by Mo Hayder
A nine-year-old boy vanishes from his home near Brockwell Park in south London. His parents are found bound and severely dehydrated after three days of captivity. The abductor took the child while the parents watched helplessly. Local children whisper about a mysterious Troll who visits them during sleep. Inspector Jack Caffery takes the case, though it strikes close to home. His own younger brother disappeared years ago, a case that remains unsolved. The investigation forces Caffery to confront his personal demons while tracking a predator. Police suspect pedophile motives behind the kidnapping. As Caffery digs deeper, he may unknowingly brush against truths more disturbing than he realizes. The search for the missing boy becomes entangled with his quest to understand what happened to his brother. The case will test whether Caffery can finally uncover answers that have eluded him for years.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Brockwell Park, London
Period: Contemporary
Paperback · presses de la cite
Content warnings: kidnapping