Skin by Mo Hayder

There seems to be a spate of suicides in the Bristol area.  Each is a young person, none of whom seemed likely candidates.  Their friends and families are all surprised.  Each has vertical knife marks on their forearms and are found near bodies of water, quarries and underwater caves.  Each is missing a lock of hair.

The police and coroner call each case suicide but Detective Jack Caffery is not sure.  Something about the cases bother him; he feels a subterranean pull of evil that makes him wonder if there is a hunter who is responsible.  Rescue diver Flea Marley also sees things that make her wonder.  The two don't discuss the case however.  Caffery isn't sure yet and is working in the dark, not even telling his supervisors what he is doing.  Flea is involved in a major family crisis that no one can help with and that keeps her to herself until she can find a way forward.  Is someone targeting vulnerable individuals?  Can Caffery and Marley find the killer before he finds them?

Mo Hayder has written a series of thrilling novels and mystery readers will be delighted to find another Jack Caffery novel.  Flea Marley is a more recent addition to the storyline and it is unclear if she will be a recurring character or maybe become a love interest for Caffery.  The writing is brooding and mysterious and fans will eagerly read to discover more clues about what makes Caffery tick.  This book is recommended for mystery writers.