This book drew me right in from the first page and kept me reading into the wee hours.
The author introduces a disparate group of people. They all are early morning customers to the Tuckbox Cafe in busy London. They find themselves hostages and witnesses to the violent death of the cafe owner, Robert. He had always seemed a genial fellow although none knew him well. The gun wielding, Sam, appears highly distressed. crying "where is she? what have you done with her?". Who and what he is referring to is gradually revealed. The hostages form a tight bond with Sam as we learn each of their stories throughout the taut stand off. They along with the police negotiator, give thei all to try and bring a peaceful resolution. this proved a very sad story but gripping. ( )

NZ-based Charity Norman’s sixth novel is her second to be shortlisted for Best Crime Novel in the Ngaio Marsh Awards. Full review at Newtown Review of Books ( )

I’m flummoxed by all the praise! I didn’t believe the storyline, the characters were, for me, two dimensional and made silly decisions for no good reason, and the pacing was just plain odd. Still, everyone else loved it, so I must be missing something! ( )

By page twenty-six of this compelling story the reader has not only been introduced to four of the key characters but also knows that the owner of the café, who now lies dying from his wounds, was the gunman’s target. What then follows is a tension-filled and emotional story about a group of strangers who suddenly find themselves united by having the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Most of the customers escape in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and some of the more vulnerable hostages are later released, leaving the story to be told through the different narrative voices of six characters: Sam, the gunman, the four remaining hostages, Abi, a young defence barrister, Neil, a homeless man in his fifties, Mutesi, a care assistant from Rwanda and Rosie, a waitress from the café who is hiding in a cupboard and, finally, DI Eliza McClean, the police negotiator whose job it is to establish a dialogue with Sam so that everyone can be brought out alive.
Although using a group of disparate characters to tell a story and to gradually reveal their individual back story, is not uncommon in psychological thrillers, I think that the author’s mostly well-paced revelations makes this novel an impressive addition to the genre. Although a number of the disclosures came as no surprise to me, as I’d so quickly felt emotionally-engaged with her well-drawn characters, this did little to spoil my enjoyment of the story. I’m not going to go into any detail about any of their stories because most enjoyment of the story-telling comes from the slow drip-feed of information, revealing how the characters’ past experiences have affected them and are now influencing their reactions to the terrifying situation into which they’ve been thrust. I was impressed with the author’s convincing portrayal of the different ways in which each of them reacted to being so randomly caught up in this life-threatening situation, the ways in which their reactions changed as, with almost palpable slowness, the hours of captivity passed and as fear and anger gave way to a more compassionate response to the gunman once the hostages were able to understand what had driven him to this violent act. The Stockholm Syndrome scenario could have felt rather clichéd but I thought it was handled in a convincing way and the eventual resolution of the siege felt entirely credible.
However, it was not only in the café that the atmosphere was fraught with tension, this was also reflected in the police incident room. I found Eliza’s narrative fascinating because it enabled insights into the delicate balancing act any negotiator must face when attempting to establish a rapport with an unknown, unpredictable character, ever-mindful that the lives of the hostages hang in the balance. The mounting stress of dealing not only with the gunman, but also with pressures from other members of the team who are pressing for a speedy resolution, if necessary by force, was very evocatively portrayed, as was the impact such a role has on members of the negotiator’s family.
As I was reading there were moments when I felt that the pace of the story-telling was rather slow and that tension wasn’t being maintained but, on reflection, I think that this unevenness probably captured an accurate portrayal of what happens in any real-life hostage situation, that moments of inertia and boredom do co-exist with moments of terror and uncertainty.
This is the first of Charity Norman’s novels which I’ve read but, judging by this one, she’s a talented story-teller so I’m left feeling tempted to look at some of her earlier books.
With thanks to Readers First and Allen &Unwin for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This is a fabulous story. It centres around a hostage situation in a cafe in London. A young man storms in all guns blazing, kills the owner and then keeps the customers captive. All is not as it seems, though. It’s very much a character based tale and we get to know the histories behind each person.

It’s certainly a moving story and I did shed a tear at the end. It’s beautifully and sensitively written. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster! I was so invested in the lives of the characters, they almost felt like family. It was quite a heartbreaking scenario and I think the author did a brilliant job of portraying the tension, the angst, the frustration and eventually the calmness of all concerned. The title says ‘secrets’ but ultimately it’s about the kindness of strangers. I read this book via the Pigeonhole app and thoroughly every stave. I was eager to know the conclusion but, at the same time, I was sad to turn the final page and leave these wonderful characters behind. Highly recommended. ( )