The Man Made of Smoke

Dan Garvie can't move on from a thing he didn't do. Dan was only a child himself that day, but he saw the boy. He knew he needed help. But all he could do was hide – and one of the world's most notorious serial killers got away.

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 disappeared. Which brings Dan back to the small island where he grew up, where the ghosts of the past will be impossible to ignore.

Because it turns out there was a body found on the island, just before John vanished. A body that might just link back to the serial killer from that fateful day. If Dan dares, it could be a chance to save his dad, and finally find redemption.

Or he might be walking straight into a trap…

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

© Alex North 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025