YOU SAW IT. YOU WERE TOO SCARED TO ACT. BUT NOW IT’S COMING FOR YOU…
From the mind behind the international bestseller The Whisper Man comes a new nightmare
‘The Man Made of Smoke was in equal parts terrifying, creepy, thrilling and moving’ Marnie Riches
‘A haunting, atmospheric story…Truly a white-knuckle read from start to finish’ Tracy Sierra
‘Creepy and atmospheric from the first page, The Man Made Of Smoke is as well-written as it is tense’ Rachel Wolf
--
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?
--
Praise for The Man Made of Smoke
'Balancing his trademark hint of the supernatural with very real fears, this is a book full of regret and grief, but most of all heart. I loved Dan - I was swept up in his story, riding the wave of his uncertainty and worry' Sam Holland, author of The Echo Man
'I tore through this gritty tale of guilt, grief and the ghosts that haunt us. The twists are exceptionally well executed, the emotional through line compelling, and the mercurial baddie is genuinely unsettling…If you loved The Whisper Man, you’ll love this, too. Nightmares guaranteed!' Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll
'It is a rare talent to be able to write a compulsive thriller with such heart…Written with skill and intelligence, and told with empathy and nuance, this is a novel that’s not to be missed. I loved every word' Rebecca Thorne, author of The Grief House
'Creepy, compelling and so fiendishly tricky, I couldn’t put it down. Another surefire winner from the king of haunting!' Natalie Chandler, author of The Voices
Built around the five stages of grief, The Man Made of Smoke paints a haunting portrait of a psychopath and the psychiatrist trying to understand what drives him
Praise for Alex North:
'As terrifying as a great horror novel, as unpredictable as the best type of crime novel and above all beautifully written...a writer who is an absolute master of his craft' Jane Casey
'This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own' New York Times
'Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy' Alex Michaelides
A splendidly creepy story - which chills to the bone...a haunting portrait of a psychopath and the psychiatrist trying to understand what drives him Daily Mail
Terrifying Crime Monthly
A haunting, atmospheric story about the long shadow evil casts on all it touches. Truly a white-knuckle read from start to finish -- Tracy Sierra
Balancing his trademark hint of the supernatural with very real fears, this is a book full of regret and grief, but most of all heart. I loved Dan - I was swept up in his story, riding the wave of his uncertainty and worry -- Sam Holland, author of The Echo Man
I tore through this gritty tale of guilt, grief and the ghosts that haunt us. The twists are exceptionally well executed, the emotional through line compelling, and the mercurial baddie is genuinely unsettling. With this book, Alex North dares to peer into the darkest corners of the human psyche, and the results are eerie and moving in equal measure. If you loved The Whisper Man, you’ll love this, too. Nightmares guaranteed! -- Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll
Built around the five stages of grief, The Man Made of Smoke paints a haunting portrait of a psychopath and the psychiatrist trying to understand what drives him Daily Mail
Alex North has done it again. He has managed to craft a serial killer thriller with strange beauty, big heart and seemingly effortless elegance. The Man Made of Smoke was in equal parts terrifying, creepy, thrilling and moving - a book you want everyone else to read immediately because it's so damned good. Alex is simply master of the sub-genre. -- Marnie Riches
Alex North mixes the emotional with the thrilling so expertly. Just a mind-blowingly tense and brilliant read -- Louise Swanson
Creepy and atmospheric from the first page, The Man Made Of Smoke is as well-written as it is tense. There were whole pages where I held my breath. It tugs on the heart strings too. Love it -- Rachel Wolf
It is a rare talent to be able to write a compulsive thriller with such heart. The Man Made of Smoke is a rare gem that is both terrifying and heart wrenching, bittersweet and hopeful, nightmarish and deeply, deeply human. Written with skill and intelligence, and told with empathy and nuance, this is a novel that’s not to be missed. I loved every word -- Rebecca Thorne, author of The Grief House
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.
This item is eligible for simple returns within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. See our returns policy for further details.
