I thoroughly enjoyed The Secrets of Strangers, it's a tense and emotional story about a small disparate group of people who suddenly find themselves held hostage by an armed gunman in a little high street cafe. It gripped me right from the start, drawing me into the situation and the lives of the characters. I loved the way it was written and was enthralled by the gradual unfolding of the story, revealing everyone's hidden secrets, and especially the history of the gunman and the past events that lead him to take such drastic action. There is a subplot centred around the hostage negotiators outside but the main focus is the cafe and how its occupants react to the shocking situation they find themselves in. It's one of the best books I've read this year and I'll definitely look out for more by this author.