Book: The Blue Hour
Author: Paula Hawkins
Publisher: Mariner Books
Pub Date: October 29, 2024

I loved this book! It took me awhile to adjust to her writing style and it felt very different from her other books. It’s one of those stories where I always felt like I was missing something but I wasn’t. It’s very tense and it builds as you read which I really like. I also appreciated the fact it wasn’t dropping twist after twist it’s just a steady story to uncover the truth. I enjoyed all the characters….not saying we would be friends in real life but they were well written. I felt like the relationships had depth and were complicated which all led to a disturbing story. And the ending was perfection. This is a must read for 2024.

Thank you Mariner Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is October 29, 2024.

A unique thriller beautifully written with wording that is poetic at times. The characters are vividly developed and relatable. The novel has exquisite description bringing the emotions to life.

Paula Hawkins is back! Absolutely loved the compelling thriller and could not put it down. Will be highly recommending as a great read for the fall.

Paula Hawkins is an auto read author for me and this one lives up to her standard! I loved the artistic bent and themes, the mysterious relationships that contribute to the overall suspense in the plot, and the way it all unfolds. I thought the ending did leave a slight bit to be desired in terms of closure but other than that I really enjoyed this from start to finish!

Thank you @marinerbooks and @netgalley for the eARC of The Blue Hour by @paulahawkins2010 in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 A shocking discovery in a renowned art piece at the Tate Modern leads to unanswered questions after the death of a famous artist. Vanessa Chapman was a polarizing character who led a quiet life creating art, living in solitude after the disappearance and presumed death of her husband, Julian. Paula Hawkins does an extraordinary job creating a beautifully immersive and atmospheric read, blending together nature and art in a perfect manner. The Blue Hour is an alluring read that captures the mystery and beauty of its people and its location, stunningly creating a beautiful thriller.

4.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

I liked this so much more than A Slow Fire Burning and Into The Water because this book isn’t full of GOTCHA thriller moments. I think maybe people won’t like that this is moody literary fiction and not a Sans Serif Thriller (™️ Sara Gran). I really loved it. I hope you do too, Thanks for the ARC.

Wow! Okay! It took me nearly an hour to gather my thoughts about this incredibly sinister, claustrophobic psychological thriller! Did I like it? I don’t know. I’m a mess right now.

Being trapped on an island where access to the mainland is limited to 12 hours, with tides determining your fate, is the product of a creative mind! The complex, flawed characters, who you barely understand and barely connect with or even like, are intriguing.

The whirlwind life story of an artist and the secrets she left behind also drew me into the story. But the lack of connection with the characters and the ending, like a hard slap against my cheek, made me question if I fully enjoyed this wild ride and the author’s choices for the fates of her broken characters.

Let’s talk more about the plot to give you a clear picture so you can decide to dive into this book and reconsider your hesitations. Before you do that, if you’re a big fan of the author, you should absolutely give it a try because it’s much more intriguing than “Slow Fire Burning” and somehow even better than “Into the Water” (although I admit, the problem might be with me because I didn’t enjoy the author's latest books since “The Girl on the Train”).

Imagine a secluded Scottish island where one of the most talented artists, painter, and ceramic sculptor Vanessa Chapman lived. Not only was she famous for her art, but also for the unsolved mystery of her unfaithful husband Julian Chapman’s disappearance into thin air.

Interestingly, when Vanessa loses her fight to cancer, her entire collection of paintings and ceramic sculptures is inherited by the Fairburn Foundation, owned by her arch-nemesis/lover Douglas Fairburn. Her house is left to her old friend Grace, who took care of her until the day she died. Grace might have been more than just her friend, with the authority to provide the art pieces to the foundation, Vanessa’s secret diary, and her entire correspondence via letters to anyone who touched her life.

Two tragic events follow each other: first, Douglas Fairburn is shot during a hunting trip by his own wife Emmeline (could she have done it intentionally to avenge her husband, who had a relationship with Vanessa Chapman?). Emmeline might be the most dislikable and vindictive character in the book. His son Sebastian postpones his wedding, and his fiancée Helena decides to unite her life with Julian Becker: the blue-collared art curator of the foundation who specializes in Vanessa Chapman’s works. When an anthropologist informs them that one of Vanessa’s works contains human bone, things escalate, forcing Becker to meet with Grace, who lives alone in Vanessa’s Eris Island home, to learn more about the mystery of the artwork and find out if the bone belongs to the late husband Julian, whose body has never been found by the authorities.

But Becker has no idea that connecting with Grace may open Pandora’s box and reveal so many tragic secrets that ruin lives, even making him question his obsession with Vanessa’s art and his love triangle, which affects his self-esteem with gnawing doubts every day.

I can honestly say that the dysfunctional relationship and strange friendship between Grace and Becker reminded me of King’s Misery at some parts. I couldn’t feel pity for any of the characters, finding each of them too selfish or obsessed with other forms like Vanessa’s obsession with creating art, Becker’s obsession with Vanessa’s works that brings him closer to his mom who was lost at a young age, and of course Grace’s intense obsession with protecting Vanessa at all costs.

The ending also irritated me a little, but it is still unexpected and matches the entire sinister execution.

I also have to admit that despite this book’s dark and intense trajectory and dislikable characters who I didn’t care what will happen to them, it’s still riveting, luring you with a balanced pace and helping you reach the finish line a little easier. That’s why I didn’t get bored; nothing was dragging or extra slow-burn to make me yawn.

Overall, I weighed the opposite qualities of the book and rounded up my 3.5 stars to 4 artsy, obsessed, dark, capturing, claustrophobic stars.

Especially, I recommend it to the devoted fans of the author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy of one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year in exchange for my honest thoughts, which I truly appreciated.

3.5, rounded up-- because this is Hawkins's best work published since her hit breakout.

Each time Paula Hawkins releases a new book, I pick it up with eager anticipation, hoping it will match <i>The Girl on the Train</i>. Maybe that's not fair, to forever compare someone to their former glory-- especially when said former glory was a runaway bestseller, a rare anomale in an overcrowded market which continues to repeat the same, tired tropes. I will say, at least Hawkins takes risks. Unlike others in her space, her books do not feel like copycats of themselves, endlessly repeating the same formulae and devices in a poor attempt to capture the same magic. Rather, her books are unique in their characters and plots... For better or for worse.

<i>The Blue Hour</i> is moody, set on a sometimes-island in remote and weatherbeaten Scotland, and follows the artistic and personal life of the mostly-reclusive, late Vanessa Chapman as curators seek to discover the mystery of what appears to be a human bone used in a piece of her art. I will say, the first few chapters are excellent, as each ends with an abrupt turn that sets in motion the inquiry into Chapman, who it is quickly revealed, may or may not have killed her estranged husband.
After the opening chapters, things get a bit murky as numerous characters are introduced and I found myself confused for a while at how everyone was related (Vanessa-Julian-Becker-Sebastian-Duncan-Emmeline-Celia). The relationships are clarified in relatively short order, but had things been clearer from the outset, it wouldn't have taken me out of the narrative. Similarly, the interwoven timelines can at times be confusing, though I think that is purposeful, a common but lazy slight of hand in these mystery/thrillers to obscure what's happening.

Clarity aside, the main problem, for me, is that I never liked Grace, Chapman's caregiver, confidant, and manager of her estate. Luckily, the book is told in quick chapters, switching between POVs frequently enough to give it pacing to power through the weak bits. The one character I really wanted more of was Vanessa herself, but we're only ever treated to her artsy-chaotic diary entries and letters.

Now, what I really liked about the book was art historian and Chapman aficionado James Becker's relationship with the artist, which more than borders obsession. I really liked the exploration into the personal life of someone who becomes consumed with unearthing the intricacies of the life of a dead woman, and who essentially falls in love with her in the process. I'd have liked the author to mine that even more, and I think had the book focused on that and on Vanessa-- somehow weaving together their narrative, as if star-crossed lovers, I'd have been much more on board.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exquisite from start to finish.

This is one of the best thrillers I've read. I was immediately hooked: is that human bone in the art installation?

I adored the setting: a remote Scottish island that is prone to storms. Speaking of the cast, the characters all felt extremely nuanced and believable. The twists and turns are paced perfectly. Once I hit the halfway point, I had to finish it in one sitting.

Could 100% see this being adapted to the screen.

**3.25**
first off, i want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the opporutnity to read this as an ARC!

this was an eerie, fast paced thriller with multiple POVs and timelines. usually, i struggle with these types of books, but it was done in a way that was still so easy to follow and kept me engaged during the entire story!
one of the plot twists in this book was extremely obvious, and i guessed it about 25% of the way in. with that being said, i think the book was purposely written this way because the second plot twist really got me.
overall this was a quick, easy read and i would recommend it! i am excited to read more from Paula!

Eris is an isolated Scottish island which is only accessible to the mainland for twelve hours a day. Twenty years ago Julian Chapman, the estranged husband of renowned artist Vanessa disappeared while visiting her at her home there that she shared with friend and local physician, Grace Haswell.

Now a discovery upends life for Grace who is Vanessa’s executor and for James Becker, the curator at Fairbank, the foundation which was the recipient of all of Vanessa’s artistic output.

I enjoyed the incorporation of the art into the story, but, generally found the plot itself to be a bit lackluster and predictable, though not bad.

Thank you to Net Galley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of this book, “The Blue Hour” by Paula Hawkins. This book is a mystery, thriller, suspense fiction based book and will be released on October 29, 2024 for purchase.
First off, I would like to state that I enjoy Paula Hawkins as an author and have loved her previous books. Additionally, I regularly read books that are categorized in the mystery/thriller genre.
However, with all of that being said, I just didn’t get this book at all. I liked the cover and found it intriguing, as well as the synopsis. However, all of the “Interstitial” parts were confusing and interrupted the flow of the book for me. I had an incredibly difficult time trying to connect with this book and its characters. Personally, I just didn’t enjoy the exhibition parts either. I have no knowledge of it and it doesn’t interest me unfortunately.
With all of that being said, I do think other people will enjoy this book! It just wasn’t for me and that’s okay!

The Blue Hour, by Paula Hawkins, is the story of a famous artist who moves to a small island that is unaccessible only twice a day for six hours at a time due to the tides. She moves to this isolated place for the beauty, the privacy and to be able to concentrate on her art. Upon her death, her will mentions art work that seems to be unaccounted for. The search for the missing items leads right back to the island.

An isolated island with limited access is the perfect setting for this tale of obsessive love, mental illness, loneliness and deceit. The ending was predictable but does not distract from the intrigue of the story. I have read all of the books by this author and although this probably wasn’t my favorite by her, it was definitely engrossing and pulled you right in.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A famous artist with a somewhat scandalous reputation leaves behind an impressive body of work. A curator stumbles across evidence of missing pieces of her collection and ends up caught up in a web of deceit. I wasn't expecting the ending.

Twenty years ago, Julian Chapman disappeared without a trace, never to be found. His wife, Vanessa—a brilliant and enigmatic artist—never showed much remorse as Julian was known to be a serial cheater. But now Vanessa has passed and her estate—all seven million dollars worth—is left to the Fairburn Foundation which art curator, James Becker, is tasked with handling. Grace Haswell, executor of Vanessa’s will and companion for twenty years is less than happy about it. When unlikely circumstances bring James and Grace together, questions about Julian’s disappearance are brought back to the surface.

In this story we have past and present timelines, some epistolary formatting, and a sort of locked-room-mystery—set on a remote Scottish island, only accessible at low tide. It’s fast paced, INTENSE, twisty, and will have readers on the edge of their seat. My nerves are frayed.

Thank you Mariner Books and NetGalley for the digital copy! Out 10/29/2024!

As a huge fan of Hawkins, I was beyond excited to dive into the ARC of "The Blue Hour", especially with a comparison to Shirley Jackson. "The Blue Hour" did take a slow start but once I managed to sort the characters and the plot started to intertwine together I could not put down the book. I absolutely love how Hawkins writing style had a small change up compared to her other novels but kept true to the twists she produces with an unforgettable ending. Fans will not be disappointed with this newest novel and I cannot wait to reread the final product to catch pieces I know I missed and listen to this on audio. "The Blue Hour" is definitely a set close to the fire, late at night read that you will want to discuss. Would be a perfect selection for book clubs.

A true page turner a storyline that kept me guessing.A haunting mesmerizing storyline a book I could not put down.#netgalley #Thebluehour

Amazing and disturbing. Brilliantly drawn characters who come to life before our eyes. The setting of Eris Island is a character unto itself with its history and shifts of mood. This is another page-turner from Hawkins. Her fans will not be disappointed. Even as the story unfolds and you begin to think you know what happened, you realize there is more to come. I couldn't put it down. And when I was down it stuck with me for a long time. Highly recommend!

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins takes readers on a gripping journey to an isolated Scottish island, where secrets buried for two decades are unearthed. The story revolves around a renowned artist whose husband vanished mysteriously during a visit to her. When a present day discovery links three individuals, a web of deceit and betrayal is revealed, questioning notions of ambition, power, and perception. Good read!

A deceased artist, her companion, and a curator are the characters in this thriller. Add a remote and isolated Scottish island , accessible only during low tide and you have additional intrigue. Soon after the death of a famous artist a curator comes to gather the remaining pieces of art and then the craziness ensues. I must admit it wasnt the usual Paula Hawkins that I am used to and it took me a while to get into it. But I am so glad that I did.