24 Hours

A hostage crisis erupts in San Francisco in this gripping novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel. Days before Thanksgiving, a supermarket in San Francisco’s bustling residential Marina district is busy with shoppers preparing for a holiday filled with family and love. Then, violence shatters the festive mood as customers find themselves trapped with gunmen. Two murders are committed in the first few minutes of the hostage situation. The gunmen mean business. The hostages are terrified, but not entirely helpless. Among the shoppers are FBI agent Tom Parker and two armed police officers. Also trapped in the store is pregnant mother who was shopping with her young boys—and whose water just broke. A paramedic—whose own wife is home pregnant—tries to care for her under the worst possible circumstances. An elderly couple take comfort in being with each other—until one of them goes into cardiac arrest, creating a second medical emergency. While the devoted store manager Fred Reilly has a gun held to his head, a homeless vet, who camps out in front of the supermarket, comes up with an idea that could potentially save them all. In the tense, twenty-four-hour standoff with police and SWAT teams surrounding the store, many of the hostages come to reevaluate their lives and their choices. Amid the terror, new bonds are formed, which will prove life-changing. For those who survive, their gratitude this Thanksgiving will be profound. Both thrilling and life-affirming, the emotional impact of this new novel by Danielle Steel will linger long after its dramatic resolution.