Mo Hayder

I'm currently reading my first my Mo Hayder- Ritual, mainly because I received a signed, HB first edition in a prize draw haha

It's certainly interesting, and definetly not your routine 'police procedural'. Sometimes I feel that it crosses the line from Crime into Horror- are all her works like this?

How much 'back story' have I missed out on by not reading the Jack Caffery books in order?

she has a reputation for telling gruesome tales. I remember flicking through The Treatment and putting it rapidly back on reaching the criminals notes that were included at the back.
I am told that in person she is pleasent and very down to earth.

Ritual is the Jack Caffrey book I haven't read. Her debut Birdman is a superior thriller but you do need a strong stomach. I believe that she has diversified a bit with later novels like Tokyo but certainly in my experience the Caffrey novels are all in this mould.