Cover Image: Three Hours

Three Hours

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Member Reviews

This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be my last. Wow-what an emotional start such a rollercoaster. A great plot, well-crafted and well-written and definitely not for the faint-hearted. Recommended.

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Unputdownable!! This book wow.. I had to actually check if it was based on real events or not because I felt like I was in the actual timeline of a real story! This was just too real I couldn’t put it down I even stayed in the bath til the water ran cold. I’m shook. Three Hours takes you to the core of fear, I felt like my whole body was clenched, the tension running through me as I turned each page waiting to find out the fate of the children and as the timeline unfolded things just got more terrifying. I don’t think I’ll ever hear footsteps the same way again. I think because we have seen events like this in real life but somehow they just seems so unbelievable and far away like how could anything like that possibly happen it’s just too much, but to hear it told in this way just hit hard, those kids, my heart was racing. This book really packs a punch, set some time aside for yourself because once you pick it up you won’t be able to put it down til you feel safe again.

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I enjoyed this from start to finish. Well written and kept my interest the whole way through. I’ve not read this author before but will definitely look out for their books in the future

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This is a wonderful psychological thriller that I just could not put down.
The story is fast paced and just keeps you guessing.
Loved it.

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Unsurprisingly, this book is set within a three hour period.

In the midst of winter a rural school in Somerset is targeted by gunmen for its liberal ways.

The story is told from the points of view of various characters - pupils, teachers, parents, police.

It's very gripping, the descriptions of the gunman pacing the corridor and knocking at the doors was chilling. You feel the pressure the police are under to try and predict what the gunmen are planning to do.

I liked some of the characters but wasn't so fussed about others, maybe the author tried to focus on too many characters?

Overall this is a gripping read but I thought some parts at the end were a bit hashed together and rushed.

Thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for an advance copy to review.

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This book left me underwhelmed. After a promising premise, it just didn’t deliver. I found it quite hard going and slow, with not much happening. I didn’t feel an affinity with any of the characters, of which there were many. Seeing all the rave reviews, I realise that maybe it just wasn’t the book for me.

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I was utterly hooked in by this novel from the first page. The pace is impressive - it doesn't let down all the way through the book, this is tense and it feels relevant, current to the world we are living in today full of confusion and anger, where things like this can and do happen. The faceless gunman pacing the corridor is terrifying; and the book remains terrifying as the identities are gradually revealed. I like the lightness that seeps in through this book regardless, it's a very pacey read but it makes you think too; a great combination.

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I have a confession to make **whispers** ‘I have never read a book by Rosamund Lupton’, so what made me pick up Three Hours? Unless you have been living on another planet, this book has been all over social media, readers are raving about, reviewers on the whole are singing it’s praises, so I decided to treat myself to a copy. Can I just say? ‘Three Hours isn’t just a book you read, it’s a book that comes to life, and you end up living this story’

Three Hours is set in Cliff Heights School in Somerset, amid woodland on the Somerset coast, a tranquil place up until the moment the unthinkable happens and the school is terrorised by gunmen. The story takes place over three hours, and is told from multiple viewpoints, teachers, pupils, parents, and a police psychiatrist, these views add weight to the story, but you also feel the terror of the trapped children, the courage of the teachers and the despair and helplessness of the parents.

Three Hours is a story that not only plays on a parents worse nightmares, but it’s a scenario that you fear as a human being, it’s a story that’s frighteningly credible, it’s a modern day tale of our times. This book is an incredible story of love, courage and resilience in the face of terror, making for an emotionally powerful read, filled with tension, and terror.

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Absolutely loved this one guys! Such a relevant topic to life at the moment and terrifying in that you feel you are there and immersed in the tragedy. Super easy to read....pick it up guys, you won't be disappointed!

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I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down until I finished!

The thriller is set in the UK and gives a believable snapshot of the diverse UK community as well as the political/racial tensions in modern day Britain. I can see that this book has been well researched having been to the Dunkirk and Calais camps myself.

The author dealt with the difficult themes with compassion and sensitivity. I highly recommend this book.

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This book was superb. It was the first book that I’ve read written by Rosamund Lupton but it definitely won’t be the last. I was gripped from the beginning until the end. A well deserved 5* from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon too.

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I've loved everything this author has written. She's seriously one of today's best writers. Keeps you on the edge of your seat, and is never gimmicky. Another success for Lupton

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Three hours .. three hours of a school under gun attack .. three hours of your worst nightmares ..
A hard hitting storyline of every parents nightmare ... and the courage of children . A difficult subject to read about but written so well it will have to turning the pages eagerly but tentatively to find out how the story unfurls . 5🌟

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A fantastically written story, a really gripping read. The emotion of all the parties was very real and tangible. I enjoyed this and would recommend to others.

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What a fantastic read! Kept me gripped from beginning to end. I loved the characters so much, which takes a thriller like this from good to excellent. Absolutely brilliant, and has cemented Rosamund Lupton as a must-read author for me.

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A truly superb book, written beautifully with some very current issues being dealt with head on. A gripping read.

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Superb, powerfully written, totally gripping and sadly plausible. I was so moved by this very realistic story of modern day terrorism - it would make an excellent film. A must read!

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Set in rural Somerset; a large school campus within and bordered by forest, cliffs and sea.
Sixth-formers Rafi and Hannah are in love; Rafi's younger brother is in the lower school and suffers from PTSD from his life and escape from Syria - Rafi always there to protect him.
A sniper shoots Matthew Marr, the Headmaster, in the head. Who would do this ? why is the school under attack the pupils and teacher end up in a siege situation.
A device explodes in the woods - Rafi recognises the sound and races to protect his brother.
How can anyone escape from this siege? What do these gunmen want?
Further investigations reveal terrorism and white supremacy but its a school , What and who is behind all this.?.
Unusual and addictive thriller

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In southern, rural England a school is under siege. The children and teachers are aware of the situation but cannot escape. The head teacher is wounded and some children are unaccounted for. Why they are being targeted, and by whom, is slowly revealed as the story progresses. Added to this the weather is bad with heavy snow, and a blizzard forecast. While the police try to establish the motive, the people responsible, and how to rescue them, the parents struggle with the worry and the lack of information about their loved ones. The courage, bravery and fear of these adults and children is vividly described. A compelling and fast-paced storyline that felt very real. Thank you to Rosamund Lupton, Net Galley and the publisher, Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Three Hours is the story of a school campus being held hostage by a gunman with murderous intent. Unfortunately, a scenario that has played out for real in our society with shocking news coverage. the author draws wonderful characters to personalise a glimpse of possible motivations, fears and actions under the headlines.

The school is a campus of multiple buildings located in woodlands on the Somerset coast and includes a junior school, a senior school, pottery building and a theatre. It has continued to grow from the 1920s adding new to old and now provides education to 14 years of student needs. Several teachers and students occupy each of the buildings and their stories are told with compelling fascination when threat and fear hang over their every move. The novel explores how different people react, some stepping forward in moments of courage and those that don’t.

The attacks start with a small explosion, and Rafi, a young refugee from Aleppo knows from experience exactly what it was. He informs the headmaster, Matthew Marr, and rushes to the junior school to evacuate the children and his younger brother, Basi. For many others, it began when the headmaster was shot in the head and foot. Dragged into the library by Hannah (Rafi’s girlfriend) and her fellow student, Mr Marr is incapacitated but fears what is happening in his school.

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