After switching careers from criminal barrister to novelist, perhaps it was inevitable that Hawkes Bay author Charity Norman would find herself writing gritty family dramas. Her books have found international success but the latest, The Secrets Of Strangers, was inspired by events close to home. During the 2009 Napier siege when gunman Jan Molenaar opened fire on police officers, Norman’s house was taken over by the Armed Offenders Squad and peppered with bullet holes.

The Secrets Of Strangers involves different circumstances but explores similar themes. A suspenseful page-turner, it is set in a café where a group of people find themselves being held hostage by an armed man who is growing increasingly desperate.