The Treatment: A Novel
Penzler Pick,November 2001:When Mo Hayder's first book,Birdman, was published last  year, it caused a lot of talk in the industry. Nobody could deny that Hayder was  a talented and formidable writer, but her serial killer was so repugnant to many  readers that it was felt that only those blessed with the strongest stomachs  could endure the entire book. Those who stayed with her ultimately agreed that  they were rewarded with a deep and complex story from one of the best young  writers around.InBirdman, Hayder introduced us to her very troubled detective, Jack  Caffery, and inThe TreatmentCaffery is back with very few of his  problems solved. Alas, the case he is about to tackle will only make his job and  his private life even more difficult. Called to a house which abuts Brockwell  Park in South London, he finds Alek and Carmel Peach, prisoners in their own  home and suffering from beatings and dehydration. Worse, their young son, 9- year-old Rory, is missing. When the boy is found dead, the trail seems cold and  Caffery realizes he not only has another unspeakable murderer on the loose but  also one who will tap into Caffery's own history and deepest conflicts.While Caffery is trying to make sense of what went on at the Peaches' house,  another couple and their son also have been imprisoned in their home. Time is  running out for all of them, and we cannot help but read on anxiously as Caffery  carefully puts the forensic evidence together and uses his knowledge of the  darkest parts of the human mind to come up with the solution before it is too  late.While creating one of the most depraved villains in mystery fiction, Hayder  packs a punch with an ending that is as shocking as it is inevitable. Beware!  This is not for the faint-hearted.--Otto Penzler