Rating: 
Summary: well treated
Review: The treatment is not a unique crime novel but it manages to stand out thanks to the detailed characters gloomy atmosphere and ironic ending.
Taking place in a London suburb, DI Jack Caffery finds himself chasing a phsyco paedophile who mercilessly abused a family and left their 8 years old child to die, before he could "treat" another family.
In addition to the intensive work on the unfathomable crime Caffery has to endure the horrifing resemblance between this offence to his liitle brother's disappearance years ago.
The novel starts slow but picks up the pace as the story evolves up to the storng and troubling climax.
The treatment is a very good read which will satisfy most mystery lovers.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably Good!
Review: The Treatment is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read. After reading Ms. Hayders brilliant debut, Birdman, I was afraid that she would fall into the second book curse. Birdman was too good to surpass I thought. Hayder blows the doors off with The Treatment, which is actually superior to Birdman.Jack Caffery, fresh off the victory of catching the notorious Birdman, is faced with a series of crimes that are just brutal. A whole family, tied up, brutalized, and a child missing. The age of the boy, and the circumstances around his disappearance, bring back haunted memories for Caffery. As a child, his brother Ewan was kidnapped, the case unsolved. Caffery always suspected his pedophile neighbor, but no evidence was ever found. The two engage in a twisted game of hide and go seek, as Jack remains obsessed with his missing brother. Meanwhile, the sadistic crimes of the criminal continue, bringing Caffery into a twisted web of violent child pornography. This book is not for the feint of heart, and it makes you outraged that animals actually produce this kind of material. While investigating the current crimes, Jack finds clues, that could lead to his long lost brother. The brilliant part of this book is the character of Caffery. Unlike Birdman, which centered around the unforgettable Birdman, The Treatment revolves around Jack. At first, you would think this a detraction, but it is just the opposite. Jack's complex life and his disturbed mental state makes for fascinating reading. His inability to relate to other people, and to give up on his brother is riveting stuff. The last one hundred pages is some of the best suspence material you're ever going to read. It is horribly disturbing, powerful, powerful plot twists. The ending is unbearable, and you just hope Ms. Hayder brings Caffery back for a few more books. Hayder is the best mystery writer going right now. Do not miss this one.
Rating:
Summary: A book you'll never forget
Review: This book is definalty for those with strong stomachs. It will keep you on the edge the entire time. As the story starts to unfold, you frantically search for clues about one man's past, but only in the very end is completly revealed. Mo Hayder successfully paints the mind of a killer into a book, a ture terrifying masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: I have not read such a realistic thriller. Ever.
Review: This book is simply one of the best thrillers i have ever read. Mo Hayder is just so good at what she does it's amazing. Her characterisations are immaculate, her characters believeable, her plots disturbingly realistic, etc etc. Her writing is superbly dark. The plot of this novel is very disturbing, very chilling. Even i winced once or twice at the motivations of the killer, and what he was making his victims do. And it's so realistic. That is perhaps why it is so disturbing. there is no "well, this is only fictio" factor. Everything struck home so well, she has the police procedure right down to the last detail, the psychology is spot on, the characters so so human and utterly believable. Hayder is great at teasing the reader, at dangling the proverbial carrot in front their noses. It is full of near misses and what if's. The police "come close" to finding Rory Peach alive, they "almost" manage to save Ewan Caffery, the killer is "nearly" caught. However, she knows when not to overuse a plot device, and keeps it to the minimun, and ups the tension and hopelessness of the story with it. Jack Caffery is a great character, very flawed, obsessed with his brothers disappearance so many years ago and the man next door who is convinced kidnapped and killed him. At the end of the last book, we saw him slip over the edge and willingly kill the serial killer, and manage to pass it off as an accident, but this time round he's back, and striving to make his life ok, and get rid of those demons by finding out once and for all what happened to his brother. It is a great side-plot to the main storyline. One day a family are taken capture. The mother is chained up to a radiator, while the father and son are held somewhere else. At the end of the ordeal, he is about to let them go, when he is disturbed, so he quickly takes the boy and runs out into the woods at the back of the house. The hunt is on to find the boy, Rory Peach. While his father is haunted by what the killer made him do to his son. Soon, though, the police will find Rory, but not the way they would have hoped... This is a stunning thriller, and i cannot praise it highly enough. It speeds along at breakneck pace with twists and turns, and a stunning conclusion. There are two plots running side by side, and each is hauntingly realistic. Mo Hayder is Britain's brightest young talent. definitely one to watch. Better than any American-produced thriller i've read, this year or last. (which is saying something.)
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely riveting............
Review: This is an excellent fast-paced mystery, extremely well-written and well-plotted. Hayder switches viewpoints from one person to another flawlessly and the many twists and turns keep the reader guessing to the end. I also read Birdman by the same author, which was a good book, but with The Treatment Hayder has really hit her stride! Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Chilling, Gut-Wrenching Story
Review: This is an outstanding sequel to Birdman, carrying on the story of DI Jack Caffery as he works on another case with London's AMIT team. A note here is appropriate: it is strongly advisable to read Birdman before reading this book. Caffery's past continues to haunt him as he is still unable to deal with the disappearance of his brother, Ewan, 28 years ago. The latest case brings back the same feelings of rage and helplessness he felt as a child, so much so that it begins to affect his objectivity. The details of the case that affects him so deeply involve a boy who is taken from his family home where he and his parents had been terrorised for days by an intruder. The boy was later found, dead and showing signs that he had been sexually assaulted and tortured. The chilling part is that Jack is sure that the man who did this was interrupted and would strike again, an opinion that is revealed to us to be right on the money. A parallel story involving Jack's brother ties in nicely to the case and focuses Jack's, and consequently our, attention on the dim dark world of paedophilia. The story of the disappearance of Ewan is familiar to those who have read Birdman and it is carried on here. Jack is determined to solve the mystery that has been plaguing him regardless of what he may find. Although it's a tragic story and strains all sorts of friendships and relationships, it proves to be a vital part of the plot. I particularly appreciated the diary pages at the end of the book and thought they were a brilliant addendum to the story. They gave us a peek at the distorted mind behind the unspeakable acts and the justification the guy had for his actions in the story. Mo Hayder has produced another thriller that deals with a seemingly deranged maniac performing horrific crimes on innocents. She walks a fine line between fascination and repulsion, tipping to the former emotion in my opinion. My recommendation to absolutely devour this book comes with a caveat that it contains graphic scenes involving children. If you don't like reading about these kinds of subjects, then this book is not for you.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint-hearted!
Review: This is one of the most riveting novels I've ever read - and also one of the most brutal. If you can stand the subject, you definitely won't be disappointed in either the quality of the writing or the believability of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Not All Trolls Live Under Bridges
Review: This is the second book by Mo Hayder about Detective Inspector Jack Caffery. I think an early warning is due that, if you have not read 'Birdman,' you need to do so before opening 'The Treatment.' The stories overlap themes and characters extensively. This isn't a bad thing, and if you don't like 'Birdman', you will definitely not like 'The Treatment' one bit. The reverse, of course, is equally true. Caffery is in the midst of a troubled relationship with Rebecca Morant, the artist he rescued in 'Birdman' and still deeply haunted by the memory of his brother Ewan, who disappeared some 20 years before. Jack knows who kidnapped Ewan, but has never been able to find enough proof. To this day Caffery has no idea if Ewan is alive or dead. The horror starts with the discovery of the Peach family, has been held captive in their house and their son molested. When the police arrive at the scene the pedophile has made his escape, with Rory Peach in hand. He seems to vanish in the night. The hopeless hunt for Rory brings up all of Caffery's feelings about Ewan. Driven by his own guilt he is always in danger of taking one step too far. Caffery comes to believe that another family is being victimized even though the police believe they have a suspect. This puts him at odds with Rebecca and with Chief Inspector Daniella Souness. However, he is determined to follow every path, discovering not only a web of pedophiles but clues to Ewan's disappearance as well. This story does not let up to the very end, with every turn something new and grim turns up. Hayder's characters are spectacular. She manages to let you into the heads of many without ever disturbing the narrative viewpoint enough to lose focus. Plot, action, setting and character, the vital ingredients are all there. Be warned that this is rough ride - take my advice and don't start it at night.
Rating: 
Summary: Depravity not necessary
Review: While I think Mo Hayder is a good writer-her sense of place is terrific, I don't think I'll be buying her in future. The darkest side of human nature (as depicted in Birdman & Treatment) are not necessary elements required to tell a good story. I read to be entertained, I love a mystery, I relish fine story telling. I don't need to be sickened. Take a hint, Ms. Hayder, the best mystery writers around today do not have to resort to depravity. The rely on their talent to weave a tale.
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