real, unnerving, unsettling and completely immersive.

Daniel Garvie will never forgive himself for not acting that day. At the age of twelve and on the way home from the zoo with his parents and Sarah, his best friend, they stop at a service station. Whilst there Daniel sees something that he immediately knows isn’t right. But instead of acting, instead of raising the alarm, he freezes. Too scared to do anything. Allowing the Pied Piper Killer to claim another young victim. Now Daniel is a successful criminal psychiatrist. When he receives a call from the island to say his father has gone missing, Daniel returns home. To the familiarity of the island, to a whole host of familiar faces, to people who know exactly what happened to him all those years ago. But with nothing to do whilst the police look into John’s disappearance, Daniel begins his own investigation. It soon comes to light that just before John vanished, he discovered a body. Could this be Daniel’s chance at redemption? Can he finally right a wrong that has haunted him every day since that fateful day in the service station? And more importantly, can he discover what has happened to his father…?

The Man Made of Smoke is a highly atmospheric read that’s chock-full of heart and very nearly had me blubbering like a baby at times! Gosh, the emotion is strong in this one. Poor twelve-year-old Dan. Not a little boy anymore but not yet a man. Seemingly all alone in the grotty service station toilets until someone further along the corridor of WCs starts to whistle a tune. Shudder. Dan immediately knows something is wrong as outside the whistler’s cubicle stands a small, skinny boy. Dan knows he should do something, ANYTHING, but the fear takes hold, so he locks himself in his own cubicle and hides away until he is sure the strange man and the terrified, emaciated boy have left. Literal goosebumps. I could feel the fear emanating from the page. My heart broke for Dan. For the situation he found himself in and for the utter helplessness he felt. This one incident influences everything in Daniel’s life from that day forward. So much trauma, so much for a young lad to deal with. But this is only the beginning. There is so much more to this intriguing story than initially meets the eye.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Man Made of Smoke is a chilling, eerie, atmospheric tale with well-defined characters and a highly intriguing plotline. I enjoyed the island setting, the isolation of the woods and the overarching sense of impending doom that the author has delivered so well. I thought all the characters, including the secondary characters, were strong and contributed something to the story. A special mention to the way the author has written the children in this novel. I was on the verge of tears at multiple points thanks to how believable they are and how invested I had become. My heart broke multiple times. All in all, The Man Made of Smoke is an engaging, compelling tale about the effects of trauma and how one moment can define an entire future. There’s a wonderful, ever-present sense of unease which builds over the course of the book to a tense and unnerving conclusion. I loved every moment. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Man Made of Smoke. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Man Made of Smoke was published in the UK by Penguin Michael Joseph on 8th May 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North’s own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with “the boy in the floor.” Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.