
'The Angel Maker' is a thrilling question mark all the way to the end | WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source
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Alex North's "The Angel Maker" is one of those tense, gripping narratives that walk a fine line between horror, mystery, a detective story, and something dark and enigmatic that lives in the
shadows between those genres.
The "Angel Maker" is relentless and creepy. The narrative moves quickly, which means the revelations keep coming and the tension mounts with almost every single chapter. Also, there are a
lot of elements at play and the story jumps between past and present, but North made sure everything is clear and easy to navigate, which means readers are basically forced — in a good way —
to keep reading. The mounting anxiety and ever-growing pile of questions make it hard to step away.
In his classic novel "The Name of the Rose," author Umberto Eco has a line that, in part, states that "not infrequently books speak of books," and this is true in "The Angel Maker." While
most of the narrative has to do with things from the real world like murder, a man on the run, and Katie's worry about her daughter's safety after seeing a strange figure trying to break
into their home, Jack Lock's story, the brutal process of making angels (I won't spoil that here), and a cryptic book Lock wrote where he proved he knew the future all come together to give
the story a supernatural flare that pairs well with the discussion on determinism that can be found in the book. Also, Hobbes was obviously killed, but the way he prepared for it, and the
meds in his body at the time of death, make it clear that he knew it would happen. This complicates things even further and tie his murder to Lock's beliefs as well as the determinism he
spoke of in his classes.
"The Angel Maker" is a bizarre hybrid that comes together beautifully and somehow finds a balance that works for it despite the plethora of elements that make it up. This is a story that
delves deep into the unbreakable bond between two siblings that love each other but are convinced the other wants nothing to do with them, but it's also a horror story wrapped in crime that
brings to life the spirit of a disturbing serial killer who was convinced everything was preordained by God and thus every human was action was both inevitable and without fault. In less
capable hands, a narrative that juggles so many elements and such a rich cast of characters could've easily turned into a disorganized mess. But in North's skilled hands, it becomes a very
cohesive, enthralling ride into some of the darkest corners of extreme religiousness and human nature. North has already made a name for himself as an international bestselling author thanks
to the mix of darkness and violence he brings to the page — and "The Angel Maker," his best so far, is a superb addition to his already impressive oeuvre.