The Man Made of Smoke

The most terrifying novel of the year, from the internationally bestselling author of The Whisper Man, available to pre-order now 
 
**** 
 
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 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

A haunting, atmospheric story about the long shadow evil casts on all it touches. Truly a white-knuckle read from start to finish

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

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!

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

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.

Alex North mixes the emotional with the thrilling so expertly. Just a mind-blowingly tense and brilliant read

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

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

Creepy, compelling and so fiendishly tricky, I couldn’t put it down. Another surefire winner from the king of haunting!

A writer who can terrify you on one page and break your heart on the next

No one does 'Dark with a Heart' like Alex North

This impressive serial - killer novel is a serious examination of why some people who experience childhood trauma become decent adults and others do not

Each novel by this author is more authoritative than the one before - which is saying something, as he started with the splendid The Whisper Man

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.

Dan Garvie can't move on from a thing he didn't do. He saw the boy. He knew he needed help. But he ran and hid – and a terrifying serial killer got away. 
 
Years later, Dan is a successful 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. And days before he vanished, he’d found a body near his home, which might just link back to the serial killer from that fateful day. 
 
Is this a chance for Dan to save his dad and find redemption. Or is he walking straight into a trap...

Dark Room

PRE-ORDER NOW! A CHILLING SERIAL KILLER THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON, THE WHISPER MAN 
 
For DI Andrew Hicks, solving a murder is logical: your first suspicions are usually right. 
 
So when the body of a young woman is found, Hicks immediately turns his attention to the most likely culprit – her possessive ex-husband. 
 
But when a second body is found, killed in near identical circumstances, Hicks is forced to think again about his suspect. 
 
As the death toll starts rising, Hicks realises he’s dealing with something much darker – and deadlier – than he’d imagined. 
 
A serial killer is at large – one who revels in chaos. 
 
To stop the senseless murders, Hicks must bring the killer to justice. 
 
But will his own demons stand in the way? 
 
Praise for Alex North 
'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh 
'A thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful' Mark Billingham 
'This is a true skin-crawler' Guardian 
'Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right' C.J. Tudor 
'First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying' A.J. Finn

The best crime novel of the decade

A dark, creepy thriller with a huge amount of heart

A thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful

First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying

Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right

For DI Andrew Hicks, solving a murder is logical: your first suspicions are usually right. 
So when the brutally beaten body of a young woman is found, Hicks immediately turns his attention to the most likely culprit – her possessive ex-husband. 
But when a second body is found, similarly beaten, Hicks is forced to think again about his suspect. 
As the death toll starts rising, Hicks realises he’s dealing with something much darker – and deadlier – than he’d imagined. 
A serial killer is at large – one who revels in chaos. 
To stop the senseless murders, Hicks must bring the killer to justice. 
But will his own demons stand in the way?

The Half Burnt House

ARE YOU READY TO ENTER THE HALF BURNT HOUSE? 
 
The spine-tingling new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of Richard &amp; Judy pick THE WHISPER MAN 
 
____________ 
 
It begins with the house – and a body: 
Alan Hobbes stabbed to death in his own bed. 
 
For years, he’s lived as a recluse in the remains of a 
derelict mansion that once belonged to a serial killer. 
 
The police have a suspect: Christopher Shaw, 
observed on the premises on the night of the murder. 
 
Katie Shaw hasn’t seen her brother Chris in two years. 
All her life, she’s tried to look out for him. 
Even when he made it so hard. 
 
But now he’s bound up in the secrets of this dark house. 
To save Chris, dare she follow him inside . . . 
 
____________ 
 
‘North handles the complicated plot with skill while bringing his troubled characters to life amid the horror’ Observer 
 
'Alex North at his best - a writer who can terrify you on one page and break your heart on the next' STEVE CAVANAGH 
 
'One of those books that made me wish I'd written it. North wields suspense like a blade. Breath-taking and terrifying' HELEN FIELDS 
 
'Dark, gripping, and twisty' CLARIE MCGOWAN 
 
'Endlessly intriguing' NEW YORK TIMES

The Half Burnt House is Alex North at his best - a writer who can terrify you on one page and break your heart on the next

Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen

One of those books that made me wish I'd written it. North wields suspense like a blade. Breath-taking and terrifying

North handles  the complicated plot with skill while bringing his troubled characters to life amid  the horror.

North's poetic way with even the most grotesque of situations is always a joy. The Half Burnt House is his best yet. I love it.

Thrilling, moving and utterly gripping; The Half Burnt House is a triumph

A masterfully creepy, atmospheric rush of a read that will linger with you long after you've finished the last page

Deeply complex and carefully crafted, this novel is a thrilling question mark all the way to the end, and it puts North's storytelling skills on full display . . . the tension mounts with almost every single chapter... his best so far, a superb addition to his already impressive oeuvre

Alex North's best book yet. It's as darkly disturbing as The Whisper Man, and as viciously twisty as The Shadow Friend. But this time there's a premise that will break your heart even as it chills you to the very marrow. Nobody in dark fiction writes family relationships - guilt, fear, loss, and ultimately love - like North, and this is an unputdownable thriller

Everything in this story is connected in ways the reader can't begin to imagine until a series of stunning parallels and revelations are disclosed. Wait for it!

North's latest thriller does not disappoint, weaving an intriguing cast of characters across multiple time periods into a story rich with layers and plot twists and perfectly suspenseful pacing ... A delightfully bone-chilling tale

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

This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own

Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy

Katie always prided herself on being a responsible big sister - until she left her brother Chris alone for one selfish afternoon, and everything fell apart. Although he survived the attack, the scars ran deep - physical, and emotional. Now they're adults, and they haven't spoken in years. 
 
Then she gets a call - from a detective. A body has been found in a sprawling mansion - one that remains half-ruined by a decades-old fire. Chris is the prime suspect. 
 
Katie knows this might be her last, best chance to save her brother. But she doesn't realise that this isn't the first murder - and so she doesn't know how much danger she's in...

The Shadow Friend

THE GRIPPING NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RICHARD &amp; JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK THE WHISPER MAN 
 
'Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy' Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient 
'A surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory' Daily Express 
_______ 
 
THE VICTIM WAS YOUR FRIEND 
 
It was just a silly game to start with. Paul never really believed in it. 
 
He never dreamed Charlie would take it so far. 
 
SO WAS THE MURDERER 
 
For twenty years, Paul's tried to put his past behind him, but now his mother is dying, and he can't run any longer. 
 
But home isn't just full of bad memories. It's also the last place anyone saw Charlie alive. 
 
And Paul starts to wonder if Charlie might come back to finish what he started . . . 
_______ 
 
'Alex North has outdone himself. The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft' Jane Casey 
 
'Absorbing, headlong reading . . . As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder' New York Times 
 
'Echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth' Crime Monthly 
 
 Praise for Alex North 
 
 'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Thirteen 
 
 'First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then... well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling' A. J. Finn, no.1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window 
 
 'Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful' Mark Billingham 
 
 'A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write!' Stuart MacBride

Alex North has outdone himself. As terrifying as a great horror novel, as unpredictable as the best type of crime novel and above all beautifully written, The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft. I couldn't begin to guess how the story was going to end but I enjoyed every second of the journey

If you liked The Whisper Man, you'll love this. Alex North has crafted a second novel which is just as gripping as his first and even scarier. Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy, it's about how the past encroaches on the present, and how dreaming influences reality, until in the frightening world of The Shadow Friend, it becomes harder and harder to tell one from the other... and the nightmare takes over

No.1 bestselling author of The Silent Patient

This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own... As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder

North has returned with another creepy, atmospheric tale exploring the devastating effects of childhood traumas on communities . . . Builds to a surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory

With echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth, this thriller ultimately feels like a ghost story conjured out of guilt and loss

North follows up his sensational debut, 2019's The Whisper Man, with another terrifying spine-tingler... The complex plot shifts smoothly between past and present with numerous unexpected twists. An overwhelming atmosphere of doom and disaster hovers over the perennial darkness of the nearby woods. This heart-pounding page-turner is impossible to put down

The layers of deception make for a chilling read

Included in 'The Week's Best Books - The Creepy One'

A chilling and deeply psychological read

If it had happened to you, you would have run away too. 
 
Twenty-five years ago, Paul's friend Charlie Crabtree brutally killed their classmate - and then vanished without a trace. 
 
Paul's never forgiven himself for his part in what happened. He's never gone back home. 
 
Until his elderly mother has a fall. It's finally time to stop running. 
 
It's not long before things start to go wrong. His mother claims there's someone in the house. Paul realises someone is following him. And, in a town many miles away, a copycat killer has struck. 
 
Which makes him wonder - what really happened to Charlie the day of the murder? 
 
And can anyone stop it happening again?

The Whisper Man

A RICHARD & JUDY PICK 
SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 
 
'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh 
'Both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking' Mark Billingham 
'Superbly creepy . . . it might just break your heart a little, too' Heat 
'A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart' Stuart MacBride 
'Beautifully crafted, heart-rending and spine-tinglingly chilling' Sarah Pinborough 
'Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right' C. J. Tudor 
______________ 
 
If you leave a door half-open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken... 
 
Fifteen years ago, a serial killer known only as 'The Whisper Man' wreaked havoc on the sleepy village of Featherbank. 
 
But with the killer behind bars, the village is now a safe haven for Tom and his young son Jake to make a fresh start. 
 
Until another boy goes missing. It feels like history is repeating itself. 
 
Could the killer still be out there - and can Tom protect his son from becoming the next victim? 
___________ 
 
'A true skin-crawler' Guardian 
 
'This flawlessly plotted thriller absolutely deserves to be shouted about' Sunday Mirror 
 
Richard and Judy Book Club Pick, Winter 2019

A gripping exploration of father-son relationships with a propulsive plot, The Whisper Man is a true skin-crawler

A police procedural with supernatural overtones

Guardian, Best Crime & Thrillers of the Year

Creepy. With the movie rights sold to Hollywood, Alfred Hitchcock would have loved every spine-tingling moment

Alex North has achieved the seemingly impossible. The Whisper Man is a thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful.

First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying. And then... well, dear reader, proceed at your own risk. An ambitious, deeply satisfying thriller - a seamless blend of Harlan Coben, Stephen King, and Thomas Harris. My flesh is still crawling

A. J. Finn, no.1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

A police procedural with supernatural overtones, this is a true skin-crawler

The Whisper Man is going to be huge. Dark enough to chill your blood but so beautifully written you will not be able to put it down. Utterly brilliant.

Ali Land, Sunday Times bestselling author of Good Me, Bad Me

Beautifully written. Beautifully plotted. Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right

C. J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man

An ultra-creepy tinge of the supernatural, blended with a petrifying threat from all-too-human monsters, conjures truly blood-chilling menace. Built on a tender theme, this flawlessly plotted thriller absolutely deserves to be shouted about

You might think you've read too many of these "next generation serial killer" novels but this is a very good example with strong characters and a palpable sense of sadness behind the scariness

A dark, creepy, thriller with a huge amount of heart. Damn, but Alex North can write!

Compelling, creepy and beautifully written, The Whisper Man will stay with you long after the last page is turned - and make you double-check all your doors and windows are locked at night

T. M. Logan, bestselling author of The Holiday

The Whisper Man is the most stunning thriller you will read this year, examining the relationships between fathers and sons, loss, betrayal, abduction and murder. It is a story that will unravel the reader as the plot itself unravels, leaving us winded, choking, gasping for air and wrung out, while disturbing, entertaining and enthralling us at the same time.

A painful and moving novel. Ostensibly about the abduction and murder of children, it is also an exploration of fatherhood and its challenges and rewards

Beautifully crafted, heart-rending and spine-tinglingly chilling, the Whisper Man is a thrilling tour de force. Assured and compelling, I can't wait to see what Alex North does next

Ostensibly a suspense novel involving the abduction and murder of children, The Whisper Man is also a study of fatherhood. Alex North's writing is impeccable as he spins out his plot . . . At once painful and moving, this story feels both real and important

Alex North weaves a stunningly captivating narrative that's a nuanced and grounded exploration of father-son relationships. He strikes such a delicate balance that consistently elevates itself, he ultimately provides a master class in genre exploration. An incredible read

Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of the Avengers franchise

The Whisper Man is the most unsettling thriller I have read since Jo Nesbo's The Snowman. Much more than the sum of its parts, it is nightmarish and disturbing and, at the same time, a moving and life-affirming novel about fathers and sons, and grief, loss, and recovery

Alex Michaelides, author of the Sunday Times bestselling The Silent Patient

A novel about the dark places that are recognisably our own, The Whisper Man plays on our emotions as much as on our fears. A tremendous calling card for the brilliant Alex North.

Fantastic. He writes beautifully, with a powerful understanding of the effects of loss and damage on the human psyche and a style that sweeps you into its grip and never lets go. I'm totally sold on Alex North

Alex Marwood, bestselling author of The Wicked Girls

A fine, chilling tale. Alex North paints a world that is so believable and at the same time utterly terrifying. The characters are beautifully rendered, and the tenderness of the central relationship between father and son deepened the sense of terror

Deliciously creepy and kept me up long after I'd turned the last page

Utterly absorbing and intense, so deliciously creepy I think I held my breath for half the book. I couldn't walk away from this affecting story until it was done with me. Loved it!

Gripping, disturbing, and creepy as hell - The Whisper Man deserves to be a huge hit. Absorbing writing, characters that will live with you long after finishing, and guaranteed to show up in a nightmare or three. Heartbreaking and unsettling in equal measure, it's destined to be the book that will readers won't be able to forget

Wonderfully dark, gently creepy and completely bloody heartbreaking. Alex North is a fantastic writer. The Whisper Man left me in pieces

A nerve-shredding emotional rollercoaster that'll keep you up late at night, whether you're still reading it or not. A compulsive read that's sure to give you nightmares

Ed James, bestselling author of The Hope That Kills

A phenomenal read. Terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure and if it wasn't so hot I'd definitely be sleeping with the windows shut tonight! The Whisper Man will be the book everyone's talking about next summer, mark my words

A riveting page turner! Dark and unsettling, this one creeps under your skin

One of the best crime novels I've read in ages. Alex North has crafted a book that manages to be thrilling, terrifying and genuinely moving.

Mason Cross, bestselling author of The Samaritan

There's a soft voice outside your window and it demands your attention. The Whisper Man is coming. In fact, he's already here. Get ready to be unnerved. This novel is thrilling

The Whisper Man is a tour de force, utterly absorbing and brilliantly realised

Mel McGrath, bestselling author of Give Me The Child

The Whisper Man is a chilling, gripping read but also deeply moving. It's a novel that succeeds on all kinds of levels and deserves all the success that is no doubt coming it's way

No one does Dark with a Heart like Alex North and The Whisper Man delivers a sucker punch that stays with you. Beautifully crafted, chilling &amp; emotional, this's going to be topping Books of the Year lists as soon as it's out

I read The Whisper Man in one go, barely remembering to breathe. North writes brilliantly about the cruelties of life, great and small, and the terrors that afflict young children (not to mention their parents). Tender, terrifying and utterly compelling, The Whisper Man will haunt you to the final page and beyond.

A creepy, serial killer-inflected thriller

More than just superbly creepy, this beautifully written thriller might just break your heart a little, too

With a tender theme about the complexity of father son relationships at its heart, this thriller is immaculately plotted, superbly written, and so good it deserves to be shouted about

A psychological thriller that's both terrifying and heartbreaking - you won't want to miss this one

[A] superb thriller... Readers will have a tough time putting down this truly unnerving tale, with its seemingly unexplainable elements and glimpses of broken and dangerous minds

Extraordinarily well-written, deeply moving . . . The stories are deftly marshalled and interwoven by North with a mastery that would be astonishing were he a debut novelist

ALEX NORTH'S tightly plotted crime thriller presses all the right buttons for the genre

This exceptionally creepy thriller is also a touching portrait of a bereaved father and son learning to depend on each other

A debut that will disturb and intrigue in equal measure

A debut novel set to disturb and intrigue. Truly chilling

As much an exploration of grief and of the father-son bond as it is a nerve-shredder, this is a good choice for Stephen King fans

Hollywood has snapped up this psychological thriller - and no wonder

Deliciously dark and twisty, this is a page-turner from start to finish

If you like a touch of Stephen King mixed with British crime, then this is for you . . . this is a spooky read, but also holds its own as a police procedural novel

This flawless thriller will touch your heart and live long in your memory

This flawless thriller lives long in the memory

The 50/50 Killer

PRE-ORDER NOW! A CHILLING THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON, THE WHISPER MAN 
 
The 50/50 killer preys on couples. 
 
He manipulates their love for each other and makes them play a game. 
He stalks them, tortures them and then forces them to choose. 
What is going to break first? Their will or their love for each other? 
Only two things are certain: 
One of them will die. 
And the other will have killed them. 
 
Praise for Alex North 
'The best crime novel of the decade' Steve Cavanagh 
'A thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful' Mark Billingham 
'This is a true skin-crawler' Guardian 
'Shades of Thomas Harris and Stephen King but brilliant in its own right' C.J. Tudor 
'First it's spooky. Then it's scary. Then it's terrifying' A.J. Finn

The 50/50 killer preys on couples. 
 
He manipulates their love for each other and makes them play a game. 
He stalks them, tortures them and then forces them to choose. 
What is going to break first? Their will or their love for each other? 
Only two things are certain: 
One of them will die. 
And the other will have killed them.

Alex North

When Neil Dawson's father commits suicide, he is devastated by the loss. 
 
But even through his grief, Neil knows something isn't right. Among his father's possessions, he finds a copy of an old novel, The Black Flower. Opening it will take Neil into an investigation full of danger, pain and subterfuge. 
 
Detective Hannah Price is also mourning her father, having followed his footsteps into the police force. 
 
When she gets assigned to Neil's father's case, it will lead her on a journey into her own past and to the heart of a shattering secret...

Alex North

Praise for Black Flowers

Praise for Alex North

The best crime novel of the decade

A thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful

Praise for Alex North

The best crime novel of the decade

A thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful

Praise for Alex North

The best crime novel of the decade

A thriller that is both terrifying and utterly heartbreaking. Mesmerising and masterful

Books by Alex North

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter