This a contemporary fiction that is mainly set in Tuckbox café in London. It features five main characters who are Sam, Abi, Neil, Eliza and Mutesi.

Normal everyday routine of having coffee in their favourite café gets distrupted when a gunman attacks the cafe owner and holds people at ransom.

The main characters all have their own burdens to deal with and this situation adds pressure.

The author, Charity Norman, has done extremely well into developing each and every character as well as given their perspective so that you understand their situation. I found the characters were very relatable with their back stories. I would be looking forward to reading more books by her.

I received an e-copy from Netgalley.

A madman with a gun shoots a cafe owner then holds some of the patrons hostage. Can they talk him down and find out why he committed the murder, keeping themselves safe at the same time. Is there a way out of this for everyone?

Wow what an emotional and heart wrenching read. The story is told from various different points of view including the killer himself. It adds so much depth and detail to the story, allowing the reader to understand everyone's story. The plot is steady but builds to an emotional and at times tear jerking climax. The very end scene is beautiful. This is a story that touches on lots of different issues. It's a slow build to learn the truth of Sam but it's so well written and its raw. I really enjoyed this and it's the first time in a long time a book has bought tears to my eyes.

What a read! This is how thrillers should be written; it certainly deserves to be a bestseller as it is masterfully crafted, taut and completely riveting. It sucks you in from the opening pages and had me reading well into the night. The incident at the cafe is all too real and reflects the fact that many more people are turning to extremism and committing terrible atrocities all over the world. But not only is it thrilling and intense it packs a real emotional punch too. This is one of the novels that it's best going in blind as the surprises will be all the more enjoyable. A terrifying, compulsive and fast-paced must-read I implore crime connoisseurs to pick up. One of the best thrillers I've had the pleasure of picking up over the past few years. Charity Norman is undoubtedly one to watch. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC.

A gunman kills a coffee shop owner, then takes the customers as hostages. What follows is a gripping, immersive novel which looks into what led the gunman to this point, as well as exploring the hostages lives and how their interactions with the gunman unfold throughout the day, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A beautifully written story about a really tense hostage situation. The story of everyone in the cafe and why Sam killed Robert is told piece by piece. There is a lot of pain and heartache but there is also love and compassion. I read this book in one sitting. I wanted to know what happened and I felt like I had a front row seat as events unfolded. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

When a shooter opens fire inside a busy café, people scramble for safety but not everyone is able to escape. What secrets will these strangers share and how will it help them to leave with no-one getting hurt?

This was my first book by Charity Norman and I will certainly keep an eye out for more of her books in future. The Secrets of Strangers seems like quite a simple premise centring around a hostage situation in a café but it’s very well written and keeps you hooked throughout. We get chapters alternating from the perspectives of lots of characters as our strangers come together including the negotiator, perpetrator and hostages and each of them have their own story and secrets to tell. You are drip-fed important information in a way that keeps your interest piqued and there is enough action happening in real time for you to be kept on your toes – unsure which direction the plot will take next.

Each of the stranger’s stories is well-chosen and interesting in their own right – Sam’s in particular feels realistic and grounded but also shows a touch of psychological problems as well. I think my only nit-pick would be that I was expecting the strangers secrets to be a little mor interwoven with each other but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story. The ending is particular is heart-breaking and sad. It’s odd that this book has no real twists and turns which for me feel a bit like a thriller’s bread and butter and yet still made me race through it and enjoy it. You kind of feel where it’s going to end but the journey is more important than the outcome and by the climax you really feel as if you understand and know these characters.

Overall The Secrets of Strangers is a well-written, heart breaking an character-driven thriller which I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley & Atlantic Books - Allen & Unwin for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel broke my heart!

When I first read the synopsis for TSOS I thought it was going to be one of those stories where all the characters had ties to eachother that would slowly be revealed.
That isn't the case and I'm glad I was wrong, instead of throwing out cheap twists this is a story of complete strangers and the best and worst humanity has to offer.

Neil a homeless gambling addict, Abigail a lawyer struggling to conceive, Mutesi a genocide survivor and Rosie the barista each have their own traumas to tell.
The bond forged between the characters was slowly built across the novel as Sam pours out his soul to his hostages and negotiator Eliza.

The Secrets Of Strangers is told from several character perspectives via flashbacks and dialogue creating fantastic character development. I was so emotionally invested in all of their stories that the horrors some of them shared really shredded me.

The novel strikes a perfect balance of good and evil, with an outcome leaving the reader both hollow and hopeful all at once.

I read The Secrets Of Strangers in a single sitting one rainy afternoon and adored every moment.

I was looking forward to starting this novel having discovered the recommendation on the author Clare Mackintosh’s online book club. With such a great endorsement I felt I would definitely be in for a treat and with so many other books on my TBR pile I deliberately delayed that moment of opening the book, needing to savour the anticipation of a potential good read. I was hooked from the very beginning,caught up in that feeling of wanting to race through the pages yet at the same time not wanting the experience to be over with too quickly.
The premise for this novel really got me thinking how quickly life can change in the blink of an eye, how an ordinary day can turn into an extraordinary one on the flip of a coin and this is exactly what happens when random strangers, who are going about their normal business enter the Tuckbox cafe and are taken hostage by a lone gunman.
I can’t even begin to imagine the terror and panic such a scenario would induce and I immediately wanted to know why this was happening. What has brought someone to the point of contemplating the unthinkable? Is it an act of madness or terrorism ? Don’t think that this is an adrenalin pumping,heart racing at a million miles kind of a read because it isn’t. Instead the pace is steady but nonetheless equally as gripping as those edge of your seat storylines. The narrative is character driven rather than determined by the physical action and drama and heroic type behaviour that might ensue, placing the backstories of those trapped in the cafe in the limelight.
It is the human element, all the heightened emotions and the characters lives,past and present that make this such a fantastic and compelling read. Human nature is displayed here at its very worst and very best and I felt as if I was there in that cafe eavesdropping on events as they unfolded (although I’m glad I wasn’t!!) literally glued to my seat in anticipation of all the revelations to come. So immersed was I in the lives of Neil and Abi and Mutesi that I almost forgot these people were bonding together in a very abnormal situation and they were at the mercy of a very troubled damaged and dangerous young man, Sam.
Told from multiple perspectives of those taken hostage and the negotiator trying to bring events to a swift conclusion without loss of life,the reader gains a good insight into each of the character’s lives . Mutesi, a Rwandan nurse/carer who is so inspiring in terms of her kindness, tolerance and patience and ability to keep a cool head. Probably my favourite character for despite her cuddly grandmother exterior there lies such inner strength and capacity for forgiveness. Neil, a homeless guy who shouldn’t be defined by that status alone whose life’s journey is tragic for many reasons and Abi the busy harassed straight talking lawyer who is no stranger to heartache. These are ordinary people who all have a story to tell which has led them to this moment in time. But primarily this is Sam’s story to tell and all he wants is for someone, just someone to listen. Could the negotiator be that listening ear or will these strangers provide the compassion this young man craves??
I experienced such a range of emotions reading this,horror, hatred, anger, sadness, pity, distaste, incredulity, heartache as well as amazement at the kindness of strangers and acknowledgement of the fragility of life. Most of all I felt compassion for lives blighted by love, loss, guilt, regret, depression. The whole spectrum of human emotion is embedded in this storyline making it all the more richer for it.
The secrets of strangers is an emotional rollercoaster of a read and hard to put down. You will come to love some of these characters whilst despising others. Well plotted and clever in the way some of these individuals are connected I loved how all aspects of human character are explored and laid bare .Highly recommend. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

I discovered Charity Norman’s writing a few years ago and devoured her back catalogue over a couple of weeks that summer. I jumped at the chance to review her latest novel and I read it in a day, because it was impossible to stay away from the characters and the tension. Set around one day in London, the author takes a handful of strangers and places them together in an intense situation. Abi is a solicitor, who decides to pop to a Balham cafe called Tuckbox because the station cafe is crowded and she has four minutes till her train. Mutesi has come from a night shift and is meeting her daughter -in -law in Tuckbox to collect her grandson, Emmanuel. Neil is homeless, and has been given some money so he opts to visit Tuckbox and sit by the radiator for a while. Inside is a waitress and cafe owner, Robert. Into this everyday scene walks Sam and everyone’s day is about to change beyond recognition.

The chapters swap between different viewpoints, from the people in the cafe to Eliza, who works as a negotiator for the police. After having an argument with Robert, Sam returns to his Land Rover and comes back with a shotgun. It’s not long before Robert is lying, bleeding in Neil’s arms and despite Mutesi’s nursing efforts he dies. What follows is a tense stand off between the police and Sam who is holding a small group of people hostage. His constant demands are to see his daughter, Julia and speak to his ex-girlfriend Nicola. Everything has gone wrong in his life and he wants some answers from her about their relationship and whether she was really having a relationship with Robert, who was his stepfather.

The first thing that struck me about the book was how this group of people work together. From a therapy perspective, they worked very like one of my therapy groups. They become accustomed to each other, listen to each other’s stories and through the sharing of secrets come to understand themselves and each other a little better. There’s a catharsis in being part of this group, as each member tells their story a weight is lifted and they no longer hold a guilty or painful secret. Furthermore, by hearing other people’s stories some kind of healing takes place. From infertility, addiction, and even genocide the book teaches us that everyone has struggled. Perspective can be gained by hearing what other people have done or experienced.

In another way, it can just be a relief to be heard and accepted. For Sam this is a huge gift because he is the aggressor in the situation but the group still hear him. His story is one of loss and coercive control. His father dies suddenly and traumatically, leaving Sam, his mother and the farm at the mercy of Robert. He was a friend of the family and although he has a great public face, in private he’s a monster. The terrible way he reduces Sam’s mother from the curvy, wild-haired, laughing woman she is at the beginning to a thin, nervy, controlled wreck is hard to read. The worst part for me was the loss of his dogs, because mine mean the world to me. Robert seems like a parasite as he leaches all the resources from the family and the farm, until there’s nothing left. Sam can see him for what he really is and as he tells the story the group simply accept his lived experience. No one questions, or disagrees with him and although they’ve seen him commit an act of violence, there is empathy for his experience.

From behind the police cordon we watch Eliza, the negotiator, and the skilled way she works to bring resolution. She is calm, non-judgemental and totally focused on Sam. We see the responsibility of the role and how much it takes out of her. The tension is kept up by the knowledge that this is only going to last a few hours, depending on Sam giving up, Eliza succeeding in resolving the situation or the waiting armed response officers going in. The author creates flash points within the story where something is discovered or concealed. This means the reader is constantly on edge, waiting for each ‘reveal’. Each character has their role. Abi is blunt, but very knowledgeable about the law. Neil is possibly at the rock bottom of his life but gains strength from the others to find ways out. Mutesi touched me so deeply. I was amazed by her quiet strength. She wanders in the background making sure there’s tea and cake, tending to Sam’s wounded head and holding the space for everyone to talk. Without her the group wouldn’t work, but she says little about herself until it’s necessary. When it comes, her story is quietly devastating. The ending broke me. It shows that if we all just shut up and listened, we have so much more in common than we think at first sight. We should be kind to each other, because we never know what the other person has gone through to be where they are. Sometimes people who have gone through the worst experiences, can still find the strength to help others. This book was moving, compassionate and a story for these times.

A few strangers stop in their local coffee shop in Balham to pick up their morning dose of caffeine unaware that they'll become hostages to a madman with a gun who came to settle once and for all with the owner of the cafe.

They have seemingly nothing in common, each one of them has their own story and yet, they'll become connected for life.
Abi - a young successful lawyer who's been trying to get pregnant for years, Neil - a rough sleeper who was once a teacher with a wife and a daughter but is now left to sell Big Issue every day; Mutesi - a nurse, proud grandmother who flew Rwanda many years ago; and Sam - a young man who is desperate to see his 3 year old daughter but his ex cut all contact.

In the usual Charity Norman way, the characters and their lives feel very real and authentic and it's impossible not to like them. This is my 4th Charity Norman's book and I know I can rely on her to come up with a thought provoking story.

The book appealed to me also for its location and reminded me of the time when I worked as a barista in a Balham coffee shop in my student days.

Compelling and brilliantly written, I'd recommend to anyone in mood to meet some strangers under siege.

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This read was an easy choice for me: the blurb had me gripped straight away and with my previous, though not for some years, love for Charity Norman's novels, I had pretty high expectations. I must say that initially these were not met: I found this an easy-read and the characters relatable and compelling, but at the beginning, while I enjoyed the story when reading, I didn't find myself rushing back to finish it. I'd say this changed around a quarter of the way in, and after that, thankfully, I was hooked, and stayed up into the early hours to finish. I've read reviews stating this is fast-paced, but I'm not sure I can agree; after all, and I'm sure this is not a spoiler, most of the story spans over the same day, within the same setting, involving the same characters. However, what it is, is engrossing, and once I had gotten to know a bit about each of the characters - their personalities, circumstances and inner most turmoils - I had to know more. I quickly found myself relating to the main characters; empathising with them whilst simultaniously critiquing some of their actions (and this is not just the 'gunman'). I enjoyed the ending; felt it was apt, if not convenient, and liked knowing a little about life afterwards. Overall, I did really enjoy this and gave it a solid 4 star rating, but must say I enjoyed the previous novels of Norman's I have read more, especially After The Fall.

*I received an advance review copy of The Secrets of Strangers from the publisher through NetGalley.

I am full of praise for Norman. Within the space of a few pages she sucked me in into the story she was telling which in all honesty, I was a bit apprehensive about when I first read the blurb. I feared it would be slow going, after all how much possibly can happen within one setting? And boy, did Norman prove me wrong. I just wish I picked it up earlier, instead of putting it off for other books.

But let’s retract a bit. The story begins with the protagonists beginning their day as any other. Eventually they all end up in a little London cafe ‘Tuckbox’ which they tend to frequent. Whilst there, they witness a barney between a young man and the owner of the cafe. Soon after the latter is shot.
In the chaos that ensues, several of the people inside manage to get out, while several others, some of them being our protagonists do not. The shooter, Sam holds them hostage whilst he fervently tries to figure out what to do next.

Whilst stuck inside we learn more about everybody’s backstories. Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ will disturb the unusual gathering several times as the negotiator, Eliza, who becomes another lead character, tries to reach Sam over the cafe’s phone.

I don’t want to give too much away, other than share that the book is just simply wonderful. The way Norman writes her characters is like she had breathed life into them. They are complex and an interesting bunch of individuals (and I mean all of them and there were a couple).
Lines become blurred as Norman paints a world where nothing is simply black or white, right or wrong. Things become confusing as you are thrown in deeper into the well that are the lives of the few stuck inside Tuckbox. In many ways, ‘The Secret of Strangers’ is much more than a thriller, the usual police procedures and whodunit and why. It’s an in-depth exploration of the human nature. It’s stirring and powerful, and will leave you thinking about it for a while. Without a question, it's one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year.

This was such an intriguing and interesting story. It was very thrilling. A page-turner, that you're very curious of the characters and what drove them to the point they are now.
Full of secrets and intrigue.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

This book definitely left its mark on me and is one of my favourites of 2020.
The plot is simple yet so dynamic, Sam storms into a busy Cafe with a gun and no way out. He hold people hostage and slowly begins his journey of what got him to this point in his life. I absolutely love all the characters, each having there own back story and the narrative cleverly jumps from the past to present. This is definitely one of those emotionally charged books that leaves its mark.

Thanks for the ARC Netgalley!

A diverse group of strangers, ranging from a lawyer to a homeless man, find themselves taken hostage at gunpoint in a cafe. But what could have driven someone to do this?

4/5⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I really enjoyed this book, the premise was enough to pique my interest, but it ended up staying with me more than I thought it would. It really makes you think how life can turn out depending on a bit of luck at the right time, or the opposite.

Sam tells his story to four strangers, each with their own secret and problems. What will be the outcome? Who will live and who will die? A must read with an explosive end.

I was in awe of this from the start. A group of lives brought together in the few seconds it takes for a gunman to open fire in a South London cafe during the morning rush hour. A hostage-taking ensues and we are in for a nail-biting siege.

There is tension in every bit of this premise, however, what really ratchets it up is the was Charity Norman makes us care so much about everyone concerned - including the gunman himself. Everyone involved - right down to the hostage negotiators who are despatched to try and keep a lid on this powder keg - is not just beautifully drawn, but quickly feels like someone you have known forever.

The prose is sparkling and the whole thing ripples with insight. But what I really admired was the complete grasp the author has on the physicality of this piece. She renders the setting in a way that makes you feel you've been there and that, despite the sometimes panicky tumble of events going on, you always know who is where and what they are doing.

I loathe spoilers, so won't risk any here. I had my own view as to how I wanted this to end. I didn't get my way. But I am more than happy to concede that Ms Norman's ending couldn't have been more perfect.

I can definitely see this being made into an upmarket drama by the BBC.

With many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an advance copy.

A few years back, Sydney had a similar incident to that in "The Secrets of Stramgers".. People were going about their morning rituals and found themselves in a seige in a Lindt Cafe. The outcome was devastating.
Norman introduces her characters as they begin their daily ritual and their stories collide in the cafe when Sam comes back with a shotgun to threaten the owner.
We see the stories of the negotiator, the tramp, a young lawyer, a nurse and the assailant, Sam, collide, as a strange loyalty develops between the group members.
The concept is an interesting one. The attempts to rescue Sam from himself are heart-warming but there is a impending sense that he cannot survive the seige.
Behind every incident like this there must be stories. Norman has created an absorbing set of relationships forged in the most difficult of circumstances. Lives are changed, ironically perhaps for the better.
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this prior to punlication.

This book is defiantly in my top 10 of 2020! I Really enjoyed reading this one!

An emotionally charged plot, with well developed characters that become your friends!

The narrative shifts between the past and the present which helps to connect everything together, I found it a extremely moving a compelling read.

This novel is a standout brilliant story. I have read all of Charity Norman’s novels and for me this is the best yet. I have loved them all but this one is extra special. Having read the ‘blurb’ I requested an ARC copy for review. I was thrilled when I saw my request had been accepted, received through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher HQ in return for an honest review. Thank you most sincerely for my copy. This author is exceedingly talented, writes with creativity and strives to put together absorbing and thought-provoking-stories for others to read and enjoy. Her themes are always meticulously researched as well. Once again she has written an absolute gem of a novel. I loved it and read it over a two-day period.
The story revolves around a young man whose life has been continuously blighted by an older man who is a serial womaniser, charming on the outside but with a deadly dangerous personality disorder, bent on having his own way whatever the cost. He is an evil narcissist of the worst kind. The lad first met his tormentor at the age of eight, when his adored father died suddenly, and since then, boy and man, he has been vilely humiliated, seriously wronged and recently, now a grown man with a family of his own, brought to his knees with grief. Everything and everyone he ever has loved is lost to him in the cruellest way imaginable.
Driven wild with frustration and with a gun in his hands, the furious young man enters a café on the outskirts of London. He knows his loathed adversary will be there. The place is filled with customers, a diverse faction of society, having an early morning drink or snack. He wants to settle the score with his adversary and finally bring his torture to an end. He takes the customers hostage and their day-long wait for resolution begins. How will their long wait, well into the dark rainy night, end? These are their stories, as they struggle to understand why they are being held captive. Each take their turn to tell their individual stories, strangers to each other, and they learn, very gradually, more of the gunman’s heart-breaking story and come to understand that he has nothing else to lose. It has all already irredeemably been lost.
Their poignant stories are deeply moving. The characters are very carefully developed with immense skill and empathy. I actually felt as though I was there in the café absorbed by their trials, tribulations and triumphs. I cared about each character as if these strangers were my own friends. I found that people and things I once thought of as despicable no longer did. I felt compassion and understanding. I particularly empathised with the gunman. At first I felt revulsion at his behaviour, then only understanding and worry about him. He was a tremendously likeable person when I knew the entire story. I wanted him to be able to move on so badly. I adored the beautiful storytelling and the tension of moving from one phase of the novel to the other. This novel is a massive page-turner and I am full of admiration for the way the author was persuasive and changed my mind several times. The finale of this novel was absolutely exquisite. I recommend this as an excellent crime thriller from the beginning to the final few words. It is definitely on my unmissable list as the best novel that I have read so far this year. I think it will be a massive standout novel for Charity Norman.