A review by jentidders
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton

5.0

One winter's day, in the middle of a snowstorm, the pupils and teachers of a liberal school in England realise they are in the midst of a terror attack.

Over the course of three hours, we gradually learn about what is transpiring, from the point of view of Matthew Marr the headmaster who has been shot, DI Rose Polstein the police psychologist trying to profile the gunmen, Rafi a 16 year old Syrian refugee trying to save his little brother, and Hannah a brave student trying to help her teachers and friends.

The pacing of the book is incredible, launching straight into the action and never letting up, and it is also extraordinarily beautifully written. I turned pages with my heart in my mouth, wanting to know what would happen next and exclaimed out loud on more than one occasion.

It's hard to say much more without giving spoilers, but this is a powerful, compelling, harrowing, and politically important book which tackles refugee crisis, extremism, liberalism and the conservative media, and I am sure it will be one of my books of 2020.