The Siege

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I haven't read much in this genre, but this was a fantastic one. The action starts early and doesn't stop - with the exception of an epilogue, which I loved, all the action takes place over about twelve hours, and most of it happens within a few hundred yards. I didn't want to put it down once I started reading it. The Revd Richard Lamey is the Rector of St Paul’s, Wokingham, and Area Dean of Sonning, in the diocese of Oxford.

The Siege by John Sutherland | Goodreads The Siege by John Sutherland | Goodreads

THE SIEGE is the story of a hostage situation in south London. When Lee James Connor, a loner, inspired by an anti-immigrant, firebrand right-wing extremest leader, takes a community church centre and its nine attendees hostage, we see the events of an entire night play out through the viewpoints of Connor, Grace, one of his hostages, and Alex, the lead hostage negotiator assigned to the incident.

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The Siege By John Sutherland | Used | 9781398707573 | World The Siege By John Sutherland | Used | 9781398707573 | World

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. The Siege is) the fiction debut from ex-Chief Superintendent John Sutherland, author of the Sunday Times bestselling Blue. You can tell that he knows his stuff. This is masterful and gripping. John Sutherland is a hot new talent. One to watch.” (Catherine Balavage, Frost Magazine) The central theme is not allowing hate to triumph over good. It is easy to fall into a default mode of hate rather than taking time to understand people and situations. We see this as Grace tries to reach Lee using the words of Martin Luther King, expressing that if she was to meet Lee’s hatred for her with more hate then they would get nowhere. We also have the warning of online radicalisation and that it is just as likely to affect disaffected white youths as Muslim religious extremists. There is also the issue of super strong cannabis which can damage the psyche of users. This is considerably different to the cannabis establishment members may have dabbled with in their youth, much more potent and dangerous. Conveys with compassion and understanding the unvarnished reality of police work today * THE TIMES * Not too far away live Grace Wheatley and her teenage son Isaiah, she had been born in the United Kingdom but her parents had come over as part of the Windrush campaign. She is a teaching assistant at a local school, her son is her life.You know you're in the presence of an expert when you read The Siege. A gripping debut novel. * Jeffrey Archer *

The Siege | John Sutherland | 9781398707566 | NetGalley The Siege | John Sutherland | 9781398707566 | NetGalley

Interestingly the whole novel is kept low key but remarkably intense from the dialogue to the action. Everything in the police operation feels thought through and very well planned (reassuringly!). But what no-one can take into account are the unpredictable elements. The impact of the heavy duty cannabis combined with the mental strain on Connors as he negotiates his demands with the police. Then there is the bravery and sheer humanity of Grace, who sees a young man in pain and connects with him in that level.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? About This Edition ISBN: You know you're in the presence of an expert when you read The Siege. A gripping debut novel.' Jeffrey Archer Conveys with compassion and hard-won understanding the unvarnished reality of police work today.” James Owen, The Times (Best New Thrillers for June 2022)

The Siege by John Sutherland | Hachette UK The Siege by John Sutherland | Hachette UK

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s written in the POV of the three main characters, Alex, Connor and Grace. The story flows well between the characters, and it’s easy to follow what is going on. The plot was very well thought out, and the characters were very relatable, and you felt genuine empathy for all three in different ways. There were multiple layers to each character, and as the story progresses you learn more about them and how different their lives are. The conclusion comes together beautifully in the end, leaving no loose ends and unanswered questions. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I would definitely recommend it. I found it fascinating to see what goes on in a situation like this, and all the different parts that people play, as well as seeing it from 3 different viewpoints. Sutherland shows us the complexity of a hostage scenario and the weight that rests on the shoulders of the police in such situations. It is tense and atmospheric and the drama feels very real. Learning that the author is a serving police officer and hostage negotiator explains why this story is so engaging and believable. Following a dramatic hostage scenario in London, Sutherland delivers a spine tingling tale of hate, compassion, patience and individuality. This is such a well-written novel and it is obvious that Sutherland has both taken from his own experience but also done a lot of research as well. I didn't expect it to be as emotional as it is. We understand just how easy it is for someone who is a bit of a loner to become radicalised.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? Alex Lewis is overworked and exhausted. He’s also suffering from PTSD but in typical male fashion his remedy consists of completely ignoring this and assuming it will go away. A father of two boys, he feels he is failing as a husband and as a father and he is troubled over his last negotiating mission which ended badly, through no fault of his, or anyone’s. 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 thought it was interesting to see things from the point of view of the hostage taker, and although it naturally didn't excuse his actions, we did understand them a little more.