59 minutes is a 4.5⭐️ rounded down to 4⭐️
Your phone has gone off with the government alert tone. You have 59 minutes to find food, water and be inside before missives destroy a part of the south of England. Frankie and her boyfriend Otis are in a tiny holiday cottage, Frankie having just discovered she is pregnant have decided to get food supplies in the 59 minutes. Carrie is battling through London to get home to her flat and girlfriend Emma and their daughter, Clementine but road closures are making life hard. Mrs Dabb is panicking as her daughter, Bunny has not got off the school bus, she’s never done this before, where is she?
This was an emotional read, Holly managed to really get through the stress and emotional trauma each of the centred people were feeling. The twist had me thinking I’d read something wrong from the beginning but no I hadn’t! I devoured this book as I needed to know what happened to each person. The chapters are quite short which is great but infuriating at times as I needed to know what happened not be left on a cliff hanger whilst I was taken back to another character, but I mean this in a good way x
I would like to thank NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ’59 Minutes’ written by Holly Seddon in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

People are making their way home from work when a message is received on their mobile phones. “Severe Alert. Nuclear Missile Threat to South of England. 59 minutes to impact. Seek immediate shelter”. Carrie is at Waterloo Station on her way home to partner Emma and daughter Clementine. Frankie has just discovered she’s pregnant and she and her partner Otis are on their way to Dartmoor for a break. Mrs Dabb is worried that her 13-year-old daughter Bunny has gone missing from school. Fifty-nine minutes is how long they, and many others, will have before their lives are irrevocably changed for ever.

’59 Minutes’ is a gripping thriller with a catastrophic and what may seem like an implausible plot but when taking into consideration all that’s happening in the world today probably isn’t so far-fetched after all. The chapters are narrated alternately by Carrie, Frankie and Mrs Dabb and I was so involved by how they were coping with the imminent disaster that the pages of my Kindle were being turned faster and faster. When I was three-quarters of the way through the twist arrived that was equally shocking and unexpected but after this I became confused with the characters and the timespan of 1, 2 or 10 years after and it lost me a bit. Despite this, it’s a brilliantly written novel that for most of the time had me gripped and deserves the full five stars for the first part alone.

What would you do if you had 59 minutes left to live?

Carrie is looking forward to a normal Friday night with her family when a text message comes through that changes everything. You have 59 minutes before a nuclear missile hits london. Seek shelter. All she wants is to get home to HR family, but can she make it?

I cannot explain how much I loved this book! It is unique, compelling and utterly terrifying. I could not put it down.

Set in the south of England, mobile phones are displaying a message: 'Nuclear missile threat to South England. 59 minutes until impact. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a test.'
 
This suspenseful Thriller follows each storyline with a minute by minute breakdown. It's absolutely terrifying, unsettling, and plays into one of men's existential fears.

59 Minutes is an original story with an apocalyptic premise. The UK's emergency warning system has just been used to issue a 59-minute warning to everyone that a nuclear missile will hit the south of England. The instructions are stark: preserve whatever food, water and batteries you can, stay indoors and don't expect the emergency services to be able to help.

The story unfolds in three alternating strands. Carrie, a young mother, is intent on making it through central London to get to her partner, Emma, and daughter, Clementine, in time for what may be their last moments together. Frankie and her boyfriend, Otis, have just arrived at a holiday cottage, Frankie is in the early stages of pregnancy and their goal is to gather whatever food supplies they can and get back to the cottage safely. Mrs Dabb is in a panic as her school-age daughter, Bunny, hasn't returned on the school bus.

As the clock ticks down, the tension builds as the challenges mount for each of the characters. It isn't long before society fragments and goes into self-destruct mode, punctuated by moments of poignant kindness.

I've read Holly Seddon's writing previously and it absolutely sparkles on the page. The short chapters, alternating between points of view, help the tension build in the first two-thirds of the book to the point at which I was so involved in the action that I felt physically tired from willing each of the women on to a good outcome.

There is a huge twist in this book, and a change of pace, and for me personally, the twist went too far. I struggled to know how to give this novel a rating out of five stars, as the writing is immaculate and the whole thing is perfectly executed. Emotionally, having been put through the wringer as the women went through the darkest and highest-stakes situations imaginable, I felt very reluctant to do the re-evaluation I needed to do to process the twist and the aftermath.

I will continue being a fan of Holly Seddon's writing and I am glad I had the chance to read 59 Minutes, despite wishing in this case that the twist could have taken a slightly different direction.

If you had fifty-nine minutes until everything and everyone you love would be lost forever,what would you do with that time?

It's an ordinary evening. People are coming home from work, cooking dinner for their children, cuddling on sofas with their children. An then the message arrives, shattering everyone.

Missiles are set to destroy England in fifty-nine minutes. Everyone should seek immediate shelter.

Fifty-nine minutes follows' the journey of three women trying to make it home and protect their families. The journey should be simple, but with a lost school child needing help, a teenage daughter suddenly going missing, and dangerous criminals on the prowl, there is peril at every corner.

This is a well-written story. A nuclear bomb will hit London in fifty-nine minutes. The story follows three different women and their story is told in alternating chapters. The characters are well-developed. There are some good twists and there's a really good twist towards the end.

Published 25th September 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup and the author #HollySeddon for my ARC of #59Minutes in xchange for an honest review.

"59 Minutes" by Holly Seddon is an adrenaline-filled psychological thriller that explores human behaviour when faced with the thought of having just 59 minutes left to live.

The book quickly grabs your attention and keeps you fully engaged throughout. It's intense from start to finish, and the scariest part is that the events depicted could easily happen in real life. For some countries, this scenario is a close reality.

Filled with panic, fear, and manipulation on a whole new level, the story poses a gripping question: What would you do if you received a phone alert saying,

“Nuclear Missile Threat to South England.
59 Minutes Until Impact.
Seek Immediate Shelter.
This is NOT a test”?

What would be your first thought, especially if you weren't at home with your family?

We follow Carrie, whose partner Emma and their three-year-old daughter, Clementine, are waiting at home. Frankie, who is newly pregnant, gets separated from her boyfriend, Otis, while trying to find supplies. Then there's Mrs. Dabb, whose daughter, Bunny, didn't come back from school, and Mrs. Dabb is unable to contact her since Bunny doesn’t have a phone.

The first part of the book is intense, and the second part is engaging, but the third part didn't entirely work for me—it felt a bit confusing and, to be honest, unnecessary. However, I can see why others might love it. Overall, I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a read that delivers heart-pounding and intense emotions.

Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the advanced digital copy of this phenomenal book. I absolutely devoured this! I was so intrigued to read it based on the premise- on a normal day, a text message alert states that a missile attack is going to hit England in 59 minutes- and the story telling was like I was there. It’s full of the characters of three women trying to make it home despite the chaos and apocalyptic - type scenes confronting them and what holds the most meaning to them in those 59 minutes, and a twist that absolutely stunned me. I won’t say anymore, as you just need to read it- and consider what you’d do in that situation.

Wow, what a book! It was tense and chilling from beginning to end, an enthralling read that takes you right into the heart of the characters' lives. You feel their desperation, their sense of guilt, and their bravery as they race towards an unknown end.

With only 59 minutes left of civilisation as we know it, the story follows several characters as they do what they have to in order to survive. It leaves you with thought-provoking questions as to what you would do in the same situation, and I can guarantee it will keep you thinking long after you've finished it.

This is a well-thought out story, with plenty of moral implications to chew on afterwards, and a warning of how close we are to such a bleak future. Highly recommend!

First things first be warned if you have any kind of world war/ end of the world/ apocalypse fears and or anxieties this one will play right into it.

This book was the epitome of addictive you’re instantly thrown right into the thick of it and have no choice other than to run along side these characters. Heart pounding, I spent the whole time reading it thinking.. what would I do? Where would I be? How would I get my children from school? TERRIFYING.

As time runs out people are getting more and more desperate. Everything descends into anarchy. Pandemonium. I really loved how the book stayed with the characters rather than zooming out to the bigger picture. You really got an insight to the best and worst of people in a truly awful situation.

The perfect tonic to any reading slump thank you for the early copy 🖤

The start of 59 Minutes features a stark warning of the realities of nuclear attack. The horrific implications spelled out, are chilling and bleak. This is the truth behind which, author Holly Seddon, has built her fiction.

5pm on a Friday afternoon, rush hour is in full swing. People are looking forward to their weekends. Until the unimaginable happens. At 5.01, an emergency alert message arrives on all devices. “Seek immediate shelter, this is not a test”. 59 Minutes is the story of Carrie, Frankie and Mrs Dabb, women desperately trying to find their loved ones, and face whatever will happen together.

There was a point in the book where I stopped reading. My brain stopped in its tracks, and I stared at the wall for a long while. As I read through the following few pages, I was still scrambling to reassemble the pieces in the right places, to correctly place the threads that bind these women together.

It feels really odd to be reading the start of this book, seeing the characters reacting to the emergency text alert, knowing that in exactly 7 days, we in the UK will be having a test of this very same emergency alert system. I know that when I hear this drill happening in reality, I will be thinking of these women and their families.

It is impossible to read this book, and not superimpose myself and family into their situations. Even thinking about it brought a lump to my throat, and made my chest tighten. To be separated from those we love the most, and not be able to say certain words, and hold them tight, is a horrendous thought.

59 Minutes is very cleverly written. The author took me by the hand and told me a story, before pulling the rug out from underneath me. I thought it was a gripping thriller, with so much emotional depth. Holly Seddon is a new author to me, but I will definitely be adding her back catalogue to my tbr. I loved it, as you can tell, it’s easily a 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read.

I don't think I breathed during the first 60% of this book! Brilliant.
The ending threw me for a moment until I realised what had happened. The tension built and built and I couldn't look away.
I also started reading it the day we received a test alert on the phones across the UK so yeah .... that was fun 🤣🤣
It really got me thinking too. 🤔
Thoroughly enjoyed this one and recommend it to thriller lovers who enjoy pulse pounding plots!

This is not a test!! A nuclear missile attack will hit the south of England in 59 minutes, seek immediate shelter ........... this is the message sent via the emergency alert system in the UK. What would you do?

Carrie is on her way home from work when she receives the alert. She has no option but to try and get home to her partner and young daughter. With no trains running will she get there in time.

Frankie and Otis are on a relaxing holiday, staying in a remote cottage. Once the alert arrives they realise they do not have any supplies in the house and decide to venture to the nearest village shop but will they be able to get back to shelter before the 59 minutes is up.

Finally Mrs Dabb is awaiting the arrival of her daughter home from school ..... but she doesn't arrive and the school bus driver hasn't seen her. Where has she gone and can Mrs Dabb find her in time?

The chapters alternate between all three characters, showing the ups and downs of their own 59 minutes. This is a great book full of twists and turns with plenty to keep you gripped throughout. Definitely makes you think, what would you do if you received this message. With the emergency alert system in the UK being back in the forefront of everyone's mind now is definitely the time to read this latest book from Holly Seddon.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

I only meant to read the first page of Holly Seddon's new book - if you're anything like me - you'll know what I mean by that.

But 24hrs later WOW what a thrilling, heartbreaking, tense rollercoaster of a novel. Not to forget terryfying! And love - love is there in abundance.

So brilliantly written with characters I was fully invested in - one horrifying reveal broke my heart ( you'll see for yourself why).

It felt so close to home, especially in light of the goverment test text today and was so thought provoking that I chatted with my daughters about it.

After telling them if they ever get a real text they must all gather at my house.

One said "I'm not going to come to your's Mum, you can't run fast enough!"

I replied "You can"t unrun that!"

Too much watching The Walking Dead, I think.

And just goes to show, as Holly so pointed out, the younger generation don't seem to understand the implications.

But back to the book! It's incredible - absolutely gripping and mind blowing.

I tried force myself to slow down at points because I was reading so fast and I wanted to savour it - but I was so desperate to know how it all ended.

Don't you love when you come accross a book like that? - I do but it's very rare.

A masterclass in plotting, character development and misdirection - an easy 5 ⭐️ from me.

It is sure to be the blockbuster of 2025 and I will be surprised if Netflix or Amazon doesn't pick it up soon.

2.5⭐️

I loved the first half - it was so fast paced and thrilling and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. The second half however, I absolutely HATED it. I really didn’t like the direction the story went and I actually found it so confusing. This could have been SO good but unfortunately for me the second half really let it down

The story is set in the 59 minutes before a nuclear bomb is forecasted to hit the UK. As the author says in the chilling foreword "the story is fictional, the details are not." And that's what makes this truly terrifying yet really gripping - the fact that it could happen. Through three main characters we see how different people respond in such different and unexpected ways to such catastrophic terror. Bubbling underneath is another story and it's super clever the way the author weaves the three strands together, alongside the nuclear threat. I knew the different POVs would converge and had multiple theories along the way but I could never have guessed how. This book is completely unique, mind-blowing and will stay with you for some time after. Maybe not for those worried about current events but otherwise a brilliant read.

I don't think I took a single breath during the first half of this book. 59 Minutes is one of the best stories I've read in a while, with a twist that is SO perfectly executed, I never saw it coming.

59 Seconds Holly Seddon
4 stars

What a nightmare scenario!

Imagine suddenly receiving a message on your phone, the radio, TV, social media telling you that there was a missile attack due to hit the United Kingdom in 59 minutes. What would you do?

The story revolves around three main characters and how they cope.

Carrie is in London at Waterloo station and her one thought is to get back to her partner, Emma and their 3 year old daughter Clementine. Frankie is on a holiday in Devon with her partner Otis and has just discovered that she is pregnant and Mrs Dabb is also in Devon waiting for her daughter Bunny to get home from school but she is not on the school bus.

As the minutes tick away everyone gets more terrified and desperate to find their loved ones ,but at the same time we see how people can degenerate into savages under such a strain. I could not help but consider what I would do if this were to ever happen and nowadays it does not seem too far-fetched to believe that it might actually happen.

This book really makes the reader think about what is the most important thing in their lives and, despite some tragic events, I felt that the overriding emotion was love and the need to let loved ones know what they mean and how so many things that we worry about are as nothing in the scheme of things.

This book is worth reading and I would recommend it, it really made me think about what is really important in my life.

.Karen Deborah
Net Galley

The population of London and the south have all received a warning message that a nuclear missile is heading their way; they have 59 minutes to prepare. For three women, Carrie, Frankie and Mrs Dabb, those 59 minutes are filled with terror as they race to be with the ones they love.

After seeing a couple of early reviews of 59 Minutes by Holly Seddon, I just knew I'd love it. Once I'd picked this up, I simply couldn't put it down, I had to know what was going to happen. The premise is terrifying; if this were a TV show or movie, you'd be watching from behind a cushion, desperate to know more but horrified at what was happening.

Told over the space of 59 minutes, and from the perspective of three characters, really keeps the pace moving. Carrie has finished work for the day and has just started her commute across London to get home to her wife and daughter. Frankie, along with her husband Otis, has just arrived at their holiday rental in the New Forest. Mrs Dabb, also living in the New Forest, is concerned that her teenage daughter hasn't returned home from school on time.

As you read, you have the same sense of uncertainty the characters do. Is it real? What is the target? Who is responsible? Who will be affected, and how? You feel the rising sense of panic that floods the population when no answers are forthcoming.

The British "stiff upper lip" and Blitz spirit quickly evaporate. It is frightening how quickly society breaks down and lawlessness takes over. I found my heartbeat increasing with every page I turned, concern growing for the characters as the clock ticked down. I was also filled with incredible sadness at the choices some people made, knowing that survival is almost impossible.

If you want to know what happens at the end of the 59 minutes, you're going to have to read the book for yourself, I'm certainly not going to spoil the ending.

If this was a straightforward dystopian book that could not be true, it would be hauntingly gripping enough, but as I raced through this incredible book, the thought at the back of my mind that his could be our reality made it all the more tense and gripping. Holly Seddon brilliantly weaves this gripping narrative which at just the right points in the book, she beautifully sprinkles in a heart wrenching and poignant love story. As the clock ticks down to a catastrophic event threatening humanity's very existence, these 3D characters leap off the page and grab at your heartstrings. Breathtakingly genius although I did read this with a racing heart and a cushion over my face.

GENIUS.