Wolf: 7 (Jack Caffery/Walking Man) Paperback – 14 April 2015

The last Jack Caffery book written in 2014 and since then not a word has been heard from the author? There are certain trends that run through this series that add a little sparkle the first being the walking man. A type of reclusive wealthy vagrant, permanently moving around the lowlands of Somerset, and in Wolf he befriends a small dog with the words “help us” around his collar. Caffery becomes involved but only if in return the walking man can help trace his younger brother Ewan who vanished aged 9 never to be seen again. The other rather odd feature is the appearance yet again of human entrails which Mz Hayder appears to have a fixation with. A wealthy scientist, his wife and daughter are being held hostage the motive behind the kidnapping is unclear but may have a connection to the production of a smart torpedo able to seek out and destroy with precise accuracy. A somewhat disappointing read, the series looking a little tired and certainly lacking the sparkle that police diver Flea Marley contributed to earlier books…..Come back Mo and revive Jack and Flea!

The 7th novel in the Jack Caffrey series and unfortunately he's missing for large chunks of his own story and that's a shame.The plot is certainly dark and violent enough, plenty of that surreal creepiness Mo Hayder's so good at, but Wolf reads like two separate stories almost until the end with very little to tie the two parts together.On one hand Caffrey's out there relying on the brilliantly evoked Walking Man, a regular throughout the series, to help him finally solve the riddle of his brother's death. On the other hand there's a family suffering extreme psychological torture at the hands of some very dubious characters while a decidedly nasty serial killer is on the prowl...or is he?. Although Caffrey's drawn towards the mystery of the family it's slow going and some of the links are stretched to breaking point.Mo is at her best when she's dealing with Caffrey. When he features in the novel she hits her stride and Wolf becomes all I expect from her. She's not managed the story of the family quite so well. It begins strongly, ramps up to exceptional in places, but then loses it's way and becomes less and less believable. I'd switched off to everything apart from Caffrey before the end.What is perfect in this novel is the story of a little dog. I can't say much more without leaving spoilers. The way Mo uses Bear to create horror and empathy is absolutely spot on and I fell in love with that little character.Wolf is a good read but it's bumpy and I missed Flea Marley and her eerie underwater search scenes.

What a gripping read. I was totally absorbed from the start. Bloody, intriguing, twisty and fast paced. A very satisfying read that was full of suspense and had me tearing through the pages. This is only the third book I have read by this author (and my favourite so far) but will be back-tracking because I am completely hooked.

What a disappointment after the first two Jack Caffrey books in particular. The plot was disjointed and flawed and the writing was poor. For most of the book it had little to do with Jack the detective and the storyline that had developed over the other books.

When a vagrant—the Walking Man—finds a dog wandering alone with a scrap of paper with the words “HELP US” attached to 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 a wealthy local family is fighting for their lives, held hostage in their remote home. As their ordeal becomes increasingly bizarre and humiliating, the family begins to wonder: Is this really a random crime?If you’ve been following the Jack Caffery series, this is a worthy addition. If you haven’t, this will make you want to go right back to the start and read them in order.This is a solo Jack journey – no Flea for those of you interested in that storyline – and it all makes sense at the end of the book. The Walking Man appears and, in order to get information from him about his brother’s death, Jack has to find the dog’s owner.As ever, Hayder gives all the characters great depth: the wealthy family, the men holding them hostage, and Jack. The dynamics at play in The Turrets, where the family is being held hostage, are fascinating. No family is ever as it seems, secrets abound, and this one is no different.Equally, the author has the capacity to evoke sympathy for one of the kidnappers through his childlike faith in his wife’s lipstick to transport him back to the US where she lives. The lipstick becomes a barometer as to how he measures himself and it is interesting to see where that tiny detail takes him. And, again, things are never as they seem and the way the kidnappers’ relationship plays out as the tension increases, is frighteningly real.The house itself has a personality and it’s amazing how Hayder can paint so much drama into the mundane – a bra wire, a rusty scissors, a footstep on the stairs. You can hear the silence in the house as the family try to visualise the movements and predict the actions of their new residents.As ever, there are twists and turns as the two storylines draw inexorably closer – missing dog, family hostages – with Jack as the lynchpin between both stories. The story’s ending is an extraordinary twist which underpins the old adage: be careful what you wish for.Read it, you’ll really enjoy this one.

Mo Hayder is an excellent author and is fantastic when it comes to characterisation. Her plot lines always leave you on the edge of your seat. The twists and turns always catch you out and you never guess the ending. I have read most of her books and not one has been the same, great author and I would highly recommend all of her books,

This is such a wonderful read! Always exciting, sometimes squeamish but no really is the most exciting writer!the storyline is excellent, and the final ending is an unexpected jolt!She is my most favourite writers and excels in all of the books i have yet read! I will be buying another book straight away! Cannot wait!