Siege

Early in this nonstop action thriller from British author Kernick (The Last 10 Seconds), six terrorists charge into a five-star, 320-room London hotel with guns blazing and take hundreds of people hostage. The team is led by Wolf (all six use animal code names), but the real man in charge is Fox, who’s involved in the operation for money rather than ideological reasons. The hotel’s plucky duty manager, Elena Serenko, has to do the terrorists’ bidding while attempting to save as many of her guests as possible. The terrorists shoot anyone who even looks as if he or she is going to cause trouble. Outside, the massive police response is led by newly promoted Deputy Assistant Commissioner Arely Dale, who has a life-threatening secret. A strong cast of supporting characters supplies a continuing stream of engaging subplots that play out within the larger takeover story. Kernick keeps all the balls in the air as he delivers an exciting performance. Agent: Amanda Preston, LBA Literary Agency (U.K.). (June)