It was fine. The plot was intriguing, but a bit slow. And I just didn’t care that much about the characters… Not as good as The Girl on the Train, but better than A Slow Fire Burning.

This was a bit of a miss for me. I was invested and intrigued enough to persevere to the end but, overall, I found it disappointing.
(2.5/5)
Thank You to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC.

“𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐭? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥.”

I enjoyed The Girl On The Train when it was first released, and have read Paula Hawkins’ other books; although the others have me as entranced as Train, based on this premise, I couldn’t wait to pick this one up.

Hawkins’ story involves multiple layers, including main characters Becker and Grace’s points of view, alongside Vanessa’s diary entries, news articles, and art exhibit notes. This made the tale rich and immersive, especially as the parallel storylines were told: Beck and Grace’s present day ‘battle’ over the ownership of Vanessa’s work, combined with the past narrative of Vanessa’s move to Eris Island and what happened to her missing husband, Julian. Beck and Grace are interesting characters; they operate in a grey area morally and are not fully trustworthy. Grace, in particular, kept me on my toes as I was never certain what she said was truth and what was lies. They felt like fully fleshed out flawed characters. I also LOVED the isolated Eris Island setting, where it is only reachable when the tide is low. It added to the sense of eeriness and unease of the story and very much reflected Grace’s loneliness. Unlike the fast-paced thrill-ride of Girl on the Train, this book is a slow burn mystery that paced out well. The ending didn’t work for me, partly due to many unanswered questions that I had, and partly due to the sinister nature of what happened to one of the characters. I wanted a more defined sense of closure and justice.

The Blue Hour is a story of jealousy, loneliness, insecurity, friendship, and freedom. Although the ending left me disappointed, it is still an overall atmospheric literary mystery that will have me reading Hawkins’ next book. Thank you to DoubleDay Canada & NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 Stars

This is a hard book to review because the writing was phenomenal but I found the ending rather underwhelming and a tad predictable. If you're expecting anything like The Girl on the Train you'll be sorely disappointed. This is a literary mystery at its finest. It is a slow burn of a book in the best way possible.

The setting of an isolated house in Scotland was brilliantly done and it felt like a character in and of itself. This plot is about a bone found in an artist's work that turns out to be human. Amongst the turmoil that the bone provokes we have the companion of the deceased fighting to keep some of her work, even though it was left in the will to a curator. That sets off an investigation not only by the police but by the curator's assistant.

What I really liked was how much of a character study this book was, even very minor characters are fully fleshed out, well-rounded and have incredible depth. And as slow as the pace was I was never bored. The descriptions, dialogue and internal thoughts had me enthralled. Hawkins is an amazing storyteller, I don't understand the low ratings. I am an outlier once again but on the other side this time, how refreshing. I loved everything about this book but the ending. I am rounding up because the low rating is not deserved.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Do you like books that...

✅ take place on remote Scottish Islands?
✅feature books about artists?
✅male protagonists that are naive?
✅journals and letters?
✅plots that smell instantly of unsettling atmosphere?

Well, fellow readers, you are in for a literary treat because The Blue Hour has all those qualities. That isn't to say that I didn't have to read the first chapter twice before heading into a few hours of reading.

Would I have been as captivated with the narrative if it hadn't been a rainy Sunday? 🤷‍♀️

The fact is, it was raining, and I wished to stay in my pj's and read and this book satisfied that desire. It's a slow burn of a novel but it's twists and turns and characters kept me flipping the pages.


Expected Publication Date 29/10/24
Goodreads Review Date 20/10/24

When a disturbing finding is found in one of late artists Vanessa Chapman’s art pieces, people come looking for answers. Her estranged husband went missing years before her death, and no one ever knew what happened.

The plot was intriguing. I wanted to get lost in an unravelling mystery, but I found myself bored and wanting more. It was slow and dragging. I never got drawn in, and the only lost I got was in my mind waiting for the story to end. Sorry.

Delighted to include this title in the October edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

This might be my favourite Paula Hawkins so far. Eris Island is isolated and very much a character in its own right (very much a favourite thing for me). I love when place becomes part of the danger and intrigue of a story. That sense of tide and raging wind and water affecting Grace in her lonliness, and in the past Vanessa and her fraught paintings.

But what is the real story? As it progresses, there is the question of a husband who disappeared, a bone in a sculpture that is quite possibly human, isolated and distrustful individuals. And and ending that just might make you (well that would be a spoiler).

I was really looking forward to this novel, given my enjoyment of The Girl on the Train, but this story seemed cluttered for my tastes. Avid fans of Paula Howkins are sure to enjoy it more than I did. Thank you #Netgalley #PenguinRandomHouse the opportunity to read.

I keep expecting another book like Girl on the Train and this is most certainly is not it, but is rather an atmospheric gothic type mystery. You love art and slow burn mysteries this one is for you. A huge thank you to NetGalley and to Mariner Books for this advanced copy. 3.5 stars out of 5 for me. I did not love the ending.

🎢 W I L D R I D E W E D N E S D A Y review 🎢 featuring “The Blue Hour” by Paula Hawkins!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤.5/5

Vanessa Chapman was a well known artist that had a reputation and created raw works of art. Her cheating ex husband mysteriously disappeared twenty years earlier and this changed her life forever.

Vanessa spent several years of her life on a remote Scottish Island called Eris Island where the tide dictates when people can access the island (which is only for 12 hours each day).

After Vanessa passes, her estate and art collection is being handled by the Fairburn Foundation. When a human bone is found in one of her art pieces, the mystery of her ex-husband’s death starts to resurface and begins to reveal a web of dark secrets, lies and sinister motivations!

This book took me by surprise and was a different writing style than anything I’ve read before by this author! This slow burn story is more of a gothic mystery that is beyond eerie, multi layered, claustrophobic and is peppered throughout with hints and clues.

Thank you kindly to @paulahawkins2010 @doubledayca @penguinrandomca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on October 29, 2024!

An artist living in solitude, with the exception of her friend Grace, who occasionally stays over, creates a piece of art with a human bone in it ..was it done purposefully or by accident? Becker, a young art fanatic sets out to find the truth as he works for the foundation who receives the artist’s (Vanessa) artwork upon her death. Although a bit tedious at times, Paula Hawkins weaves an interesting tale with a few twists near the end. A good story, mostly kept my interest. Thanks to NetGalley for the preview copy.

This book had me hooked with the first chapter. It is not very often that an art piece mistakenly has a human bone incorporated accidentally.

It is a bit of a slower read as we learn about the artist the book revolves around.

I do appreciate the appreciation for art throughout the story.

It falls short for me with who ends up being behind everything. The ugly and obsessed friend trope is a bit childish to me.

Woah , Ok I did NOT expect to enjoy this little mystery as much as I did!

This was a bone chilling mystery with a classic feel , I felt as if I was tuning into an episode of Murder She Wrote but in modern times .

The Blue Hour is a slow burn mystery , atmospheric at times , filled with love, betrayal and murder which in my opinion is everything I want in a mystery.

Lets talk about the beautiful character building , not only did the author do a great job painting the canvas for us and setting the tone around these complex characters ,the author actually made it hard for me hate these characters as awful as they were , I felt sorry for them !

Hawkins also displayed many red herrings weaved throughout the story , that it had me guessing every possibility I could think of!!

Becker is an Art curator and gets caught up in the works of the famous artist Vanessa Chapmans . When a bone is on display as part of an art piece , it comes to fruition that this is a human bone and can not be part of the exhibit .

Becker finds himself turning into a detective and opening up a big can of worms as he embarks on a trail of clues in letters left behind by the late Vanessa.

When Becker makes his way back to Vanessa's home that is now occupied by Vanessa's dear friend Grace , we are taken on a journey of betrayal and heart break , by sifting and reading through old journal entries made by Vanessa , and one thing is clear in this discovery, someone knows who that bone belongs too, the question is what will that person do to hide the truth and is it worth risking your life for ??

If you like classic mysteries with beautiful and descriptive writing , that will keep you gripping each page to reveal the truth and appreciate a good slow burn with twist after twist then i suggest you add The Blue Hour to you TBR!

I did this as a buddy read and highly recommend doing the same it made for a fun read together !

This is my first Paula Hawkins book and I can't wait to read more from this author .

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Paula Hawkins for this ARC!!

In this atmospheric novel, an isolated Scottish island becomes the backdrop for the past and present collide in a tale of mystery and betrayal. Accessible to the mainland only twelve hours a day, the island adds a layer of suspense as secrets begin to surface. At the story’s heart is a famous artist whose husband's disappearance twenty years ago remains a haunting enigma. The present-day discovery of a connection between three characters unravels a web of deceit that has been carefully woven over the years. The novel explores themes of betrayal, and the haunting consequences of hidden truths.

A slow burn of a novel, it has me itching to rewatch the underrated Jude Law series The Third Day, if for no other reason than the creepy island that you just can’t leave. Overall I enjoyed this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Canada, and Paula Hawkins for the opportunity to read and review “The Blue Hour” prior to its publication date.

Ughhhhh!!! This book is delightfully dark and twisty - just as I've come to expect from the fabulous Paula Hawkins who masterfully reaches into the darkness of her characters souls and squeezes at the hearts of her readers and then stomps on them! I'm often challenged by books where I don't like ANY of the characters but I've come to expect that from Paula Hawkins and willingly go along for the treacherous ride! Embrace your dark and twisty side and read this book! You won't feel good at the conclusion of the tale but a worthwhile ride nonetheless !! Now I need something "lighter" and more hopeful but congratulation Paula Hawkins! I anxiously anticipate your next offering!! Thank you for the opportunity to read review this book.

I'd like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was very atmospheric, told between three points of view over multiple decades, showing how these three stories intertwine. We see the story slowly build, how love can turn into obsession, and what happens once it does. I enjoyed the story but dropped it from a 4 to a 3 star read because of the ending. While the ending was fitting of the story, I was hoping for more. Overall, a good read.