It’s hard to do justice to this stunning novel which I urge you to read. Anyone who remembers the Dunblane shootings, not so far away from where I am now, will recall the sense of horror and devastation that the horrific school shooting brought not just to parents and relatives but to a whole country. Three Hours is, thankfully, not set in Scotland, but in a similar, small rural community in Somerset. It is a masterclass in exceptional writing and this book only works because of the power of that writing. That’s what makes it stand above the crowd. It is a book that centres itself in the middle of your heart and refuses to leave. A heart-breaking story of love, courage and exceptional bravery in the face of a stark, cold and horrible planned attack, Three Hours is exceptional in its prose and in the way that Lupton has created characters that immediately claim their place in your mind and your heart and take up residence. This is storytelling that rises above the crowd. The writing is exquisite, drawing you in to a completely shocking event, allowing you to experience the horror and the chaos that ensues and finally making you confront the awful, terrible truth of what is going on. Lupton’s chilling and deeply atmospheric narrative moves forwards and back in time, letting the reader experience the most terrible three hours we will ever know where the very definition of innocents is threatened by malice and hatred so strong that it is determined to wipe out everyone who threatens its world view. Set against this is a completely overwhelming story of love and hope and everything that is good in our world. Immense courage and fortitude; leadership and compassion shine through this most terrible of times. The triumph of this book though is not just in how it makes us experience these events and feel the urgency and the compassion. It is in the way that Lupton gently and without any sense of lecturing draws the path through our turbulent times to show us just how this has become a plausible reality. She shows us, gently and without comment, how our society made this kind of behaviour possible and why kindness and love now have to battle against hatred and false reporting every day. I can’t adequately express how good this book is, how completely it immerses you in the story, how the prose wraps itself around your heart and squeezes hard. Verdict: Buy it; read it; you will not be sorry. A finer piece of prose writing will be hard to find.

This book had some great reviews, and rightly so. Really enjoyed it and read it in a few days.

I agree with the other reviewer that you seem to take a deep breath at the beginning and can’t let it out right to the very end. I found the subject matter upsetting, but enjoyed the human stories she tells along the way. Definitely recommend.

Three Hours is a very compelling, dramatic book which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The subject of a school under siege by armed gunmen is a scary one, and the action flits from character to character both inside and outside the school, building tension continually. I have to say I guessed the last two twists in the book, which I don’t normally, but this didn’t stop my enjoyment. In fact it increased the terror factor as I knew what was coming. One of the few books I’ve read this year which I’m wanting time in my day to sit and read. Highly recommended. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion. Rosamund is a new author to me, and I’ll be reading more of her books in the future.

This book starts with a bullet at 9.16 am and then follows the next three hours. Sharing viewpoints from the teachers and pupils trapped in the school, the police and specialists trying to glean information on the gunmen and the parents anxiously awaiting information. The school involved is seen as a liberal school with no uniform and allowing pupils to be themselves. Also taking in refugees such as brothers Rafi and Basi who after already going through hell getting here are suffering PTSD. Due to Rafi constantly being on high alert he tells the headmaster his suspicions after hearing what he suspects to be a bomb and seeing something in the woods. As someone who is incredibly empathetic and non judgemental I found this utterly heartbreaking. The strength of the teachers putting themselves in harms way to protect and the bravery of the children and their determination to not be beaten. But what really got me was the mother of one of the gunmen. Her “in head” conversations with the boy he was before and her coming to see how he was essentially brainwashed had me captivated. This is a hard hitting read covering difficult subjects especially immigration and the far right movement but what I will take from this is that for every bad man there is always a good one and they are worth fighting for. This is a story of love, a boy who will risk everything for his brother and friends, teachers who shield and protect and a mother’s unconditional love for her son.