Wolf, the BBC One thriller starring Ukweli Roach as DI Jack Caffery, arrives on Acorn TV in the U.S. on Monday, October 26, 2026, with all six episodes released at once. It first aired in the U.K. in 2023.
The series is based on Mo Hayder’s Jack Caffery novels and takes its title and main case from Wolf, the seventh and final book in the series. You don’t need to have read the books to follow it.
The Jack Caffery books in order
| # | Book | Published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birdman | 1999 |
| 2 | The Treatment | 2001 |
| 3 | Ritual | 2008 |
| 4 | Skin | 2009 |
| 5 | Gone | 2010 |
| 6 | Poppet | 2013 |
| 7 | Wolf | 2014 |
The order and years come from Penguin’s Dead Good Books series guide. The first two books are set in London; from Ritual on, Caffery works in Bristol. The later books add police diver Flea Marley as a second lead. Mo Hayder died in 2021, so Wolf is the last Caffery novel.
What the TV series covers
According to producer Hartswood Films, the show follows two threads drawn from the books:
- Caffery’s own obsession: he’s convinced a neighbour murdered his 10-year-old brother in the 1990s. His brother’s fate is a thread that runs through the novels.
- The Anchor-Ferrers family (Juliet Stevenson and Owen Teale), trapped and terrorised in their isolated home by a psychopath playing cruel games. Sacha Dhawan and Iwan Rheon play Honey and Molina. This is the central case of the novel Wolf.
The series sets the family’s house in Monmouthshire, Wales. It was adapted by Megan Gallagher and directed by Kristoffer Nyholm and Lee Haven Jones.
Should you read the books first?
You don’t have to. The show sets up Caffery’s backstory itself, and the hostage case is self-contained. If you want the full story of Caffery’s brother, start with Birdman and read in publication order. Be warned that both the books and the series are dark and often violent.
How to watch Wolf in the U.S.
Wolf streams on Acorn TV from October 26, 2026. All six episodes drop the same day. For the full listing, see our Wolf page. More autumn premieres are in our British mystery premieres guide.
Sources
Found an error? Report a correction. We update dates as broadcasters change them.
