He was a little man, weak, ineffectual - and hopelessly in debt. He saw the solution in kidnapping the helpless baby of a wealthy man.

His sensational act is to have far-reaching repercussions, bringing the affair to a climax of spine-chilling horror.

The Loner is a story that could - and often does - happen in any suburban town. It is not comfortable reading - but then neither is the problem of the man driven to the limits of desperation.