The Siege is the first fiction book written by John Sutherland but having read his memoir Blue a couple of years ago I was both excited and intrigued to read it and I was not disappointed, taking only a couple of days to finish it. This is not a book full of dramatic action but one that follows three key people, Alex, Grace and Lee during a hostage situation in a church hall. Each one of them have ghosts that are ever present during the events that take place and that form some of the decisions they make.
Alex is a police hostage negotiator who has had a near perfect success rate in all the incidents he has been called to. Unfortunately it is that one failure that has him doubting his abilities at times. Thankfully during those moments of self-doubt, he turns to his colleague Pip to talk things through and get him back on track. He is aware that the things he says could lead to an outcome that could be good or bad, but he has to try. These insecurities actually make him seem more real as we always assume that hostage negotiators are confident self-assured people (or at least that is how they are normally portrayed) and I found myself willing him to get everyone out safely.
Grace was the surprise to me. One of the hostages she initially was as scared as the rest of them but there was a steely determination in her that saw her wanting to get back to her son. Seeing past the hate of her captor, she slowly broke down his prejudices with simple acts of kindness and understanding all the while making sure her fellow hostages were kept safe. Her story was revealed as she attempted to bond with Cooper, trying to get him to see that apart from the colour of their skin they really were not that different after all.
Lee Cooper started out as a character that you could not like. Having been radicalised online into believing that all immigrants were bad and had to be removed by whatever means necessary, he had targeted the church hall due to their group that helped refugees. From the start nothing went the way he anticipated, despite his meticulous planning yet he was determined to see his plan through to the end, either gaining freedom for the person he looked up to or with the death of himself and all the hostages. Throughout he was plagued with self-doubt and paranoia but what he hadn’t counted on was Grace.
The Siege is different as it takes a balanced view of a hostage situation from the points of view of the ones affected the most, the negotiator, the hostage and the hostage taker, showing each one as human beings. You will find yourself hoping for the best possible outcome for all of them and this is due to the writing style of the author who has put his past experiences onto the page to make such believable characters.

The reader follows the story from three points of view. There is Lee the Hostage taker, Grace a hostage and Alex the negotiator.

As events unfold the perspective changes from each person, this is done seamlessly and gives so much depth to the story.

There are unexpected twists and unexpected compassion. It’s a real journey for everyone involved.

Overall The Siege has it all.

This is the story of Lee, a right-wing terrorist who invades a small church meeting and takes the people hostage, Grace, one of the hostages, and Alex, the police negotiator. There is a lot of violence at the beginning of the book and I thought it was going to be a hard read, but Alex and Grace are brilliant characters, brave, kind and compassionate. This really changed the direction of the story. A -provoking book.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this title. The Siege is by John Sutherland, a former police officer and it is fair to say that this comes across in his writing. Right at the beginning we are introduced to James Lee Connor, a mixed up right wing racist who is on a mission to show the world that his views are correct. This leads to the siege of the title - he barricades himself into a church hall with his hostages - seven adults and two children. It falls to Alex Lewis, an experienced negotiator, to try to talk him into releasing his captives. The story continues on a knife edge as the negotiations continue. Alex is helped in this by Grace, one of the hostages, who despite her ethnicity forms a bond with Connor and slowly begins to win him over. A good read.

A tense, gripping and fast paced read, that I couldn't put down. It was twisty and unpredictable. A compelling read that I would recommend.

This was such a tense book and it soon became obvious to me that I was not going to put it down until it was finished. A brilliant story from start to finish.

As the synopsis shows, there are 9 hostages, and only 10 hours to save them. The story revolves around three main characters, Lee, Grace and Alex.

Lee is a young man who takes the 9 people hostage.
Grace is one of the hostages.
Alex is a police negotiator.

There are other characters that have supporting roles, but the focus is on these three. How they came to be in the situation they are in. But more importantly, this story gets under the skin of the characters, into their minds and this makes it a fabulo9usly addictive read.

In some respects, this is a slow-paced story, tentative steps, planning, conversations, background and negotiations are all wrapped into the personal lives of the main three. While it is slower paced, it is also so tense and tight that it feels as if it is a faster pace. I know this sounds very convoluted, but while the essence of the negotiations is controlled the feelings of those concerned feels fraught. I think it is the element of danger, the wonder of what will happen that add a feel thriller feel.

Each of the characters is introduced, and their individual stories are expanded on throughout the book. As a reader, it is great to see into the minds and lives of people in situations and also into their beliefs. This does have race and immigration at its core, but there is something that is much deeper to this story. It is a story of manipulation and of false or fake news, and how easy it is for people to believe in unsubstantiated facts.

I think this is a fabulous read, the atmospheric tension makes this a page-turner and the characters are so wonderfully portrayed. My thoughts at the beginning of the book were different by the time I had finished it. There is a wonderful message behind the story and it is one that really resonated.

This is a book for fans of tense, suspense-filled crime, thriller and with a wonderful psychological feel to it. I adored every part of this book and I would definitely recommend it.

The sort of book to read in one session which is what I did, interspersed with numerous breaks when it all got a bit too tense.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel by John Sutherland. A troubled villain, a sympathetic police officer/negotiator and a brilliantly written heroine who just happened to be get involved in the hostage-taking situation.

It was an extremely compelling and tense story, very well written and it kept me totally engrossed.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

A truly excellent, well written and gripping book. One of those that you pick up from time to time and don’t want to put down, trying to finish it in one session.
Although, what you might call, a simple tale, no real twists and turns or complex “who was he or she again” characters, it is a book which is more than a story and one that many should read for reasons that become obvious as you move into the epilogue.
With summer approaching, one to read by the pool, or in the confines of your back garden, or if you don’t discover it until the nights become darker, one to read with a coffee or two in the comfort of your own home.
No matter where you read it, you will enjoy it.

The novel moves along at a good pace and is well written. The author creates a real feeling of tension and unease and it is one of the scariest thrillers I've read for a long time! Brilliant!

The Siege is the debut novel by John Sutherland and is an excellent page turner that kept me hooked throughout.

Told from the viewpoint of the 3 main protagonists the pacing throughout was excellent. Also the author managed to make the main characters distinctive enough for the story to not be confusing irrespective of who was telling the narrative.

Overall an excellent debut

The siege by John Sunderland.
Nine hostages. Ten hours. One chance to save them all.Lee James Connor has found his purpose in life: to follow the teachings of far-right extremist leader, Nicholas Farmer. So when his idol is jailed, he comes up with the perfect plan: take a local immigrant support group hostage until Farmer is released.
I really enjoyed this book. Great story and characters. 4*.