59 Minutes - by Holly Seddon (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Nuclear missile threat to South England. 59 minutes until impact. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a test. Carrie is a young mother desperate to reunite with her daughter. Frankie, newly pregnant, faces a romantic vacation that takes a terrifying turn. Then there's the enigmatic older woman determined to protect her teenage daughter, Bunny, no matter what. Across South England, these three women must navigate survival amidst chaos when the country receives a nuclear bomb alert. With only 59 minutes before mass destruction, will they make it to their loved ones in time?"--

Book Synopsis

You have fifty-nine minutes until everything and everyone you love will be lost forever, what will you do with that time? The internationally bestselling author of the "brilliant, gripping must-read" (Glamour) Try Not to Breathe brings suspenseful thrills in this unputdownable novel following three women as they face an incoming nuclear attack.

Carrie is on her way home from work on an ordinary evening, looking forward to seeing her family, when her phone blares:

SEVERE ALERT. NUCLEAR MISSILE THREAT TO SOUTH ENGLAND. 59 MINUTES UNTIL IMPACT. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A TEST.

Chaos erupts around her. Her spouse and child, who are normally just a commute of a few minutes away, might as well be on Mars for all the chances she has of seeing them again.

When Frankie and her fiancé get the terrifying alert, they are on their way to a country retreat. Frankie is blissfully and newly pregnant, but her joy is shattered by the realization that there may be no world to bring her baby into.

Mrs. Dabb is already spiraling because her thirteen-year-old daughter is missing. Panicked, she is on a mission to track her down. Then she hears sirens wailing across the moor. The TV confirms that her evening is about to get a whole lot worse.

Three women, three families, one last chance to be together before the end. All they have is fifty-nine minutes.

Review Quotes

"Genuinely blew me away. What a novel! I have always loved Holly's writing, but she has truly levelled up - I was completely gripped. 59 MINUTES is a race-against-time thriller, but it's so much more than that. It tugged on my heartstrings and had me close to tears on more than one occasion. Impossible to put down." -- Clare Mackintosh, Sunday Times bestselling author

"A big-hearted book that pulses with adrenaline on every page. Holly Seddon is at the top of her game as she shows us the absolute best and the absolute worst of humanity. Stop what you're doing and read it." -- Erin Kelly, Sunday Times bestselling author

"Suspenseful, anxiety-inducing, wonderfully written, and addicting; with intense world building and quick, piercing prose, Seddon demonstrates immense skill taking on such a charged topic. The impact reverberates through the whole novel, and it will leave the reader wondering what they would do if a day is ever said to be the last." -- Booklist

"Seddon's gift for cliffhangers takes the tension to unbearable heights... It's easy to wolf this down in a single sitting." -- Publishers Weekly

"59 MINUTES will sweep you up in non-stop action that deftly explores human connection. Beautiful, terrifying, and remarkable!" --Tracy Sierra, author of Nightwatching

"A gut punch of a novel. Set primarily in the fifty-nine minutes prior to a nuclear strike, it poses the question 'what would you do?' and the answers feel all too plausible, from the terrifying to the wonderful. I held my breath for most of it, but ended up finding this as moving and reflective as it was suspenseful."--Jennie Godfrey, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS

"Utterly chilling, propulsive and thought-provoking - 59 Minutes is a page-turner and a must-read."--Mark Edwards, bestselling author of THE WASP TRAP

"Immersive, intense and utterly unique, this is a thrill ride that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. Masterful!"--Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author

"I often talk about turning pages feverishly when I'm enjoying a book, or not being able to turn them fast enough, but this was on another level! I read it in two insane hits, so hard and so fast that the pages fell out. An unreal and unforgettable reading experience in every way."

--Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author

"Mesmerizing, beautiful, and heartrending, 59 Minutes is more than a top-notch thriller. It's a story that reminds us to seize the day, to race home to the ones we love, and to remember the light in this world. Holly Seddon has outdone herself. The clock is ticking so race to buy this book."--Alex Finlay, bestselling author of Parents Weekend

"Part thriller, part love story, 59 MINUTES is a tender contemplation of what it means to be human in the face of an extinction-level event. Peopled with characters whose lives matter from the very first moment, Holly Seddon perfectly captures the panicked, messy chaos of trying to reach loved ones in time."--Fiona Cummins, bestselling author of ALL OF US ARE BROKEN

"Some thrillers thrill, but 59 Minutes will change the way you think about humanity. Universal, challenging, and bold as hell: it's going to take over the world."--Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Holly Seddon is the author of several thrillers, including the international bestseller Try Not to Breathe, The Hit List, and 59 Minutes. After growing up in the English countryside obsessed with music and books, Holly worked in London as a journalist and editor. After several years in Amsterdam, she now lives in Kent with her family and writes full time. Find out more at HollySeddon.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook @HollySeddonAuthor, on TikTok @TheRealHollySeddonAuthor, and on BlueSky @Holly.bsky.social.