A good thriller, but a very disappointing ending. The premise is great, and I loved how Hawkins executed the building. However, the ending really got to me.

I’d like to call this a slow burn, but I don’t really think that was it. Maybe just a slower paced mystery with an atmospheric setting that is charming?

The writing of The Blue Hour was excellent and the parts from Vanessa’s point of view are enthralling. However, the other parts didn’t draw me in as much and overall, the mystery was fairly predictable to me.

Advance reader copy provided by Mariner and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I would consider this more like 3.5 stars, especially since it did keep me engaged to an extent and I overall enjoyed the audiobook - though that may be because the narrator was wonderful. I mixed in reading and listening for this one.

My main sticking point with this book is that there were too many characters, I was confused for the first half with the few different men secondary/side characters. I didn’t really *like* anyone except Becker. And you couldn’t really get your hooks into any of them, other than Grace (who I didn’t like at all, but that’s by design I suppose!)

The story is a slow, quiet burn. There was quite the atmosphere built with the island, which was well done! I was hoping for something more gripping and this really was it for me. The ending was… not great.

Overall, I was hoping for more! But it was still a good book and the audiobook was really fitting!

A remote Scottish Island, a reclusive artist, an obsessive caretaker, a foundation, and a curator caught in a love triangle. Oh what a tangled web we weave. I enjoyed the slow burn and tension of Hawkin's most recent novel, which tells the story of artist Vanessa Chapman, who bought a remote Scottish Island that was only accessible at low tide to create her unique paintings and sculptures. Vanessa had a volatile relationship with her husband, who frequently cheated on her, and always seemed to be looking for money. After her death, her artistic estate went to her arch nemesis, a man who she also had frequent trysts, despite his being married. When a museum contacts the curator, Julian Becker, that works at the foundation to tell him a human bone has been found in one of Vanessa's artworks, a change of events is set into motion that you know will end in tragedy.
So many of the characters in this book are not what they seem on the surface - no one is really likable, and several are obsessive about the artist, Vanessa, but in different ways. I could not stop reading to find out what happens. Vanessa's cheating husband disappeared without a trace late in their marriage. Is the bone in question his? The curator, Julian Becker begins to build a relationship with the executor of Vanessa's estate - her former caretaker, Grace. Why was Grace given her house on the Scottish Island, but not her art work and legacy? Why did Vanessa give her arch nemesis her artwork? Why does Julian care more about a dead artist and her legacy than his own wife and baby to be? Why does he live in a house with his wife's former fiancé, who is also his boss! It takes a while to sort through the truth, but I can't say I was shocked. I found the ending quite abrupt, and it was not what I had hoped would happen. All in all, I did enjoy the book and recommend it if you enjoyed Hawkins other books. The setting was wonderful, and I enjoyed reading the snippets from Vanessa's journals along the viewpoint of Julian and caretaker Grace

Vanessa Chapman is a reclusive artist that spends her days in a home on an isolated tidal island. When she dies, she bequeaths all her artistic works to the Lennox family, with whom she has had a longstanding disagreement over the exhibition of some of her works. Becker is the curator of Chapman’s works for the Lennox family.

When one of Vanessa’s works is on display, a paleontologist notices the bone in the sculpture is actually human and not an animal bone as the description suggests. Becker must go to Eris island and meet up with Vanessa’s long time friend, Grace, to uncover the artist’s secrets. Could the bone be that of Vanessa’s long lost husband, Julian?

This book sucked me right in. I have been a Paula Hawkins fan ever since I read Girl on the Train and A Slow Fire Burning. This book although entirely different has that same psychological thrill that I love. It is paced well and I also enjoyed the letters from Vanessa mixed in to the story.

The characters in this are so rich and the setting of this tidal island so atmospheric that you will feel like you know them all and that you have been transported to this beautifully gloomy place You may even feel a brisk chill coming off the water and traveling up your spine.

Pick this up for a well paced psychological thrill

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt different than other Paula Hawkins books I’ve read. It still had mystery and lot of complex characters, but something was missing for me. I didn’t feel the need to find out anything but kept going and was pleased with the way everything turned out. I would recommend if you like psychological thrillers about murder mysteries and fine art taking place on a private island!

Same as Hawkins' previous book, The Blue Hour was a VERY slow burn. I don't think I'd classify it as a thriller, but there is a hefty dose of atmospheric suspense. I loved the setting: a remote island off the coast of Scotland, where a famous artist's former companion lives in isolation. Our main character Becker makes frequent trips out to the island to try to learn more about the deceased artist.

Vanessa's history is laid out in an interesting way: Grace tells Becker some portions in the main text, and the reader learns a bit more through passages from Vanessa's diary. As multiple secrets were introduced I was excited to see how it all came together, but I found the ending to be somewhat lackluster.

In The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins has perfected the art of the unreliable narrator. Only this time she did it so subtly we barely saw it coming.

It took me until about halfway through to become fully immersed in the book, because the use of letters interspersed throughout had the feel of an older style of writing, as though the book was written in the early 1900s. So I was thrown whenever someone took out a cell phone or used the internet! Having said that, the book was atmospheric, with most of the action taking place on Eris, an island off the coast of Scotland, accessible only twice a day when the tide goes out. I've read other books about islands like that, but this was chilling based on the fact that there is only one house there, belonging to reclusive artist Vanessa. Her friend, protector, and secret-keeper Grace lives there too, off and on. When Vanessa's art and archives are left to a museum instead of Grace, trouble ensues!

I had to check back in the final chapter to see if I missed something, since the ending for me was so unsatisfactory, but that could just be me. I prefer happy endings (I need that catharsis!) and I'm not a fan of open-ended, cliffhangers, or ambiguous endings. But I think Ms. Hawkins intended it to be an ending that leaves you thinking, and I am sure this one will stay with me for a while.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advance reader's copy.

Books like these are exactly why I like reading literary suspense! You get the writing, you get the plot, you get the characters. You might have to be a little bit more patient with them, as is the case with The Blue Hour, but when it’s well done the payoff is worth it. I won't lie- I had to wait until about 55% to be fully invested, but once I got to these last pages I could not put it down. I was furiously turning the pages to figure out what was going to happen and lets just say I am NOT disappointed. This is the best Hawkins by far.

Moody and atmospheric, THE BLUE HOUR takes the reader on a slow journey to discover the mystery surrounding a reclusive artist.

Vanessa Chapman is a talented artist living on an isolated tidal island in remote Scotland. The only thing bigger than her talent is the intrigue that surrounds her life. Her husband’s mysterious disappearance and her rumored assignations become more curious when she bequeaths her body of work to her former lover and arch enemy upon her death. When an irregularity is discovered in one of her most famous pieces, an investigation is launched and Vanessa’s secrets are slowly revealed.

Ok, so here’s the thing. This book convinced me that slow burn thrillers with not much thrill are not really my thing. I zipped through the first two-thirds of the book while the pieces were being excruciatingly laid out waiting for the inevitable twists, turns, and big reveal. And then I waited. And kept waiting. Eventually I got to the end and was left with a predictable conclusion that fell flat. In my opinion, the payoff did not justify the investment required of me to get there. It’s a me thing. Others will love the pace and texture of this book and delight in the slow unraveling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Would you voluntarily purchase a home on an island that can only be reached twelve hours a day?

Vanessa, a notable artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago, snags the chance to make Eris Island her own. This is where she was her most content and where creation flowed freely to her. And, this is where she became friends with Grace, a solitary creature of the tides and local villager. Their friendship was a balm to the isolation each felt.

But when a bone is found in one of Vanessa’s pieces in a London art gallery, a visitor comes calling to Eris looking for answers that only Grace holds.

This gave off Daisy Darker vibes to me and is perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson. I enjoyed the atmospheric, slow-burn build-up, but didn’t feel like it was as twisty and thriller-ish as The Girl on the Train. It felt like the build up was leading to a huge ending, but it felt a little too abrupt for me. I was left wanting more, which maybe was what the author was going for? Who knows? All I know is that it was a solid read that kept me going right through to the end.

Thank you to Paula Hawkins, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of the book for an honest review.

Thank you so much Mariner for the ARC!

This one was so unique! I think it's my favorite of the three Hawkins books I've read so far!

If you have any interest in art/painting, I think you will especially like this one. I've seen some people complain about how heavily focused this book was on the art aspect, but that's what I liked about it! It didn't feel cookie cutter to me at all!

While I did guess almost every outcome before it happened, it didn't take away from the fun of the ride. I thought the characters were all well done and described in such detail that I really felt like I knew them which is typically not easy for me.

I definitely recommend!

Thank you Mariner for the review copy of The Blue Hour!
TLDR: Liked it, great writing and moody tone and setting, let down by the slow build to a less than satisfying end. four stars for writing and style, 3 for overall plot/story

This atmospheric, slow-burn mystery set on a secluded island pulls readers into a tense, layered story full of unease and psychological depth. Though it’s not a thriller, the novel builds suspense through vivid descriptions and complex character dynamics that bring the eerie setting and plot to life. Despite the engaging buildup and well-developed characters, the ambiguous ending leaves much to be desired. While the final twist is powerful and the characters' responses feel satisfyingly realistic, the unresolved conclusion detracts from the story’s impact, leaving unanswered questions that feel disconnected from the rest of the narrative. The author skillfully explores human nature through artistic layers woven into the suspense, and for many, these insights will resonate deeply. However, readers who prefer a clear resolution may find the ending frustrating, making this an immersive yet ultimately unsatisfying read.

I was hoping for so much more from this one.

More atmosphere - A tidal island is such a great setting, but it was definitely under utilized.
More from the characters - I didn't develop any strong feelings about any of them. Not even the murderer. They were all just kind of meh.
More from the plot - I guessed the bad guy pretty early on and spent the rest of the book having that guess confirmed - no twists or turns or red herrings.
More from the ending - I kept flipping back and forth on my Kindle because I was convinced I'd missed something. But nope, that's how it really ends.

This psychological thriller was atmospheric and fully engaging. It read easily and kept me entertained through out. My only issue was that there were too many unanswered questions once the book ended. Perhaps that’s what the author wanted.

The Blue Hour is an atmospheric somber story. I was looking forward to Hawkins' writing style and a slow burn story. As expected it was captivating and Hawkins' talent pulled me in to this sad, somewhat lonely story with moments of beauty. Overall, a 4-star book, but the ending seemed too abrupt, I wanted a stronger more conclusive ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great mystery! Engaging without being scary, which I appreciate! Would definitely purchase for the branch and think it would be an engaging book discussion title.

If you liked "The guestlist" and "daisy darker" you will like this one

This is a middle of the road thriller for me, well written and lots of twists and turns but this did not top my list as the end was not as much as I would expect for the amount of slow burn that this book had —however when you have a slow burn that’s very obviously building up to the end, the ending will then make or break the book for you. In this sense I felt like the ending didn't give me enough and I was flipping through asking if I missed a chapter.

This was a quick read and I was able to knock this one out pretty quickly but overall I wish this one hit a little bit better

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the mixed media helped to create a perfect pace. Through journal entries, news articles, and multiple POVs & timelines, The Blue Hour leads the reader on a journey into an artist’s history and the obsession surrounding her.

I am not a huge appreciator of art, but the way this was written fully immersed me into the world of Vanessa Chapman, a recently deceased artist who lived on an isolated island in Scotland. Just the idea of living on an island that is only accessible at low tide made me shiver a bit.

While a couple of the twists in this were a little predictable for anyone that reads thrillers regularly, I found that I liked the story and the journey enough to make up for it. I would also consider this more of a mystery book than a thriller, as it slowly unraveled over the course of the story vs. running along at breakneck speed.

Check this one out if you like mysteries, art, remote settings, and multiple timelines!

**Thank you to Mariner Books for the eARC of this incredible title!**

This was my first book by Paula Hawkins since The Girl on the Train which I absolutely loved! The Blue Hour definitely did not disappoint. Though it was a bit of a slow burn there was just enough action and suspense to keep me hooked throughout! It was an atmospheric suspenseful mystery with a perfect setting that will keep you on your toes. I love this authors writing style and can’t wait to read through her backlist and see what’s next!