Review: The Angel Maker by Alex North

The Angel Maker by Alex North
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, all opinions are my own.  This book will be published February 28, 2023 in print and audio.

This was an interesting thriller.  I'm not sure if listening to the audiobook is the way to go with this one because there is so much going on with the plot.  The narrator did a fine job with the narration, but there are so many threads to keep track of I found myself wishing I could go back and reference things from previous chapters because I was confused.  There are a lot of characters and timelines to keep track of, which I find doesn't always work on audio regardless of how good the narrator is.  

This follow Katie Shaw, who's life was forever changed when a stranger attacked her brother Chris.  Chris survived the attack, but his life was also forever changed.  Guilty for not being there for him that day, Katie has always tried to make up for the sins of that day and she is being called to help her brother years later.  Chris has gone missing and Katie discovers that he may be mixed up in something dangerous.  Chris doesn't have a very good track record as he's been mixed up in substance abuse after recovering from the brutal attack in his teens, but Katie discovers that he appears to have cleaned up his life and she is trying to piece together the mystery of the man her brother is today.

As I mentioned earlier, this has alot of characters to keep track of.  I kept losing track of who was who and what their role was in the plot.  Katie was always at the forefront and everything eventually ties back to her and her family.  This also has alot of twists and turns to keep you from figuring out what is happening, but in the end it left me with more questions than answers.  I felt more confused than thrilled as I was reading.  Katie was driven to find her brother but some of her decisions and actions seemed a little too impulsive and irrational to me.  This book requires an open mind and some suspension of belief for it all to work.

Overall this was a decent slow burn mystery.  There are some gory parts, but it isn't extreme.  I'd check out trigger warnings before reading this if you are squeamish.  It is a bit chaotic for my tastes, but it does keep you guessing.  If you are looking for a domestic thriller with a bit of a religious/philosophical vibe this is a good one to check out.    

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