wolf-mo-hayderWolf is Mo Hayder’s tenth novel, and like its predecessors, it’s most definitely not for the faint-hearted. An author who prides herself on her honesty, Mo doesn’t gloss or steer our emotional reactions to events; she simply describes them in chilling and visceral detail. Her debut, Birdman, was described by The Guardian as a ‘first-class shocker'; and its follow-up, The Treatment, was voted by the Times one of the top ten scariest thrillers ever written.

“I believe, from what I can hear, that either my daughter or my wife has just been attacked. I don’t know the outcome.”

The house is silent.

Fourteen years ago two teenage lovers were brutally murdered in a patch of remote woodland. The prime suspect confessed to the crimes and was imprisoned. Now, one family is still trying to put the memory of the killings behind them. But at their isolated hilltop house, the nightmare is about to return…

This is the seventh novel to feature DI Jack Caffery, a complex character, layered with shades of grey. While he does represent the rule of law in the novels, he doesn’t always occupy the moral high ground. He can be violent, angry and unreasonable, but he is also driven and committed in his pursuit of killers. Many readers find him strangely attractive, despite his flaws: Caffery is a man who operates well into a world of moral ambiguity.

Mo Hayder succeeds in creating compelling characters and a well-researched procedural. She’s met police from several forces, as well as rubbing shoulders with those on the opposite side of the law. Authenticity is key – but so is fear.

Lock all the doors. Brace yourself…