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si0bhan's review against another edition
4.0
Ah, Mo Hayder, how I love your Jack Caffery novels. Unfortunately, I cannot decide where this sits on my Caffery rating scale. I can say for sure that it is not my favourite Caffery read. However, at the same time, I can easily say it is not my least favourite. Those titles go to, respectively, Gone and Ritual. Rather than ranting and raving about how I cannot decide where to sit this book on my aforementioned scale – seriously, I could easily type it all out and still not reach a conclusion – I will give you all what you want: an actual review.
Without further ado, here is why I find this book to be such an odd one.
I’ll start by saying Mo Hayder always delivers with her criminal storyline. There is always more to the story than you can ever imagine. There will be twists and turns aplenty. Alas, this time, some of the aspects were slightly too predictable. We have the complex storyline you would expect from Mo Hayder – secrets relating to the past, multiple people who could be to blame for what is going on, and the potential for motives crossing over – but this time… well, this time certain aspects were far too easy to work out. Don’t get me wrong, there were some twists I overlooked but, for the most, part I managed to work things out. I knew what to expect with certain characters. I knew what explanations were coming before the characters started to pick up on why things were out of place. In many ways, it reminded me of what knocked Gone down to a four star rating despite it being my favourite book. It is almost as though she tried too hard to be unpredictable and managed to do the complete opposite.
Or maybe I have simply read far too many crime books and there are very few twists left unseen. Highly unlikely, of course, but I’m grasping at straws to save the above paragraph from sounding too critical. Honestly, there are twists. I just wanted some of them to have different outcomes, outcomes that weren’t quite so obvious from so early on.
I believe that is enough said about the twists in the storyline: in short, it is wonderful but not her best in terms of surprises.
The second issue I have is a rather paradoxical one, as it’s also something I rather enjoyed about the book. Throughout the Jack Caffery novels, we have watched Jack grow as a character. In this one, I almost feel as though Jack regressed and far too much time was spent focusing upon his inner turmoil. Jack is a wonderful character – I will never be convinced otherwise as there is so much too him – but I feel as though this story gave us too much of the old Jack. I completely understand why with all that was going on, but it felt as though it didn’t quite fit with where things were heading.
I know I have complained in the past about Flea… but I missed her in this one. I finally reached the point of fangirl in the last book only for her not to appear in this one. Imagine my dismay! I had been looking forward to the pairing only to be let down. Now a part of me questions whether I agree with the way their relationship was heading. Part of me will be happy if she never comes back whereas another part of me wants this book rewritten so she appears at some point. All in all, I’m left unsure about that aspect of the storyline due to the lack of her character in this book.
Still, back to my issue with Jack. Seeing the old him really helps us to see how he has changed. It all plays out so well. However, we spent far too much time focusing upon his side issue and not enough focus upon him solving the crime. I like Jack more when he is in his element. He needs to be making connections, getting inside the minds of the bad guys… not chasing ghosts. Perhaps we can put the ghosts to rest after this book – even if I’m not happy about his reaction to secrets coming out – but part of me feels as though Jack is going to take an entirely different route now. I just hope it does not mean we no longer get to see the Jack obsessed with chasing down the bad guys.
I guess this brings me to my final criticism. The Walking Man was such an annoying deus ex machina. He is okay having some knowledge, but I feel as though the way he just knew so much about certain aspects of Jack’s past – how he was the one with the answers – was a little bit too much. I was unhappy with how that one came to an end.
Don’t get me wrong, it is another good book. I realise I have highlighted my issues with the book and ignored the good parts, but remember I have given this one four stars. It was as wonderful as the other Jack Caffery novels. It gives us all we expect from Mo Hayder – from her interesting characters to complex storylines, from her twisted ideas to her ability to make multi-layered good and evil – so don’t be put off by the fact I always focus more upon the bad than the good when writing reviews.
Seriously, if you’ve followed Jack this far you need to read this one as there is so much personal stuff in this one. If you’re not following the Jack Caffery series and you love a good crime read, I suggest jumping on the bandwagon sooner rather than later.
Without further ado, here is why I find this book to be such an odd one.
I’ll start by saying Mo Hayder always delivers with her criminal storyline. There is always more to the story than you can ever imagine. There will be twists and turns aplenty. Alas, this time, some of the aspects were slightly too predictable. We have the complex storyline you would expect from Mo Hayder – secrets relating to the past, multiple people who could be to blame for what is going on, and the potential for motives crossing over – but this time… well, this time certain aspects were far too easy to work out. Don’t get me wrong, there were some twists I overlooked but, for the most, part I managed to work things out. I knew what to expect with certain characters. I knew what explanations were coming before the characters started to pick up on why things were out of place. In many ways, it reminded me of what knocked Gone down to a four star rating despite it being my favourite book. It is almost as though she tried too hard to be unpredictable and managed to do the complete opposite.
Or maybe I have simply read far too many crime books and there are very few twists left unseen. Highly unlikely, of course, but I’m grasping at straws to save the above paragraph from sounding too critical. Honestly, there are twists. I just wanted some of them to have different outcomes, outcomes that weren’t quite so obvious from so early on.
I believe that is enough said about the twists in the storyline: in short, it is wonderful but not her best in terms of surprises.
The second issue I have is a rather paradoxical one, as it’s also something I rather enjoyed about the book. Throughout the Jack Caffery novels, we have watched Jack grow as a character. In this one, I almost feel as though Jack regressed and far too much time was spent focusing upon his inner turmoil. Jack is a wonderful character – I will never be convinced otherwise as there is so much too him – but I feel as though this story gave us too much of the old Jack. I completely understand why with all that was going on, but it felt as though it didn’t quite fit with where things were heading.
I know I have complained in the past about Flea… but I missed her in this one. I finally reached the point of fangirl in the last book only for her not to appear in this one. Imagine my dismay! I had been looking forward to the pairing only to be let down. Now a part of me questions whether I agree with the way their relationship was heading. Part of me will be happy if she never comes back whereas another part of me wants this book rewritten so she appears at some point. All in all, I’m left unsure about that aspect of the storyline due to the lack of her character in this book.
Still, back to my issue with Jack. Seeing the old him really helps us to see how he has changed. It all plays out so well. However, we spent far too much time focusing upon his side issue and not enough focus upon him solving the crime. I like Jack more when he is in his element. He needs to be making connections, getting inside the minds of the bad guys… not chasing ghosts. Perhaps we can put the ghosts to rest after this book – even if I’m not happy about his reaction to secrets coming out – but part of me feels as though Jack is going to take an entirely different route now. I just hope it does not mean we no longer get to see the Jack obsessed with chasing down the bad guys.
I guess this brings me to my final criticism. The Walking Man was such an annoying deus ex machina. He is okay having some knowledge, but I feel as though the way he just knew so much about certain aspects of Jack’s past – how he was the one with the answers – was a little bit too much. I was unhappy with how that one came to an end.
Don’t get me wrong, it is another good book. I realise I have highlighted my issues with the book and ignored the good parts, but remember I have given this one four stars. It was as wonderful as the other Jack Caffery novels. It gives us all we expect from Mo Hayder – from her interesting characters to complex storylines, from her twisted ideas to her ability to make multi-layered good and evil – so don’t be put off by the fact I always focus more upon the bad than the good when writing reviews.
Seriously, if you’ve followed Jack this far you need to read this one as there is so much personal stuff in this one. If you’re not following the Jack Caffery series and you love a good crime read, I suggest jumping on the bandwagon sooner rather than later.
raven88's review against another edition
5.0
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…
selefa's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
liz1004's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
So hard to read, but Mo Hayder is such an amazing author. She consistently surprises me and that's hard to do with thrillers. She goes to the dark places and isn't afraid to explore them. If you like thrillers and haven't read her books, examine your life choices.
So hard to read, but Mo Hayder is such an amazing author. She consistently surprises me and that's hard to do with thrillers. She goes to the dark places and isn't afraid to explore them. If you like thrillers and haven't read her books, examine your life choices.
siyun's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lyrakl's review
5.0
This is the best of all the Caffrey books. I've been waiting for years for Jack to get to this point. I want a new Caffrey book now to see where he goes from here.
sarahguy's review
2.0
Took way too long for the climax to kick in making the story structure feel wildly uneven. It wasn't as twisty as the other books I've read by Hayder, making it an odd concluding (thus far) outing for Caffrey. I feel like there should be another story coming, but Hayder has nothing listed as upcoming, quite a letdown for the series.
As far as Caffrey's story goes, it was a excellent ending as far as Hayder's conclusions go.
As far as Caffrey's story goes, it was a excellent ending as far as Hayder's conclusions go.
joebathelt's review against another edition
2.0
I really like Mo Hayder’s first two Jack Caffery novels (Birdman, The Treatment) and read all of the other books in the series. Unfortunately, the later books are a far cry from the quality of the first two. This is nowhere more apparent than in Wolf. This book bears all the signs of a writer who ran out of ideas. First, the entire spiel about a psycho-killer who captures a family in their house is a rehashing of The Treatment. Unfortunately, it is a lot less gripping and a lot less convincing in Wolf. What bugged me the most is that the motivations for the character’s actions are lazily constructed. The attack on the family is first motivated by the family patriarch’s dealings in the international arms trade, which is not the strongest of plot lines in a crime novel. Then, the attack turns out to be orchestrated by the daughter because of sibling rivalry (?). This creates a plot twist but requires the reader to suspend their disbelief quite a lot. The motivation for DI Caffery to be involved is even weaker. Hayder introduced the walking man as a mysterious figure that provides some insight into the inner conflicts of DI Caffery in the third book. But now, the walking man also acts as a deus ex machina to get Caffrey involved in this case. It just seems like a lazy way to motivate the protagonist to unwillingly take up the case and link the narrative to his troubled past. While the book is in no doubt gripping, it left me dissatisfied and I felt like the author does not respect the intelligence of the reader.