Gone

In Hayder%E2%80%99s thriller, an apparent carjacking quickly reveals itself to involve the kidnapping of a child and possibly murder. Initially, the plot concentrates on homicide detective Jack Caffery%E2%80%99s puzzling inability to make headway in his search for the man nicknamed the Jacker. But, without weakening its solid construction, the novel soon begins alternating its focus from Caffery to the reckless head of the department%E2%80%99s underwater search unit, Sgt. Phoebe %E2%80%9CFlea%E2%80%9D Marley, who in her zeal to locate the Jacker%E2%80%99s lair, winds up trapped, helpless, and wounded in an abandoned tunnel. Hayder pushes both characters to their limits, and narrator Steven Crossley seems to relish the opportunity to add his own special twist to their emotions. His Caffery speaks with a precise British accent, displaying a range of moods, from depressed and distracted indifference, to frustration, confusion, and desperation. Marley, with her slangy cockney, gives Crossley even more of a workout. He provides her with a vocal swagger as she sets out to regain professional prestige by singlehandedly finding the kidnapped child. The narrator also gives life to the novel%E2%80%99s other highly emotional participants%E2%80%94the weary and resentful cops, the frantic parents, and the wily, demented Jacker. A Grove paperback. (June)