Synopses & Reviews
Edgar Award winner and internationally best-selling author Mo Hayder has made her name with nightmarishly dark, impeccably-plotted thrillers that hook readers from the first page and wont let them go, netting numerous awards and attracting legions of fans from around the globe. With her latest novel,
Wolf, the frighteningly talented queen of hardcore in high heels” (
Le Point Magazine, France) ratchets up the terror yet another notch, with a bone-chilling home invasion novel.
When a vagrantthe Walking Manfinds a dog wandering alone with the words HELP US” written on its collar, hes sure its a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Detective Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involveduntil the Walking Man promises new information regarding the childhood abduction of Cafferys brother in exchange for the detectives help tracking down the dogs owners. Caffery has no idea who or what he is searching for, but one thing he is sure of: it's a race against time.
Meanwhile, the Anchor-Ferrers, a wealthy local family, are fighting for their lives in their remote home ten miles away. Two men have tricked their way into the house and are holding the family for ransom. Yet as the captors demands become increasingly bizarre and humiliating, it becomes clear that this is more than a random crimeits a personal vendetta.
With all of the taut suspense and terrifying twists that have kept her fans on the edge of their seats for years, Wolf cements Hayders place at the top of the crime-writing field.
Review
Praise for Wolf:Hayders best Jack Caffery thriller yet . . . A home invasion novel like no other . . . Dark and twisty, this gripping crime novel by an Edgar Award winner is an outstanding read, whether Jack is a new character to the reader or an old friend. For fans of John Connolly or Robert Crais.” Marianne Fitzgerald, Library Journal (starred review)
Review
Praise for Wolf:[A] destined-to-be classic . . . Hayders work and characters are worth the unending nightmares they will inspire.”The New York Times Book Review
The home invasion novel to end all home invasion novels . . . Hayder neatly splits genres with this series, borrowing in equal measure from suspense and horror, not unlike John Connollys Charlie Parker novels or T. Jefferson Parkers Charlie Hood books. Wolf is exceptionally original in premise and nightmarish in its rendering.” Bruce Tierney, Bookpage
Mo Hayder is a master of ratcheting up tension throughout a book to the point that one must simply finish it before doing anything else. Such is the case with Wolf.” George Easter, Deadly Pleasures (Rating: A-)
Mo Hayders books featuring Jack Caffery are always an entertaining and engaging read, and this one doesnt disappoint.”Euro Crime
Hayders best Jack Caffery thriller yet . . . A home invasion novel like no other . . . Dark and twisty, this gripping crime novel by an Edgar Award winner is an outstanding read, whether Jack is a new character to the reader or an old friend. For fans of John Connolly or Robert Crais.” Marianne Fitzgerald, Library Journal (starred review)
Perfectly and wonderfully paced, and imaginatively plotted and written . . . There are twists and turns aplenty herenot so many as to be confusing, but just enough to keep the reader reading incessantly from first sentence to last paragraph. . . . Read Wolf; you simply will never forgive yourself if you dont.”Joe Hartlaub, Bookreporter.com
This grisly tale of a family held hostage cements Hayders reputation as a queen of terror. Caffery is pitted against a chillingly evil villain whose brutal actions are both physical and psychological. Several skillfully interwoven plotlines culminate in a shocking ending. . . . A must-read for those who like their thrillers dark and gritty.” Joyce Morgan, Romantic Times (4½ stars)
If her thriller Wolf is any indication, Mo Hayder has thoroughly mastered the art of reader manipulation. . . . You cant help but obsessively turn pages. . . . Mo Hayder is one fine story teller. . . . The book is a wild ride, a ride well worth taking.”Jack Goodstein, Blogcritics.org (4 out of 5 stars)
Hayder . . . once again lures DI Jack Caffery into evils morass. . . . Hayders story is complex. . . . Sexual obsession, rejection as fuel for violence and revenge on the part of an arms dealer all add to a chilling, ominous atmosphere in which mangled characters lurk. . . . Another adventure for Caffery, a protagonist much like James Lee Burkes Dave Robicheaux or Paul Cleaves Theo Tate, doomed to work in the presence of evil.” Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Edgar Award winner and internationally best-selling author Mo Hayder has made her name with nightmarishly dark, impeccably-plotted thrillers that hook readers from the first page and wont let them go. With her latest novel, Wolf, the frighteningly talented Hayder ratchets up the terror yet another notch, with a bone-chilling novel about a family held hostage in their country home.
Wolf kicks off when a vagrantthe Walking Man, an enigmatic, recurring character in Hayders fictionfinds a dog wandering alone with a scrap of paper with the words HELP US” attached to its collar. Hes sure its a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Detective Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involveduntil the Walking Man promises in exchange new information regarding the childhood disappearance of Cafferys brother. Caffery has no idea who or what he is searching for, but one thing he is sure of: its a race against time.
Meanwhile, the Anchor-Ferrers, a wealthy local family, are fighting for their lives, held hostage in their remote home ten miles away. As their ordeal becomes increasingly bizarre and humiliating, the family begins to wonder: is this really a random crime?
About the Author
Mo Hayder has worked as a filmmaker, Tokyo nightclub hostess, and English as a second language teacher. She has won the Edgar Award for Best Novel for
Gone and the Crime Writers Association Dagger in the Library award for outstanding body of work. She is also the author of
Birdman,
The Treatment,
The Devil of Nanking,
Pig Island,
Ritual,
Skin,
Hanging Hill, and
Poppet. She lives in England.