I started reading this book a while ago, but had to put it to one side for a bit. The story begins with a concert being given in a South American country by a famous opera diva for the benefit of an executive from a Japanese electronics manufacturer that the country’s hoping will build a factory locally. The country’s president should be there, but he can’t miss the primetime edition of his favourite soap opera, so he’s feigned an illness.
But it’s at this concert that a rebel group decides to invade the house and take the president hostage. When they realise that the president’s not there (only the vice president is present), a prolongued hostage situation begins.
The way that this unfolds is quite gentle, and I guess it was the sudden real life tragedy of Beslan interrupted my story, and the so far rosy image of life as a hostage was suddenly thrown aside by the grim realities we were hearing about from Russia.
But it’s a great book, and so I picked it back up, and continued reading. I won’t spoil the ending, but it doesn’t disappoint.