Alex North’s latest psychological thriller, The Man Made of Smoke, delves deep into the darkest corners of human psychology, exploring how childhood trauma can shape entire lives and how the monsters from our past are never quite as far away as we might hope. This novel represents a significant evolution in North’s writing, maintaining the suspenseful elements that made works like The Whisper Man and The Shadows so compelling while introducing a more introspective examination of guilt, responsibility, and the complex relationships between fathers and sons.
The story follows Dr. Daniel Garvie, a prison psychiatrist whose life was forever altered by a childhood encounter with a serial killer known as the Pied Piper. When Daniel returns to his childhood island home following his father’s apparent suicide, he discovers threads connecting past and present that suggest the horrors he thought were long buried might be resurfacing. As bodies begin appearing and familiar patterns emerge, Daniel must confront not only what really happened that day at the rest area all those years ago, but also what might be happening in the present.
Atmospheric Storytelling That Gets Under Your Skin
North has always excelled at creating atmospheric narratives, but The Man Made of Smoke takes this skill to new heights. The remote island setting serves as both a physical location and a metaphor for isolation – the characters are trapped not just by geography but by their own histories and secrets. The bleak landscapes, foggy shorelines, and crumbling buildings perfectly mirror the psychological deterioration occurring within the characters.
The novel’s structure is particularly effective, divided into sections representing the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, despair, and acceptance. This framework provides a powerful emotional underpinning to the narrative, creating a sense that we’re not just following a murder investigation but witnessing the protagonist’s psychological journey toward a truth he may not be prepared to face.
North writes with a controlled intensity that makes even mundane moments feel charged with tension:
“Did you ever think about that day?” I said quickly.
There was a moment of silence.
Sarah continued to chew her food slowly, but I noticed the subtle change to her body language. A stiffening of the shoulders; a tension in the way she held her knife and fork.
This ability to infuse everyday interactions with menace keeps readers in a constant state of unease, never quite sure where the next threat might emerge from.
Complex Characters Haunted by Their Past
The novel’s greatest strength lies in its character development, particularly in how North portrays the complicated relationship between Daniel and his late father, John. Both men are deeply flawed but ultimately sympathetic, each carrying burdens of guilt and regret that have defined their relationship.
Daniel’s mantra throughout the book – “You are detached. You are calm.” – serves as both a professional technique and a personal shield against emotions he’s afraid to confront. His journey from emotional detachment to vulnerability forms the emotional core of the story, and North handles this transformation with nuance and authenticity.
The secondary characters are equally well-drawn, particularly:
- Sarah: Daniel’s childhood friend whose return to the island mirrors his own, creating a parallel exploration of how we can never truly escape our origins
- Liam Fleming: The local police detective whose resentment of Daniel creates believable tension without resorting to stereotypical antagonism
- Craig Aspinall: A seemingly minor character whose significance grows throughout the narrative in unexpected ways
Each character carries their own wounds from the past, and North excels at showing how these psychological injuries influence present actions and choices.
Pacing Issues and Structural Complexities
While The Man Made of Smoke is largely successful in its ambitious narrative approach, it does occasionally suffer from pacing issues that might frustrate readers seeking a more traditional thriller experience. The novel’s middle section in particular feels somewhat overextended, with revelations that might have had more impact if delivered more concisely.
The multiple timelines and perspectives, while generally handled with skill, occasionally create confusion that requires readers to flip back to earlier sections to maintain their grasp on the narrative. Some readers might find this complexity rewarding, while others could see it as an unnecessary complication of what is already a psychologically dense story.
Additionally, a few plot developments rely perhaps too heavily on coincidence, straining credibility in ways that momentarily pull the reader out of an otherwise immersive experience. These moments stand out precisely because North’s writing is typically so meticulous in its attention to psychological realism.
Thematic Depth That Elevates the Genre
Where The Man Made of Smoke truly distinguishes itself is in its thematic ambition. This is not merely a serial killer thriller but a profound meditation on several interconnected themes:
- The inheritability of trauma: How damage passes from one generation to the next
- The fallibility of memory: The way our recollections are shaped by external pressures and internal needs
- The nature of evil: The insistence that “there’s no such thing as monsters” becomes both a professional mantra and a personal challenge
- The search for redemption: Whether it’s possible to make amends for past failures
North weaves these themes throughout the narrative without ever allowing them to overwhelm the propulsive plot. The result is a novel that satisfies both as a page-turning thriller and as a work of genuine literary merit.
How It Compares to North’s Previous Work
Fans of Alex North’s previous novels will recognize his trademark blend of psychological insight and supernatural suggestion, but The Man Made of Smoke represents a maturation of his style. While The Whisper Man introduced his skill at merging crime fiction with elements of horror, and The Shadows explored the power of collective belief, this latest work shows greater confidence in allowing psychological complexity to drive the narrative.
The novel bears comparison to works like Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects in its exploration of how past trauma shapes present reality, and to Stephen King’s The Outsider in its willingness to suggest supernatural explanations while ultimately grounding its horror in human psychology. However, North’s voice remains distinctly his own, particularly in his compassionate treatment of damaged characters.
Final Verdict: A Haunting Exploration of Guilt and Redemption
The Man Made of Smoke is a significant achievement, demonstrating North’s continued growth as one of the most psychologically astute writers working in the crime thriller genre today. The novel’s occasional structural issues and pacing problems are far outweighed by its emotional resonance and narrative power.
What lingers after the final page is not so much the cleverness of the plot (though it is indeed clever) but the emotional journey of the characters – particularly Daniel’s struggle to reconcile with both his father and himself. North understands that the most frightening monsters are those that live within us, shaped by our regrets and failures.
For readers who appreciate psychological depth in their thrillers, The Man Made of Smoke offers a richly rewarding experience that will continue to resonate long after the mystery itself is solved. It’s a book about confronting the past not just to understand it, but to finally, perhaps, find a way to move beyond it.
Strengths:
- Psychologically complex characters
- Atmospheric setting that enhances the narrative
- Thoughtful exploration of fathers and sons
- Skillful integration of past and present timelines
Weaknesses:
- Occasional pacing issues, particularly in the middle section
- Some plot developments rely too heavily on coincidence
- Multiple perspectives sometimes create unnecessary confusion
For Fans Of
- The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
- I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- North’s previous works, especially The Whisper Man
The Man Made of Smoke confirms Alex North’s place as a master of psychological suspense who continues to push the boundaries of what crime fiction can achieve. It’s a novel that understands how the echoes of childhood trauma reverberate throughout our lives, and how confronting our past – however painful – might be the only way to finally escape it.