I read this book over the course of 4 hours and struggled to put it down! It kept me completely hooked from the first page and I really felt all of the characters fear and uncertainties. Loved the fact it jumped in time across the 3 hours and it kept you wanting more each time. Especially pleased it had a good ending as at one point I was expecting the worst. Would recommend this book.

Rosamund Lupton is a gifted author that masterfully develops plots where great characters portray human emotions and relationships in scenarios that test what it really means to love and hate, to be fearful and brave, and how selfless, protective and frightened people act in times of extreme danger.

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. Rosamund draws wonderful characters that give us a glimpse of possible motivations 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 characters 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 he is incapacitated but fears what is happening in his school. As for the gunman:

“Everyone would realize, if they hadn’t already feared it, if they were a bit slow on the uptake, that their lives and stories weren’t their own; and all the different stories he’d set in motion would play out at the same time, the simultaneity generated by him.”

As the reports circulate using mobile phones, other teachers battle the fear and nerves to keep the children safe, including Daphne Epelsteiner, the 55 years old drama teacher, Neil Forbright the deputy head and Beth Alton, a worried parent.

The sense of concealed menace hangs like a dense fog over the school never knowing if the killer is going to step out of the mist and shoot someone. The staff try to occupy the children without conveying fear but their anxiety is palpable. Worse still there’s more than one gunman and where are they. Over three hours from 9:15 am to 12:15 pm the lives of the school’s staff, pupils and parents will change forever.

We often wonder what psychological impact events such as school shootings or war-torn regions such as Aleppo have on those that survive. Rafi was a wonderful character, expertly drawn and demonstrated the selfless love he had for his brother, Hannah and others. I loved the following quote from Rafi as he talks to Hannah, and it seems to resonate with multiple disorders from depression to PTSD.

“ ‘I think that’s what mental illness is,’ he said. ‘I think it takes away the choice. You’re stuck being someone who isn’t even really you. And you should know that the not-really-me has PTSD and I’m genuinely weird in a psychotic way.”

This is an excellent book that tackles a difficult and sensitive subject with careful control. The ending ... well 😪! I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Penguin Books for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Rural somerset and its snowing. Inside a school the morning has just begun. A pottery session in a room in the woods with the youngest children and a rehearsal of Macbeth in the theatre. Rafi and Basi are immigrant children escaped from a regime that has made them leave their mother miles and countries away. Rafi is coming in to manhood and has fallen in love with Hannah. He hears what he thinks is a bomb - but who will believe a teenager with PTSD.
There then follows three tense hours. Who is holding the school to ransom? Is it someone they know? Why?
Who can they believe and who will survive?
This is a tense thriller which will make you think - could that happen to me!

I really wanted to love this book but I found it really confusing, in the first few chapters it took ages to work out who was who and where everyone was. The book is set over a very short period just a few hours, in which a lot is going on and that makes it feel a bit rushed and frantic. As the drama of a school under seizure unfolds so do the backstories of some of the pupils and teachers.
The tension and terror of the kids held in the school, their teachers trying to cope and do their best for them and the parents waiting fearfully for it all to end is palpable.
This is a very current book with themes of racial hatred, Islamophobia and violence. The subject is well handled but overall for me, there are just too many characters to get my head around in such a short space of time and the writing seemed a little rushed.

This is an extraordinary book, written with such poise and delicacy, I was rendered speechless at times. A subject that is never far from our fears, it is a stunning novel, possibly one of the best I have ever read.

This is an amazing book from an outstanding author. The start of the book is extremely dramatic and tense with students and teachers hiding in classrooms and the school theatre from gunmen and there are some superb images such as children piling books against the library door to prevent entry. This is every parents, teachers and students nightmare but the book goes deeper into issues that are so pertinent and relevant that from time to time I had to pause in the reading to reflect.

As well as the storyline of the emergency services swinging into action to save the people involved one of the most moving parts of the story concerns Rafi and his younger brother Basi who escape the horrors of Aleppo only to find themselves caught up in another horror. These two boys back story of the dangers they faced and their bravery in getting to the UK personalises the tragedy of Syria. Part of the story concerns rising Islamaphobia and the growth of the far right whipped up by media scare stories and important people on Twitter who frankly shouldn’t be and who should know better. The boys are delightful brave souls and the students and teachers in the school took them into their hearts. Despite everything that Rafi goes through in the story his overwhelming love for his little brother shines like a beacon.

There are some fantastic characters in the book - some of the teachers Matthew Marr the brave head and his equally brave deputy Neil, Daphne the drama teacher, Jacinta the English teacher who read beautiful poetry to her students to distract them, student Hannah and one of the mums, Beth. Daphne is rehearsing Macbeth with the students when the drama starts and I love the recurring use of the Scottish play which creates some of the most powerful images and the students see that the events in the play mirror events outside the theatre and the end of the book ‘we were Burnham Wood coming up the hill to Dunsinane, marching to the beat of three words’ is just such an example. That image will stay with me for a long time. Their bravery is humbling.

The story is fast paced, tense and shocking. The perpetrators motives are examined in detail and one of them is certainly a psychopath and a very tech savvy one at that. They are influenced by previous school tragedies, in particular Columbine. At times, you hold your breathe as the tension is palpable and towards the end it gets more shocking by the minute. The ending is particularly emotional but in reality the whole book should stir emotions. I think the author has raised issues we all need to be aware of and react to before it is too late. A brilliant read.

heart wrenching novel set within three agonising hours as a school is kept under siege by blood lusting killers. On an unassuming snowy day in South-West England, students and teachers alike ready themselves for the day ahead, with a large group of students already in the theatre, rehearsing for their upcoming performance of Macbeth.

Everything quickly turns to ruin as a gunman fires a several shots at the headteacher, and the entire school goes into lockdown, awaiting the next strike.

We follow the narrative through several characters, including the deteriorating headteacher; the girl caring for him as she worries over her missing boyfriend; said boyfriend, who finds himself escaping similar terrors as what he faced during his childhood in Syria; the detective trying to uncover the perpetrator; and the mother of a student, unheard from amongst it all. All of this happening within the grounds of a liberal school where children and their personal growth are of the upmost importance.

This book has resonated with me greatly, with the overwhelming discussions that led to the discovery of the killers finding incredible relevance in today’s political climate. Terrorism and its multiple forms involve acts of sheer ignorance and brutality. The definition of terrorism cannot be associated to a particular face or culture, but rather the overarching power of radicalisation. Often in the media, we are met with polarised views of terrorism. This novel does not deflect away from the terrorism driving innocent civilians out of Syria, nor does it shy away from the acts that are committed in the United Kingdom by white nationals. It was an incredibly important part of the novel to address this global phenomenon in a raw and open way.

Alongside this very dark and malignant performance comes the escaping light. This book creates an incredibly emotive contrast to the violence, through the determined and courageous actions of the students and teachers under threat. Throughout, we are met with blind acts of love, bred through selfless consideration. Any attempt at division or hate is fought against without hesitation.

This novel is incredibly tense and groundbreaking. I could not put it down once I had started and I am incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to read it now. It is a painful novel that does not shy away from discussing the sensitive topics of our society, and I hope you all consider purchasing this when it is published at the beginning of 2020

Very similar to Jodi Picoult's book 19 minutes. What a tough read given the subject matter. When a school shooting takes place in the UK, it's a national tragedy. Many more have happened in the USA and it's a tragedy there but with such weak gun laws, when a news story comes on. you think USA before UK.

Here, it just goes to show how an event can happen and what it must be like to be involved. What happens is bad enough, but it;'s the afterwards , the aftermath that is the worst and this was a good characters study of the emotional battle each of them face. Hard reading mind.

Makes you think of what it means to be an outsider, what might drive someone to even think about doing this and the devastation and sheer pointlessness of it all.

I found this hauntingly realistic. A political and social look at violence and hate crime in the UK, displaying the threats that no one really talks about. Further review in my June 2019 wrap up (linked).

One of my favourite ever books is 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult so when I saw this book I just had to read it. The fact that these books are so based on reality means that this is a book that I really invested in and I spent my time rooting for the characters.

What I found most compelling is that the book is based in the UK. We think we're safe here because of gun laws but all it takes is one person to change that relative feeling of safety. Based over a three hour time frame we meet our key characters Basi, Rafi and Hannah. A normal day at school descends into chaos when a bomb detonates and a gunman takes over the school. I was slightly confused by the old school, new school and junior school elements but I quickly got used to this.

What made the book so compelling was how well written it was. I literally found myself holding my breathe throughout. It was almost as if I was there with the children in the school. In particular the scenes with Basi and Rafi really tugged on my heartstrings.

This book is a compelling read. I would highly recommend.

This is a really good book. I read it in one sitting. I was hooked from the start. Everything is really well written and there is a lot of suspense. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

All I can say is - I’m totally drained. What a fabulous book - I felt like a was a child myself caught up in this terrible experience - beautiful writing and a highly recommended read

This book was very well written and made compelling reading. The extraordinary story takes place over three hours one morning in an isolated school, in a snowstorm, in England. I found the atmosphere and suspense of the storyline about gunmen entering a school and holding children and teachers hostage gripping and because the story is told from various key players points of view it kept me wanting to read on, and on, just a little bit more. Each character is well drawn, the bravery, the isolation, the worries and fears are all there and are all very real. The back stories that allow you into the lives of the adults and children are excellent and very up to date. If I have one small criticism it would be about the behaviour of the younger children, they were so compliant. (no tears, no tantrums, no wet pants! believe me I work with infants and sometimes it can be like herding kittens!)
Thank you NetGalley and Viking for sending me an ebook in return for my honest opinion. My thanks also to Rosamund Lupton for once again writing a novel worth reading and one that is definitely worth recommending.

An extremely taut story told over the space of three hours. A sensitive subject in today's world but extremely well written. I loved Ravi and his little brother Basi. They made my heart ache. . I highly recommend this book.

The first third of this novel is heart-racingly tense (no exaggeration, i was reading it in the middle of the night and i felt genuine tension). However, it rather tails off in the second third, with what felt like a lot of running to keep still and little further development. There’s a reveal 2/3 through that allows pace to pick up again, but the reveal was so clearly sign-posted beforehand that this lacked the shock i suspect was intended. Anyway, once that was out the way the pace and tension pick up again.
There are enjoyable parallels to Macbeth, and students staging of the play are neatly linked to draw out parallels with some of the students and the nature of both love and evil.

I’d thoroughly recommend this - it’s not perfect but it’s a page turning thriller.

I wasn't expecting a book set during a school gun siege in the UK during a snow storm to be about love.

It's every parents worse nightmare your kids are at school with a gun man on the lose. The characters are well observed, the book is atmospheric and emotional in equal measure. It is a story of love and survival.

I don't really know where to start with this book. I expected to find it interesting (which I did), but it hit me pretty hard. It hit me in a way that I book never has before. Especially towards the end, it felt like the line between fiction and reality was uncomfortably thin, but that really worked in the book's favour. The way I initially reacted - a mix of shock, anger and hope - is really to the book's merit and that did change my thoughts (and rating) on the book phenomenally.  

In this book, as a reader, you get to know quite a cast of characters in not very many pages and somehow, I found myself rooting for pretty much all of them. Each character you follow has their own individual story and as readers, we get to know just enough to make us care. If I had to select a few characters to mention as "favourites" would be Hannah, Rafi and Basi. When the focus shifted away from these characters, I really wanted to get back to them and check that they were okay. Considering that I read this book in a day, I essentially gave my heart to these characters so quickly and got ridiculously invested in their lives. 

The plot itself, I did find a little bit predictable. Just through the way the story is told I found my guessing where character's were and what their role would be. Having said that, the pages just flew by. As I mentioned I read this in one day, in a few sittings (a lot of it on train journeys), because I just wanted to know how on earth it was going to turn out and where the character's would end up - so much so that my internal predictions were pushed to the back of my mind.

Now, the writing. The only thing that really brought this book down was the writing. This is absolutely not a badly written book. Judging by my intense emotional response, the writing is fantastic and I found the pacing pretty good. It was just the stylistic choice to write in from a third-person perspective in the present tense. It was fine when I settled into it, but every time I sat down to continue reading it I had to remind myself of the writing style and get used to it all over again. It just felt a little bit off and made the reading experience a little jolted(?) rather than smooth and easy. 

As usual, I want to avoid getting into spoilers in my review, but the key issue at the heart of this story is the fact that a school is at the mercy of a gunman. Something which is horrifically real. I cannot say anything about the representation of the experience but I do want to warn anyone who is considering giving this a read that there is gun violence and other violence associated with school shootings.

Overall, this book is extremely well-written and thought-provoking. For me, it was a shockingly quick read - a page-turner, if you will - which quickly establishes characters and their lives. Perhaps if you're newer to thriller (like me) it will hit you in a way that more experienced readers of the genre might not experience, but its worth the read regardless.

Oh dear, did I read a different novel to everyone else? I don't want to imply that this isn't a good book, as multiply people before me have felt touched and moved by it, but I personally experienced it as a struggle to make it through.



The premise sounded intriguing: the entire novel is told over the course of 180 minutes. During those three hours, a snowed-in school in Somerset is attacked by masked gunmen. The headmaster is wounded, the pupils are held hostage.

It's a brave and touchy topic to write about, especially considering the stories parallels to many events that have truly happened. The Columbine High School shootings come to mind, which adds an urgency to the narrative. Yes, it's fiction, but you keep reminding yourself that this could be happening for real. Because it has happened before.

Lupton writes with sensibility and from a place of compassion. We witness the story from different viewpoints and experience the trauma from all possible angles: we meet the students that are trying to rehearse for their performance of Macbeth, we learn what it is like for the refugee brothers Rafi and Basi from Syria, we see the police trying to get on top of the situation while mother Beth just wants any information on her son she can get.

It's tumultuous, full of panic, but underlying it all is compassion. Rosamund Lupton may write about horror, but the message she wants to get across is a positive one. We see what strength it demands from people to survive a harrowing situation like that and we get to read about acts of selflessness and pure bravery.

Despite all that, I just couldn't find my way into the story. I can't pinpoint what it was, but I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters, making me feel like I was just reading names on a page (which, obviously, I was, but you get what I mean). Maybe that's similar to how one would live through a situation like that - maybe names and people become blurry, maybe you always feel a bit detached from the horror happening around you, but I don't think it was the author's intention to raise those feelings in the reader. I just didn't feel involved and therefore wasn't able to show any kind of emotional reaction to what I was reading. I was just glad when it ended.

It is rural Somerset and a progressive & liberal private school is under threat. There are gunmen and the school is in lockdown. There are a group of children in the library with a gunman walking up and down the corridor outside, the group in the theatre practicing Macbeth as if their life depended on it and the younger children in the very exposed pottery studio. Then there are the other few unaccounted for. A lot can happen in three hours.

I very much enjoyed the whole idea of this book. We follow various characters throughout the three hours – sometimes minute by minute and sometimes with longer gaps. There is a lot of jumping around in the narrative which some readers may feel left the story slightly disjointed. I enjoyed the different perspectives.

There are a lot of characters who are integral to this story. Consequently the reader doesn’t get to know each one particularly well. We get little back story unless it is relevant to the current events. I do usually prefer much more in depth characters but on this occasion it just couldn’t be done. I wouldn’t say the characters are cardboard just that we don’t get to know them terribly well.

There are a few things which require the suspension of belief – not all of which I want to mention as I don’t want to give out spoilers. Suffice to say that these are probably the calmest children ever!

I very much enjoyed this book. The idea is unusual and I thought it was well written. There are a lot of comparisons in this book to the play “Macbeth” so it may be useful to have a basic working knowledge of the play in order to get the best from this book. I enjoyed “Sister” from this author which is also an unusual book. I look forward to seeing what else she produces in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

I’m struggling to score this book because whilst I did enjoy reading it there was a lot I didn’t like. The story is told from the point of view of various chatCters and this I liked and I felt empathy for the parents waiting for news. However the whole premise of the book right from its title is that of a dramatic event over a short space of time... three hours and the tension was totally lacking. I understood how the teachers might want to play it all down but surely no teacher is that good at defusing the situation. The kids had social media up and running but still no hysterics. The other big negative for me was the location. An English school next to the coast but a Mike between the buildings? It just never painted the location picture for me.