Book: Wolf by Mo Hayder

DI Jack Caffery returns and this time he’s off duty.

Jaded and disgruntled by his workload Caffery decides to take some time out, much to the chagrin of his superiors. This sabbatical will be spent finding out what became of his brother Ewan, who vanished when they were both children.

In order to progress his private investigation Caffery must first solve the puzzle of a lost dog that carries a note which simply says “help us”. The case of the little dog takes Caffery on a journey to trace her owners and find out if they really do need help.

The family are caught up in a hostage situation which unfolds alongside Caffery’s investigation and you are urging him on each step of the way as he slowly gets closer to them. But will he make it in time?

Wolf is another top notch thriller from Mo Hayder and assuming she continues with the series I can’t wait to find out what’s next for her captivating main character.

Ric’s rating: Highly Recommended.      

Book: Poppet by Mo Hayder

DI Jack Caffrey investigates the bizarre goings on at a local Mental Hospital while also attempting to find closure for the troubled Mother of a missing young woman in the latest thriller from Mo Hayder.

Some years ago I read Hayder’s fantastic debut book, Birdman, which was closely followed by The Treatment. Those books lived long in the memory as they effortlessly combined a surreal feeling of horror with repulsion at the criminal acts described within their pages. The books also introduced the character of Jack Caffrey, a police officer haunted by the disappearance of his Brother when they were both children.

Much to my surprise Hayder’s next novel did not feature Caffrey, and neither did the next. Cafferey eventually reappeared in 2008’s Ritual but I hadn’t got round to catching up with him….until now.

Having long left events of the first two books behind we join Caffrey in Bristol, where reports of strange sightings of a figure known as The Maude followed by some particularly nasty incidents bring a concerned Mental Health Nurse to his office.

Can Caffrey get to the bottom of the mysterious sightings and will colleague Flea Marley tell him what happened to that missing girl?

Having read this sixth instalment of the Jack Caffrey series I now can’t wait to get my hands on the ones I missed. The author yet again manages to create a truly eerie atmosphere, the type of which is usually only found in quality horror novels, and combine it with fascinatingly macabre crime scenes. Throw in an interesting and complex cast of characters and you have a novel that will appeal to both crime and horror fans despite having a rather predictable twist.

Poppet is available everywhere now.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.  

Book: Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder

Detective Inspector Zoe Benedict investigates the brutal murder of a popular teenage girl which has shocked the local community while ensuring that secrets from her past remain hidden in the latest thriller from Mo Hayder.

Zoe’s estranged sister Sally is recently separated and struggling to bring up her rebellious daughter who was a friend of the victim. What lengths will she go to in order to keep her head above water financially and to keep her daughter out of harm’s way?

Mo Hayder exploded onto the crime fiction scene back in 2000 with her fantastic début, Birdman. It’s sequel, The Treatment, was arguably even better. These were ferocious serial killer tales that featured cop Jack Caffery and were too disturbing for many readers but became critically acclaimed bestsellers.

Several stand-alone thrillers followed which didn’t match up to the original two books and in 2008 Hayder returned to the character of Jack Caffery.

Hanging Hill is another departure from the security of a recurring character series and while it remains a police procedural it lacks the bite of the Caffery stories. Zoe Benedict is interesting enough but the investigation meanders along while Sally goes to work for a very shady character which leads to a tragic event that eventually re-unites the two.

This competent but unimaginative thriller is for those not willing or able to delve into the depths of depravity that Hayder is very capable of exploring.

Ric’s Rating: Good