Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and Neil Smith

Taken hostage by a failed bank robber while attending an open house, eight anxiety-prone strangers--including a redemption-seeking bank director, two couples who would fix their marriages, and a plucky octogenarian--discover their unexpected common traits.

What a fantastic book. It's real life. It's fiction. It's wonderful.

I enjoyed Anxious People overall.

It was just that the cast of characters was a little too quirky for my tastes. It annoyed me a time or two.

I still loved them all and it definitely tugged at my heartstrings, though.

I love love loved this!! The writing style was so intriguing, couldn't put this down!

This reminded me of a grown-up version of The Westing Game, with its quirky mystery, interlocking backstories, red herrings, and fragmented storytelling style that ultimately came together with a focus on relationships and human warmth. My first Backman book but I'm curious to read some others by him now. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy from the publisher for review consideration.