I loved this one! Atmospheric, beautifully written with interesting characters. And a killer ending!

I did not like this. The plot plodded along without anything really happening. The characters were boring at best and deeply unlikable at worst. The mystery wasn't given enough gravity for me to really care about it.

I really enjoyed this book. I think the author did an amazing job with their writing style in a way that kept me interested in continuing to read the book. I will admit that moments were heart pounding, and I enjoyed it to the point that I would definitely suggest it to others.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

This is a compelling psychological thriller set on a secluded Scottish island. Hawkins intricately weaves the lives of Vanessa, a renowned artist whose husband vanished two decades prior, and Grace, a solitary resident of the island. The discovery of a human bone in one of Vanessa's artworks motivates a suspenseful exploration of secrets and deception.

Hawkins has crafted a very atmospheric backdrop with the island's isolation amplifying the novel's tension. The character development is strong particularly in portraying Grace's complex nature. The plot unfolds, building suspense through unexpected twists. Overall, The Blue Hour is a captivating story for those who appreciate atmospheric thrillers with deep character exploration.

Afraid this one was a bit too slow-burn for me! I loved the setting and the premise, but this was much less of a thriller and more of a light, slow suspense read. Quite a few things were left unanswered, and the ending was very abrupt.

Wanted to love this one! Still, very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

HOOK: A shocking discovery is made at an art gallery. A woman chooses isolation in the home of the artist who is shrouded in mystery, causing a visitor to come and secrets to come out

REVIEW: The book was pitched as being atmospheric, and I agree that it was. You felt unsettled reading it, At least, I did. While it wasn't the most original plot, Paula Hawkins is a masterful character creator. I had some mixed feelings about the ending, but not enough to demote it to a true 4

RATING: It's a solid 3.5, rounded

Another haunting tale from Hawkins. Eris Island is remote and wild, perfect for an artist, and the woman obsessed with her. The story is heavy with darkness and foreboding as Grace's story unfolds alongside Becker's as they both enraptured by the art of Vanessa. The best book from Hawkins since Into the Water.

It started out slow. Kind of, too slow. Way too slow. But then, somehow, it turned around and picked up some serious break-neck pace.
It's claustrophobic, weird, and with a totally unexpected ending.

I found this story boring and predictable. I liked Hawkins last 2 books but this one was a miss for me. It had an unsatisfying ending.

The Blue Hour is everything a slow-burn mystery should be. There wasn’t a single thing about it that I didn’t love, from the small island only accessible during low tide to the moody artist Vanessa Chapman. The dual timeline and multiple narrators really worked to reveal the story slowly, and I absolutely loved the ending.

This was really good and captivating until the very end. Too many loose threads not tied up. There were some pretty significant plot points and insinuations that were part of the build up that we literally just never got resolved. There wasn’t even closure on the future of the Chapman exhibition…. Very disappointed by the ending as the first 85% had me hooked.

Not as propulsive as the other novels I’ve read from Hawkins, but it still contains the intensive character building and the secrets that are begging to come to light.

James Becker works for a foundation that has been deemed the recipient of Vanessa Chapman’s art. Chapman was a reclusive artist whose husband mysteriously disappeared. When it is discovered that one of her sculptures on display contains a human bone, it is up to Becker to get to the bottom of it. Thus, he travels to Eris island, where Grace lives in Chapman’s old house and studio, as the executor of her estate. As he digs more deeply into Grace and Vanessa’s past, more questions arise than are answered.

With the twists and turns I have come to expect from Hawkins, this novel was solid.

Paula Hawkins gives us another slow burn, claustrophobic thriller. I am still trying to figure out my exact feelings about the book. I certainly don't want to give too much away, but it was a book full of flawed and interesting characters.

I greatly enjoyed the art/art world/artist parts of this book. I loved the island. I loved the format of dairy entries and letters, and I liked the crossing perspectives.

The last 1/4 of the book was odd to me. And I still am reeling from the end- I am trying to figure out if I find it fulfilling or not. Not sure who I was rooting for. I'm not sure if I liked any of the characters.

If you like Paula Hawkins, I would say it is worth the read! I'm about to try to find a few friends to have an informal book club about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book. I have been a fan of Hawkins ever since The Girl on the Train, so I was excited to read this one. She is pretty much an auto-read author for me, so I didn't even read the synopsis of the story before diving in. I really like the atmospheric setting of an isolated location with no way out. It really sets the stage for palpable tension and a read that is sure to be entertaining. I was invested in the story from the beginning. I thought this one was a bit different than her previous stories but with the same ability to make my heart beat faster as I'm reading that I've come to expect from Hawkins. I think Girl on the Train is still my favorite, but I definitely enjoyed this one. Out now!

2.5 stars
I struggled to get into the book in the first half and then it lost me in the second half. I did enjoy the narration so that helped me get through!

Set on a Scottish island on the Irish Sea, The Blue Hour is a compelling book about what people do for love. Vanessa is a clay and paint artist who lives in the only house on an island that tides cut off from the mainland each day. Grace is a local doctor who befriends Vanessa and becomes her caretaker. There are multiple plot lines involving unsolved murders and disappearances and others concerning Vanessa's estate after she dies--but the entire story depends on the tides and the island. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy psychological suspense and sense of place.

I've read all of Paula Hawkins' previous books and enjoyed them mostly. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.

I felt bored majority of the time reading it and it felt very slow-moving. Her previous books are more thrilling, so I think I just expected that going in.

The atmospheric writing of The Blue Hour almost makes the setting the main character. Most of the book takes place on the small and remote Eris Island, off the coast of Scotland. In fact, the novel begins and ends obsessing over the island and its tide-dependent accessibility, almost ebbing and flowing like the tides themselves. The whole story, told from multiple perspectives and journal entries, has the feeling of a building tempest., making the overall tone one of imminent danger.

A real psychological thriller- twisty, moody and dark. I didn’t love the ending, but lots of things don’t turn out how we would like in real life.

This was extremely atmospheric and moody with a lot of nods to nature. I was caught up in this from the beginning and really wasn't sure where it was going. It moved a little slowly, but that felt like it was part of the story. An interesting, intriguing read.