Wow.. A thrilling read to the very last page.

Told mostly in realtime, THREE HOURS is about a school in Lockdown. On a cold blisteringly winter day this liberal school is under siege. Hate and terror rain over key buildings and classrooms as gunmen execute their plans to kill and destroy.

Centred around a few key characters, the compassionate headteacher Mr Marr who lies injured in the Library and is being cared for by love stricken teen Hannah to Rafi the Syrian refugee trying to rescue his little brother. Drama quite literally plays a part in the story too as many students are safely being held in the schools purpose built theatre rehersing for a play.

This is an intense read.

Whilst this novel is firmly placed in the suspense and thriller category for me the central themes has to be of one of love, hope and humanity. Above all, love. Love penetrates this narrative it is courageous, brave and selfless.

In the powerful storytelling from Lupton she showcases the resilience of the whole school community during a crisis situation. It really is a superb novel, and I am totally drawn to focusing on how it makes you feel the moment the story it comes to the end. THREE HOURS is gripping. Gripping to the very last page.

A stunning debut novel from local Dubai based author @heybrandyscott.

In my opinion, it was a little slow to start however suddenly the storyline ups tempo and builds into a fast paced read that you simply cannot put down so don't write it off. At all. Brandy keeps you captivated right to the very end when you are desperate to discover what happens next to conclude the story. And who, between Lou, Aimee and Melinda will really do what it takes to get what they need out of the situation, each of them pushing boundaries to the limit despite the very best of a thirty year friendship they share together.

What did I make of each of these three main characters? Firstly LOU. I empathised with her the most. She suffered by the ripple effect of words spoken over her, three generations worth of misunderstanding, the after effects of mistakes made and the choices we have live by as a result. My favourite chapter from the book centred around Lou and a frenzied break through moment between her and her daughter Tansy...somebody open the window and find me a skip!

MELINDA, seemingly the strongest of the three friends. A successful, strong and independent business woman, yet underneath it all she seemed lonely, living with regret and felt inadequate.

AIMEE in short, I had down as quite simply a
nutter!

In summary, it is a story that deals with secrets, the hurt and damage of rejection, feelings of inadequacy and the burden of shame. And of course friendship. How strong really is the friendship of Lou, Aimee and Melinda? Surly, Not Bad People? Pick up a copy and decide for yourself ;)

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is not your average psychological thriller. It is something more than just a good book, it was wonderful. What a read!

Jane Corry has done it. She has written a true page turner alright. Short sharp chapters are a winning formula. Like waves in the ocean the twists and turns literally come every few pages setting the rhythm for this book. The story is intriguing and delivers with a far from predictable twist at the end.

The book is well researched, that is evident along with the skillfully developed characters.

The themes of this book delve into:
~Jealously
~Sibbling Rivalry
~Revenge
~The mental and physically disabled
~Custodian life
~Acceptance and forgiveness

I am wholeheartedly recommending this one. And will certainly read more from this author. I'm somewhat annoyed with myself for taking so long to to get to it. Better late than never.

A real page turner, so glad I bought it and read it.

I don't think I have read a book quite so quickly.

A thrilling "whodunit" plot that is cleverly written.

I actually really wish I had read it whilst I was on a cruise to add to my hightened, thrilling reading experience!