Turning on its head the cosy idyll of rural life, this near-unbearably tense thriller from the author of Sister is an outstanding novel that demands to be read in one sitting. Told from multiple perspectives in what feels allied to real time, Three Hours is an extraordinarily visceral exploration of an ordinary school under siege and the triggers that might lead to radicalisation, extremism and hate.
Three Hours to save the people you love.
From the bestselling author of Sister comes an electrifying, pulse-racing new novel that takes us deep into the heart of what it means to be human
Three hours is 180 minutes or 10,800 seconds.
It is a morning's lessons, a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, a snowy trek through the woods.
It is an eternity waiting for news. Or a countdown to something terrible.
It is 180 minutes to discover who you will die for and what men will kill for.
In rural Somerset in the middle of a blizzard, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. From the wounded headmaster in the library, unable to help his trapped pupils and staff, to teenage Hannah in love for the first time, to the parents gathering desperate for news, to the 16 year old Syrian refugee trying to rescue his little brother, to the police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, to the students taking refuge in the school theatre, all experience the most intense hours of their lives, where evil and terror are met by courage, love and redemption.
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN: 9780241374498
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 437 g
Dimensions: 222 x 144 x 31 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'A snowed-in school in rural Somerset is under attack from gunmen. Over three hours of the seige, we see the action from the perspective of teachers, pupils, parents and police. A smart thriller with plenty of twists and reveals.' - The Saturday Times
‘A flawlessly orchestrated story that owes much to theatre – the rotating ensemble cast, the echoes of Greek tragedy as well as Shakespeare… the balance is just right.’ - The Sunday Times
'Intersperses scenes of breath-sucking tension with stirring meditations on human nature'. - The Guardian
‘Horribly plausible… this is one of those novels you live rather than merely read.’ – The Telegraph
'Superb' - Kate Mosse
'ASTONISHING. Powerful, terrifying, heartbreaking' - Emma Flint
'One of the most exhilarating reading experiences I've ever had' Emma Healey
'A stunner of a book. Staggeringly good' - Jane Fallon
'SO gripping, intelligent, timely, affecting and moving' - Marian Keyes
'Three Hours is one of the most exhilarating reading experiences I've ever had. Rosamund Lupton takes a dark, painful subject and turns it into a novel full of hope and compassion. An amazing achievement.' - Emma Healey
'Will chill your blood and break your heart by turns - a masterclass in suspense' - Cara Hunter
'There's no one else writing quite like Rosamund Lupton in fiction today - the way she combines high tension with a compassionate and humane take on the world is unique. Three Hours is exceptional - at turns heart-breaking, warm, terrifying, perceptive and grippingly page turning' - Kate Hamer
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