The Angel Maker by Alex North Published by Celadon Books on February 28, 2023
Genres: FICTION / Horror, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 352
Format: Audiobook
Source: ARC
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Whisper Man and The Shadows comes a dark, suspenseful new thriller about the mysteries of fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer who was said to know the future.
Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever.
Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined. Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more.
Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome crime. A distinguished professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer who, legend had it, could see the future.
North is exceptional when it comes to crafting a decidedly creepy, foreboding atmosphere and I was really looking forward to experiencing that again. I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadows and I had really high hopes for The Angel Maker! Unfortunately, this one was just okay for me. North did a phenomenal job of playing with the levels of intensity in pacing making the read decidedly thriller creepy and tense. The narration by Rosalie Craig was great! She played Katie exceptionally well and even the other characters had their own flair. It made the listen that more enjoyable!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t as hooked as I ought to have been. Philosophy, the idea of predetermination, and a bit of religion are integral pieces of this story and I struggled with it. A few times past 60 percent, I had to convince myself to start listening again. Once I pressed play it was fine but I wasn’t desperate to dive back into the story.
I enjoyed Laurence’s POVs the most and wish we had more time with him. I struggled with Katie as a character but I also have a daughter that is Sienna’s age and I can be a bit feral when it comes to her protection and Katie’s actions didn’t make sense to me in that lens. The familial bonds and loyalty were all there on the page but I didn’t feel connected enough to experience that emotion and angst this time around.
Ultimately, I think this North book was just “meh” for me. The story was clever and complicated and I got a little lost in the twists and philosophy. It may be a case of needing to read a physical copy to keep track but I doubt it this time. Maybe, I’m just not clever enough. After all, I did require a glass or two of wine for philosophy homework during college! A solid mystery/thriller from North but not my favorite.
*I voluntarily listened to an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.