Eris is an isolated Scottish island with only one house on it and only one way out. In addition, it is only accessible to the mainland for 12 hours a day. Vanessa was an infamous artist who used to live there, whose unfaithful husband disappeared 20 years ago. Grace currently inhabits the house on the lonely island, and is content to be there alone. However, when an appalling discovery is made in a London art gallery, someone comes knocking, and secrets start to unravel. This was a unique and fast-paced novel I won't soon forget!

I have been a long-time Paula Hawkins fan. Her books are immersive, and I love her writing style. This dark, layered, slow-burn mystery kept me intrigued, wondering what would happen next.

The world-building was fantastic. The remote Eris island setting was atmospheric and vividly depicted, giving the story an eerie sense of moodiness and isolation. I felt like I was there and could hear the rain and envision the way the tide rolled in. The island was a character in itself, and I enjoyed seeing its secrets revealed.

Told in multiple POV, the characters are complicated, flawed, and not very likable, but I found their drama, complex relationships, and questionable actions compelling to read. And, I always enjoy books that delve into the art world and are populated with artists. Hawkins wrote the sense of foreboding and suspense in the story well and kept me interested. I thought the ending was somewhat abrupt, and I would have liked an epilogue, but overall, I enjoyed this. I think it will appeal to those who enjoy gothic mysteries and domestic suspense.

Thank you to Mariner Books for the gifted ARC!

Eris Island used to be the home and studio of the reclusive artist Vanessa Chapman, but now belongs to her friend and carer. After Vanessa's death, she left the island and house to Grace, but all of her art and related works were supposed to go to the Fairburn Foundation, where Becker works as an expert on Vanessa. An anthropologist contacts the museum where one of Vanessa's sculptures is on display to let them know that the bone in the piece appears to be a human rib, opening a can of worms. Becker gets in contact with Grace, who has only grown more isolated after Vanessa's death, to discuss the origins of the work and try to recover the artwork that should be at the Foundation but never arrived there. He delves into the mysteries of what happened to Julian Chapman, Vanessa's unfaithful husband who disappeared from the island years before, and what happened to the missing artwork.

The setting and writing of this book was excellent. Eris Island feels so claustrophobic, but you can also get a sense of the beauty that inspired Vanessa in her art. The story was told in alternating perspectives, mostly of Becker and Grace, with some parts set in the past when the disappearances were happening and others set in the present as Becker tries to solve all the mysteries. There were also sections from Vanessa's journals and letters, which really helped flesh out her character and make her come alive. The tone was really tense and it felt like the story was winding itself up and up until it was just going to explode. This is my favorite Hawkins novel that I've read so far; I was really impressed. This is a great one for those who enjoy moody, atmospheric mysteries.

I loved The Girl on the Train, so I really had high hopes for this one. Something about this one just didn’t click with me though, at least not until the end. The first half of the books the cast of characters just were very disjointed and it didn’t seem like they would come together, and all around just kind of dragged for me.

The ending also just felt so unresolved. There was so much build up and so much more that felt like needed to happen.

I had high expectations for The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins because, well, it's by Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train. However, I found this book to be a disappointment.

First of all, the plot was very thin: a piece of human bone is found in a sculpture after the reclusive artist's death. Is it really human? Where did it come from? How did it get in the piece? The story was told with a slow pace, and I couldn't connect with the characters, as they were not developed very well.

On the other hand, the writing was solid and the setting of a remote island accessible by land for only twelve hours per day did make for an unsettling atmosphere.

The biggest flaw was the ending: not only did I not like it, but it did not resolve the story. I actually flipped forward and back to make sure my ebook wasn't missing some pages. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this one, but I look forward to more by Paula Hawkins.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

James Becker is an art historian for a private foundation that owns the work of his favorite artist, Vanessa Chapman. When a museum that holds one of her sculptures claims that it is made out of a human bone, James travels to the remote island that she lived and worked on (prior to her death) to hunt for clues. While there, he must also negotiate with Vanessa’s companion, Grace, who is holding on to Vanessa’s art and journals, even though she is legally obligated to give them to the Fairburn Foundation. While there, superfan James is blinded to some of the stranger parts of Grace’s personality as he explores the place that his favorite artist found so inspiring. Through flashbacks and journal entries, the reader learns about Grace and Vanessa’s complicated lives and relationships while also trying to figure out whether the bone is a red herring or a legitimate mystery.

I enjoyed reading this book, but it was a much slower burn than I was anticipating. I flew through The Girl on the Train, but this book was more character-driven and the plot didn’t get exciting until close to the end. The descriptions of the setting were beautiful, and the characters were interesting and well-drawn, yet I wasn’t quite as invested as I hoped to be. All in all, this is a solid mystery that I’d recommend to fans of the genre or fans of Paula Hawkins, but it won’t go on my list of top mysteries for the year.

Eekkk... I wanted to love this, but just did not. It is told from multiple perspectives, which works in the sense that I was never confused, always knew the point of view, etc But... I think it also made it difficult to connect with any of the characters. They were all flat to me and I found that I was really disconnected from the story for the majority of the book. All that being said, I never really trusted the characters, their stories or even the book itself. It felt dark and creepy from the start. The ending was semi surprising, which is always nice. I think that if there were fewer perspectives and that I connected more with the characters I would have enjoyed the book more.
A bone is discovered in the artwork being shown in a London Gallery... which brings us to Eris. An isolated island with only one home. Previously home to an infamous artist and the last known location of her missing husband. Today home to a woman who enjoys her solitude. When a human bone is discovered, the island's secrets are exposed.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I really loved this book… I read it in one day. The story and mystery and the writing style was so good. I gave 4 stars because the ending felt abrupt and lacking.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins transports readers to the remote island of Eris, a mysterious place with a single house, a single inhabitant, and secrets buried beneath its isolated shores. Grace, who now calls the island home, lives a life of solitude, far removed from the rest of the world. But when a startling discovery in a London art gallery brings an unexpected visitor to Eris, the past begins to unravel. The island was once home to Vanessa, a famous artist whose husband vanished under suspicious circumstances two decades ago, and now those long-hidden secrets are poised to surface.

Paula Hawkins masterfully blends suspense and atmosphere, creating a gripping and eerie tale that keeps you on edge from start to finish. The isolated setting, paired with complex characters, evokes a sense of unease and tension reminiscent of classic psychological thrillers. If you enjoy a slow-burn mystery with layers of intrigue and suspense, The Blue Hour will pull you in and keep you guessing until the final page.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
While I have enjoyed Paula Hawkins books in the past, I struggled with this one. I found the characters to be dull and pretentious. My lack of emotional investment in the characters meant that at no point could I muster up the interest to care where the bone came from or how the missing party vanished. Made it through and didn’t feel any sense of resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I must admit that Paula Hawkin's books have been hit or miss for me. (for example: I rated The Girl on the Train 3 stars), and unfortunately this book was a miss for me. I didn't really feel invested in any of the characters and the plot seemed slow. I was expecting this book to be a fast paced thriller and for me, unfortunately, it wasn't. With that being said, I may try the audiobook when that comes out and see if I enjoy the book better.

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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The first 2/3 of the book were clear-your-schedule, extraordinarily addictive—the last 1/3 needs to be rewritten.

On the small, isolated island of Eris lived a reclusive artist, Vanessa, with her long-time companion, Grace. When Vanessa departs this world, she surprisingly bequeaths her art collection to her nemesis.

As the art is examined, a thread of mystery will unravel.

Full disclosure: The publisher sent me this book with a painted canvas bookmark. Holding it between my fingers transformed the book into an incredible, immersive experience.

The first 200 pages of the book fly by, weaving together many mysterious, thrilling storylines.

As the last 100 pages loomed, the suspense is breathtaking—how will Paula Hawkins pull together all of the various threads?

But she didn’t.

The ending is lame, forgettable, and there are still unanswered questions. The paragraphs and chapters should have been trimmed, and the tone seemed a bit off (and not in a good way, overly focused on Grace).

Hmm meh. I had such hopes for this from the summary, but I feel like I was tricked a little bit. This is a sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow burn story. It's hard to really even call it a thriller because I didn't even really know what the point of the story was for most of it. Mostly flashbacks from a narcissistic , flighty artist (nothing new, fictional artists are ALWAYS written this way) and current POVs that are a snooze. It felt like most of these characters are stereotypes and nothing new or unique or really that interesting about them, despite how incredible the first chapter sounds. I only kept reading because I was waiting for some BIG shocking twist, but all the reveals were super obvious from the start.

The writing was dark and sometimes really beautiful, but since the plot was glacial, even the writing became just too repetitive. The setting is perfect for a thriller or horror story and I loved picturing the tide covering up the road.

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own.

Paula Hawkins is back with a great mystery novel. I haven't been loving her last few books, they were okay. But this one is *chef's kiss*. Maybe it's the setting of an island or the interesting characters, but I really enjoyed this novel. The mystery has just enough twists and turns that it keeps you engaged, but not so many that you lose what the original plot was in the first place. While I am not sure that anything will capture the "Girl on the Train" energy...this is a good go.

I loved the mystery and atmosphere of this one. I also liked getting glimpses into Vanessa's past with the Interatitials and the addition of the art world. I struggled with the pace though. It was a bit too slow moving for me at points. I really enjoyed the choice of a island in Scotland to be a focal point.

I am typically a fan of Paula Hawkins however this book just did not do it for me. It was well written, hence the 3 stars, but I just did not enjoy the art world setting. A good thriller to me keeps be guessing and this felt very predictable and slow. I can see others enjoying but overall this was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Okay I’ll start with what I enjoyed…the atmospheric writing, the glimpses of obsession and suspense, and the setting (a Scottish Island).

Unfortunately I struggled with the majority of this book…3 stars is honestly generous. I would say the last 80% of the book was somewhat thrilling. But before that it was lackluster, confusing, and didn’t hold or grasp my attention.

Even though this book wasn’t my cup of tea, it could be yours! Check out the synopsis!

Fans of psychological suspense will love The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins, author of Gone Girl.

When artist Vanessa Chapman dies she leaves her entire art collection to a foundation. Vanessa lived and worked at her studio on a remote Scottish island that could only be accessed during low tide. After a showing of her work, the curators discover a human bone in one of the pieces. Could it be related to her missing husband Julian who disappeared twenty years earlier, while they were in the midst of a divorce? When the curator of the collection goes to visit the island more secrets are revealed.

The island setting contributes to a sense of foreboding that builds throughout the story. I loved the detailed references to the art world. This slow burn mystery will appeal to readers of gothic stories like Rebecca or readers of Lisa Jewell’s Then She was Gone and A.J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window.

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

Twenty years ago, Julian Chapman went missing. At the time, he was in the process of a divorce from his wife Vanessa, a famous artist who lived on a reclusive island in Scotland. An island that you can only access at low tide. Now, Vanessa is dead and her works have been left to an art foundation. After a gallery showing, an anthropologist contacts the foundation to let them know that the bone in the piece is human. Could it belong to missing Julian Chapman? And what happened on that island all those years ago?

This is a slow burn mystery. I did not enjoy any of the characters and the pretentiousness of the art world. The twists were predictable and the ending was not very satisfying. Not a great fit for me, but if you are into slow burns this will be for you!

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this just didn't work for me. I loved the details that were included about art and the art world, but ultimately this just felt too slow for me. I know it's difficult when every book is compared to Hawkins' debut, Gone Girl, but for me, this just didn't work.