I loved Girl on the Train and Into the Water, but The Blue Hour was one of the most boring mystery novels I've read to date.
I would blame my lack of knowledge and interest in art, but I believe it is the author's job to make all hobbies and careers interesting in their books, and I wasn't feeling it at all.
Everything, from the storyline, to the characters, to the writing, to the plot "twists" was underwhelming.
I would only read this if you're brand new to thrillers/mysteries.

Paula Hawkins' latest novel, The Blue Hour, explores the intriguing life and mysterious past of artist Vanessa Chapman, set on a remote Scottish island. While the book captivates with its atmospheric setting and initial premise, it ultimately falls short in several areas, warranting a 3 out of 5 stars rating.

The story kicks off with a compelling mystery: a startling find in one of Vanessa's artworks raises questions about the fate of her estranged husband, Julian, who vanished twenty years earlier. Hawkins excels at creating a moody and immersive environment, with rich descriptions that bring the isolated island to life. The opening chapters successfully draw readers in with their sudden twists and engaging character introductions. However, as the plot unfolds, the proliferation of characters and intertwined timelines becomes muddled, affecting the story's overall clarity.

A significant issue with The Blue Hour is the difficulty in connecting with its characters. The relationships, while intricate, are often hard to relate to or empathize with. Grace Haswell, Vanessa's confidant and estate manager, is particularly challenging to engage with, and her interactions with other characters frequently feel forced. Moreover, the book's middle section drags, causing the narrative to lose momentum. Despite a few surprises, the ending feels abrupt and somewhat disjointed, leaving some plot threads unresolved and the conclusion feeling hastily added.

Overall, The Blue Hour is a dark and atmospheric thriller that highlights Paula Hawkins' talent for unique storytelling. The novel's primary strengths lie in its evocative setting and initial intrigue, but its shortcomings in character development, pacing, and narrative clarity prevent it from achieving its full potential. Fans of Hawkins and those who appreciate moody literary fiction with a hint of mystery might still find it worth a read, even if it doesn't quite match the impact of her earlier works.

This was a slow-burn mystery that tells a tale of an artist's life and the ripple effects that spread even after her death. Dual timelines and many different lives are shown here, as well as love in many forms, good and bad. This was written beautifully and was not afraid to sway from a unique type of ending, following its own beat. Keep in mind that this is a mystery, not a thriller. If you love great character development and intricate but flawed stories of peculiar people's lives, you will love this one. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley, and Mariner Books for this ARC.

Definitely pulled in by the atmospheric setting and intriguing story of artistic process, but I stalled out a little with the lack of tension in the plot. The characters are interesting, and Hawkins does a great job with several levels of conflict between them. The ending and resolution felt very rushed and a bit tricky (seemed like the subplot that leads to the identity of the remains was a little thin in comparison to the rest of the story). I'd rate this somewhere in the middle of this author's books--a solid read with a slow pace and low tension. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read The Blue Hour!

Really interesting character development and mystery. The author did well with showing the perspectives and introducing enough art to keep it interesting without going over my head. I enjoyed it and will recommend!

I enjoyed Paula Hawkins latest, the "Blue Hour" more than her previous couple, and I think it's more like her very famous debut, "Girl on the Train". A gothic & creepy remote island setting that's only accessible for half the day, mean rich people games, a mysterious & deceased famous artist, plus lots of twists kept me reading late at night. The author's really redeemed herself with me. My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the review copy - my pleasure to do so...

Like all of Hawkins’s other books, I found this one to be entertaining and just kind of ok. It didn’t blow my skirt up with its twists or turns. It kept me engaged but I didn’t feel the need to race back to it nonstop. It was a perfectly nice mystery - not really a thriller with surprises that didn’t really surprise me.

Two time periods - then and now. A mysterious and mercurial artist lives on an island separated from the mainland by the tide. She uses people when she needs them and has a reclusive quality that draws people to her. Her soon to be ex husband goes missing after a visit - never to be seen again.

An art curator and expert on the artists work finds himself working on her collection and becomes very entangled with her estate and its somewhat misanthropic executor - now living on the island. He is drawn there because an art piece on display is suspected of containing human remains.

Whoever could they belong to?

The Blue Hour title was perfect for this book and a bit of a mystery in itself. It describes the light on the ocean when the reclusive artist, Vanessa would paint. A magical time when the contrast would blur but it also describes the moods of the characters at different points in the story. The mystery unfolds slowly like the fog that creeps across the island and the waters that cut off the only way in or out. The relationships, friendships and lovers twist and turn upon themselves and are as mercurial as the ever-changing ocean. I've loved Paula Hawkins' mysteries for years but I think The Blue Hour is her masterpiece. Her characters are beautifully flawed and so real that I feel as if I've known them my whole life. I'm still guessing as the last pages fall and the characters have left the stage of my mind. As always, I can't wait to see what comes next.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

DNFed at 28%. I loved the author's first two books and was really hoping to enjoy this one as well. It was just so slow and very hard to get into for me. I'll probably be in the minority on this one. I was just really disappointed. All opinions stated are my own. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

Her best novel since The Girl On The Train. Dark, atmospheric, like a dense fog that swallows you little by little. I really liked the Scottish island setting, and the characters were interesting and not cookie-cutter. Thank you, #NetGalley for this ARC. Highly recommended!

This was a fun, eerie fast paced thriller and my first Paula Hawkins book but definitely not my last!

When James Becker gets notice that one of the art pieces from well known and deceased artist, Vanessa Chapman, on loan from the Fairburn Foundation, may in fact contain a human bone, what ensues is a tale of discovery, obsession, betrayal, and love.

This was a pretty fast paced read. Becker travels out to Eris Island, which is a secluded Scottish Island that’s not actually an island but a tidal island where the crossway is only accessible during low tide to speak with Grace, who was a close friend of Vanessa’s and now oversees her estate.

The setting is pretty eerie and we get this sort of locked in room mystery of whether the bone could belong to Vanessa’s husband who disappeared after seeing her last being on the island. It’s told in past and present timelines with “Interstitial” pieces from Vanessa herself. I wasn’t a huge fan of Grace but the interstitial pieces were interesting. There is a lot of domestic drama with secrets and lies between several characters which gives this story more depth since I did guess the mystery of the bone very early in. Nevertheless it was an interesting story with a bit of a twist at the very end that I didn’t see coming.

i DID NOT LIKE THE BOOK OR THE CHARACTERS. tHE STORY WAS CREEPY AND i THINK i AM DONE WITH THIS AUTHOR. fOR NOW ANYWAY! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Title: The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: October 29, 2024

⭐️ 3.5/5

Dual POV
Multiple Timelines
Remote Scottish Island
Deceased Artist
Unreliable Narrator
Spousal Infidelity

My Review:

The Blue Hour was a moody, fast-paced thriller with an interesting setting and a little bit of crazy. I'm a sucker for multiple POV/timelines since it makes the plot fly by, and while the twist was not necessarily unexpected, I still enjoyed the way things came together. I felt the end was a bit rushed, and I would've loved some sort of epilogue.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Mariner Books, and Harper Collins Publishing, for the digital review copy ❣️

I had a hard time getting into the first few chapters. I felt lost as to what was going on. However, I stuck with and was glad I did. The story is told in present day, diary entries and in the past. I loved how the story unfolded!

The Blue Hour is told in past and present timelines—set on a remote Scottish island, only accessible at low tide. The story involves artist Vanessa and her estate handling after her death (very vague to not give any spoilers!). It was an excellent read, I'm a fan of Paula Hawkins and appreciate the ARC

This was an interesting book. Wasn’t my favorite, but still left me wanting to read more and find out what happens!

Paula Hawkins does it again!! I am never disappointed by her books, and the next new one is always my favorite. She does an excellent job keeping the story original, and not a spin off or like whatever popular thriller is out at the time. It is really hard for me to write a review without giving any spoilers because it was just that good.

A special thank you to Paula Hawkins, NetGalley, and Mariner Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Paul Hawkins does it again! The Blue Hour is a beautifully written, original thriller. I read a lot of thrillers and this one was completely unique, complex, and written in a way that made me think about it day and night until I completed it. She is one incredible story teller.

Without going into much detail, ( I don’t want to give out any spoilers) I will mention that The Blue Hour is based around an artist, an art dealership, and a mystery involving a claim made about the artists last sculpture before her death. Ever moment of this book is a discovery that I will let the reader uncover on their own. It was my favorite read so far this year. If I could give it a million stars I would.

A taut thriller, Paula Hawkins' "The Blue Hour" is sure to either enchant or repel readers. In the beginning, the protagonist appears to be a famous painter who spent years living on an isolated island in Scotland only accessible for 12 hours a day due to the tide and the mystery of how her husband died on the island twenty years ago. Lo and behold, as the story tightens the focus narrows to two characters who are isolated on the island either by choice or circumstances one of them creates. There will be a number of reviews of this novel which will provide more details, however as a reader who appreciates pealing back the layers of a thriller,

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.