The premise for Three hours is the terrifying but plausible scenario of a gunman on the loose within the confines of a school. In this case the setting is a progressive liberal school in Somerset, the narrative gripping from the outset. The tension is palpable almost from the word go so this is most definitely an edge of your seat read. My heart was pounding with every turn of the page desperate to discover how this will ultimately play out. With the school on lockdown, the staff and schoolchildren face the most horrifying ordeal whilst their lives are in the hands of the gunman. Is it a lone wolf or are several individuals responsible for this act of terror? What is the motivation behind this atrocity and who is the target? All good questions the police need answers to and quickly. The writing perfectly conveys the mounting tension as children and teachers deal with the terror and fear of the unknown as each minute ticks by. The remote location of the school combined with its sprawling layout and appalling weather certainly hamper the ability to resolve the situation, the descriptions of which add to the overall sense of unease. Imagining the responsibility these officers have in bringing this scenario to an end with minimal loss of life is mind blowing and acutely observed. So too are the scenes where parents are discovering whether their own child is safe, their horror and fear and inability to control the outcome literally oozes from each word.
The author is tackling some serious emotive issues with this piece of fiction but does so effortlessly and with compassion. Whilst themes such as the plight of child refugees, terrorism, the rise of white supremacy and the media’s role in inciting/inflaming hatred are central to the storyline, interwoven throughout the whole novel is the theme of love, in all its glorious forms. Underneath all the darkness there is so much love and tenderness and the resilience and bravery of both staff and children is humbling.
I think the writing is superb throughout creating exactly the right amount of tension although I can’t pretend to understand the technicalities of decoding encryptions etc. The use of Shakespeare’s Macbeth as an metaphor for unfolding events is inspired and very clever. Not to mention the twist at the end which was brilliant. I had my suspicions that all was not right but could never have guessed the turn of events!!
Without a doubt Three Hours is an outstanding read and worthy of a 5 ⭐️review. Horrifying yet utterly compelling this is an adrenaline fuelled, heart stopping read.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

A snowy November morning and the students at Cliff Heights school are about to have their world turned upside down. There's an explosion in the woods and the headteacher has been shot. The police believe that two recent arrivals from Syria are leading a terrorist attack but the real terrorists are much closer to home. As students and staff inside the school try to survive, police try to sort things out, parents worry and social media goes crazy.

This is a brilliant book. The start is incredibly disquieting and then the story unfolds into a scarier and scarier narrative. Taking place over a mere three hours the lives of the protagonists are dissected and laid bare but with such skill that it seems all part of the tale. The Final twist regarding the third shooter was almost glossed over and this was the only thing that could have been developed more but otherwise this is a clever reflection of Far Right versus liberalism and the insidious nature of hate versus love

What a wonderful psychological thriller. Beautifully written with a plot that resonates and unfortunately is totally in line with some of the unspeakable horrors of today’s society.

I was immediately drawn into this book which shocked, chilled and entertained me in turn.

Strongly recommended.

This book had me utterly gripped! Such an sad story of terrorism at its worst. A school under siege and a race against time to save many children and teachers. I absolutely loved this book.

Sensational kept me gripped until the end ... students are holed up while their school is under siege by a gunman the head teachers been shot and Hannah one of the students is trying to care for him. The story takes us into the 3 hours of the event ... Hannah’s boyfriend Rafi a Syrian refugee is initially thought to be involved but as the tale unfolds its Rafi who helps under cover the real culprits and reasons why
Shocking - this is a great read about an often very real topic in our world today

This is one of the best titles I've read on Netgalley. Set over a short and focused time-frame, Three Hours somehow manages to sustain the fast-paced feel of a thriller, but has beautiful poetic descriptions and character depth that makes it feel literary.

Lupton challenges pre-conceived ideas of school shootings and captures the panic of the situation while also addressing a number of social issues. Each teenager, teacher and police are drawn brilliantly and you genuinely care for each character. This is what makes it such a good, tense read. The identity of the gunman is a question that sustains intrigue for the right amount of time and is revealed at just the right moment.

There are issues woven into this book that I didn't see coming; the past struggles of two Syrian refugee children, first loves and teachers battling with depression. I don't want to give anything away, but the character journey of Jamie's mum was my favourite part, it was painful and emotional and a very refreshing viewpoint to explore. I would have read and entire novel just about Jamie's mum's journey.

Unpopular opinion time, I didn’t love this book.

I didn’t dislike it either but while I can certainly appreciate the writing, it wasn’t the tense, gripping read I expected. This was my first book from the author so I had no idea what to expect from it other than what the synopsis and the many rave reviews suggested. The premise is certainly an intriguing one and while there seem to be quite a few books around at the moment that center on a school shooting this is probably the first I’ve come across which is set in the UK and I loved the idea of the whole thing taking place over just three hours.

I did wonder how the author would stretch three hours over the 300 plus pages but I still had hope that it would be a powerful and tension filled read. Unfortunately however this proved not to be the case, or at least not for me. I never felt fully engaged with the story or the characters and I didn’t feel any tension or any emotion from it at all.

The story is really a lot of little stories, following as it does a lot of different characters over the three hour period. There’s the head teacher who’s seriously wounded at the start, a few of the students including two Syrian refugees, teachers, a worried parent and a police psychologist tasked with identifying the gunmen. There is definitely a lot to fill the pages but I think it was these many points of view that were the issue for me.

I’m generally not a fan of multiple pov’s in a novel and this book is a perfect example of why that is. With so many characters I found it difficult to keep track of who was who, where they were and what was happening particularly at the start. I also never felt like I really got to know any of them and consequently wasn’t invested in their story. I was left a detached observer, curious about how it would all play out but not really feeling much of anything.

It was also all rather predictable. There are a few surprises and unexpected twists but for the most part the author sends enough signals early on that you know what’s coming. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it makes it all feel real and believable but without the attachment to the characters I needed something to lift it.

This review is starting to make it seem like I didn’t like anything about the book but that’s really not the case. I loved the author’s writing and the way she set the scene of this remote school in the middle of a blizzard. There’s a real sense of isolation from it that works perfectly. I loved the connections made between what’s going on and the play the students are rehearsing, Macbeth. I loved the small acts of heroism and love. I was also impressed and slightly terrified by how real and how relevant a lot of it feels. The role of the media, the increase in hate and extremism and the vulnerability of young people in this age of social media.

Overall therefore, while I didn’t love this book I would still recommend it. I certainly seem to be in the minority as far as reviews go making me think a lot of the issues I had with it are more personal taste than any fault of the author’s. It’s definitely a unique read and incredibly relevant given how divided society feels right now.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. This has in no way influenced my review.

This was another brilliant story that you could not put down. You are never sure which way it will go and you fear for the children but the characters give this life and feeling with the writing being excellent. I loved this and would highly recommend it.

This is a superb nail-biting book. The tension, especially in the second half, is hard to bear. The characterisation is superb.  The idea of making a school in the West Country a likely setting for a gun siege seemed to me hard to make believable. However once the narrative got started I believed it utterly. I can not recommend this book too highly.

Brilliant read . I was gripped from the onset . A very well written book combining elements of a thriller alongside a moving and brave story. It’s unlike any other thriller out there at the moments and it’s definitely up in my top reads of the last 12 months . Would make a great film !

Compelling, mind-blowing & exceptional!

It felt like my heart was in my mouth for every page I read, I'm very sure whatever I write won't do it justice but if there is one book you read this year make sure this it is.

This novel is so exceptionally written, all the characters are multi-dimensional and tangible and vivid in their own right, every single one of the stories told affected me as a reader.

Lupton captures the best and the worst of humanity in these pages, the terror, the bravery and the hope. Her writing is absolutely superb, the sheer emotions at all levels are portrayed perfectly. I became so immersed the lines between reality and fiction were blurred.

This is a powerful read that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Thanks to Viking Books & Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a very dramatic story. A school under siege by masked gunmen, with three hours for a solution to be found. The tension is palpable and the situation terrifying. Not for reading alone, late at night!!

Took me a while to get round to reading this, what a great heart stopping read, a story well researched and told very well, a great cast of charecters, thoroughly enjoyed it, another great read by a favourite author of mine

I have so much to say about this book, and all of it is good.
this was such a well-told and passionate story.
Told over the space of 3 hours and from multiple points-of-view I felt so many emotions on behalf of the characters. I was hopeful and hopeless, my heart empty, only to be filled again. It was a beautiful tale of friendships and beliefs as well as a loneliness and loss.

I loved this book, I raced through it. I would definitely recommend it and will be reading more from this author!

Three Hours was a book that affected me deeply. It deals with an armed siege at a school and is told by various points of view. The pupils, their teachers, parents and the police. Everybody apart from the armed men whose identity and reasoning is revealed as you read.

Whilst the siege itself is disturbing it was the reaction of the characters that had me gripped and emotional. The bond between two brothers who had already suffered when fleeing Syria. The teachers trying to protect the younger pupils from danger and keeping them occupied so they didn’t see the danger they were in. This isn’t a book where the children are aware they are in lockdown, they had little idea of their situation. The police in the story didn’t have as much impact on me until near the end when I realised exactly what had happened and I was fearful of what danger some were still in.

It is confusing at times, but I think this was the intent. I can’t imagine any situation like this in real life being straight forward. For either the hostages or the people who are trying to bring the situation to an end. I found some of the terminology upsetting, especially in the last half of the book. More so because it so realistic and there are people among us who feel this way.

Three Hours was the first book I have read by this author. I will definitely be looking at her earlier books.

I’ve read and enjoyed every book this author has written. She isn’t an author who churns out thriller after thriller, instead sneaking one out every few year, each new release gaining acclaim and getting translated into multiple languages. Everything she writes is so meticulous researched, beautifully written with care and attention to every little detail, and this is no exception. Tackling the controversial topic of school shootings could be her most ambitious subject matter yet, but this book was completely on point; emotional, intelligent and compelling.

In the heart of the English countryside in the middle of a snowstorm, a brave bunch of students and teachers battle with the elements and the threat of gunmen, whilst an expert team of investigators work to save them, and the tension throughout is palpable. Three hours can go in the blink of an eye, or feel like a lifetime. When a rural, liberal school in quiet area of South England comes under threat from a gunman, it’s some of the most important hours in the characters’ lives.

In the heart of the English countryside in the middle of a snowstorm, a brave bunch of students and teachers battle with the elements and the threat of gunmen, whilst an expert team of investigators work to save them, and the tension throughout is palpable. Lupton counts down the hours cycling through a cast characters who feel incredibly real, tackling topics straight from the headlines in a story which is fascinating, harrowing and atmospheric. School shootings aren’t as common in England as in the US but the author creates a completely plausible, chillingly realistic scenario.

I don’t want to go into too much detail on the reasoning behind the shooting as it’s much better to allow it to play out and the reader to discover for themselves along with the characters, but it does deal with some very real, current topics in politics and does an excellent job of examining the storm of both the traditional media and social media which goes hand in hand with any dramatic news story.

I do have issues with books which try to force their morals and opinions down the readers’ throats, and I think Lupton definitely has a point to make here, but she does it with such skill I think she pulls it off beautifully. Her characters are authentic and through them she drills down to what it means to be human; regardless of your ethnicity, background or mental health.Cliff Heights is a progressive, inclusive school and this is a progressive, inclusive book, one which aims to open the readers’ eyes and force us to ask questions of the society we live in.

But don’t get me wrong – there’s lots of issues which need to be talked about in this book, but regardless of all that it’s a stunning, captivating thriller which will have you racing through the pages as the clock ticks down. The use of time and alternating character perspective really works here, creating a desperate need to learn more before time runs out. There’s romance, there’s horror, there’s vulnerable children and a strong heroine who is the epitome of keeping cool under pressure. Th writing is captivating and the setting of the snow-filled forest makes it feel almost fairy-tale-like, juxtaposing the harsh reality of terrorists and social media. It’s a character-driven thriller, a psychological character study, an examination of today’s society and so much more. Just give this one a try for yourself.

Three hours is 180 minutes or 10,800 seconds.
It is a morning’s lessons, a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, a snowy trek through the woods.
It’s an eternity waiting for news. Or a countdown to something terrible.
It is 180 minutes to discover who you will die for and what men will kill for.

I am glad I got the chance to be part of the blog tour for Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton. I was reading this book while I was on a plane, travelling to Macedonia, and it was a great adventure all the way through. In all honesty, I enjoyed it a lot, but it didn’t make my favourites list.

A school is under a siege and the headmaster has been shot. The story is being told from the point of view of everyone involved – the students, the teachers, the worried parents, the investigators, even the bad guys… Different people are hiding in different places in the school, all hoping this is just a dream.

During the book, we follow a few story lines:

*Hannah, the teenage girl who is in love for the first time, trying to help the wounded headmaster.
*Rafi and his younger brother Basi, Syrian refugees, still suffering from PTSD.
*The parents that are gathered together, desperate for news that their children are safe.
*The police psychologist and investigators, who are trying to identify the gunmen.
*The students hiding in the school theatre, who rely on a Shakespeare play to calm themselves.

As the chapters go through, the time passes and we get a better glimpse of the whole picture, and the story behind the whole attack of the school. It is very nicely written and amazingly put together.

The ending was unpredictable.

I loved the ending. Even though I had a lot of guesses, and I desperately tried to convince myself that the person responsible couldn’t possibly be the guilty one, the book proved me wrong in the most unpredictable way possible. The book’s ending is the ending you have been waiting for in a thriller for a very long time, and I was quite pleased for a few days after reading it.

Throughout the book, you will get hundreds of small clues that you won’t even notice, and in the end it will all make sense. I may have to read this book again, just to enjoy all those little hidden clues throughout the way and cherish them for the amazing clues they were. Also, to simply mock my inability to spot them as well. 🙂

If you love fast-paced thrillers and multiple point-of-view books, Three Hours should definitely be on your radar. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Penguin House, for sending me a copy of this book!

I’ve been a fan of Rosamund Lupton’s writing ever since reading Sister. It was the author's understated, subtle, elegant, yet effective writing style that won me over then, just as it is with Three Hours.

A school is under siege. Students of varying ages are trapped in different buildings and rooms, as are teachers, and the headmaster, trying to keep each other alive, in the library, the pottery room barricading the doors with books and their own bodies. Teenagers are rehearsing Macbeth in the school theatre, and one boy is trotting through the snow in a blizzard to make sure his little brother is safe. From everyone inside the school and the parents desperately waiting for news, to the police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, all experience the most intense three hours of their lives.

A standalone thriller, I particularly like that this story is packed with emotion and many moving moments that never results in the plot losing momentum, nor lacking thrills or excitement. A powerful and affecting story set in rural Somerset, it is topical and highly relevant to current events. Told through the eyes of those inside the school building at the time, the reader gets to witness to the sheer terror, confusion and disbelief about what is happening. Three Hours is an explosive mix of raw emotions and hard realities. It is a cocktail of what is untainted and pure in everyone versus the very worst. Three hours is complicated, stunning, riveting and absolutely impossible to put down.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Penguin Books (UK) Viking via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Wow what a read. Intense, gripping & had me totally hooked. I couldn’t put it down. Loved the use of Macbeth as well just helped add to the tension