So much can happen in three hours. 180 minutes. Your world can get turned upside down, for one. In a secluded Somerset school, a small explosion on the grounds prompts Syrian refugee student Rafi to alert staff that a bomb has gone off, and following appropriate protocol the police are called and the school goes into lockdown.

I'm writing this review after JUST this minute finishing this book, because I need to get these feelings down. 

Let's start at the beginning of this book. We begin around 9am in the middle of a seige in a small school. Although hosting ages of 4-18 year olds, the school is small, everyone knows each other, it is very liberal in it's beliefs and education. Accessible by a long road, surrounded by a forest of trees and divided into Old School and New School, the landscape of the school grounds plays a crucial part in the developments that play out.

Following reports of a small bomb explosion in the forest outside the school, a local policeman investigates, only to be shot at in his car. Following on from this, we are taken around the school, into the local leisure centre where parents are waiting for information, and into the investigations surrounding the shooting, all through various points of views. We focus on different characters to learn what is happening inside and outside the school. Rafi, a refugee student from Syria who found the bomb and is trying desperately to protect those he loves. Mr Marr, the head teacher and second gunshot victim. Hannah, the student trying to stem the blood loss from Mr Marr as he lies unconscious on the library floor. Rose, a psychoanalyst trying to get into the mind of the shooter and guess his next move. Beth, a mother whose child is unaccounted for in the chaos.

This novel has such a broad cast of characters, showcasing how easy it is if done well to have many voices and perspectives but not have it be overwhelming, how easy it is to create a natural, diverse cast by mentioning someone's communication headset under their hijab and not making a big deal of it. This book covers everything from race and religion to mental health, family, friendship, and so many issues of the world we live in today.

What really struck me about this book was how Lupton didn't hold back at all when placing the blame and highlighting the perpetrators of hate and racism. The Daily Mail, Donald Trump, even Katie Hopkins got a shoutout for their islamiphobia and hate filled Twitter rants, prejudice journalism, and racist policies. It was really refreshing to see, but also grounded the novel in our world. This wasn't just a school anywhere, but in England, in this time period. Lupton also links other real world events, Columbine, the Las Vegas shooter, to give perspective on how severe this scenario could escalade in relation to other tragedies that we're all too familiar with.

Gripping and well written, I'm on my way to check out what else Rosamund Lupton has written. 4 and a half stars.

Less than a week into 2020 and I can safely say Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton will be my book of the year come the end of December. I can't see anything coming close to beating it. Lots of people are talking about this book and deservedly so and I haven't see one negative thing said about it, simply because there aren't any negatives. In fact it's the opposite any words you try and write to justify how good this story is aren't good enough. There aren't enough adjectives to explain just how tense and gripping this book is and how utterly brilliant every word is. I literally couldn't put it down once I started reading it. You just have to know what is going to happen next and can't leave it for any length of time, you just have to keep reading.

It's full of plot twists, some you will guess at, others you are left open mouthed in shock when they reveal themselves. The courageous actions and sacrifices of numerous characters leave you stunned but of course you admire their bravery in the most dangerous and tense of times. What really gets under your skin is that the themes and plot of the book are not beyond the realms of possibility and the fact that I am a teacher made what occurs all the more scarier. This is realistic, chilling and edge of your seat stuff that you readily loose yourself in and become so gripped in what is unfolding.

A lot can happen in three hours as is demonstrated over the course of the book. What starts out as a normal school day soon turns into everyone's worst nightmare. There is a gunman on the loose and the school campus which has a junior and senior school is soon under lock down. The school emergency plan has been put in place but due to the isolation of the school and the various sections of it one wonders is it all just too late and at the end of three hours will things ever be the same again?

We flit back and forth between various characters and where they are located. As we change scenes the time is noted at the top of each page and as the minutes tick down the tension, suspicion, danger and fear increase page by page. You are literally holding your breath the entire time you are reading as the terror unfolds. The teachers and adults do their best to keep everything calm and under control but how can you when you are locked in a library tending to someone who has been injured and all you can hear are the menacing footsteps continuously pounding up and down the corridor never knowing if the door you are hiding behind will be knocked down and chaos might therefore ensue.

Rosamund Lupton captures so perfectly the sheer terror and hell each and every character is experiencing. From the students locked away with their teacher in the schools theatre who continue to rehearse MacBeth as a way of not giving into the situation they find themselves in, to the teacher in the pottery room in the woods with a group of younger children who hide under their desks continuing to make figurines oblivious as to what stalks the woods right outside the window. Rafi, a 16 year old refugee gets his younger brother and classmates to safety in a secluded cove but Rafi also has someone else at the forefront of his mind. He puts himself in the face of danger time and time again as the readers anxiety levels only ever increase. Of course, you are keen to see who is behind all this and what their motivations are and yes this is all revealed with time and I may have guessed at one aspect of it and was quite smug about this.

But this story is more about the impact and subsequent fall out of a bomb exploding in the woods before school starts. This sets the wheels in motion for a chain of events that takes us deep into the heart of what it means to be human and all must find the courage to stand up to evil and try and save the people they love. The sheer bravery and selflessness shown by so many makes the reader stop and think just what they would do in that situation and being a teacher it really puts everything into perspective that if the worst was to happen you would put your students first and foremost.

Told alongside the story of the students under siege and fearing for their lives and afraid to make any movement in order to get to safety is that of the parents who are waiting for news. But also the police as Detective Inspector Rose Polstein arrives on scene and is tasked with discovering who is behind such hatred, abhorrence and loathing. She must piece the puzzle together and find the answers before it is too late. Can she get inside the mind of someone who is hell bent on destruction and eradication?
Of course, panic, worry and fear are all words that spring to mind as you read through the story but yet there are moments of calm and contemplation. Of stillness too as the snow falls and the forest is silent. It becomes very eerie but you know spread across the campus there are pockets of dread, distress, revulsion and foreboding as so many thoughts as to why, who and what run through people's minds. A reign of tyranny and sinister violence is unfolding but can it be stopped before the ultimate tragedy occurs.

Another important thing to note is the importance of social media and how it is used throughout as a form of communication and to get news but also as a way of uncovering dark secrets, manipulation and motives. It's all so cleverly written and expertly paced. It really is a thriller of a very high calibre and normally I am not a fan of this genre and am very selective as to what I read when it comes to crime/mystery or thrillers but in this case within a few chapters I knew I had chosen wisely and that all the talk surrounding this book is entirely justified. Every ounce of gushing praise heaped upon Three Hours is so richly deserved as the different perspectives and emotions portrayed in the book are so expertly crafted leaving both the characters and the reader profoundly changed from what they were before.

Rosamund Lupton may leave her readers waiting quite some time between books but the wait is more than worth it as you are richly rewarded for your patience. She is a brilliant writer who has written an extraordinary book which will long live on in your heart and mind. It provides plenty of fuel for thought and discussion. As soon as I finished it I just wanted to find someone and make them read it so I could talk about it with them. Three Hours is a book I could see on the big screen and I do so hope this will come to fruition in the future. It's an absorbing, haunting, thrilling and powerful read which you'll want to read in one sitting where an accomplished author takes you on one hell of a journey that you won't easily forget. Do yourself a favour and buy Three Hours as soon as possible. It's a stunner of a read.

I don't think that my review will do this book enough justice.
The beginning was fast paced and brimming with action, trauma and heart stopping conversations. Then I was concerned that it had gone a little bit slow and I put it down for a few hours.
When I picked it up again, WOW! I think Rosamund was letting the reader get their breath back and boy was it a needed break!
A massive tumultuous ending with catastrophic events taking place and all the way there were twists that you just did not see coming.
I had to re read some parts as they were just amazingly brilliant parts of the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosamund Lupton, I am now off to buy more of your books and Penguin.

What a sobering read.

Three hours gets to the nitty-gritty pretty much from the start, and it gets a lot more emotional and raw throughout.

This book discusses a few sensitive themes and looks into many perspectives that most definitely opened my eyes.

This entire read was eye-opening and kept me reading. It did end rather abruptly, but overall an enjoyable read.

Very much recommended.

Three Hours tells the story of a UK school shooting and follows various pupils, staff members, and law enforcement as they go through three hour ordeal of the school being held hostage. It is such an incredible and beautifully written book. Despite the story starting right as the first shot is fired the author still managed to build in a good amount of background and character development for us to understand the context of things and to become emotionally connected to the characters. The school, staff and pupils all sound amazing, accepting and open minded. I wish I had gone to a school like that. I wish my boys could go to a school like that. I think that general feeling also increases the investment readers have in the story.
I don't want to go into the story line too much as it would spoil things but I just want to mention two things that really hit me in the heart; firstly, the Policeman's selfless sacrifice had tears streaming down my face. I felt physically sick I was that upset. And secondly, I did not see the twist towards the end coming at all.
I had predicted that Three Hours would be a 5 star read just from the synopsis and I was definitely proven right. Normally when I am reading a book I stop every so often at the standout bits to make notes on my phone for the review but I couldn't stop reading Three Hours even to do that! I actually resented having to put down the book to do life stuff. This book will certainly stay on my mind for a very long time. I highly recommend it however please be aware that there are triggers for racism, homophobia, and violence towards older children.

I was truly surprised at how much I loved this book as I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the subject matter but as I had read a previous novel by Lupton, I was curious at this latest endeavour. I shouldn’t have been as hesitant as it was fascinating. I was won over immediately by the various characters reactions to the unfolding drama that they are forced into. They felt so realistic and genuine. The tension throughout is sometimes unbearable but it’s so compelling. As a reader, you are trapped within the pages of the unfolding drama and you become desperate, willing them to escape. The compacted time periods of the chapters were perfectly judged, adding to the frantic nature of the situation as the peril escalates.

I fully expect this to be on the ‘best books of the year’ list for 2020.

I read and enjoyed a book by Rosamund Lupton years ago so I jumped at the chance to read Three Hours and I’m so grateful I did because it is incredible. Poignant, emotional, honest and heart-stoppingly intense. The book covers three hours whilst a school in England is under attack by armed assailants. There is the added aspect of a blizzard taking place at the same time which poses an additional challenge for the police trying to rescue the children.

The structure of Three Hours works beautifully. We jump between several different characters experiencing the siege in real time. This allows us to absorb different perspectives of the same events in a way that feels so immediate and intense. I felt like I was holding my breath for the entire duration of the book, like I was there with the students and teachers going through what I imagine must be one of the most terrifying ordeals a person can experience.

What I thought was especially phenomenal about Three Hours is that it showed that some people seem to possess an innate strength and bravery, but more than that, it demonstrated the less obvious and more subtle courage a person can have under extreme circumstances. This story exposes the darkness human beings are capable of and the ways vulnerable people can be indoctrinated which is of vital importance to understand more about in these troubled times. However, Three Hours also highlights that there is ultimately more goodness in the world, more love than hate, which is something I think it is important to realise because it leaves us with hope rather than despair. Three Hours is a stunningly good read which will hit readers like a punch to the gut but also inspire strength and appreciation for the lengths people will go to to protect the ones they love. Cannot recommend enough.

Rosamund Lupton has done an amazing job in writing a book that deals with a sensitive subject. Set in a liberal Somerset school, Rafi, a Syrian refugee, raises an alarm that the school may be under attack. Covering a three hour period, this amazing book looks at the school shooting phenomenon from all angles. Mr Marr, headteacher, feels the immense responsibility of trying to ensure the safety of all his pupils. We also gain an understanding of how a young person who feels disenchanted, becomes vulnerable to being targeted and radicalized by those with a sinister agenda. And to add another layer, we see things from the viewpoint of a parent, whose child is lost to the real world, and who faces the certainty that their child is willing to hurt others in the pursuit of their goal of destruction. Three Hours is suspenseful, and thoroughly researched, it will keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout and, as difficult a subject as it is, this was a wholly enjoyable and thought provoking read. As well as horrific acts of cruelty, the story shows us the other side of humanity - the courageous and self-sacrificing side. Hate does not win - love will always triumph.

I read Three Hours back at the end of summer last year and so the fact it remains so vivid in my mind is a true indication of just how powerful this book is. Powerful, shocking and relative – it isn’t always comfortable reading but it is essential reading

Telling the story of every parents worst nightmare, this book made my blood run cold at the sheer realness of it. The writing is brutally honest and stark – as a reader most naturally drawn to emotive prose I wasn’t sure at first and it took me a while to get used to. On reflection though this style made the book all the more chilling and poignant

Three Hours is an unforgettable book tackling important and current issues – prejudice, radicalisation, ignorance, isolation and mental health. It explores the weaknesses and frailties of human nature along with strength, bravery and endurance. It made me think, even now months later, from a multitude of angles. Not an easy read by any means, but one I’d recommend

Masked gunmen attack a school in Somerset. They shoot the headmaster but make no demands. Who’s behind the attack; who’s safe; who’s the target? A heart-racingly tense thriller with characters you’ll be desperate to protect. Three Hours will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading ‘just one more page’ long into the night.

If you're looking for a well-written, atmospheric thriller that will keep you engaged from the first page look no further - I loved this book! It tells the story of a school siege, set over the course of three hours. The story is told from a number of different perspectives - the headteacher, pupils, parents and a police psychologist - and this enables the author to build the tension as events unfold around the school.

Beautifully written, the setting - snowy, rural Somerset - is cleverly described and adds to the sense of unease; the author also weaves the story of Macbeth, a play some of the children are rehearsing as the siege takes place, into the book. This book makes you think - school sieges are to many of us a largely US problem, so setting this in the UK brings it that much closer to home - and deals with topical issues such as radicalisation, refugees and social media. In the midst of all the trauma however, there is a positive message - it is about love and about courage, and the ultimate message it left me with was a feeling of hope and that love trumps hate.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three Hours is a tense, unique read which I will stay with me for a long time.

I was immediately drawn into the story and the situation the children find themselves in. The author’s writing made me feel like I was actually there watching everything unfold and hearing the chilling footsteps of the gunman pacing the floor. I found myself wondering how I would react and what I would have done differently. It is obvious very early on that the gunman are completely in control of the situation and have timed certain things to happen at certain times which made the characters seem like pawns in their game and adds to the chilling aspect of the story.

The story is told from multiple points of view which makes for very interesting reading as we discover how the different groups are dealing with the situation. This also gives us a chance to get to know the characters more and find out what is happening in their lives. There are some amazing characters in this book whose bravery and selflessness brought a year to my eye. It was very emotional watching everyone trying to put each others first.

Events in this book do unfold slowly but I found this actually added to the tension in the story as I felt on high alert waiting for something to happen and wondering what it might be. The reader is able to see the whole picture of what is happening in each part of the school, sometimes finding things out before the others which made the book hard to out down as I wanted to know what would happen. I often found myself shouting at the characters in my head when I felt they should have done something differently which shows just how involved I was in the story.

I’ve read every book this author has written and in my opinion she keeps getting better and better. I think this book would make a great book club read as there is lots to discuss.

Huge thanks to Ellie from Penguin Random House for inviting me into the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton is one of the most affecting and powerful books I have ever read and has been propelled straight into my Top Ten Books Ever list due to its compelling plot and stunning prose. Some books take you somewhere; a time, a place, a situation. This book puts you smack bang in the middle of the action and grabs you by the throat. There is a gunman, in a school, and the headteacher has been shot.

The progressive school is situated over a sprawling campus with a nursery, junior school, senior school, theatre and a pottery room situated deep in woods. It is the middle of winter, the school and its grounds are covered in snow and a blizzard is about to strike. The book opens at 9.16am with a balaclava clad man shooting Matthew Marr, the headmaster of the school in front of some of his pupils. They take him to the library and the students barricade themselves inside using books to create a wall of defence against the threat pacing the corridor outside.

What follows is three breathless hours of cat and mouse with police marksmen surrounding the school, a missing pupil who is trying to get to his younger brother, a headteacher trying to cling to life whilst his pupils try to stem the bleeding and a group of students locked safely in the theatre rehearsing Macbeth to distract from the horror outside.

Throughout this the snow swirls outside, obscuring the view of the school and of the gunmen. The weather is a character all of its own and is vividly described, so much so that I really felt that I was there running through woods feeling the crunch of snow beneath my feet as I tried to find safety. It is a constant which is used to cool the already chilling narrative ever further. The school children hide, the police form a plan of attack the gunman paces and the snow comes down. It makes everyday objects unrecognisable and flakes cover the police officers who have guns trained on the school.

This is a liberal school where pupils are encouraged to be independent, there is no uniform and brothers Rafi and Basi are Syrian refugees who the head, Matthew Marr has rescued from a camp in Calais. The fortitude, compassion and bravery shown by the pupils and staff is some of the most affecting and powerful things I have ever read. Their fear is clear but they demonstrate a strength of character which I’m not sure I would be capable of in a similar situation.

It is a chilling read, not only because of the cold which seeps from the pages, but because the events feel so real. It is quite frankly terrifying in its depiction of events that could happen; indoctrination, weaponized words and tyranny. It holds a mirror to our world where some people in society blame others for the difficulties in their lives. A world where attacking a school seems to be the right and only option.

But then, on the flip side, there is love. The young love of two characters, the love of a head for his pupils and school, the love of parents for their children and the love of a boy for his young brother. This book made me weep and at times I had to put it down and walk away as it was emotionally overpowering. I was terrified of what was happening on the pages and my heart was hammering in my chest as Rosamund Lupton slowly unfurled her narrative and the reality became clear.

This is quite honestly one of the best things I have ever read and I cannot stop thinking about it. It is challenging in its subject matter (a school shooting is not all flowers and rainbows, clearly), but boy is it rewarding. It is important, current, real and astonishing in its power. If this is the standard of books that we have to look forward to in 2020 then we are in for an incredible year.

This powerful, emotive, current take of our times is both shocking and relevant. A hostage situation at a uk school. Something we only see or hear about on the news when tragedy strikes in the US.

This is a strong story carrying a powerful message. At times for me too gently paced but then at others perfectly paced and full of suspense and tension.

I will be sharing a more comprehensive review on my blog as part of the blog tour next week

On a seemingly ordinary day, gunmen hold a school under siege in the UK, shooting the headmaster and keeping some of the pupils hostage. Are the gunmen terrorists or is there another agenda?

I thought this was an okay read. I didn't really feel like I connected with any of the characters, but I liked that just when you thought you had everything figured out, there was one final twist in the tale. Told via several points of view, I wonder if this contributed to not connecting meaningfully with any of the characters. I would still recommend this book as it was well written and raises some relevant issues in today's political climate.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Penguin Books / Viking, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

#ThreeHours rises above exceptional in every way. Destined to be 2020’s must-read.


This one sucked me in and made me feel I was in several very scary places at once. In the library, holding my breath and waiting for the creak of the gunman's next step out in the corridor. In the Theatre, wondering whether the teachers were right not to bolt the doors...yet. In the community centre with the gathered parents all praying, please let my kid(s) be safe. Please, please, please.

But while Three Hours more than delivers as a top-notch thriller, there is so much more going on here that I suspect people will be reading it on all sorts of levels for years to come. Every sentence in this novel is powered by empathy - whether it be unbelievably heroic and selfless thoughts and actions the characters have for each other, or the more human version the author uses to paint even those for whom the unfolding events find themselves in denial or worse.

It's quite hard to discuss this novel without treading on spoilers - something you really want to avoid at all costs - but one of the things I loved about it was how organic all the twists and revelations felt. As they piled up, I kept thinking, Oh, but of course! How could it have been any other way? I have no idea how Ms Lupton managed to deliver so many of these moments in one novel without even one of them feeling predictable in advance.

Although I have also enjoyed her previous novels, for my taste, this one is really in a league of its own. It feels like she's unleashed a daemon here and I simply cannot wait to see what she does next.

With many thanks to both Netgalley and Penguin for letting me see an advance copy.

With many thanks to both Netgalley and Penguin for letting me see an advance copy.

I’d heard great things about this book and I was itching to get settled and reading. Wow, I literally could not put it down. This book was the most intense three hours of my life. I’d started this just as my son was admitted to hospital with appendicitis so being kept awake all night in a hospital room didn’t faze me one bit. I got comfy in the chair with him settled next to me and read the night away.

won’t be giving anything away by saying that the storyline is sadly one we hear about all to often in the news, a gunman entered a school and is holding everyone hostage. We need to free the innocent children but the way that the author has written this story is so tense and emotional, the characters flaws all to clear to see and the emotion just pours out.

An exclusive school set in rural and idyllic setting. Every parents safe haven for their child’s education. A place where they can become an individual and everybody is valued and not judged. No one could have predicted what was about to happen that day.

The school is in lockdown and an unknown gunman on the loose.

We are thrown into scenes inside the school where children are fearlessly battling to save their much loved injured headmaster. We have terrified parents gathering outside at a nearby leisure centre desperate for news, and emergency services swinging into action to bring about the much needed conclusion.

We are drip fed clues as to who the gunman could be but it’s not until the very end that everything is sewn up neatly and it was with a slightly broken heart that I read the final page.

The relationships between the characters was the magic that made this book. The teachers trying to shield the children, the children in the theatre just getting on with practicing their upcoming play of Macbeth and over in the preschool the younger children having a pottery lesson which is brought to a swift conclusion as the teacher ingeniously cajoles them under tables to take part in a pretend picnic.

The sinister play of Macbeth that the children have been practicing very cleverly is interwoven with the nightmare that the children are now facing and I loved the scenes were this was brought to life.

It is the syrian refugee Rafi, who first notices that something is wrong and alerts the head to the possible bomb and Rafi who leads a large number of children to the beach where they can be rescued by the lifeboats and Rafi, who is ultimately the chief suspect for the violence. After all, how can a boy that has fled so much hurt and violence not be affected by his past.

Prejudices that are all too clear to see are foremost in some parents minds but who else would be capable of such a horror?

I could go on and on about this book but I will end by saying this is a must read book and I loved every second of the journey that this took me on. One thing I do know it that this is one of those books that will stay in my mind for quite a long time.

Thank you Netgalley and Viking for giving me the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book.

This was such a good book to read. At times it was very tense as it reminded me of all the awful school shootings in America. Something I find very hard to watch. This book was very well written by an author I’ve read before. I’ve read The Sister which I throughly enjoyed so I was pleased to see she had this one.
I read this very quickly as I just wanted to find out who it was and how it all turns out.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

It's a day like any other, until it isn't. In the dead of winter, nestled in the countryside on the rural Somerset coast, a school is under siege, terrorised by gunmen with unexplained motives. As a blizzard draws in, pupils, teachers, and loved ones are forced to endure the terror of the unknown, and must face the most difficult time of their lives. Three hours. 180 minutes. 10800 seconds. A fraction of a lifetime. Or the time it takes for life to be snatched away...

Ok, so I'm not going to talk too much about the plot here - firstly because of the risk of spoilers, and secondly because it's quite simple (although not in a bad way!). Essentially, you have a wonderful liberal school nestled in the Somerset countryside - like a microcosm of British society, the school has students and teachers of all nationalities, genders and sexualities, and treat everyone with the respect and love they deserve. But this safe haven is destroyed when a school shooting occurs. The gunmen's identities are unknown, as are there motives, and the resulting story follows a multitude of characters are they fight to stay alive and keep each other safe. You get to hear from those inside the school - like the refugee Rafi, desperate to save his younger brother but having to fight against the PTSD after escaping from Syria - as well as those outside, like the mother of missing boy Jamie. As the novel progresses, you also gain a fascinating insight into the way in which the police are attempting to deal with a situation that hasn't been seen on British soil since the Dunblane school massacre of 1996.

I absolutely adored the way that this novel utilised multiple narratives. I will admit, when I read the synopsis I was a bit concerned about how many POVs there would be - the way they were reeled off made it sounds like quite a full cast! But in actuality, once you begin reading it's very easy to get your head around who's who, and even the occasional time jumps are easy to keep track of. Using multiple perspectives also worked as a really great way to build tension, as you get to see a slow reveal of what is happening in all different areas of the school - seeing all the puzzle pieces slowly slot together made reading this book almost painfully tense, but it definitely showed the skill of the author.

I also really enjoyed how unique this novel was. To take what is often viewed as an American situation (a school shooting) and to relocate it to rural Somerset was a great way to explore the phenomenon of school shootings whilst also standing out against the many other books that have also explored this theme, but instead choose to focus on an American setting. I also really enjoyed the rather novel way in which radicalisation is involved in this book. Lupton managed to avoid playing in to stereotypes and instead created an incredibly scary and yet also very sad depiction of the experience of a teenager being radicalised, and the ease with which modern technology made that possible. I also found the use of real headlines in relation to this aspect of the novel very strong, especially those authored by the awful Katie Hopkins - it's about time she was highlighted as the intolerant, hateful, and frankly evil woman that she is, and it really served to highlight how common it is for such awful people to be given a voice in modern Britain, further emphasising the ease with which hate spreads and ultimately radicalisation occurs.

All in all, I am thoroughly impressed. I've never read anything by Roasmund Lupton, but after reading this I can't wait to explore her other works. Her used of multiple POVs was incredibly skilled, and her ability to create tension in a novel that takes a minute by minute approach is truly astounding. The writing is tense and immediate, and all of the characters are vividly formed and easy to imagine. Lupton covered a wide range of very challenging subjects with tact, respect, and care, and the result is a real standout book, and one I would definitely recommend.

A novel of the time. A rural school with open liberal access for pupils of all kinds is besieged by terrorist gunmen. The story develops in 10 minute intervals across the three hours of the title. Police offices and anti terrorism squads work out a plan based on clues including those from the dark web. Two refugee brothers brought to the school by the Head are reliving their escape from Aleppo . A mother has to come to terms that her son is not who she thought he was. There is a lot going on in this.
It is a spell binding story that moves at a pace but one or two conclusions are made with no apparent links