November in the West Country, and evening is closing in as Detective Inspector Jack Caffery arrives to interview the victim of a stolen car. But this is no ordinary theft. The man who s stolen the car was wearing a Santa Claus mask. And, on the back seat, packing away the shopping, was an eleven year-old girl. nd she s still missing. Sergeant Flea Marley has heard about the car-jacker, and is waiting for Caffery when he leaves the police station later that night. He s done it before, she tells Caffery. Twice. Same guy. Same mask. Only previously he s let the girls go. Now he hasn t. A day later the car is found. Inside, there s a letter. It s started , the letter states, and it ain t going to stop just sudden now, is it? And Caffery knows that soon the jacker will choose another random car, and another driver, the only important thing being the child in the back seat. It ll be a girl. A girl he s going to steal away. Caffery s a good and instinctive cop; the best in the business, some say. But this time something s badly wrong. This time the jacker seems to be ahead of him every step of the way

Author Biography

Mo Hayder has written some of the most terrifying crime thrillers you will ever read. Her first novel, Birdman, was hailed as a 'first-class shocker' by the Guardian and her follow-up, The Treatment was voted by the Times one of 'the top ten most scary thrillers ever written' b> o's books are 100% authentic, drawing on her long research association with several UK police forces and on her personal encounters with criminals and prostitutes. She now lives in England's West Country and is a full-time writer.