Publisher: Celadon Books
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2023
Order Link: Amazon
3.5 Stars
Thanks to Celadon Books for a physical arc! Many thanks to the girls in my Bookstagram SQAF Book Club for a fantastic book discussion.
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.
Review:
Kate Smith appeared to have it all at the end of her high school years - a beautiful home, a boyfriend ready to take it to the next level and her younger brother Chris who she protected fiercely. Until the day she makes a selfish decision and her brother becomes the victim of a violent attack that shatters their perfect world and changes their lives forever. Now, decades later, Kate and boyfriend Sam are married with a child of their own as Kate continues trying to avoid facing her guilt. But when she receives a phone call from her mother that her addict brother Chris has disappeared, the guilt drives her to answer the call for help and begin a search for her brother. Before long, her investigation crashes with past events, threatening to devastate them all.
Meantime, Professor Alan Hobbes, who teaches the theology of free will and fate, is found brutally murdered in his bed after dismissing his staff and preparing himself to die . . . even leaving the door open to give his killer easy access. How did he know he was going to die? Was it his fate? Why didn't he try to protect himself? Detective Laurence Page is called in to investigate Hobbes's murder. Before it's all said and done, a connection to two cold cases emerges - the attack on Chris Shaw and a serial killer who is rumored to see the future. The story that unfolds is complex and heavily laden with characters and events that are difficult to keep straight at times as it frequently switches from past to present. I found myself backtracking to reread passages and clarify events in my mind. I urge readers to pack away all distractions and give this one your full attention when reading.
The Angel Maker is highly atmospheric and one of the most convoluted, creepy, confusing stories I've ever read . . . and yet it's highly entertaining if you stick with it and ride it out. The author's talent for manipulating plot, characters and readers is readily apparent. The connections between past and present and the characters that bind them materialize slowly as North sprinkles tidbits of clues throughout. While I'm a fan of dark thrillers, this one borders a little too close to horror for my taste. At times I found myself glancing around the dark shadows of my room and turning more lights on. There are elements of the paranormal woven throughout the plot line that includes a serial killer, family dynamics, and seeing the future. It's hard to talk more about the story without giving away too many secrets that readers need to discover on their own. I highly recommend The Angel Maker to fans of dark stories with strong elements of horror and paranormal occurrences.
Synopsis:
Meantime, Professor Alan Hobbes, who teaches the theology of free will and fate, is found brutally murdered in his bed after dismissing his staff and preparing himself to die . . . even leaving the door open to give his killer easy access. How did he know he was going to die? Was it his fate? Why didn't he try to protect himself? Detective Laurence Page is called in to investigate Hobbes's murder. Before it's all said and done, a connection to two cold cases emerges - the attack on Chris Shaw and a serial killer who is rumored to see the future. The story that unfolds is complex and heavily laden with characters and events that are difficult to keep straight at times as it frequently switches from past to present. I found myself backtracking to reread passages and clarify events in my mind. I urge readers to pack away all distractions and give this one your full attention when reading.
The Angel Maker is highly atmospheric and one of the most convoluted, creepy, confusing stories I've ever read . . . and yet it's highly entertaining if you stick with it and ride it out. The author's talent for manipulating plot, characters and readers is readily apparent. The connections between past and present and the characters that bind them materialize slowly as North sprinkles tidbits of clues throughout. While I'm a fan of dark thrillers, this one borders a little too close to horror for my taste. At times I found myself glancing around the dark shadows of my room and turning more lights on. There are elements of the paranormal woven throughout the plot line that includes a serial killer, family dynamics, and seeing the future. It's hard to talk more about the story without giving away too many secrets that readers need to discover on their own. I highly recommend The Angel Maker to fans of dark stories with strong elements of horror and paranormal occurrences.
Synopsis:
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.
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.
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