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.
Grace Wheatley is no stranger to loneliness having weathered the passing of her husband, whilst being left to raise her son alone. The local support group is her only source of comfort. Until the day Lee James Connor walks in and threatens the existence of everything she’s ever known.
Superintendent Alex Lewis may be one of the most experienced hostage negotiators on the force, but there’s no such thing as a perfect record. Still haunted by his last case, can he connect with Connor – and save his nine hostages – before it’s too late?
PRAISE FOR THE SIEGE:
‘You know you’re in the presence of an expert when you read The Siege. A gripping debut novel.’ Jeffrey Archer
‘A masterly, gripping tale of a siege, written with a true voice of authority.’ Peter James
My Review
The Characters
The story is told from three different perspectives. Lee a far-right extremist, Grace, a lady caught up in the hostage situation and Alex, a police officer returning to the hostage team after an incident which caused him to take a break.
Each voice is very distinct and gives you a real sense of place. Starting from just their mundane every day lives that we all live, to this event they feel like they have no control over. It’s like watching a car crash in slow motion, you desperately want to look away but you just can’t.
What I loved about the book is you learn what brought these characters to the points they are in their life’s. This is especially true for Lee. Although I had no sympathy for what he was doing, John made you understand why and I ended up feeling for the character himself. I thought this was incredibly clever writing.
Police Procedure
I especially enjoyed the sections from Alex’s point of view. Police procedural books are some of my favourites, but sometimes they feel a little ‘Hollywood’. Not John’s book, thanks I think to him actually doing the job. I could see the team gathered in that room, making decisions that could change the fate of those taken hostage. Trying to reason with someone that is so set in their views it feels impossible to find a way forward.
Final Thoughts
You get completely drawn into the events, not willing to put the book down, desperate to know who makes it out. I read this book in two sittings, you can’t help but binge it.
This is a must-read book for those who love fast paced, tension, not sure how it’s going to go books. Thanks to John’s background it reads very much like a real event and I could easily picture this as a film.
The book is out now and I would highly recommend you picking it up, you won’t be disappointed.
My thanks to Tracy for inviting me onto the blog tour. To Orion for a copy of the book in exchange for a review. This does not alter my opinion in any way.
Author Profile
JOHN SUTHERLAND is a father of three who lives with his wife and children in south London. For more than twenty-five years he served as an officer in the Metropolitan Police, rising to the rank of Chief Superintendent before his retirement on medical grounds in 2018.
John is a sought-after public speaker and commentator on a broad range of issues, who regularly appears on TV and radio and writes for major newspapers.
His first book, BLUE, written and published while he was still serving in the Met, was a Sunday Times bestseller.
It tells the remarkable stories of his policing life and describes his long road to recovery following the serious nervous breakdown that ended his operational policing career.
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