A TERRIFYING EPIDEMIC. A MOTHER DETERMINED TO KEEP HER FAMILY SAFE. HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

'Gripping and terrifyingly realistic, Before This Is Over is the story of a mother trapped in the epicenter of a deadly global virus - and the agonizing choices she must make to keep her family alive' Sarah Pekkanen

How far will a mother go to save her children? A twisting, edge-of-your seat drama that you'll never forget. 'We couldn't put this down' Take a Break

BEFORE THIS IS OVER by Amanda Hickie is a powerful, thought-provoking drama that looks at one family in the heart of a devastated community and compels us to ask: how far would I go to save my children? 'Shatteringly suspenseful...it's impossible not to be super-glued to the page' Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of PICTURES OF YOU

A normal family. A quiet, leafy street. A terrifying epidemic.

It's been coming for a while: a lethal illness. With sons of five and fourteen to look out for, Hannah has been stockpiling supplies, despite everyone telling her that it's unnecessary.

Then it arrives.

At first there are a few unconfirmed cases. Then a death. Now the whole city is quarantined. But Hannah's family is not yet safe behind their locked front door...

Basics soon become luxuries, and neighbours become hazards. There are power cuts, food shortages and an ever-growing sense of claustrophobia. How will the family cope?

How would you cope?

How far would you go to protect your children?


Originally published under the title AN ORDINARY EPIDEMIC.


What readers are saying about Before This Is Over:

'I could not put this book down...A fabulous read' 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer

'A tense, gripping, claustrophobic story' 4 stars, Goodreads reviewer

'One of the most realistic stories about a viral epidemic that I've read...I was captivated...An excellent, thought-provoking read' www.josbookblog.co.uk

'I was utterly absorbed...will leave you thinking and anxiously awaiting a resolution...I loved it' 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer

'I couldn't stop reading this book...A fast-paced thriller that will make you think about vulnerabilities and about your family' 5 stars, Goodreads reviewer

'Amanda Hickie is a phenomenal writer... Simply brilliant, I do not think I'll be able to get this story out of my head for a long time' 4 stars, Goodreads reviewer

"We couldn't put it down" - Take a Break

"When a global epidemic spreads to Sydney, Australia, one mother fights to keep her family alive and together in Hickie's debut thriller.... Quarantined together, Hannah's family faces challenges to their safety and questions about the limits of human empathy as they fight not only to survive, but to keep their own relationships intact. There is no shortage of suspense in Hickie's novel.... There's an effective sense of claustrophobia; once the family goes into quarantine, they have little contact with any other people or any other places, so the reader is trapped with them in their house-and in their roiling emotions. Poses challenges to our safe, complacent lives, forcing readers to ask, "What would I do if...."" - Kirkus Reviews

"A tense debut.... Under these circumstances, how does one cope with entertaining an active child or feeding a growing, whiny teenager, who eats as if supermarkets are still open and refuses to understand why he can't realistically depicts how isolation and the threat of disease affect one family" - Publishers Weekly

"What would you do in an epidemic?... Utterly fascinating, a little gruesome and impossible to put down.... This is a slow-burn thriller that would make an excellent choice for a book club" - Books + Publishing

"This tale's tight lines of logic and sharp interrogation of the limits of compassion...make for a fascinating read" - The Australian