disclosure:  we were sent the item mentioned for the purpose of review

I’ve been reading some great novels recently and I’ve got another one to share with you today.  The Secrets of Strangers is written by Charity Norman and was published on 7th May 2020 through Allen and Unwin.  It’s a cracker.

Imagine popping into your local cafe for a quick espresso to take away, or to enjoy a catch up with family and friends.  I know that right now we are all craving that normality! Think back to life before Covid-19 and social distancing and The Secrets of Strangers sees a group of strangers all being in the same place, Tuckbox, at the same time.  A busy lawyer on her way to work, a rough sleeper in need of some warmth, a family catching up.  A normal day, right up until a gunman takes them hostage and shoots the owner of the cafe dead.

Not your normal kind of day after all.

The Secrets of Strangers is one of those books that has kept me up late into the night.  Each character in the hostage scene has a story to tell and as for the gunman, his is the most compelling of all.  Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the characters, including the hostage negotiator.  As the story unfolds the strangers realise that the gunman isn’t the crazed maniac that they’d originally thought and as negotiations move on, unexpected alliances are formed.

I won’t give the rest of the plot away, but if you buy The Secrets of Strangers you won’t regret it.  You’ll be pulled into the storyline and you’ll really want to fight for Sam, the gunman.  It’s a thrilling, heartbreaking read.  I’ve included my Amazon Affiliate link below for your reference (I do earn from qualifying purchases).