The Oyster House Siege

by Jay Rayner

It's General Election night, 1983. The great and the good have gathered in the Jermyn Street Oyster House restaurant in central London to celebrate a Tory victory. But when two masked gunmen burst through the door and take a group of diners hostage, none of them has any idea just how hellish their night has just become. As the hours tick by, the terrified hostages grow increasingly aware that they are surrounded by glinting blades and trapped with a psychopath who can't wait to start using them. They may not be able to stand the heat, but there's little chance they'll ever get out of the kitchen...

336 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2007

About the author

Jay Rayner is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster born in 1966.

Reviews

[Dave]

An interesting read. Who'd have thought an armed siege intertwined with cooking could be as thrilling as it is?

A good knowledge of the area in play, the time period in which it is set, and the cultural flow of the populous, enables Rayner to display his obvious talent and interests in food and it's place in culture, politics and society.

Tantalising and gripping, it drives you to read more in anticipation of the next incredible dish, and the next drug-fuelled aggressive act of a psychopathic gunman.

[Paul Cartwright]

Weird one to review. Part of me liked the story, and part of me found the dialogue frustrating! The detailed explanations of various foods was exceptional, but not carried over to the rest of the novel - hence the low rating.

[Wayne's]

This is a solid story, well worth a read

[Kay Wells]

very good read would read more.