This is the first book by Charity Norman that I have read but I’m sure it will not be the last. It fairly rattles along and I finished it in one sitting. Several strangers enter their regular café but find that this day is going to be one they won’t forget- assuming they survive. We find out the back stories of the gunman, the hostages and the negotiator during a tense 24 hours. Issues aplenty: Homelessness, gambling addiction, mental ill-health, learning difficulties child and adult abuse, IVF treatment are all ticked off. And always there is the dreadful foreknowledge of what Mutesi’s story is likely to be. As we gain the perspective of each protagonist the tension grows as the reader hopes, or at least I did, that everyone ( and the dogs) will survive. The ending is a little whimsical but extremely satisfying. I do like ends to be reasonably tied up.