A story that will stay with you long after you have put it on the shelf. A gripping, emotional rollercoaster.
On an otherwise normal weekday morning in London, several people are gathered in the Tuckbox café. Some are sitting down to breakfast; others are grabbing their take-away latte on the way to the Tube. All is happy, buzzing, everyday life.
Until a manic gunman takes them all hostage.
Charity Norman’s latest novel takes us through the events of this dramatic day. Told in short vignettes, we see the unfolding drama through the eyes of the police negotiator, the hostages, and the gunman himself. We learn his story and that of the other participants in the narrative: a homeless man, a woman who escaped the unspeakable horrors of the Rwandan genocide, a lawyer and a young staff member of the café. All their lives become intertwined over the next twelve hours.
This is more than just another fast-paced thriller. Norman paints a vivid portrait of familial abuse; of the complex relationship of parent and child; of the pull of addiction. The theme running through this work is the life-force: the drive that keeps us going through the worst moments. But no cock-eyed optimist, she also shows a compassionate understanding for those moments when the life-force fails us, and we choose to opt out.
The Secrets of Strangers is exquisitely readable and surprisingly moving. Norman manages to avoid overt sentimentality and cliché, yet still draws portraits of people that we grow to love and care about. She knows how to keep the pace going, whilst taking time to develop back-story and believable, multi-faceted characters. She is clearly a psychological thriller writer at the top of her game. It is easy to see how she was shortlisted for Best Crime Novel at the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards for her previous novel, See You In September.
This is a story that will stay with you long after you have put it on the shelf.
Oh…and you might want to have some tissues handy…
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: March 2020
RRP: $29.99
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