The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North

 

When Daniel Garvie gets a phone call telling him that his father is missing, presumed dead, he returns to his childhood home. This return brings back childhood memories of his brush with the Pied Piper, a serial killer who abducted and murdered young boys.

I've not read anything by author Alex North before but have seen a lot of mentions on social media for his latest novel The Man Made Of Smoke and the consensus is 'prepare to be terrified'. It's been a little while since I read anything that truly scared me so I thought I'd give it a go.

Daniel Garvie is a psychiatrist who works with prisoners who've committed truly horrific crimes. His choice of career is probably linked to an incident that happened when he was twelve years old. During a trip out his family, along with a childhood friend, stopped at a motorway service station. When Daniel walked into the bathroom he saw a boy, not much younger than himself, standing in front of one of the stalls. Although nothing was said he knew the boy was terrified and the look on his face was pleading for help. Rather than help Daniel hid in an empty stall. Not long after it became clear that the boy was a victim of a serial abductor and murderer known as the Pied Piper. Daniel has lived with the guilt of not helping ever since.

A phone call informs Daniel that his father, John, a retired police officer, is missing and that it looks like he's taken his own life. Returning home brings back unpleasant memories, particularly about his brush with the Pied Piper. Life on the small coastal island hasn't changed much since Daniel left and he is astonished to find that one of the boys who bullied him as a child is now a police officer investigating his father's disappearance. The police are convinced John Garvie took his own life but Daniel doesn't believe he would do such a thing so sets out to track his father's movements in the days leading up to his disappearance. He is shocked to learn that there are links to the fateful day when he didn't help the young boy at the service station.

The story alternates between John investigating a body found on the island and Daniel tracking his father's movements. I enjoyed the way the two stories mirrored each other, just a matter of days apart. As possible witnesses are tracked down we learn of horrific events. Thankfully, Alex North avoids graphic details, it's the implication of what happens and the threats that follow that add to the suspense. The avoidance of lurid details keeps the storyline just short of terrifying but I did feel my anxiety levels rising as Daniel got closer and closer to answers. Had the Pied Piper resurfaced? Was one of his victims now on a crime spree? The author keeps the big reveal well hidden throughout.

The Man Made Of Smoke by Alex North will be published on 8th May 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a review copy.

Author Details

Alex North was born in Leeds, where he now lives with his wife and son. He studied Philosophy at Leeds University, and prior to becoming a writer he worked there in their sociology department. The Whisper Man was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, and is being published in more than 30 languages.