The Treatment: Featuring Jack Caffrey, star of BBC’s Wolf series. A gruesome and gripping thriller from the bestselling author (Jack Caffery) (Jack Caffery Trillers (Audio))

by Mo Hayder

The Treatment is another gritty and gruesome thriller from bestselling and prize-winning author Mo Hayder. Utterly absorbing, it weaves a horrifying, gut-wrenching and compelling web, making it impossible to put down...or forget. Fans of Stephen King, Stuart MacBride and Karin Slaughter will not be disappointed.

'One of the most frightening books I've ever read... Hayder's gory insights into the dark side are compelling' -- GUARDIAN
'Bleak, powerful... The Treatment is cleverly plotted and Caffery is a believable creation' -- OBSERVER
'Chilling... the book is surprisingly hard to put down. The plot develops with satisfying unpredictability; the characters are compellingly drawn... its final twist a bravura savagery' -- DAILY TELEGRAPH
'A terrifying and tense read' -- ***** Reader review
'An OUTSTANDING 5 star read that chilled me with its creepiness' -- ***** Reader review
'A page-turning crime novel' -- ***** Reader review
'An excellent read, kept me reading for hours at a time' -- ***** Reader review
'I could not put it down and read it in two days' -- ***** Reader review

*******************************************************************
A quiet residential street in south London.

A husband and wife are discovered, imprisoned in their own home. Badly dehydrated, they've been bound and beaten. He is close to death. But worse is to come: their young son is missing.

When Detective Inspector Jack Caffery is called in to investigate, the similarities with events in his own past make it impossible for him to view this new crime dispassionately.

And as he digs deeper - as he attempts to hold his own life together in the face of ever more disturbing revelations about both his past and his present - the real nightmare begins ...

• ISBN10: 0553820478
• ISBN13: 9780553820478
• Publish Date: 8 November 2008 (first published 4 June 2001)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group)
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Mystereity Reviews]

I have no idea how to rate this book. On one hand, it was haunting, unbearably suspenseful and riveting. On the other hand, it was was so horrifying that I nearly couldn't finish it.

The book's plot concerns children being raped and killed, and while not detailed, was graphic enough that the book was nearly intolerable. Just too much for me.

So, I'll leave this unrated because although well written, I just can't bring myself rate it.

Edit: gave it 4 stars because the book was written so excellently that it's still haunting me weeks later.

[pamela]

I was excited to read this because of how brilliant Birdman was, but while Mo Hayder still proves herself a wonderful writer, The Treatment was nowhere near as polished as her debut.

Hayder writes about gruelling and voyeuristic subjects. I felt she managed to remain respectful in Birdman, but in The Treatment her protagonists simply didn't show enough care or empathy for the victims. I recognise that she is deemed a realistic writer, however as the act of writing a novel is to provide entertainment, treating her victims so dismissively seemed somehow wrong.

Caffery himself in this novel is nowhere near as likeable or human. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he comes across as downright stupid. He gets so caught up in his own issues that he risks the lives and sanity of those around him, and the victims in his care. In fact, the decisions he makes create tragedy not only for those around him but for himself. In Birdman he was equal parts brilliant and troubled. In The Treatment he's just troubled.

The plot wasn't quite as fleshed out as I would have liked. The red herring to put the reader off the culprit was clunky, and as such the plot development felt poor. The motivations weren't properly defined and as such I found it difficult to see this book as more than voyeurism.

I read the book quickly, because it was fast - paced and the action was exciting, and from a writing standpoint it was certainly accomplished. I will try another Mo Hayder book, but The Treatment came as a disappointment after Birdman.