Alex North, internationally bestselling author of The Whisper Man, The Shadow Friend, and The Half Burnt House, is set to release his fourth novel, The Man Made of Smoke, on May 8, 2025, in the UK and May 13 in the US.
The novel introduces Daniel Garvie, a man burdened by a haunting memory from childhood. As a boy, Daniel saw a distressed child at a service station but was too frightened to step in. That moment of hesitation allowed one of the world’s most notorious serial killers—known as the Pied Piper—to escape. Now a respected criminal psychiatrist, Daniel has built his career on understanding the darkest corners of the human mind. But when his father vanishes, he is drawn back to the remote island where he grew up, a place haunted by both personal ghosts and long-buried secrets. His return may offer a chance at redemption—or lead him straight into danger.
In an exclusive interview, North reflects on the emotional core of the story, particularly the fraught relationship between Daniel and his father, a retired police officer. He went on to reveals the eerie inspiration behind the Pied Piper killer before finally sharing his enthusiasm for the upcoming film adaptation of The Whisper Man, which is currently in development to be directed by James Ashcroft (The Rule of Jenny Pen, Coming Home in the Dark) and is set to star Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, and Michelle Monaghan.
