Wolf by Mo Hayder

Atlantic Monthly Press, 352 pages, $26

If you are already a fan of Mo Hayder, then you know what kind of book she writes: convoluted tales with gruesome details and surprises hidden like Easter eggs throughout the book. You will not be disappointed by Wolf.

DI Jack Caffery, Hayder’s series hero, has been obsessed with finding out what happened to his nine-year-old brother after he was kidnapped by a pedophile. Jack is now 40 years old and he finally may have a chance to find out. He must track down the owners of Bear, a lost dog, and trade that information for a hint about his brother. That tale, the hunt for and story of Bear’s owners, takes up 90 percent of the book.

Bear’s owners are rich and they have settled into their country estate for a stay while the patriarch recovers from heart surgery. Oliver, Matilda, and their 29-year-old daughter Lucia are no strangers to tragedy, which Hayder details with gory relish. One such trauma is enough for a lifetime of harsh memories, but now they are victims of a home invasion. Worse yet, the demon who haunted them fifteen years ago might now be back.

Will Jack rescue them? Will it be in time?

Wolf, as is the case for all of Hayder’s books, is not for the faint of heart. It is clever. It will hold you hostage until all 300+ pages are done. You will want a strong cuppa after.