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Jack Caffery #7
Wolf
When a vagrant—the Walking Man—finds a dog wandering alone with the words "HELP US” written on its collar, he’s sure it’s a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Detective Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involved—until the Walking Man promises new information regarding the childhood abduction of Caffery’s brother in exchange for the detective’s help tracking down the dog’s 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 crime—it’s a personal vendetta.
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 crime—it’s a personal vendetta.
410 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2014
560 people are currently reading
5532 people want to read
About the author
Mo Hayder
21 books2,548 followersMo Hayder left school at fifteen. She worked as a barmaid, security guard, film-maker, hostess in a Tokyo club, educational administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language in Asia. She had an MA in film from The American University in Washington DC and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University UK.
Mo lived in Bath with her daughter Lotte-Genevieve. She was also the actress Candy Davis, who was most known as the blonde secretary on “ Are You Being Served?”
Series:
* Jack Caffery
Mo lived in Bath with her daughter Lotte-Genevieve. She was also the actress Candy Davis, who was most known as the blonde secretary on “ Are You Being Served?”
Series:
* Jack Caffery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 881 reviews
August 23, 2024
The Walking Man
After reading my second Jack Caffrey thriller, Mo Hayder became one of my favorite authors.
Continuing to search for his childhood missing brother, Jack Caffrey is hopeful when The Walking Man promises information.
But there’s a stipulation. Jack must find the “missing owners” of a dog. The Walking Man feels they are in danger.
Agreeing with him, and sensing the situation may be dire, Jack begins his investigation.
Will he find out who’s missing a dog? Are they okay? Are they in trouble? Will help arrive in time?
Is this the last episode of the series? Will there be more books? Is this the end of Jack Caffrey? I need to know.
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
After reading my second Jack Caffrey thriller, Mo Hayder became one of my favorite authors.
Continuing to search for his childhood missing brother, Jack Caffrey is hopeful when The Walking Man promises information.
But there’s a stipulation. Jack must find the “missing owners” of a dog. The Walking Man feels they are in danger.
Agreeing with him, and sensing the situation may be dire, Jack begins his investigation.
Will he find out who’s missing a dog? Are they okay? Are they in trouble? Will help arrive in time?
Is this the last episode of the series? Will there be more books? Is this the end of Jack Caffrey? I need to know.
Five stars. 💫💫💫💫💫
February 7, 2017
Minnet kable, Minnet with the emphasis on the first syllable. Usually the name is never spoken aloud in this household.
The one who must not be named? :O
Minnet is a white,british and the Anchor-ferrers have no idea how he came to be given shch a name. There is nothing in any of the legal transcripts to suggest his heritage.
Kable was insane, convicted over and over for a string of offences- arson, Sexual assault, car theft. No one knows what made him cross the line and turn to killing that summer night, or why he targeted Hugo Frink and his new girlfriend, Sophie Hurst-Lloyd. It happened about a mile away from the turrets, in a section of wood at the far end of the valley. Now it is used by youngsters to ride BMX bicycles. Back then it was just a piece of unchartered woodland called "the donkey pitch" because someone had once, years ago, kept donkeys there. The land was adjacent to Hugo's grandparents' property, but too far for anyone to hear the teenagers screaming. Kable's final signature was to remove the intestines of both teenagers. He twisted them together and used them to decorate the trees above the corpses in the shape of a heart. Which is exactly what has been replicated today, in the woods next to The Turrets.
The first 120 pages scared the crap out of me, like seriously! i had nightmares i became paranoid, i would wake up at 3 AM and check the front door's locks and windows, yup that kind of stuff. not everything worked in this book for me there were these Jack flashbacks or POV i don't know and i was like i get that this is a series about the detective (who in my opinion isn't so bright) but why are they in here? i get why they are in here, i get what point they ended up surving but they were boring as hell and wasn't just organically mixed. So the author was like 'i'm gonna tell this story and in between chapters i'm gonna interject some Jack Caffery Issues' just urgh. plus the book is a slow burn it takes a lot of pages for something to happen but it still good not the best thriller i have ever read but also not the worst. the Anchor-ferrers's is SO GOOD!! Jack Caffery's POV Meh.
The one who must not be named? :O
Minnet is a white,british and the Anchor-ferrers have no idea how he came to be given shch a name. There is nothing in any of the legal transcripts to suggest his heritage.
Kable was insane, convicted over and over for a string of offences- arson, Sexual assault, car theft. No one knows what made him cross the line and turn to killing that summer night, or why he targeted Hugo Frink and his new girlfriend, Sophie Hurst-Lloyd. It happened about a mile away from the turrets, in a section of wood at the far end of the valley. Now it is used by youngsters to ride BMX bicycles. Back then it was just a piece of unchartered woodland called "the donkey pitch" because someone had once, years ago, kept donkeys there. The land was adjacent to Hugo's grandparents' property, but too far for anyone to hear the teenagers screaming. Kable's final signature was to remove the intestines of both teenagers. He twisted them together and used them to decorate the trees above the corpses in the shape of a heart. Which is exactly what has been replicated today, in the woods next to The Turrets.
The first 120 pages scared the crap out of me, like seriously! i had nightmares i became paranoid, i would wake up at 3 AM and check the front door's locks and windows, yup that kind of stuff. not everything worked in this book for me there were these Jack flashbacks or POV i don't know and i was like i get that this is a series about the detective (who in my opinion isn't so bright) but why are they in here? i get why they are in here, i get what point they ended up surving but they were boring as hell and wasn't just organically mixed. So the author was like 'i'm gonna tell this story and in between chapters i'm gonna interject some Jack Caffery Issues' just urgh. plus the book is a slow burn it takes a lot of pages for something to happen but it still good not the best thriller i have ever read but also not the worst. the Anchor-ferrers's is SO GOOD!! Jack Caffery's POV Meh.
April 7, 2014
Oh, how much I love Mo Hayder! I think that the Treatment and Devil in Nanking (also called Tokyo) are two of my favorite books of all time. I love everything she writers, but some I love more than others. Wolf catches us up with Jack, and the interesting thing is that he's very changed from the guy we first met all those years ago. As an author, it's really difficult to slowly let a character grow up, and I think Mo has done that beautifully. Oh, and also there's some good murder and stuff in this one. And a nasty twist, which is the sort of thing you expect from Mo.
I think I need to make sure I added her other books to my list.
I think I need to make sure I added her other books to my list.
March 20, 2014
Many people commented that Mo Hayder's last Jack Caffrey novel, Poppet was not as good as the rest. A fact that I denied continuously. Having just finished Wolf I was wrong. Wolf is a return to everything that is brilliant about Mo Hayder's, Jack Caffrey series and shows some of the others up.
The book is unique to others as this is not so much a police investigation as a private case for Jack Caffrey. None of the familiar characters appear except for Jack and the Walking Man are present. Initially I was disappointed that we would not see the continuation of the Jack and Flea relationship but as the book progresses it was so enthralling I forgot there were any characters missing at all.
The victims as always play a wonderful part in this book. I love the way Mo Hayder invites us to meet new characters in her villains and victims. Her depth of character development in this book are a credit to her and a defining factor in how good this book is.
If you have followed the series from the beginning, like I have, you will love this book. This book answers several questions that have been held over from previous novel and from the beginning of the Jack Caffrey series. I simply brilliant read.
The book is unique to others as this is not so much a police investigation as a private case for Jack Caffrey. None of the familiar characters appear except for Jack and the Walking Man are present. Initially I was disappointed that we would not see the continuation of the Jack and Flea relationship but as the book progresses it was so enthralling I forgot there were any characters missing at all.
The victims as always play a wonderful part in this book. I love the way Mo Hayder invites us to meet new characters in her villains and victims. Her depth of character development in this book are a credit to her and a defining factor in how good this book is.
If you have followed the series from the beginning, like I have, you will love this book. This book answers several questions that have been held over from previous novel and from the beginning of the Jack Caffrey series. I simply brilliant read.
August 27, 2020
Και με αυτό το βιβλίο, θυμήθηκα γιατί είχα χωρίσει με την Μο κάποτε... Και είναι μια καλή υπενθύμιση, να μη γυρίζεις σε παλιές σχέσεις. Για να έχεις χωρίσει, συνήθως κάποιος σοβαρός λόγος θα υπήρχε. Μη ξεγελιέσαι από τις καλές αναμνήσεις, 99 στις 100 φορές πάλι στον χωρισμό θα καταλήξεις...με λίγα λόγια, μην είσαι μακάκας, άσε το παρελθόν εκεί που ανήκει!
Όπα, παρασύρθηκα λίγο...Τι λέγαμε; Α ναι, για τον Λύκο.
Και σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο επιθεωρητής Κάφερι εξακολουθεί να έχει τα γνωστά του κολλήματα... 30+ χρόνια πέρασαν και αυτός εκεί, κολλημένος στην υπόθεση του αδελφού του. Και επειδή τίποτα άλλο δεν έχει σημασία για τον Κάφερι, μετά από μια αναλαμπή, παίρνει άδεια από την δουλειά του με μεσάζοντα μέσω τηλεφώνου (λέει σε μια συνάδελφο να ενημερώσει τον διοικητή του ότι παίρνει άδεια και μετά δεν σηκώνει ούτε το τηλέφωνο στον διοικητή, γιατί είναι ο Κάφερι και κάνει ότι θέλει!) και ακολουθεί αυτή την αναλαμπή... Υποθέτω ότι μετά από την αλήθεια που έμαθε στο τέλος, στο επόμενο βιβλίο θα έχει μετατραπεί σε αλκοολικό και ίσως και σε πρεζόνι!
Τέλος πάντων, διάβασα με το ζόρι το 60% του βιβλίου και αποφάσισα να το παρατήσω κάτι που το σκεφτόμουν από το 30%...αλλά επειδή η ώρα είχε περάσει χθες και ήταν αργά για να ξεκινήσω άλλο, συνέχισα διαβάζοντας μόνο μερικά κεφάλαια στην τύχη και φυσικά το τέλος, το τελευταίο 10% γιατί ήθελα να δω πως θα τελειώσει.
Συμπέρασμα; Αντίο Μο και αντίο Κάφερι. Δεν χάρηκα τελικά που σας γνώρισα. Αν εξαιρέσεις τους πρώτους δύο μήνες της σχέσης μας που ήταν απλά μέτριοι, μετά ήσασταν ένα βάσανο.
Πάμε γι' άλλα!
Όπα, παρασύρθηκα λίγο...Τι λέγαμε; Α ναι, για τον Λύκο.
Και σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο επιθεωρητής Κάφερι εξακολουθεί να έχει τα γνωστά του κολλήματα... 30+ χρόνια πέρασαν και αυτός εκεί, κολλημένος στην υπόθεση του αδελφού του. Και επειδή τίποτα άλλο δεν έχει σημασία για τον Κάφερι, μετά από μια αναλαμπή, παίρνει άδεια από την δουλειά του με μεσάζοντα μέσω τηλεφώνου (λέει σε μια συνάδελφο να ενημερώσει τον διοικητή του ότι παίρνει άδεια και μετά δεν σηκώνει ούτε το τηλέφωνο στον διοικητή, γιατί είναι ο Κάφερι και κάνει ότι θέλει!) και ακολουθεί αυτή την αναλαμπή... Υποθέτω ότι μετά από την αλήθεια που έμαθε στο τέλος, στο επόμενο βιβλίο θα έχει μετατραπεί σε αλκοολικό και ίσως και σε πρεζόνι!
Τέλος πάντων, διάβασα με το ζόρι το 60% του βιβλίου και αποφάσισα να το παρατήσω κάτι που το σκεφτόμουν από το 30%...αλλά επειδή η ώρα είχε περάσει χθες και ήταν αργά για να ξεκινήσω άλλο, συνέχισα διαβάζοντας μόνο μερικά κεφάλαια στην τύχη και φυσικά το τέλος, το τελευταίο 10% γιατί ήθελα να δω πως θα τελειώσει.
Συμπέρασμα; Αντίο Μο και αντίο Κάφερι. Δεν χάρηκα τελικά που σας γνώρισα. Αν εξαιρέσεις τους πρώτους δύο μήνες της σχέσης μας που ήταν απλά μέτριοι, μετά ήσασταν ένα βάσανο.
Πάμε γι' άλλα!
July 18, 2016
I am so sad that my relationship with Hayder has come to an end! I have spent the last few months binge reading all her writing and now I don't know what to do with my life!
This is the final installment in the Jack Caffrey crime series and, while not full of happy-ever-afters and fully explained summaries, I feel like the series drew to an acceptable close here. Hayder never gives her readers all the answers and I did not expect her to do so here but I feel like I received the closure I needed from the series and shall look back on my journey with Caffrey fondly. This book had its own crime story that took primary focus, but aspects from all previous novels made an appearance, which made me feel like I was saying goodbye to the story once and for all.
This book, for me, was probably her least sickening but most thrilling read and had one of the most shocking and unanticipated twists to the ending that had me gaping at it until long after I had turned the last page.
I can not recommend this series, and Hayder's writing in general, enough. She is not only a first-class crime story generator but a beautiful writer that ensnares my attention in every single thing she has ever written.
This is the final installment in the Jack Caffrey crime series and, while not full of happy-ever-afters and fully explained summaries, I feel like the series drew to an acceptable close here. Hayder never gives her readers all the answers and I did not expect her to do so here but I feel like I received the closure I needed from the series and shall look back on my journey with Caffrey fondly. This book had its own crime story that took primary focus, but aspects from all previous novels made an appearance, which made me feel like I was saying goodbye to the story once and for all.
This book, for me, was probably her least sickening but most thrilling read and had one of the most shocking and unanticipated twists to the ending that had me gaping at it until long after I had turned the last page.
I can not recommend this series, and Hayder's writing in general, enough. She is not only a first-class crime story generator but a beautiful writer that ensnares my attention in every single thing she has ever written.
April 24, 2014
The queen of nail-shredding tension returns with Wolf, the seventh novel to feature DI Jack Caffery and the fifth in the Walking Man series. We have a convoluted plot that uses as its backdrop the visceral – in all senses of the word – murder of two teenagers 14 years previously, where a killer was brought to justice. Cut to a wealthy family in the present day, living in the vicinity of said murder, held hostage and terrorised by two intruders, but able to send an SOS message out secreted in their dog’s collar.
The dog is found by the Walking Man – a traveling man searching for the remains of his murdered daughter – who contacts Jack Caffery. The two men are linked by the disappearance of Jack’s brother years ago, and the Walking Man is a motif in the series bringing new information now and again. As a pay off for further information Caffery agrees to track down the dog’s owners, and solve the mystery of the ominous message that simply says, ‘Help us.’ Caffery has no idea who or what he is searching for, but is certain that it is a race against time.
We all know what to expect from Edgar award-winning Mo Hayder in terms of violence, brutality and graphic death, and Wolf will not disappoint. Not only is there an inordinate amount of tension throughout, but you can rest assured that if someone is to be tortured or murdered, the author will always pay the greatest attention to shock value, including the most artistic use of intestines you will surely encounter. The majority of the book is played out with Oliver and Matilda Anchor-Ferrers’ incarceration in their own home, and their emotionally damaged daughter Lucia. They’re held by for by two unknown individuals who are in no way, shape, or form who they appear to be.
Not wanting to reveal any more about the plot than necessary, all I can say is that Oliver Anchor-Ferrers has been involved in a top secret arms project involving a missile called the Wolf, and that Lucia had a personal attachment to one of the teenagers murdered so brutally all those years ago. That’s all you’re getting, because with the gasp-inducing and clever twists, turns and reveals of the plot, I will not spoil the fun! The sheer claustrophobia and terror aroused in the lives of this family by this intrusion is devilishly well played out, and enough to send a chill down the spine of even the most hardened of crime readers. I particularly enjoyed the knowing nature of an account of the hostage situation written in secret by Oliver to a detective of his own imagination. You’ll see why, and how, but when you think you have it all sussed, prepare to be wrong-footed. Possibly more than once.
DI Jack Caffery is once again the maudlin, self-doubting and emotionally intense character we know so well. He’s still on the hunt for clues relating to his brother’s disappearance, still totally incapable of connecting with women except in a brief physical way, and yet still mooning about his unresolved feelings for ‘Flea’ Marley. If you were getting slightly weary of the whole Jack/Flea storyline, never fear, she’s not in this one, but still in Jack’s thoughts. However, the heightened interaction between Caffery and series stalwart, The Walking Man, added an enjoyable distraction to the lack of Flea, and the intensity of the overall plot.
With sublime pacing and plotting once again from Hayder, there is little to disappoint here. I can safely say that Wolf will keep you reading until the wee small hours. If you’re brave enough…
The dog is found by the Walking Man – a traveling man searching for the remains of his murdered daughter – who contacts Jack Caffery. The two men are linked by the disappearance of Jack’s brother years ago, and the Walking Man is a motif in the series bringing new information now and again. As a pay off for further information Caffery agrees to track down the dog’s owners, and solve the mystery of the ominous message that simply says, ‘Help us.’ Caffery has no idea who or what he is searching for, but is certain that it is a race against time.
We all know what to expect from Edgar award-winning Mo Hayder in terms of violence, brutality and graphic death, and Wolf will not disappoint. Not only is there an inordinate amount of tension throughout, but you can rest assured that if someone is to be tortured or murdered, the author will always pay the greatest attention to shock value, including the most artistic use of intestines you will surely encounter. The majority of the book is played out with Oliver and Matilda Anchor-Ferrers’ incarceration in their own home, and their emotionally damaged daughter Lucia. They’re held by for by two unknown individuals who are in no way, shape, or form who they appear to be.
Not wanting to reveal any more about the plot than necessary, all I can say is that Oliver Anchor-Ferrers has been involved in a top secret arms project involving a missile called the Wolf, and that Lucia had a personal attachment to one of the teenagers murdered so brutally all those years ago. That’s all you’re getting, because with the gasp-inducing and clever twists, turns and reveals of the plot, I will not spoil the fun! The sheer claustrophobia and terror aroused in the lives of this family by this intrusion is devilishly well played out, and enough to send a chill down the spine of even the most hardened of crime readers. I particularly enjoyed the knowing nature of an account of the hostage situation written in secret by Oliver to a detective of his own imagination. You’ll see why, and how, but when you think you have it all sussed, prepare to be wrong-footed. Possibly more than once.
DI Jack Caffery is once again the maudlin, self-doubting and emotionally intense character we know so well. He’s still on the hunt for clues relating to his brother’s disappearance, still totally incapable of connecting with women except in a brief physical way, and yet still mooning about his unresolved feelings for ‘Flea’ Marley. If you were getting slightly weary of the whole Jack/Flea storyline, never fear, she’s not in this one, but still in Jack’s thoughts. However, the heightened interaction between Caffery and series stalwart, The Walking Man, added an enjoyable distraction to the lack of Flea, and the intensity of the overall plot.
With sublime pacing and plotting once again from Hayder, there is little to disappoint here. I can safely say that Wolf will keep you reading until the wee small hours. If you’re brave enough…
July 5, 2021
Wow.
This book is just wow. It is scary because it is one of those subjects that people think could happen. It is completely realistic in nature and that’s what makes it so frightening. Also the twist was absolutely superb!!!!
Although I found it frustrating to not know how certain storylines panned out I really enjoyed this book and Mo Hayders’ style. I have just ordered her three standalone books - although I will wait to read these so I can drag out the experience longer.
I really recommend this series; I also fully advise that you read them in order. Although they could be a standalone I think the extra story lines and also evolving back stories and the continuation of Jack’s twisted past and present is made every more thrilling and captivating if you have read them in order.
I definitely had favourites in this series (Birdman, Ritual and now Wolf) but I thoroughly enjoyed every single book, for a whole plethora of reasons and I am so good I found this author!
Now excuse me whilst I take a few hours to recover from loss of this series being over!!!!
This book is just wow. It is scary because it is one of those subjects that people think could happen. It is completely realistic in nature and that’s what makes it so frightening. Also the twist was absolutely superb!!!!
Although I found it frustrating to not know how certain storylines panned out I really enjoyed this book and Mo Hayders’ style. I have just ordered her three standalone books - although I will wait to read these so I can drag out the experience longer.
I really recommend this series; I also fully advise that you read them in order. Although they could be a standalone I think the extra story lines and also evolving back stories and the continuation of Jack’s twisted past and present is made every more thrilling and captivating if you have read them in order.
I definitely had favourites in this series (Birdman, Ritual and now Wolf) but I thoroughly enjoyed every single book, for a whole plethora of reasons and I am so good I found this author!
Now excuse me whilst I take a few hours to recover from loss of this series being over!!!!
September 22, 2020
Απολαυστικότατη Μο,με όλα τα στοιχεία που αγαπώ στην γραφή της παρόντα. Με την αγωνία σε υψηλά επίπεδα σε όλο το βιβλίο, με ένα ωραιότατο plot twist στο τέλος της βασικής ιστορίας, και μια ασύλληπτη τροπή στην προσωπική υπόθεση του Κάφερι,μου έμεινε η εντύπωση πως ένας κύκλος έκλεισε οριστικά.
5⭐
5⭐
April 6, 2014
Hayder takes your worst nightmares, translates them into words and sets them down on a page. Grisly, gritty and oh so dark, but her character Inspector Caffery is a character that I am drawn to. He is haunted by his brothers death when they were young, convinced he was taken by the pedophile that lived very close to them, and he has never stopped looking for his body or information on what happened to him. The walking man is another great character, with a difficult sorrow of his own.
The case in this book will find Caffrey solving a horrible crime on his own, with a side deal made with the Walking man. The case itself, has many twists and turns, revelations that shock, and a resolution as
horrible as the crime itself. In other words, this is Hayder true to form, doing what she does best. Giving human faces to our deepest fears.
The case in this book will find Caffrey solving a horrible crime on his own, with a side deal made with the Walking man. The case itself, has many twists and turns, revelations that shock, and a resolution as
horrible as the crime itself. In other words, this is Hayder true to form, doing what she does best. Giving human faces to our deepest fears.
June 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! Mo Hayder tangles things up so well! Then she slowly untangles and builds the suspense. What she's really good at is not just turning the tables, but really spinning the tables. I kept wondering what the heck was happening, who was really who, and how different scenarios might be in play. Then Jack Caffery, made more human in this book because of a dog, keeps digging and searching until all is revealed.
Now I'm up to date with this series!
Now I'm up to date with this series!
October 5, 2016
Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaai...door de snel wisselende hoofdstukken van hooguit 1 á 2 bladzijden waarin afwisselend dader, slachtoffer en rechercheur een rol spelen werd ik niet meegezogen in het verhaal. Af en toe las ik een paar bladzijden en kon het boek makkelijk wegleggen...te weinig spanning?
Prachtige cover!!
Prachtige cover!!
August 7, 2020
Ο «Λύκος» είναι το έβδομο βιβλίο της συγγραφέως Mo Hayder, με το οποίο ολοκληρώνεται η σειρά με τις περιπέτειες του επιθεωρητή Τζακ Κάφερι.
Αυτή τη φορά, ο Κάφερι δεν καλείται να εξιχνιάσει κάποιο ειδεχθές έγκλημα. Είναι εντελώς βυθισμένος στα προσωπικά του προβλήματα κι αποφασισμένος να βρει επιτέλους τις απαντήσεις που ψάχνει εδώ και πολλά χρόνια σχετικά με την τύχη του εξαφανισμένου αδελφού του. Έχοντας περάσει από καταστάσεις που τον έκαναν να αναθεωρήσει για πράγματα σχετικά με τον ίδιο, το παρελθόν και τις προτεραιότητές του στο εξής, ο Κάφερι είναι αποφασισμένος να φτάσει μέχρι το τέλος. Ο περίεργος άστεγος τύπος με το όνομα Πλανόβιος υπόσχεται να του προσφέρει νέες πληροφορίες σχετικά με τον αδελφό του, αν βρει τον ιδιοκτήτη ενός σκυλιού που συνάντησε στον δρόμο του, με ένα χαρτί στο κολάρο του όπου ήταν γραμμένη η λέξη «Βοήθεια». Παρόλο που ο Κάφερι διστάζει, σκεφτόμενος πως πιθανότατα πρόκειται για φάρσα, δέχεται να ερευνήσει το θέμα. Αυτό που δεν φαντάζεται, όμως, είναι το πού θα τον οδηγήσει αυτό.
Κι ενώ γίνονται όλα αυτά, σε ένα απομονωμένο σπίτι εκεί κοντά οι ιδιοκτήτες του, μέλη μιας ευκατάστατης οικογένειας, έχουν πέσει θύματα μιας περίεργης απαγωγής. Ποιος είναι πραγματικά ο σκοπός των δύο παράξενων ανδρών που τους κρατάνε ομήρους και μέχρι πού είναι διατεθειμένοι να φτάσουν; Ο πατέρας της οικογένειας δείχνει να υποψιάζεται τον λόγο για τον οποίο συμβαίνουν όλα αυτά και νιώθει ένοχος, αναλογιζόμενος τις επιλογές του παρελθόντος του.
Είναι όμως πράγματι έτσι; Ή μήπως κρύβεται κάτι άλλο πίσω από αυτή την απαγωγή; Υπάρχει άραγε κάποια σύνδεση με μια παλιά δολοφονία δύο εφήβων που συνέβη πριν χρόνια στην περιοχή; Είναι αληθινά τα στοιχεία που δείχνουν πως ίσως ο δολοφόνος επέστρεψε στον τόπο του εγκλήματος ή μήπως κάποιος μιμητής του το κάνει για να κλονίσει το ηθικό των ομήρων; Ποιος είναι ο «Λύκος» και ποιοι οι πραγματικοί σκοποί του; Και τέλος, πώς συνδέεται με όλα αυτά ο Τζακ Κάφερι;
Μετά το προηγούμενο βιβλίο της σειράς, τη «Μαριονέτα», το αναγνωστικό κοινό της Hayder χρειαζόταν κάτι δυνατό. Κι αυτό ήρθε να το προσφέρει ο «Λύκος», αφού στις σελίδες του απαντώνται ερωτήματα που εκκρεμούσαν από τα παλιότερα βιβλία και ταλαιπωρούσαν τον κεντρικό ήρωα, αλλά και τον αναγνώστη. Για όσους έρχονται τώρα για πρώτη φορά σε επαφή με τη γραφή της Hayder, βέβαια, μάλλον θα είναι αρκετά δύσκολο να… συντονιστούν με το κομμάτι της αφήγησης που αφορά την προσωπική ζωή του ήρωα και θα πρέπει να αρκεστούν στην υπόθεση ομηρίας που εκτυλίσσεται στις σελίδες του βιβλίου. Άλλωστε, αυτή παρουσιάζει το δικό της ενδιαφέρον και μπορεί άνετα να σταθεί ως ένας αυτόνομος αστυνομικός γρίφος που ψάχνει τη λύση του.
Η αφήγηση, λοιπόν, μοιράζεται ανάμεσα στην ομηρία που εκτυλίσσεται στο εξοχικό της οικογένειας Άνκορ-Φέρερς και στην αναζήτηση – προσωπικό στοίχημα του Τζακ Κάφερι. Οι δύο ιστορίες εκτυλίσσονται σχεδόν παράλληλα, καταφέρνοντας να κρατούν τις ισορροπίες του αναγνωστικού χρόνου και το ενδιαφέρον αμείωτο για την εξέλιξή τους. Κι όσο οι σελίδες προχωρούν, τόσο νέες αποκαλύψεις έρχονται στο φως και οι ανατροπές διαδέχονται η μία την άλλη, καταρρίπτοντας όλα τα κλισέ.
Έπειτα από έξι βιβλία όπου ο επιθεωρητής Κάφερι εξιχνίασε μερικά από τα πιο φρικιαστικά εγκλήματα της καριέρας του, σε αυτό εδώ έχει κυρίως παθητικό ρόλο ως αστυνομικός. Έχει βάλει στην άκρη την καριέρα του στην αστυνομία και αφοσιώνεται στην πιο προσωπική υπόθεση με την οποία έχει έρθει αντιμέτωπος μέχρι σήμερα: αυτή της ζωής του. Και αυτό είναι κάτι που πρέπει να το κάνει μόνος. Δεν είναι τυχαίο που απουσιάζουν όλοι σχεδόν οι υπόλοιποι ήρωες που συναντούμε στα άλλα βιβλία και η ελάχιστη επικοινωνία του ήρωα μαζί τους γίνεται μέσω σύντομων τηλεφωνημάτων. Ο Τζακ Κάφερι έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με τον παράξενο άντρα που γνωρίζει πολλά, αλλά και με τον ίδιο τον εαυτό του· και σε αυτή τη «μάχη» δεν χωρά κανένας άλλος.
Στον αντίποδα, τα μέλη της οικογένειας ξεγυμνώνουν την ιστορία τους και τις πιο βαθιές τους σκέψεις κατά τη διάρκεια της ομηρίας τους. Αρχικά δεν φαίνεται να υπάρχει κανένας συγκεκριμένος λόγος ώστε να θέλει κάποιος το κακό τους, σιγά σιγά όμως αποκαλύπτεται πως ορισμένα παλιά μυστικά ίσως τελικά αποδειχτούν ολέθρια για αυτούς. Η συγγραφέας μάς προσκαλεί να γνωρίσουμε αυτούς τους ανθρώπους, μας καλεί στο σπιτικό τους και με βαθιά, αιχμηρά ψυχογραφήματα στους ίδιους και τις σχέσεις μεταξύ τους αποδομεί το πρότυπο της «τέλειας» και «ευτυχισμένης» οικογένειας, κλιμακώνοντας ταυτόχρονα το ενδιαφέρον και την έγνοια για την τύχη τους και καταφέρνοντας, τελικά, να κλέψει την παράσταση.
Το μακάβριο στοιχείο -που είναι τόσο χαρακτηριστικό στη γραφή της Hayder- δεν λείπει ούτε από αυτό το βιβλίο. Ο ευρηματικός τρόπος που το χρησιμοποιεί, καταφέρνοντας να σοκάρει όσο πρέπει, μαρτυρά πόσο χαρισματική μπορεί να γίνει η πένα της, όταν η ίδια έχει κέφια. Η διπλή δολοφονία δύο εφήβων πριν από δεκαπέντε χρόνια χρησιμεύει εδώ όχι απλά για να «στοιχειώσει» το εν λόγω μέρος, κάνοντάς το πιο ανατριχιαστικό κι ατμοσφαιρικό, αλλά για να αποδείξει πως τα πράγματα κάποιες φορές δεν είναι όπως φαίνονται, ανατρέποντας όλα τα δεδομένα και αποκαλύπτοντας μια πολύ διαφορετική, μα εξίσου φρικιαστική αλήθεια.
Ο «Λύκος» ολοκληρώνει με αξιοπρεπή και αρκετά ικανοποιητικό τρόπο την ιστορία του Τζακ Κάφερι, ενός ανθρώπινου, ρεαλιστικού ήρωα που -με τα πάνω και τα κάτω του- κατάφερε να κερδίσει επάξια τη δική του ξεχωριστή θέση στον χώρο της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας, όπως και η δημιουργός του. Αξίζει να τους γνωρίσετε και τους δύο!
H άποψή μου για το βιβλίο και στο site "τοβιβλίο.net" και τον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο: Ο Λύκος
Αυτή τη φορά, ο Κάφερι δεν καλείται να εξιχνιάσει κάποιο ειδεχθές έγκλημα. Είναι εντελώς βυθισμένος στα προσωπικά του προβλήματα κι αποφασισμένος να βρει επιτέλους τις απαντήσεις που ψάχνει εδώ και πολλά χρόνια σχετικά με την τύχη του εξαφανισμένου αδελφού του. Έχοντας περάσει από καταστάσεις που τον έκαναν να αναθεωρήσει για πράγματα σχετικά με τον ίδιο, το παρελθόν και τις προτεραιότητές του στο εξής, ο Κάφερι είναι αποφασισμένος να φτάσει μέχρι το τέλος. Ο περίεργος άστεγος τύπος με το όνομα Πλανόβιος υπόσχεται να του προσφέρει νέες πληροφορίες σχετικά με τον αδελφό του, αν βρει τον ιδιοκτήτη ενός σκυλιού που συνάντησε στον δρόμο του, με ένα χαρτί στο κολάρο του όπου ήταν γραμμένη η λέξη «Βοήθεια». Παρόλο που ο Κάφερι διστάζει, σκεφτόμενος πως πιθανότατα πρόκειται για φάρσα, δέχεται να ερευνήσει το θέμα. Αυτό που δεν φαντάζεται, όμως, είναι το πού θα τον οδηγήσει αυτό.
Κι ενώ γίνονται όλα αυτά, σε ένα απομονωμένο σπίτι εκεί κοντά οι ιδιοκτήτες του, μέλη μιας ευκατάστατης οικογένειας, έχουν πέσει θύματα μιας περίεργης απαγωγής. Ποιος είναι πραγματικά ο σκοπός των δύο παράξενων ανδρών που τους κρατάνε ομήρους και μέχρι πού είναι διατεθειμένοι να φτάσουν; Ο πατέρας της οικογένειας δείχνει να υποψιάζεται τον λόγο για τον οποίο συμβαίνουν όλα αυτά και νιώθει ένοχος, αναλογιζόμενος τις επιλογές του παρελθόντος του.
Είναι όμως πράγματι έτσι; Ή μήπως κρύβεται κάτι άλλο πίσω από αυτή την απαγωγή; Υπάρχει άραγε κάποια σύνδεση με μια παλιά δολοφονία δύο εφήβων που συνέβη πριν χρόνια στην περιοχή; Είναι αληθινά τα στοιχεία που δείχνουν πως ίσως ο δολοφόνος επέστρεψε στον τόπο του εγκλήματος ή μήπως κάποιος μιμητής του το κάνει για να κλονίσει το ηθικό των ομήρων; Ποιος είναι ο «Λύκος» και ποιοι οι πραγματικοί σκοποί του; Και τέλος, πώς συνδέεται με όλα αυτά ο Τζακ Κάφερι;
Μετά το προηγούμενο βιβλίο της σειράς, τη «Μαριονέτα», το αναγνωστικό κοινό της Hayder χρειαζόταν κάτι δυνατό. Κι αυτό ήρθε να το προσφέρει ο «Λύκος», αφού στις σελίδες του απαντώνται ερωτήματα που εκκρεμούσαν από τα παλιότερα βιβλία και ταλαιπωρούσαν τον κεντρικό ήρωα, αλλά και τον αναγνώστη. Για όσους έρχονται τώρα για πρώτη φορά σε επαφή με τη γραφή της Hayder, βέβαια, μάλλον θα είναι αρκετά δύσκολο να… συντονιστούν με το κομμάτι της αφήγησης που αφορά την προσωπική ζωή του ήρωα και θα πρέπει να αρκεστούν στην υπόθεση ομηρίας που εκτυλίσσεται στις σελίδες του βιβλίου. Άλλωστε, αυτή παρουσιάζει το δικό της ενδιαφέρον και μπορεί άνετα να σταθεί ως ένας αυτόνομος αστυνομικός γρίφος που ψάχνει τη λύση του.
Η αφήγηση, λοιπόν, μοιράζεται ανάμεσα στην ομηρία που εκτυλίσσεται στο εξοχικό της οικογένειας Άνκορ-Φέρερς και στην αναζήτηση – προσωπικό στοίχημα του Τζακ Κάφερι. Οι δύο ιστορίες εκτυλίσσονται σχεδόν παράλληλα, καταφέρνοντας να κρατούν τις ισορροπίες του αναγνωστικού χρόνου και το ενδιαφέρον αμείωτο για την εξέλιξή τους. Κι όσο οι σελίδες προχωρούν, τόσο νέες αποκαλύψεις έρχονται στο φως και οι ανατροπές διαδέχονται η μία την άλλη, καταρρίπτοντας όλα τα κλισέ.
Έπειτα από έξι βιβλία όπου ο επιθεωρητής Κάφερι εξιχνίασε μερικά από τα πιο φρικιαστικά εγκλήματα της καριέρας του, σε αυτό εδώ έχει κυρίως παθητικό ρόλο ως αστυνομικός. Έχει βάλει στην άκρη την καριέρα του στην αστυνομία και αφοσιώνεται στην πιο προσωπική υπόθεση με την οποία έχει έρθει αντιμέτωπος μέχρι σήμερα: αυτή της ζωής του. Και αυτό είναι κάτι που πρέπει να το κάνει μόνος. Δεν είναι τυχαίο που απουσιάζουν όλοι σχεδόν οι υπόλοιποι ήρωες που συναντούμε στα άλλα βιβλία και η ελάχιστη επικοινωνία του ήρωα μαζί τους γίνεται μέσω σύντομων τηλεφωνημάτων. Ο Τζακ Κάφερι έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με τον παράξενο άντρα που γνωρίζει πολλά, αλλά και με τον ίδιο τον εαυτό του· και σε αυτή τη «μάχη» δεν χωρά κανένας άλλος.
Στον αντίποδα, τα μέλη της οικογένειας ξεγυμνώνουν την ιστορία τους και τις πιο βαθιές τους σκέψεις κατά τη διάρκεια της ομηρίας τους. Αρχικά δεν φαίνεται να υπάρχει κανένας συγκεκριμένος λόγος ώστε να θέλει κάποιος το κακό τους, σιγά σιγά όμως αποκαλύπτεται πως ορισμένα παλιά μυστικά ίσως τελικά αποδειχτούν ολέθρια για αυτούς. Η συγγραφέας μάς προσκαλεί να γνωρίσουμε αυτούς τους ανθρώπους, μας καλεί στο σπιτικό τους και με βαθιά, αιχμηρά ψυχογραφήματα στους ίδιους και τις σχέσεις μεταξύ τους αποδομεί το πρότυπο της «τέλειας» και «ευτυχισμένης» οικογένειας, κλιμακώνοντας ταυτόχρονα το ενδιαφέρον και την έγνοια για την τύχη τους και καταφέρνοντας, τελικά, να κλέψει την παράσταση.
Το μακάβριο στοιχείο -που είναι τόσο χαρακτηριστικό στη γραφή της Hayder- δεν λείπει ούτε από αυτό το βιβλίο. Ο ευρηματικός τρόπος που το χρησιμοποιεί, καταφέρνοντας να σοκάρει όσο πρέπει, μαρτυρά πόσο χαρισματική μπορεί να γίνει η πένα της, όταν η ίδια έχει κέφια. Η διπλή δολοφονία δύο εφήβων πριν από δεκαπέντε χρόνια χρησιμεύει εδώ όχι απλά για να «στοιχειώσει» το εν λόγω μέρος, κάνοντάς το πιο ανατριχιαστικό κι ατμοσφαιρικό, αλλά για να αποδείξει πως τα πράγματα κάποιες φορές δεν είναι όπως φαίνονται, ανατρέποντας όλα τα δεδομένα και αποκαλύπτοντας μια πολύ διαφορετική, μα εξίσου φρικιαστική αλήθεια.
Ο «Λύκος» ολοκληρώνει με αξιοπρεπή και αρκετά ικανοποιητικό τρόπο την ιστορία του Τζακ Κάφερι, ενός ανθρώπινου, ρεαλιστικού ήρωα που -με τα πάνω και τα κάτω του- κατάφερε να κερδίσει επάξια τη δική του ξεχωριστή θέση στον χώρο της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας, όπως και η δημιουργός του. Αξίζει να τους γνωρίσετε και τους δύο!
H άποψή μου για το βιβλίο και στο site "τοβιβλίο.net" και τον παρακάτω σύνδεσμο: Ο Λύκος
March 19, 2014
Publication Date: April 24th 2014
When a vagrant—the Walking Man—finds a dog wandering alone with the words "HELP US” written on its collar, he’s sure it’s a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Detective Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involved—until the Walking Man promises new information regarding the childhood abduction of Caffery’s brother in exchange for the detective’s help tracking down the dog’s 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.
Is it really Book 7 of the Jack Caffery series already? Yep it would seem so and the first thing I want to say about this one is - for me it was the best one yet. Part of the "Walking Man" series within the series, as always it featured compelling characters, a dark and violent mystery and some truly shivery moments.
Somewhere a family is in trouble. We know this, we also know that its possible their one hope is Jack Caffery, a man who does not know they exist. With her usual trademark build up of tension, Mo Hayder takes us on a twisted journey towards an unknown outcome.
The first part of this novel totally freaked me out. I mean REALLY. Dark dreams, not wanting to be alone in the house, jumping at every sound - freaked out. And to be honest even as things became clearer and the story took shape that feeling never really went away. Sublimely creepy throughout, perfectly constructed to keep you on edge, this was one of those tales that will wake you up in a cold sweat weeks later and wondering what the heck you were dreaming about. Yep. One of them.
I love the writing style of this author, it flows off the page and into your psyche without missing a step - and Jack Caffery, as always, is right at the heart of it, developing more with every novel, coming into focus and living with you for the entirety of the reading experience.
One negative for this reader - Flea. Where was she? But to be fair, those of you who follow this series will understand her absence - Jack had to take this portion of his journey alone. And I gulped at the ending.
Brilliant brilliant writing. Inventive, fascinating and disturbing as ever, Mo Hayder is right at the top of the game when it comes to terrific Crime and Psychological thrillers. Wherever Jack goes next I'm heading there with him...
Happy Reading Folks!
When a vagrant—the Walking Man—finds a dog wandering alone with the words "HELP US” written on its collar, he’s sure it’s a desperate plea from someone in trouble and calls on Detective Inspector Jack Caffery to investigate. Caffery is reluctant to get involved—until the Walking Man promises new information regarding the childhood abduction of Caffery’s brother in exchange for the detective’s help tracking down the dog’s 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.
Is it really Book 7 of the Jack Caffery series already? Yep it would seem so and the first thing I want to say about this one is - for me it was the best one yet. Part of the "Walking Man" series within the series, as always it featured compelling characters, a dark and violent mystery and some truly shivery moments.
Somewhere a family is in trouble. We know this, we also know that its possible their one hope is Jack Caffery, a man who does not know they exist. With her usual trademark build up of tension, Mo Hayder takes us on a twisted journey towards an unknown outcome.
The first part of this novel totally freaked me out. I mean REALLY. Dark dreams, not wanting to be alone in the house, jumping at every sound - freaked out. And to be honest even as things became clearer and the story took shape that feeling never really went away. Sublimely creepy throughout, perfectly constructed to keep you on edge, this was one of those tales that will wake you up in a cold sweat weeks later and wondering what the heck you were dreaming about. Yep. One of them.
I love the writing style of this author, it flows off the page and into your psyche without missing a step - and Jack Caffery, as always, is right at the heart of it, developing more with every novel, coming into focus and living with you for the entirety of the reading experience.
One negative for this reader - Flea. Where was she? But to be fair, those of you who follow this series will understand her absence - Jack had to take this portion of his journey alone. And I gulped at the ending.
Brilliant brilliant writing. Inventive, fascinating and disturbing as ever, Mo Hayder is right at the top of the game when it comes to terrific Crime and Psychological thrillers. Wherever Jack goes next I'm heading there with him...
Happy Reading Folks!
April 6, 2020
I'm a bit sad that the series is over now omg... But it was about time that I finished it as I have been reading it since 2015 :') I love this series with all of my heart!
August 23, 2014
Ballsy. That's the best word I can think of to describe Mo Hayder's work on her sixth Jack Caffery novel. It's ballsy for two reasons: 1) Caffery, the London detective who always takes center stage in these novels, is more or less a supporting character in this one, spending much of his time searching for the owner of a lost dog with a mysterious plea for help in its collar, and 2) it's now clear that what Hayder's doing isn't giving us a detective series as much as she's telling an epic-length story of a man consumed by his past. Birdman, Hayder's first Caffery book, stands on its own, but books 2-6 essentially tell one extended narrative. An extended narrative that comes to a none more black resolution at the end of this volume.
About that supporting character business. Most of the action takes place at an old mansion in rural England. A family is being held captive by two men who promise much torture and murder in the family's future. At one point, however, the mother is able to sneak the family dog out of the house with a note in its collar reading, "Help us." Caffery – through circumstances I won't spoil here – is tasked with finding the dog's owner. And that's what he does for much of the book: travel through the villages outside Bristol trying to piece together who this dog belongs to. The catch, of course, is that he doesn't know what we do: the clock is ticking, and ticking fast.
And that's all I'll relay here. Wolf is the work of someone who's pushing the boundaries of what detective fiction can do. Rather than be content to give us just another murder-of-the-week, Mo Hayder is going deeper and darker by using the crime genre to explore the nature of obsession and the danger of dwelling too much in the past.
About that supporting character business. Most of the action takes place at an old mansion in rural England. A family is being held captive by two men who promise much torture and murder in the family's future. At one point, however, the mother is able to sneak the family dog out of the house with a note in its collar reading, "Help us." Caffery – through circumstances I won't spoil here – is tasked with finding the dog's owner. And that's what he does for much of the book: travel through the villages outside Bristol trying to piece together who this dog belongs to. The catch, of course, is that he doesn't know what we do: the clock is ticking, and ticking fast.
And that's all I'll relay here. Wolf is the work of someone who's pushing the boundaries of what detective fiction can do. Rather than be content to give us just another murder-of-the-week, Mo Hayder is going deeper and darker by using the crime genre to explore the nature of obsession and the danger of dwelling too much in the past.
May 10, 2015
I've done it!! I've gotten to the latest instalment of the Caffery series and sadly I'm a little disappointed with this one.
I'm not going to go too much into the storyline. A mature couple and their daughter are taking a break in their countryside residence in Somerset because the father, Oliver, is recovering from heart surgery. A good place to recuperate and all that. An unease starts building when some innards of what appears to be animal are found by the mother, Matilda, in the garden. This finding brings back memories of a deeply shocking and violent murder that had taken place in the woods nearby 15 years previously. A murder of two teenagers that had left people in the vicinity stunned by its viciousness. Cut to two men posing as police officers paying an apparently routine visit to the Anchor-Ferrers who turn out to be kidnappers wishing to torment and scare the family into a form of submission. But submission of what is what the family can't work out. And it's at this point that the book loses it for me a little because the resolution becomes apparent quite quickly, I'm not saying that everyone would see it but I did.
The Walking Man makes a return and he's the one that asks Caffery to help him as the Walking Man comes across the family dog that Matilda has set free with a note hidden under the dog's collar asking for help. What continues is a sometimes really thrilling sometimes quite tedious story. The whole Wolf scenario I didn't take to and found it all a little far fetched but the kidnapping interwoven with the history of before is what drew me in and kept wanting to read more and more. It's written well in the usual Hayder style of teasing and shocking but I found some of the plotline stretching the realms of plausiblity. What I was happy to see, however, is Caffery at last laying some ghosts to rest. Again, the ethereal, mystical sage that is the Walking Man can finally give Caffery some answers to age old questions, not that he ever makes things easy for Caffery. I'm not convinced by the Walking Man, how is it he seems to know EVERYTHING?! It's a minor quibble and a forgivable one because I do like him but I feel like I don't know enough about him ..... maybe that's the point?!
So, to sum up, there were parts I really liked and some parts I didn't but as a whole not a bad read at all. Just not as good as some of the others. Whenever there is another Caffery novel, I'll be there ready.
Much appreciation goes to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
I'm not going to go too much into the storyline. A mature couple and their daughter are taking a break in their countryside residence in Somerset because the father, Oliver, is recovering from heart surgery. A good place to recuperate and all that. An unease starts building when some innards of what appears to be animal are found by the mother, Matilda, in the garden. This finding brings back memories of a deeply shocking and violent murder that had taken place in the woods nearby 15 years previously. A murder of two teenagers that had left people in the vicinity stunned by its viciousness. Cut to two men posing as police officers paying an apparently routine visit to the Anchor-Ferrers who turn out to be kidnappers wishing to torment and scare the family into a form of submission. But submission of what is what the family can't work out. And it's at this point that the book loses it for me a little because the resolution becomes apparent quite quickly, I'm not saying that everyone would see it but I did.
The Walking Man makes a return and he's the one that asks Caffery to help him as the Walking Man comes across the family dog that Matilda has set free with a note hidden under the dog's collar asking for help. What continues is a sometimes really thrilling sometimes quite tedious story. The whole Wolf scenario I didn't take to and found it all a little far fetched but the kidnapping interwoven with the history of before is what drew me in and kept wanting to read more and more. It's written well in the usual Hayder style of teasing and shocking but I found some of the plotline stretching the realms of plausiblity. What I was happy to see, however, is Caffery at last laying some ghosts to rest. Again, the ethereal, mystical sage that is the Walking Man can finally give Caffery some answers to age old questions, not that he ever makes things easy for Caffery. I'm not convinced by the Walking Man, how is it he seems to know EVERYTHING?! It's a minor quibble and a forgivable one because I do like him but I feel like I don't know enough about him ..... maybe that's the point?!
So, to sum up, there were parts I really liked and some parts I didn't but as a whole not a bad read at all. Just not as good as some of the others. Whenever there is another Caffery novel, I'll be there ready.
Much appreciation goes to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
October 5, 2015
Obviously it doesn’t take much brain power to realise that if you are going to dip your toes into a series of books about Detective Inspector Jack Caffrey, number seven isn’t actually the best place to start. Oh well, it was the one the library had and so here we are. Mo Hayder though is good at what I call ‘The Bertie Wooster Conundrum’, namely passing across the relevant information so newbies are brought up to speed, whilst not alienating the old faithfuls. But even though I got a reasonable secure hand-hold on the over-arching plot, I actually thought the Jack Caffrey sections were the least successful parts of ‘Wolf’. What we have here is a really terrifying home invasion story, brutal and visceral, a nightmare made real. It’s a family locked together in an isolated home, with no possible lines of communication to the outside world and two men who plan to introduce them to new concepts of hell. And then elsewhere we have the Jack Caffrey segments, which can basically be summed up as ‘sad man wanders about with lost dog’. Of course Jack Caffrey will eventually be the policeman who knocks this family’s front door, but try as she might Hayder cannot create an equivalence between the sections. So the more gripping and terrifying half just finds itself dragged back by its plodding sibling. Without a doubt if Hayder had written this as a stand-alone novel and focussed solely on the home invasion, we’d have a genuinely horrifying and unremitting chiller that would haunt its readers for years after. Instead we have a baggy work which is only ever fifty percent successful.
February 28, 2018
Η Mo Hayder είναι μια ιδιαίτερη περίπτωση συγγραφέως αστνομικής λογοτεχνίας. Είχα πάρει μια πρώτη γεύση του έργου της από την κινηματογραφική μεταφορά του '' Τhe Treatment'' και παρά το γεγονός ότι ο πυρήνας της υπόθεσης ήταν η παιδοφιλία, με είχε εντυπωσιάσει η ατμόσφαιρα και η πλοκή του. Το ''Wolf'' είναι το τελευταίο βιβλίο της σειράς με ήρωα τον Jack Caffery και σε αυτό μαθαίνει επιτέλους την φρικτή αλήθεια για την τύχη του αδερφού του, ο οποίος είχε απαχθεί ως παιδί από έναν σεσημασμένο παιδόφιλο, τον βασικό ανταγωνιστή του Caffery καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια ολόκληρης της σειράς. Πέρα απο αυτό, η ιστορία του βιβλίου αφορά μια κατάσταση ομηρείας μιας οικογένειας από 2 κακοποιούς των οποίων τα κίνητρα αποκαλύπτονται σιγά σιγά και στο τέλος μέσω ενός επιτυχημένου plot twist ανατρέπονται όλα όσα νομίζε ο αναγνώστης ότι είχε καταλάβει. Τα παιχνίδια σαδισμού και ταπείνωσης στα οποία υποβάλλεται η οικογένεια, θυμίζουν την ταινια ''Funny Games'' σε ακόμα σκληρότερη εκδοχή και οι υποψήφιοι αναγνώστες θα πρέπει να ξέρουν ότι το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο δεν συνίσταται σε όσους είναι ευαίσθητοι στην απεικόνιση ακραίας βίας, είτε φυσικής είτε ψυχολογικής. Όποιος νομίζει ότι αντέχει, οφείλει να δώσει τουλαχιστον μια ευκαιρία στην Mo Hayder και μπορεί να είναι σίγουρος ότι δεν θα το μετανιώσει.
Καλή ανάγνωση!
Καλή ανάγνωση!
April 17, 2014
Mo Hayder is an incredible talent, with her latest 'Wolf', the seventh in the Jack Caffrey series, she proves this. Not only do you devour her words, but she has the ability to make you feel them.
With each page turned, a sense of unease grows, leaving you feeling that you are an onlooker, watching the story unfold, unable to help. When the story ends, you desperately wish it hadn't.
If you have never read a Mo Hayder book, do so, now! 'Wolf' is terrifying, provoking and utterly brilliant.
Like a Wolf, this book has teeth, they are bared and sharp..
This 'Wolf' has bite!
With each page turned, a sense of unease grows, leaving you feeling that you are an onlooker, watching the story unfold, unable to help. When the story ends, you desperately wish it hadn't.
If you have never read a Mo Hayder book, do so, now! 'Wolf' is terrifying, provoking and utterly brilliant.
Like a Wolf, this book has teeth, they are bared and sharp..
This 'Wolf' has bite!
April 17, 2020
This book was recommended to me by a Library patron who LOVES thrillers so I picked it up before the Library closed. I'm not a huge fan of police procedurals but I enjoyed this book. It had a lot of nice twists and lots of short chapters so it was easy to get through. It was very gruesome and bloody so be aware about that.
May 12, 2014
Well written, unsavoury pulp…
Following heart surgery, Oliver Anchor-Ferrars is delighted to get down to his country house to relax and recuperate. He and his wife, Matilda, have brought their grownup daughter, Lucia, with them. Lucia has never recovered from the trauma of the murder of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend when she was young, and is back living with her parents after yet another job and relationship breakdown. But the country idyll is destroyed when two men come into their home, take the family captive and begin a long-drawn out episode of torture and humiliation…
Mo Hayder is one of those popular authors whose books are always billed as ‘heart-stopping’, ‘pulse-racing’, ‘terrifying’, etc. To be honest, I’ve always thought the blurbs make them look rather graphic, but decided it was time to at least try one. I rather wish I hadn’t. I realise lots of people love Hayder and clearly in the end taste is always subjective. But while I felt there was some skill in the basic writing and pacing of the book, the plot, which started out fairly well, became increasingly inconsistent and unbelievable as the book wore on till, quite frankly, it reached the point of absurdity in the end. And I fear the repeated twists and turns played such havoc with the characterisation that by the end the only believable character in the house was Matilda – the rest had had their personalities so clumsily changed so often throughout the course of the book that they had lost all credibility.
The detective, DI Jack Caffrey, is of course an angst-ridden loner, damaged by his past – a maverick who in this book at least is working entirely outside the structure of the job on his own personal vendetta, hampered on occasion by his over-indulgence in alcohol. I find it hard to think how he could have been more clichéd.
I feel anyone who has been subjected to my reviews has already heard me rant often enough about the tendencies towards sleaze and graphic violence in today’s crime fiction, so I’ll spare us all the tirade. For the benefit of anyone new to Hayder trying to decide whether this book is for them, I will merely point out, as the blurb fails to, that this book contains physical and psychological torture, explicit descriptions of people’s innards in various stages of putrefaction, episodes of graphic violence, scenes of animal cruelty, the obligatory naked woman sexual humiliation scene (with an imaginative twist, though – Hayder chooses to humiliate an elderly naked woman rather than the usual beautiful young girl – much more tasteful, eh?) and, although the use of foul language is sparing, it’s also strong. Oh, and while we don’t actually get treated to descriptions of paedophilia, the references are all there.
Since as far as I can see the book doesn’t set out to be anything more substantial than entertainment, then it all comes down to whether the reader finds the subject matter entertaining. I didn’t. In truth, I found it to be reasonably well written unsavoury pulp with an absurd plot, and am entirely untempted to read any more of Hayder’s work. For which I imagine we are all grateful…
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Random House Transworld.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Following heart surgery, Oliver Anchor-Ferrars is delighted to get down to his country house to relax and recuperate. He and his wife, Matilda, have brought their grownup daughter, Lucia, with them. Lucia has never recovered from the trauma of the murder of her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend when she was young, and is back living with her parents after yet another job and relationship breakdown. But the country idyll is destroyed when two men come into their home, take the family captive and begin a long-drawn out episode of torture and humiliation…
Mo Hayder is one of those popular authors whose books are always billed as ‘heart-stopping’, ‘pulse-racing’, ‘terrifying’, etc. To be honest, I’ve always thought the blurbs make them look rather graphic, but decided it was time to at least try one. I rather wish I hadn’t. I realise lots of people love Hayder and clearly in the end taste is always subjective. But while I felt there was some skill in the basic writing and pacing of the book, the plot, which started out fairly well, became increasingly inconsistent and unbelievable as the book wore on till, quite frankly, it reached the point of absurdity in the end. And I fear the repeated twists and turns played such havoc with the characterisation that by the end the only believable character in the house was Matilda – the rest had had their personalities so clumsily changed so often throughout the course of the book that they had lost all credibility.
The detective, DI Jack Caffrey, is of course an angst-ridden loner, damaged by his past – a maverick who in this book at least is working entirely outside the structure of the job on his own personal vendetta, hampered on occasion by his over-indulgence in alcohol. I find it hard to think how he could have been more clichéd.
I feel anyone who has been subjected to my reviews has already heard me rant often enough about the tendencies towards sleaze and graphic violence in today’s crime fiction, so I’ll spare us all the tirade. For the benefit of anyone new to Hayder trying to decide whether this book is for them, I will merely point out, as the blurb fails to, that this book contains physical and psychological torture, explicit descriptions of people’s innards in various stages of putrefaction, episodes of graphic violence, scenes of animal cruelty, the obligatory naked woman sexual humiliation scene (with an imaginative twist, though – Hayder chooses to humiliate an elderly naked woman rather than the usual beautiful young girl – much more tasteful, eh?) and, although the use of foul language is sparing, it’s also strong. Oh, and while we don’t actually get treated to descriptions of paedophilia, the references are all there.
Since as far as I can see the book doesn’t set out to be anything more substantial than entertainment, then it all comes down to whether the reader finds the subject matter entertaining. I didn’t. In truth, I found it to be reasonably well written unsavoury pulp with an absurd plot, and am entirely untempted to read any more of Hayder’s work. For which I imagine we are all grateful…
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Random House Transworld.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
September 3, 2018
For me the best Jack Caffery novel since Ritual. There are some evil themes going on but the true horror of this book is the fact that these themes are believable and probably something you will read in your newspaper tomorrow.
May 6, 2015
For a couple of moments, the plot was slow and boring, but the end... the end was good! :-)
November 22, 2019
4.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️
This has to be one of the best thrillers it’s been my pleasure to read. The main character in the story is policeman Jack Cafferty who is doggedly searching for information about a long lost brother. Meanwhile, the home of Oliver, his wife and his daughter has been invading by two men who are determined to carry out a dastardly plan.
The author takes the reader on a roller coaster ride as one anxiously reads and wonders what will befall Oliver and his family and exactly what role Jack will play.
Cannot wait to read another book by this author!
This has to be one of the best thrillers it’s been my pleasure to read. The main character in the story is policeman Jack Cafferty who is doggedly searching for information about a long lost brother. Meanwhile, the home of Oliver, his wife and his daughter has been invading by two men who are determined to carry out a dastardly plan.
The author takes the reader on a roller coaster ride as one anxiously reads and wonders what will befall Oliver and his family and exactly what role Jack will play.
Cannot wait to read another book by this author!
September 22, 2021
I'll miss you Jack..
Another strong story..
There was some satisfaction in seeing Jack finally lay some of his ghosts to rest...but I wanted a few pages to see him finding happiness and peace.
Another strong story..
There was some satisfaction in seeing Jack finally lay some of his ghosts to rest...but I wanted a few pages to see him finding happiness and peace.
May 23, 2014
“I believe from what I can hear, the either my daughter or my wife has just been attacked. I don’t know the outcome. The house is silent.”
Oliver Anchor-Ferrers, his wife Matilda and his daughter Lucia live in a rambling Victorian house set high on a hill in the Somerset Mendips. Fifteen years ago, a shocking and sadistic double murder rocked their small, genteel world, but the killer confessed and the community have been trying ever since to put the dark events behind them.
Early in the book, disturbing echoes of that long ago murder are found in the woods around the house. At first, the Anchor-Ferrers are reassured by the swift arrival of DI Honey and DS Molina, but soon begin to wonder if the real threat might come from a direction none of them expected.
Their one hope of rescue seems to lie with Jack Caffrey. His acquaintance, mentor and occasional sparring partner, The Walking Man, has found a note tied to the collar of a small dog. The note suggests that some people, somewhere, are in trouble and the Walking Man wants Jack to track them down. In return, he promises information about Jack’s long-lost brother.
Mo Hayder is a great story-teller. Her plots are imaginative and original, her characters both compelling and convincing and her prose flows effortlessly. Her books always have the dark, brooding, creepy atmosphere that I love. I know I will enjoy her books. I know they will always be among the best crime novels produced in any given year.
Some are better than others, of course, and this is possibly not her best. A small disappointment, for me, is that it didn’t feature my favourite character of the series, the tortured, scuba-diving sergeant Flea Marley. On the other hand, there was some satisfaction in seeing Jack finally lay some of his ghosts to rest and maybe this was a journey he had to take alone. I guessed the resolution fairly early on, again another minor disappointment, and I am a little troubled by the Walking Man. Whilst liking him as a character, he does seem to be used as a Deus Ex Machina just a little too often. Put simply, he knows more than he realistically could. He is starting to feel a little like a plot cheat.
These are minor grumbles, though. On the whole, I’d thoroughly recommend Wolf and its author to anyone who enjoys dark, creepy and, at times, rather terrifying thrillers.
I was given Wolf by my editor, who also edits Mo’s books.
Oliver Anchor-Ferrers, his wife Matilda and his daughter Lucia live in a rambling Victorian house set high on a hill in the Somerset Mendips. Fifteen years ago, a shocking and sadistic double murder rocked their small, genteel world, but the killer confessed and the community have been trying ever since to put the dark events behind them.
Early in the book, disturbing echoes of that long ago murder are found in the woods around the house. At first, the Anchor-Ferrers are reassured by the swift arrival of DI Honey and DS Molina, but soon begin to wonder if the real threat might come from a direction none of them expected.
Their one hope of rescue seems to lie with Jack Caffrey. His acquaintance, mentor and occasional sparring partner, The Walking Man, has found a note tied to the collar of a small dog. The note suggests that some people, somewhere, are in trouble and the Walking Man wants Jack to track them down. In return, he promises information about Jack’s long-lost brother.
Mo Hayder is a great story-teller. Her plots are imaginative and original, her characters both compelling and convincing and her prose flows effortlessly. Her books always have the dark, brooding, creepy atmosphere that I love. I know I will enjoy her books. I know they will always be among the best crime novels produced in any given year.
Some are better than others, of course, and this is possibly not her best. A small disappointment, for me, is that it didn’t feature my favourite character of the series, the tortured, scuba-diving sergeant Flea Marley. On the other hand, there was some satisfaction in seeing Jack finally lay some of his ghosts to rest and maybe this was a journey he had to take alone. I guessed the resolution fairly early on, again another minor disappointment, and I am a little troubled by the Walking Man. Whilst liking him as a character, he does seem to be used as a Deus Ex Machina just a little too often. Put simply, he knows more than he realistically could. He is starting to feel a little like a plot cheat.
These are minor grumbles, though. On the whole, I’d thoroughly recommend Wolf and its author to anyone who enjoys dark, creepy and, at times, rather terrifying thrillers.
I was given Wolf by my editor, who also edits Mo’s books.
April 17, 2014
A little girl finds a dog with a note in it's collar saying "help me" and so begins Mo Hayder's most chilligly terrifying novel to date.
The Anchor - Ferrers family have come down to their country house to allow Oliver to recuperate from his heart operation. Almost immediately, things feel wrong and when two "policemen" arrive out of the blue and the phone stops working in the house, the nightmare accelerates from bad to horribly much worse.
I didn't like the first chapter of the book - it isn't like Mo Hayder to write in baby speak and that, and phonetic writing, are some of my pet hates in novels (maybe not for other people, that's just my personal opinion). Luckily the little girl meets "the walking man" and we are back to pure Jack Caffery again.
This book has the usual two strands, Jack trying to locate his missing brother and the other story which is the one about the family I mentioned above. That story is bone-chillingly terrifying - I always read before I go to sleep and I'm not easily scared but I read 25% of the book every night because it was so compelling, and at 75% I was scared to turn off the light! Honestly! That has never happened to me before!
The last 25% of the book rushes by in a roller coaster of emotion and I was almost "hiding behind the settee" to read it, reading whilst hiding your eyes is not easy at all. And then the amazing twist right at the end made me want to scream but was of course, just perfect.
This is an absolutely brilliant book, I think her best yet, and I loved it. Go on, scare yourself!
The Anchor - Ferrers family have come down to their country house to allow Oliver to recuperate from his heart operation. Almost immediately, things feel wrong and when two "policemen" arrive out of the blue and the phone stops working in the house, the nightmare accelerates from bad to horribly much worse.
I didn't like the first chapter of the book - it isn't like Mo Hayder to write in baby speak and that, and phonetic writing, are some of my pet hates in novels (maybe not for other people, that's just my personal opinion). Luckily the little girl meets "the walking man" and we are back to pure Jack Caffery again.
This book has the usual two strands, Jack trying to locate his missing brother and the other story which is the one about the family I mentioned above. That story is bone-chillingly terrifying - I always read before I go to sleep and I'm not easily scared but I read 25% of the book every night because it was so compelling, and at 75% I was scared to turn off the light! Honestly! That has never happened to me before!
The last 25% of the book rushes by in a roller coaster of emotion and I was almost "hiding behind the settee" to read it, reading whilst hiding your eyes is not easy at all. And then the amazing twist right at the end made me want to scream but was of course, just perfect.
This is an absolutely brilliant book, I think her best yet, and I loved it. Go on, scare yourself!
October 1, 2020
4 αστεράκια γιατί μου έλειψε η Φλι. Θα επανέλθω με αναλυτική άποψη.
April 28, 2014
http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/04/...
Wolf begins with a couple who have lost track of their young daughter while picking flowers in the woods. When they find her, she mentions a dog (it’s always a dog), and a man (it’s always a man), and of course the dog is injured and won’t she help the poor man with his dog? But it’s not what you think, and later, as she cuddles her teddy, Buttons, safe in the car with her parents, the little girl thinks about the words that were on a bit of paper attached to the dog’s collar: “Help us.”
64 year old Oliver Anchor-Ferrers has just been through surgery to replace his heart valves, and as he contemplates his wife, Matilda, and his adult daughter, Lucia, he also contemplates his own mortality. They’ve come to their beautiful Victorian home they’ve named The Turrets, high on a hill in the Mendips, so that Oliver can recover from his surgery. Lucia is brooding, as usual. It seems she’s never recovered fully since her ex-boyfriend was brutally murdered 14 years ago, not too far from The Turrets, actually, by a madman named Minnet Kable. When Matilda finds something near the house that calls to mind that long ago crime, she’s understandably terrified, and when two men show up, claiming to be police investigating the death of a nearby woman, all hell breaks loose in the Anchor-Ferrers household, calling up old crimes and new vendettas.
Meanwhile, DI Jack Caffery has gone off the wire to investigate the long ago disappearance of his brother Ewan that has haunted him for so very long. A new lead has come up, and The Walking Man seems to have valuable info, but it comes at a price. The Walking Man wants Caffery to look into something, and suddenly, Caffery has in his possession a little dog named Bear that has two little words written on its collar.
Mo Hayder’s thrillers are never anything less than superb, and Wolf was a one sitting read for me. The narrative alternates between the events in the Turrets and Caffery’s infuriating search for Bear’s owners, which will of course lead him to this family that needs his help so desperately. The Anchor-Ferrers are being held hostage in their own home, and their captors have a very specific motive, but they’re taking their time revealing it to Oliver and his family. Ultimate fear is their goal, and for this family, their ordeal is just getting started. The scenes in The Turrets are nothing short of terrifying, and Hayder builds the dread slowly and carefully, layering in important clues along the way. Who are these men and what do they want with this family? For Jack, will The Walking Man’s information finally lead him to his brother’s killer, and if so, will it offer the relief he so desperately needs from a lifetime of agony? This one has so many twists and turns it will give you whiplash, more than a few surprises, and it’s relentlessly clever. Hayder never makes her characters one dimensional, and this includes the bad guys, so be prepared for quite a tense ride. I can’t wait for the next Caffery book.
Wolf begins with a couple who have lost track of their young daughter while picking flowers in the woods. When they find her, she mentions a dog (it’s always a dog), and a man (it’s always a man), and of course the dog is injured and won’t she help the poor man with his dog? But it’s not what you think, and later, as she cuddles her teddy, Buttons, safe in the car with her parents, the little girl thinks about the words that were on a bit of paper attached to the dog’s collar: “Help us.”
64 year old Oliver Anchor-Ferrers has just been through surgery to replace his heart valves, and as he contemplates his wife, Matilda, and his adult daughter, Lucia, he also contemplates his own mortality. They’ve come to their beautiful Victorian home they’ve named The Turrets, high on a hill in the Mendips, so that Oliver can recover from his surgery. Lucia is brooding, as usual. It seems she’s never recovered fully since her ex-boyfriend was brutally murdered 14 years ago, not too far from The Turrets, actually, by a madman named Minnet Kable. When Matilda finds something near the house that calls to mind that long ago crime, she’s understandably terrified, and when two men show up, claiming to be police investigating the death of a nearby woman, all hell breaks loose in the Anchor-Ferrers household, calling up old crimes and new vendettas.
Meanwhile, DI Jack Caffery has gone off the wire to investigate the long ago disappearance of his brother Ewan that has haunted him for so very long. A new lead has come up, and The Walking Man seems to have valuable info, but it comes at a price. The Walking Man wants Caffery to look into something, and suddenly, Caffery has in his possession a little dog named Bear that has two little words written on its collar.
Mo Hayder’s thrillers are never anything less than superb, and Wolf was a one sitting read for me. The narrative alternates between the events in the Turrets and Caffery’s infuriating search for Bear’s owners, which will of course lead him to this family that needs his help so desperately. The Anchor-Ferrers are being held hostage in their own home, and their captors have a very specific motive, but they’re taking their time revealing it to Oliver and his family. Ultimate fear is their goal, and for this family, their ordeal is just getting started. The scenes in The Turrets are nothing short of terrifying, and Hayder builds the dread slowly and carefully, layering in important clues along the way. Who are these men and what do they want with this family? For Jack, will The Walking Man’s information finally lead him to his brother’s killer, and if so, will it offer the relief he so desperately needs from a lifetime of agony? This one has so many twists and turns it will give you whiplash, more than a few surprises, and it’s relentlessly clever. Hayder never makes her characters one dimensional, and this includes the bad guys, so be prepared for quite a tense ride. I can’t wait for the next Caffery book.
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