High and Low - Amanda Craig

'Craig anatomises the state of the nation with wit and empathy' JONATHAN COE'The most mischievous take imaginable on the way we live now' FRANCIS SPUFFORD'Terrific' PHILIP PULLMAN'Sharp and funny, clear-eyed and unsentimental' CLARE CHAMBERS'She's such a skilful storyteller who vividly dramatises our lives with wit, wisdom and compassion' BERNARDINE EVARISTOIn the worst day of the year, and on the twelfth day of Christmas, a group of people come under siege in Cross St, North London. A gang is hunting for a child who has been drawn into crime with tragic results; there is a riot outside the church where asylum seekers have been sleeping, and many cities have descended into fierce protests. Inside the Literary Cafe, a group of writers, bakers and shopkeepers are sheltering. Their petty feuds and past quarrels must be forgotten if they are to survive a gang armed with knives and a gun. Over a few hours, the divisions between high and low, old and new, haves and have-nots are thrown into violent contrast. Are they going to try to save themselves, or each other?