Poppet (Jack Caffery/Walking Man Series, 6)

This is one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life and to be honest I am an obsessive reader I read at least 2 to 3 books a week and I am extremely particular. This book is as good as Gillian Flynn‘s dark places. It is so good that I can remember so many details about it and I read it about five years ago. It will shock you from the beginning to the end because the twists and turns and the unexpected things that happened are so astounding. You’re very shocked that the author was able to keep the book so interesting, for and yet it’s so long the themes are fascinating. Some of the themes are ghosts, hauntings mental illness, obsession with specific people, Munchausen syndrome, very very realistic, depiction of someone’s mental state, and how they would act in terms of having schizophrenia and hallucinating. I only know this because in the past I’ve taken mushrooms and I know what it’s like to hallucinate and literally the author describes these hallucinating events so realistically, I will not be able to compare this book anything else that I’ve ever read, and I will say it is definitely not for children. It contains lots of disturbing themes and situations, and it does kind of give you the creeps. There are a lot of unsettling things about it , but if you want to impress your book club, this is one to take this should be on the Oprah Winfrey book club list it’s not good I think the only reason it’s not as popular as it should be is because it has so many different themes, intermixed, and the mass consumer reader out there is not going to be able to see how fascinating it is to think a book is one genre and then have it turned out to be completely different genres all intermixed I would say it’s a five star for sure and I am so confident that it’s an amazing book. I actually gave it to my new mother-in-law who is the hardest woman to please I’ve ever met and she said it kept her up at night because she could not put it down so now she asked me for book recommendations and it’s kind of is the relationship up a little bit , it won’t be something that you can read in a day and it’s definitely not for somebody who has issues with horror and become scared easily because there are parts that are really scary parts where when I read them I was unsettled and scared afterwards and actually 18 I had to sleep with a nightlight on because I I got so creeped out which is crazy because I’m obsessed with horror. IT’s suspense, thriller, action, drama, romance and extremely unique. It’s so underrated I am shocked!!

In 2008, I first discovered Hayder's darkly electrifying skill in the first novel in the Jack Caffery series,  Birdman  (I highly recommend starting from there and reading this series consecutively). This book marks the sixth addition to this thrilling series. Though it has been almost two years since reading  Gone  (the fifth book in the series), Hayder's novels are the kinds that linger in your memory, and with this rather chilling cover, it is a gripping read. There are some reminders about the previous novels, but for those who have forgotten about Misty's death, these reminders may not be introduced early enough (even I started to wish that I had re-read the series again from start to finish - and I will, some day, as that is my favorite way to experience a series). With a backdrop largely set in a mental institution, this book amps up the horror quotient along with its police procedural actions. The new characters are well-developed and it is also intriguing to see more of Jack interacting with Flea.The brief chapters aid the novel's fast pacing along and the spine-tingling imagery makes this book sure to offer nightmares (especially for those who find dolls - or the titular poppets - creepy) if set aside just before bed. The Maude makes for an intriguing urban legend that adds to the tension quite exponentially. This dark mystery fits in nicely with the rest of the series and though its intensity doesn't quite match those of the earliest novels, it is still an intriguing and tense read. Hayder's plot twists unpredictably and the ending comes in a breathless - and surprisingly satisfying (almost uncharacteristically uplifting) way. Hayder's rather sinister imagination continues to prove as engrossing as ever. I am looking forward to the seventh installment in the series,  Wolf (Jack Caffery) .

In the Beechway High Security unit, even the staff are starting to lose it. Recent incidents of patients committing self harm have everyone talking about the Maude (a spirit they are all afraid of). AJ LeGrande (head of the nursing staff) has noticed an increase in staff calling out of their shifts. When one of the patients dies of a suspected heart attack, the tension gets even worse. AJ starts to worry that an actual person is behind the injuries and deaths, not a spirit and not coincidence. The director of the unit, Melanie Arrow doesn't want AJ getting the police involved; she is worried about losing her job. But, he takes Detective Jack Caffery into his confidence and tries to convince Caffery that there is a real danger out there.It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book. Another book sitting on my kindle for almost a year and I didn't remember why I bought it. But, I ended up loving this book. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed reading from both Caffery and AJ's points of view. By the time I was halfway through the book, I didn't want to put it down. And I had no idea what twists were coming until it was almost too late.This is book 6 in the Jack Caffery series. I had no idea until after I finished reading it. I'm not sure if I will end up reading more of the Jack Caffery series or not. I still have a lot of other books on my TBR list.Recommended to:Adults who enjoy suspense thrillers and crime novels. There is a bit of gore, but nothing too overwhelming.

Well, it's a wee while since I read a Mo Hayder book, so I was looking forward to reading this one.I found the beginning quite bizarre and wasn't actually sure if I'd carry on reading or whether this book would be for me? I carried on and let the story unfold and I got really into it, liked the characters and the story telling, although as I only read in short sharp bursts it needed to be read quite quickly (for me) as each chapter focused on separate parts of the story/characters. I sort of guessed the "baddie" early on, but not the reason why the things that were happening actually happened and I thoroughly enjoyed it, until I got to the end! It felt like there needed to be a follow up, as it just seemed to stop?!Or perhaps I'm easily misled with a kindle advising how much is left in the book, expecting more to the story, when the % left actually includes an excerpt from the next book?!Overall I did enjoy the book, just a bit of a flat ending for me...

Loved loved loved this book. Whizzed through it. So intriguing and very clever....until I came to the last few pages and thought 'what the....' What just happened then? Did I miss something? If it wasn't for those last pages it would have got a 5*.It was a such a captivating read up until then. Perhaps I am a bit dim and need it explaining to me. There are too many questions rolling round my head. Definitely give this book a go, the ending may be clear to you (if it is, let me know because I am baffled ) I can't go into what I don't understand without giving away spoilers....frustrating.

This book was weird. It was meant to be set in England but it was very American, would have been much less jarring to read had it been set there. I almost gave up on this half way through because it seemed pretty obvious. I stuck with it and at 89% of the way through, something actually happened. The end was a bit of a let down though. I had hoped this would be a new series for me to read, but it won't be. Fine as a light read to pass the time of day

Positives:The creepy atmosphere at the mental institution was well maintained. The characters were well written. The story was generally well presented though the reveal wasn't as strong as it might have been.Negatives:The identity of the antagonist was fairly obvious from the start. The cop characters of Jack and Flea (who I assume are regular series protagonists, I have not read one of MH's books before) were largely irrelevant and didn't need to be in the story. Any old cop would have done. The Misty subplot, which I assume was leftover from a previous book, had nothing to do with the main story and went nowhere.

The creepy cover and title of this book caught my eye while walking past a high street bookshop. When I looked at the blurb on the back I very nearly put it back as I don't read crime/thrillers (can't get into them). I had also never heard of Mo Hayder.However, story sounded sufficiently creepy to make me buy it; strange goings on in a mental hospital.After being initially a bit flummoxed by the first chapter (the "monster mother" bit), I really enjoyed this book, the story was totally absorbing and I couldn't wait to read more. It had me absolutely gripped.Although I had not read the previous Jack Caffrey series, I didn't feel confused with the book. I liked the way Jack did not dominate the story and the other characters were allowed come forward. I often find with crime/thrillers, the book ends up being about the central character and the actual plot takes second place-not so with this book.I think Mo Hayder is really good at writing her characters- I liked AJ, and even the minor characters like Patience (loved her), and the Big Lurch were great.I enjoyed this book so much I then read the other Jack Caffery books, (very dark), and am now starting on Pig Island. I'm glad I spotted this book- I will look out for more by Mo Hayder from now on.