This story is told by multiple narrators and all of the action takes part in ‘real time’ three hours. The narrators delve into their compelling background stories but they are all linked by a siege that is initiated by two or three perpetrators, unknown by any of the other narrators at the beginning of the story. The school is a progressive, liberal education establishment and situated in rural Somerset. The ethos in the school is acceptance, toleration and kindness. The Headteacher Mathew Marr is widely admired and respected, especially by his deputy, whom he has mentored. The children like him because he aspires to all of the traits he promotes. It is a happy school where everyone is warmly welcomed, and this is why it makes what happens in the story poignant yet utterly believable.
The early morning lessons have begun. The children are scattered all around the school in two different campuses, enjoying their classes when the gunmen start their rampage, loaded with rifles and ammunition belts. The Headteacher quickly raises the alarm and the first outsider to arrive is a local policeman who is promptly shot. Mathew Marr walks from one campus to another to arrange a possible evacuation of the younger children via a forest and a secluded beach, below high cliffs. On his way back, he comes across what turns out to be the initiator of the attack. He recognises him, but cannot escape to pass on the news. He is shot twice and severely wounded, so from then on he cannot communicate with anyone. He veers from consciousness to unconsciousness, bleeding profusely. He is cared for by one of his pupils, a girl called Hannah. They are in the school Theatre, where the cast of ‘Macbeth’, a play that the children are in the middle of rehearsing is taking place. It is the most secure building in the entire campus. Mathew Marr is in a very critical condition but still Hannah cares for him with tenderness, compassion and diligence.
The hours creep by with the gunmen keeping the pupils prisoner. They are on the prowl continuously. Their footfall strikes terror into the children’s hearts. It appears that they are in no hurry to escalate their attack. The various police and military experts arrive and set up their command centres. Two pupils, brothers, are outside in a raging blizzard. Visibility is low and the frozen earth soon becomes covered by deep, fluffy white snow. What happens next is truly horrific. The children are waiting, the parents are agonising about their children under siege, praying they will survive. The tension is palpable, the waiting truly unbearable. In the claustrophobic classrooms the children hold their breath. The massacre is inevitable, but paused.
Within 180 minutes we, the readers, they the parents, the teachers and the schoolchildren will discover who they will shed blood for and what these vile men will kill for. There is a strange calm in the classroom, fear too. All on pause, but for how long? The menacing footsteps recede but there is no way out. They are trapped, on hold, prisoners wondering about their futures.
This novel is absolutely convincing. Of course it could happen, it may happen in this novel. It has happened before and may happen afterwards. My heart beats faster and faster, the pages turned with eager speed. I really enjoyed the topical, thought-provoking novel; the stories of quiet kindness, courage, determination, love and forgiveness. My favourite character was Hannah’s, in love for the first time, her boyfriend one of the brothers hiding outside in the bitter cold. The suspense, the mystery, the resolution held me utterly spellbound. Thank you publisher Penguin, NetGalley who arranged for reviewers and also author Rosamund Lupton who envisaged this dramatic and meticulously researched story. It’s a 5* review from me and the recommendation that this is a superb and terrifying read, one not to be forgotten or missed.

This is definitely in my top ten books of the year, probably top five. It's an amazing read that pretty much held me captive throughout my time reading it. It also probably helped that I have only recently been to see Macbeth in the theatre so I am more able to relate to the parts of the book that reflect the story therein too. But don't let that put you off if you are not familiar with the play. It's not going to ruin your experience of everything else that happens herein.
The action takes place in a rural school set in and about woodland. It doesn't help that the weather is bad; blizzard conditions. We start in the middle of the story, it's not linear, where the school is under siege. As the present day action plays out, we see glimpses of what has happened before to get to that point in time. Students are isolated in various places, some wounded, most OK at the moment. We follow the police as they try to take charge of the situation, deal with the parents of those unaccounted for, and try to work out who is behind the incident, and why? And, more importantly, bring it to a safe conclusion.
Oh My Days. My heart was in my mouth all the way through this book. I felt strongly for the staff and students, almost at times praying for the outcome to be the best it could. Scared for the futures of all concerned. I read through tears occasionally, but always held onto the hope that things would be favourable. And there was plenty of hope in this book. I watched as relationships formed and saw how some of the characters really stepped up to do what was necessary despite their fears. Characters that I connected with straight away, feared for, hoped for and really cared about. I followed rapt as the police started to figure things out, shocked at what they found. We do live in scary times and I read this book at a time when there was an incident in London, where members of the public stepped up and stepped in to bring that situation to an end. This meant the book meant more, was more scary, as it is something that can and does happen. Not usually in England but, scarily possible nonetheless.
The time span of the book is three hours, but what a three hours. It's not a long time if you think about it but for all involved it's the longest three hours of their lives. It's intense and immense and not for the faint hearted as we see what is facing the people involved. As they hope for word of loved ones, how they fear for themselves and their friends and family. How they strive to survive and save others.
I could bang on and on about how wonderful and important this book is. How great a read it was for me. How well written it is; plotting, characters, pacing. It really is the complete package. But I think I've said enough. All that's left is to thank the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this wonderful book.

Words fail me to describe how great this book was. The story is set around a school shooting attack but at the same time is giving details of the terrifying journey that two child Muslims took from Syria eventually landing up in the UK at this particularly liberated school.
As I read it was really happening inside of me and at times I was chilled to the bone living the story with them.
Rosemary Lupton has once again written a gripping story with such amazing characters, clearly described scenery and always full of emotion.

An unusual read about, yes, you’ve guessed it, 3 hours!

Prepare yourself though, because this is a rollercoaster of a three hour journey, covering a school siege (so, difficult subject matter) , unusually, set in the UK and looking at the situation from a variety of viewpoints and it’s a well constructed, emotional journey.

Despite that, I did struggle to fully engage, partly due to the subject matter and partly that I found it a tad disjointed and there are a lot of characters. However, the author is an excellent one and so I persevered.

Overall, it’s a well written, emotional read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers and author for the opportunity to preview.

This was a harrowing and brilliant read. My heart was breaking for the characters as the story played out. Utterly gut-wrenching but thoroughly compelling.

Three Hours was a difficult book to read because it was so realistically written. It was also a very difficult book to put down.

It begins with an explosion in the woods and the headmaster being shot in a corridor in view of his parents. Over the next few hours the police, parents and students are playing catchup trying to figure out who the gunman is, what they are going to do next and why they are doing it in the first place.

Three Hours is told from the point of view of several characters and is incredibly effective because of this. At times I could feel the horror the children, teachers and family members were feeling, and it made for uneasy reading because of this.

The descriptions of the action were suspenseful and richly detailed meaning that the reader experiences everything as it infolds.

“A moment of stillness; as if time itself is waiting, can no longer be measured. Then the subtle press of a fingertip, whorled skin against cool metal, starts it beating again and the bullet moves faster than sound.”

One of the things that struck me the most whilst I was reading was the bravery of the characters involved.

“Matthew Marr, headmaster and only adult here, must protect them, must rescue his pupils in Junior School, the pottery room, the theatre and the English Classroom along the corridor; must tell the teachers not to take any risks and keep the children safe. But his mind is slipping backwards into memory. Perhaps this is what the shrapnel has done, broken pieces of bone upwards so they form a jagged wall and he is stuck on the side of the past. But words in his own thoughts grab at him – risks, safe, rescue.”

The sense of anticipation and tension created by the author was massive, I felt a bit jumpy whilst reading.

“The gunman’s footsteps sound along the bookcases as he walks along the corridor. For a little while they thought he’d gone, that he’d walked all the way to the end of the corridor and the front door and left. But he hadn’t. He came back again towards them. He must be wearing boots with metal in the heel. Click-Click Click-Click on the worn oak floorboards, then a pause.”

The reader feels as if they are along with them through every piece of the action, through every courageous action and the amazing plot twists.

I think it has such an impact because it is not beyond the realms of possibility that something like that could happen.

There were certain elements of the book I saw coming but one of the biggest twists left me reeling, One of the best books I have read this year.

I feel very undecided about this book, and difficult to give it a star rating. The topic of white supremacists is very newsworthy at present and the message clear with recent quotes from journalists and Donald Trump, but I found it quite hard to believe the terrorists would target a school with a few refugees rather than a wider community. The writing is good and uplifting in the end with love conquering most things, but although Dunsinane was a clever plot twist, the Macbeth theme left me cold. I think for me less of a genre mix would have worked better, but I think I will be in the minority, and still look forward to the author's next book.
Thank you to netgalley and penguin books for an advance copy of this book

Brilliant book, loved the twists in the plot and the characters I really connected with. I was hooked from the very first page. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Rosamund Lupton for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book flew through it to see what happened I loved it. A few good twists I didn’t see coming, brilliant characters & amazing writing style would recommend this to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Viking for an advanced copy of this book.
The story covers the”Three Hours” that a progressive school is held hostage by balaclava-clad gunmen. Initially police are baffled as to why. The headmaster has been shot and seriously injured. Both younger and older pupils are scattered around the school premises in various buildings. As time progresses police discover the sinister reason for the attack and there is a race against time to thwart their plans. Even the weather is working against them and they are in the midst of a severe snow storm.
As the story progresses the reader gains some insight into the lives of the main characters, including two brothers who made the arduous journey to England to escape war-torn Syria.
I personally feel a bit torn over this book. The writing is very good with a good storyline but I really struggled to get into it. Don’t know why. I wouldn’t want anyone to be put off from reading this book by this review but it just wasn’t for me. Sorry.

This is the first Rosamund Lupton book that I’ve read and I really enjoyed it. I do feel like something was missing - but I don’t know what that something is. This was such an emotional book and it made me sad and scared at times. I really liked the characters and found myself emotionally attached to them. I couldn’t put this one down because I had to know what happened next. I was desperate to see how it ended. The whole story was really tense and had a lot of heart-stopping moments. I really enjoyed this one and will definitely be reading more from Rosamund Lupton in the future.

I have enjoyed Rosamund Lupton’s other books, and was delighted to be given an opportunity to read and review #ThreeHours prior to publication. I found the book totally engaged me from the first chapter, which is always a good sign. I was very reluctant to put it down.
It is about a school in lockdown and follows the experience of a number of pupils and teachers as the terrifying ordeal unfolds. It felt so realistic and chilling. It is set in rural England (rather than the more expected USA) and is very much current in terms of the impact on young people of news (including the awful British press), propaganda and radicalisation.
Well written and different to what I usually read, I very much enjoyed the book and will be buying it for both adults and teenagers alike.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book. #NetGalley

Wow. Just wow. I found it difficult to read this book because it was so realistic - I wanted to grab my kids out of school and hide. BUT the different perspectives, the emotions, the way I was rooting for each group of students, the amount of time I spent shouting at everyone in my head for different reasons - don't do anything silly, why do you want to kill kids? get your head down, stay safe, etc etc. I still have a hangover from this book four or five days later. Strongly recommended.

Mindblowing and breathtaking!

A school compound is held hostage by white supremacists, one inside, one outside and possibly a third one out in the woods. The reader is guided through the different sections of the school holding children of different age groups. We learn how each responds to the drama unfolding.
Tension is slowly building on all fronts in this extremely well crafted story. Fast paced, exquisite writing. Indepth characters have me sitting right next to them holding hands, praying all will be well.
The snow getting thicker truly adds to the isolation of the surroundings.
Whilst the police are slowly discovering who they're dealing with, a solution seems far out of reach.
Finally, a decision is made, leading to a well rounded adrenalin filled finale. So good!

Thank you Netgalley and Viking for the ARC.

Rosamund Lupton’s Three Hours presents a nightmare scenario of a real time ‘lockdown’ of a local school in a rural English village. Openly tolerant and liberal minded, the school, having recently welcomed the addition of two orphaned Syrian boys, embraces diversity among both pupils and staff. However, the shocking realisation is that the school has become the target of radicalised individuals who manage to infiltrate the school and terror ensues.

This is a book that I really enjoyed with a story line that will stay with me for some time. It is about a school shooting in the UK but written from the point of view of the people involved. It was a harrowing read in some respects and it was well researched.
Thank you for the ARC of this book, it was much appreciated.

Outstanding!
It’s not often that I can find a book that blows me away and one that I know I will never forget and will be recommending till the end of time. The author has written and incredible work of fiction that is so true to life that it could of been an actual news story and sadly it’s has been, however this book is so much more than a school shooting. It’s a book about love, bravery, defiance and courage. The characters are what make this book so special, a head teacher who loves his kids, student who are so young and brave and some that have already lived through terror and a police officer, who not only has to police the situation but also is pregnant and has her own worries and feelings. . I don’t want to tell you much more about this book because it’s needs to be read, it will have a impact on you and you will never for it. Never has a book chilled me to the bones and then warmed me to my core as much as this one has.

A tense book which spans three hours as a remote school is put into lockdown as gunmen are on site and, having shot the headmaster, have a number of students and teachers trapped in various buildings. Three Hours is different from Rosamund Luptons previous books and it took me a little longer than usual to get into this but by 30% of the way in I was hooked.

The subject matter plays on current affairs, in particular terrorism and radicalisation. Different tales are told throughout the three hour period and this is a tense read as you do not know which way the story will twist next. I would definitely recommend.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, which was a stunning, tense and magical read.
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton has a storyline about a school under attack by two of their students. There are sub plots going on within the main storyline and the characters are amazing, life like and realistic.
It is a book that you read and forget to breathe as you race through the pages to see what happens next. It is a very tense, taut storyline and as a reader you want everyone to survive but know that that won’t happen. The characters, the storyline and the plot were an amazing read. Possibly the best book I have read this year.
Highly recommended.

Wow! I sat and read this book in two days straight because I had to know what happened to everyone. It was gripping, relevant and political.

In the space of three hours a remote school is thrown into panic and terror. A homemade lunchbox bomb is found in the woods by one of the pupils. It might have been dismissed as a prank by most kids, but Rafi Bukhari escaped Syria with his little brother Basi, and he takes it very seriously. In a matter of half an hour the first police officer on scene is shot at and the site is under siege, In the Old School Rafi’s girlfriend Hannah is with a group in the library caring for their wounded headmaster. Pottery teacher Camille is stranded in the studio with only a few rows of clay tiles and some glass between a class of seven year olds and an automatic weapon. Further back, a group are rehearsing Macbeth in the woodland theatre and the junior school is being evacuated down to the beach. Rafi settles his brother with the teacher, they both have PTSD and he vowed not to leave him, but at least Basi is safe and he needs to get to Hannah. Basi has ideas of his own though.

I really enjoyed the varied perspectives of this novel from the kids, teachers, police, and even the parents of the shooters. Beth Alton’s train of thought is brilliant, from assurances that her Jamie could not possibly be responsible to the thought that he’s already dead to her, from the minute he picked up the gun. The investigation and drip feed of new information is very well done and it’s obvious the author has researched well. The flashbacks of the Syrian boys are equally well placed and effective. I found the allusions to the kid’s performance of Macbeth great at first - the idea of using Syria as a backdrop and the witches as balaclava clad terrorists is clever. However, I do feel it was carried too far and that it became clunky and difficult to believe. This is where I had some disappointment with the ending, which I won’t spoil, but suffice to say it felt more fantastical than realistic. In the main this was a great thriller that kept the reader hooked and didn’t let go till the very end.