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honey_coated_chapters 's review for:
The Man Made of Smoke
by Alex North
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
°:. *₊ ° . ° .•
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5
𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: 310
𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Paranormal/Thriller/Mystery
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆: complex family relationships and psychologically diving into the minds of killers and their motives.
———————————————————————
I was wrapped up from page 1. The chapters split up into multiple POVs and alternates from the terrifying past to confusing present. Decades prior, our main character, Daniel Garvie had a close call with the "pied piper" murderer and his last victim, his father, officer John Garvie feels powerless to his son having witnessed a terrorizing scene. This moment forever alters the trajectory of both father and son's lives. When Dan is called back home after he receives word that his father appears to have died under mysterious circumstances. We begin to follow an unraveling of the pied piper's murders as Dan begins to make connections using his father's brilliant collection of evidence accumulated over the years.
Dan approaches every mystery with logic, while John who uses <I>brute force</I>. There is palpable tension and plenty of twists that kept me locked in. This book was incredibly thought-provoking as it explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the complexities of father/son relationships, digging deep into how men deal with their intense emotions. The whole thing is haunting, which is classic Alex North. There were so many moments in which I got goosebumps, he perfectly encapsulates terrifying situations, making you feel like you're right there with him.
The one criticism is that it's a slow burn, but I was 100% invested.
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 5/5
𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: 310
𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Paranormal/Thriller/Mystery
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆: complex family relationships and psychologically diving into the minds of killers and their motives.
———————————————————————
I was wrapped up from page 1. The chapters split up into multiple POVs and alternates from the terrifying past to confusing present. Decades prior, our main character, Daniel Garvie had a close call with the "pied piper" murderer and his last victim, his father, officer John Garvie feels powerless to his son having witnessed a terrorizing scene. This moment forever alters the trajectory of both father and son's lives. When Dan is called back home after he receives word that his father appears to have died under mysterious circumstances. We begin to follow an unraveling of the pied piper's murders as Dan begins to make connections using his father's brilliant collection of evidence accumulated over the years.
Dan approaches every mystery with logic, while John who uses <I>brute force</I>. There is palpable tension and plenty of twists that kept me locked in. This book was incredibly thought-provoking as it explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the complexities of father/son relationships, digging deep into how men deal with their intense emotions. The whole thing is haunting, which is classic Alex North. There were so many moments in which I got goosebumps, he perfectly encapsulates terrifying situations, making you feel like you're right there with him.
The one criticism is that it's a slow burn, but I was 100% invested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Torture