In Alex North’s latest thriller The Angel Maker narrated by Rosalie Craig the author weaves together a dark and suspenseful tale about siblings, fate and a serial killer. Grab a cup of coffee and see what I enjoyed about this twisted tale.
by Alex North
Narrator: Rosalie Craig
Length: 8 hours and 1 minute
Genres: Thriller
Source: Library
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 4.5 cups Speed: 1.25x
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.
It took me a bit to get settled into The Angel Maker, but this isn’t uncommon with Alex North’s stories. We follow several threads that all lead us to the truth and a suspenseful ending.
The threads are delivered from the main characters who are Kate Shaw, mother, wife & sister of Chris Shaw, Chris Shaw a tormented young man, Detective Lawrence Page who is trying to solve a murder and stumbles into something more, Edward Leland, and Alan Hobbs, a professor.
This was a dark thriller with lots of twists and it all begins with a chilling prologue that sets the tone of the story. We have a dual timeline. We traverse from present day to events in 1956. At times, the storyline was very dark, especially as things wove together.
Detective Page is investigating the murder of an old man. Kate is looking for Chris and trying to keep her child safe from a man who appears to be stalking them, but there is so much more at play. This is the type of story that I am sure I will pick up on things a second time through. It was clever as North’s books tend to be and you need to follow along carefully or you’ll miss something.
Fans of suspenseful dark thrillers that skirt horror will find North’s book captivating. Rosalie Craig, a new to me narrator, did a splendid job with these characters all delivered in 3rd person point of view. She did a fine job with the male voices and captured the tone perfectly.
About Alex North
Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North's own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with "the boy in the floor." Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name
About Rosalie Craig
Rosalie Mae Craig is an English actress, noted for her performances in musical theatre. In 2013 she received her first major award, a London Evening Standard Award for Best Performance in a Musical.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
This sounds exactly like one my mother would enjoy. I’ll have to share the info with her. Great review!
Kimberly
I hope she enjoys it!
Ethan
I really loved The Whisper Man but didn’t enjoy The Shadows. I’m on the fence about reading this one.
Kimberly
Yeah, I think that the audio on that one enhanced my enjoyment.
Anne - Books of My Heart
If only I had more time….
Kimberly
Yep. Worked out nicely with my library challenge though.
Sophia Rose
It sounds loaded with all sorts of interesting characters and plot threads.
Kimberly
It was, he kept me listening.
Carla
Nice review, Kimberly. I haven’t read a North book yet, worried about the creepy factor. I should probably just give one a go and see. This sounds good, I like the serial killer plot but stalking gives me chills.
Kimberly
This fell more into suspenseful horror, so you’d probably be ok.