Three Hours - Rosamund Lupton

 A brilliantly plotted thriller. 

Three hours is topical and a great reflection of how a writer's sensibilities is reflected in their work. I liked the message of the book and how it holds a mirror to contemporary attitudes.

Gist:

 What starts as a normal school day turns sinister as the morning wears on. All within a span of three hours. However that is the time when a headteacher's belief and his life hangs in balance, a group of school kids are shut in a pottery room and a set of older kids are trapped in the school theatre. All wait with bated breath as they hear shots and then footsteps wondering if they are going to make it alive.

What works:

A great premise and gosh what a first chapter. It starts right in the middle of action and frankly it felt a bit disorientating. But then it shifts into focus and then races through to the end.

Loved the voices and characters. Lupton is great at creating her character personas. Loved Beth and the way Lupton gives us access to her thoughts and peels layers over the story simultaneously.

What doesn't:

The style is not conventional. I got the sense of an experiment here with the narrative but once I got the hang of it, it felt great - a thoroughly brilliant reading experience.

A superb read. A fantastic thriller with a heart.

The Silent Patient - Alex Michealidas

 A slow burning, satisfying read.

The first page of the book is full of reviews endorsed by top names and you know this has to be good. But even then, I was really surprised by how true that was!  I am partial to psychological thrillers but of late have been tiring of the genre considering how the term is getting broader than ever. However, this one is a pacy, commerical read and delivers what it says on the cover.

Gist:

A woman is in jail for shooting her husband. She does not say anything in her defence and goes mute. The court orders her to be put away in a centre.  

One fine day, a therapist walks in and decides to take on her case.

What works:

• The trouble is it has an eye catching title, a premise that is even more intriguing. It sets the high standard and the reader expects to be whisked off straight away. That doesn't happen. It takes some time to set pace and then it picks up pace and gosh, leaves you breathless by the end of it.

• The characters are beautifully drawn. The second half is where the pace picks up and gosh the what a psychological roller coaster ride it is indeed!

What doesn't:

• The scene setting takes a while, it takes sometime to catch pace and that can put off some readers.

Overall a fabulous read. This what a psychological thriller is all about. No wonder there are talks about turning it into screen adaptation. I for one, will be looking forward to it.