Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A Gallery showing an artist's work discover that one of the pieces contains a human bone. And this one thing sets off a whole chain of events. The artist who created the piece lived on an island, which is now occupied by her longtime friend, Grace. Becker works for the family who inherited the piece of art, and he must travel to the island to speak to Grace about the work, but he finds more than he bargained for.

Unfortunately, this book did not hold my attention like this authors previous work. This one focused around art, which isn't really my cup of tea. This was a suspense mystery, but wasn't an exciting one unfortunately. The characters were all awful, and I really disliked each of them, maybe with the exception of Becker, but he came across as a bit of a wet lettuce. This book was written so we see the artists diaries, and how she was feeling at the time, and how events transpired, and we read from different character perspectives. This was a very slow burn. The real downer for me was that the ending was completely unsatisfying. It felt like the story had been cut too short, with many unanswered questions.

A slow paced and character focused read, which started and ended off very strongly. The middle was where I struggled, however was an enjoyable read.

I kept meaning to read this book, but others kept jumping to the top of my to read pile- I wish I hadn’t waited so long - this book was fantastic. Thrilling, unnerving and dark. I loved every page and actually read it in 3 days. The plot twists are amazing and the pace of the book was spot on.
Highly recommend this book to thrill seekers out there.

The Blue Hour is a treat to read - layered and atmospheric. While slow in places, that becomes part of its charm as it certainly ramps up the action towards the end for a psychological thriller payoff.

Artist Vanessa now lives on remote Scottish island, with her friend Grace and not much communication with the world. This sets the scene for the events that unfold - the isolated, intense, atmospheric tone that harbours secrets and lies.

Things really kick off when Vanessa dies and its discovered that in one of her artworks (a sculpture), there appears to be a human bone. But whose and how did she get it? There were more than a few twists to keep you guessing and I was gripped until the end!

A solitary artist lives on a remote island, unreachable from the Scottish mainland. But, there are secrets in her past about to be exposed.

I was looking forward to reading this, but, although it starts with real promise, I’m afraid it just didn’t hold me and I struggled to finish it. It’s an ok read for me and I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House, Transworld for the opportunity to preview.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

An atmospheric slow burn. It was an enjoyable read if not a little to obvious.

I was completely hooked from the first chapter. The suspense kept building, and the unexpected twists made this thriller impossible to put down.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this novel, hence the pure excitement when I was accepted. I have previously read some of Paula Hawkins work and really enjoyed the writing style, mystery throughout and overall atmospheres that are created and followed through.


There were times where I was on the edge of my seat, and others where I couldn't quite follow what was happening, however on the whole, I did enjoy this read. Hawkins captivated me and engaged me during the majority of this novel, however I didn't always feel myself desperate to pick it up, so I have to rate this novel a three star.

I enjoyed the 'different' premise of this book but I did feel like the ending wasn't particularly satisfying, although it may have just been me!

The blue Hour was a story that I was going to rate a solid 4 stars until the extremely underwhelming ending. In fact underwhelming is a word that doesn't do what I felt justice. I was mad. Mad that I just invested feeling, time and effort into reading and was left majorly disappointed.

It's a slow burn that is superbly written. There's absolutely nothing I can fault about the writing. It's addictive -the kind of book that has you clearing your schedule.

On the secluded Scottish island of Eris lived the reclusive artist Vanessa with her long time companion Grace. Upon her death her entire art collection is left to her nemesis, Douglas Lennox.

A renowned anthropologist examines one of her sculptures and discovers it contains a human bone and the mystery comes crashing down.

Wow this is a dark book about an artist who on her death leaves all of her work to her arch nemesis and the man she has had an affair with. Only problem is the executor of her will is her friend and doesn’t seem to want to pass over all of her work. As one of her creations is suddenly raising questions a young lad must travel to the remote home she used to live in to try and get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding the Artist and her friend. A great read.

I found the start of this story intriguing - a remote island, foreboding and atmospheric, cut off by incoming tide., The story is about a lady called Vanessa, a renowned artist who is now dead, but some of her pieces appear in an exhibition where it is suggested that one might contain a human bone. Then the background to this discovery slowly unwinds, including the intriguing Grace, who was lifelong friend of Vanessa. and who has quite a story to tell. If I'm honest, a bit too slow for me in parts . I nearly gave up, but I'm glad I didn't. The pace picks up again towards the final third of the book and it's a very clever read. Would recommend.,

This story gets off to a bit of a slow start and takes a while setting the scene as this is one of those books where the setting is almost a character in its own right. The setting is Eris, a remote Scottish tidal island accessible for only 12 hours a day. The present day inhabitant is Grace, a retired doctor and custodian/executor for the estate of Vanessa Chapman, the previous inhabitant of the island and a renowned artist. Becker is the curator employed by the foundation that inherited Vanessa Chapman’s art works and has been despatched to Eris to locate some missing art items. There, he encounters Grace and they start working through Vanessa’s journals and correspondence. Meanwhile, a piece of sculpture being exhibited has been found to contain a human bone.

The Blue Hour has a great plot but the characters are unreadable and unlikeable, which along with the slow start makes it less compelling than it could have been. Very reminiscent of Daphne DuMaurier in the way it conveys an atmosphere of foreboding however.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this advance copy.

Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for ARC.

From the beginning, this tale builds the atmosphere. The remote tidal island setting, the inhospitable climate and the fragmented nature of the uncovered narrative (partly told through snippets of diaries and letters that seem to have been pulled from storage at random), all build the sense of foreboding, foreshadowing.

Becker is an art curator, employed by the aristocratic family who became heir to the artistic estate of Vanessa Chapman. He's felt a connection with her work since childhood, and this is in many ways his dream job. When under difficult circumstances he needs to travel north to Chapman's former home, to visit Grace, her other heir, he is beside himself with anticipation and trepidation. What he finds is of course darker and more complex than he could imagine. He's drawn back to the island again and again before he realises that there is a guiding hand behind the flow of information and the intent is not what he first thought.

It begins slowly, and I wasn't as fascinated by some of the characters as I needed to be. The last third of the book will have you reading long into the night and the ending is breathtaking...

I have enjoyed everything by this author and this doesn't disappoint. She sets up a situation which you have to work to understand and it gradually emerges as a world for you to understand without being hit over the head with exposition.
Its easily accessible but not too easy and obvious. I LIKE that slight challenge which this genre doesnt always offer.
Enjoyable and engaging.

A slow burner which is worth the wait.

Becker visits an isolated island to get answers from Grace, the friend of deceased artist Vanessa Chapman when a human bone is found amongst one of her sculptures.

It took me a while to sort who the characters were in my head and where they fit into the story, once I did I settled in and enjoyed the way the plot unfolded.
Grace is a really interesting character and how she fits into the plot is very clever. The island itself is atmospheric and I could imagine being stuck on the island which adds to the tension.

This started off strong, with the intriguing story of artist Vanessa who lived all alone on a Scottish island and the bone that's showed up in one of her works of art. I was more than ready for what this book had to offer. It had me intrigued for the first 80 pages or so. It slowed down a bit then and I did find myself struggling for a storyline or character to grip onto. But I need not have worried. It really ramps up in the back half and becomes a book you can't put down. The final section had me shocked, thrilled and horrified in equal measure. Definitely glad I read it.

4.5 Stars

The Blue Hour is a twisty, gripping read about love, jealousy and obsession. I’ve read all of this author’s books and I think this is her best yet!  

Firstly, I thought there were some really fascinating and complex characters in this book which I enjoyed getting to know throughout the story.  All of them seem normal and likeable when we first meet them but we discover some of the secrets that they are hiding then we start to see a whole different side to their personalities.  I loved this part of the story and it was fascinating to see the different relationships the characters had with each other as well as finding out more about their past.  My favourite character was Becker who I felt was actually a good guy put in a difficult situation and I found I wanted to keep reading to see how things worked out for him.  

This book has a bit of a locked room element to it as most of the action takes place on an isolated island that is cut off from the coast for several hours due to the tides.  Through events on the island we learn how this isolation both helps and hinders the inhabitants at different times though their lives.  Making them feel free of restraints and distractions sometimes while at others making them feel lonely or ignored. At times the island seemed like another character with its rather tempestuous weather, being stormy at times or misty to trap the character’s further on the island.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others.  The book had a great pace to it, and I soon found myself glued to the page as I was so intrigued by the character’s lives.  There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and I loved the slow reveal of what had happened on the island that took me completely by surprise which I always love. I do wish the book had ended slightly differently then it did, but I felt it was appropriate for the story and what had transpired.  

Huge thanks to Alison from Doubleday for my copy of this book.  If you are a fan of thrillers or locked room type mysteries or just want to read a great book, then I highly recommend this one!

This was a very atmospheric and creepy thriller, perfect to read at this time of year. The island of Eris provides the perfect setting for this tale of isolation and mystery. I was reminded of Burgh Island, a location which inspired some of Agatha Christie’s books. It evoked the same feelings of loneliness, claustrophobia and desperation.

I enjoyed the mixed media format with some of the story told to us through diary entries and letters, this helped to separate the different timelines and also allowed the story to flow.

Aside from the mystery aspect the theme of women and their art is explored. It asks the questions; what are the consequences for women who choose their art over everything else and can they be sustained by their art alone? How does society view and judge women who prioritise their art?

It’s a story of passion and obsession and the dark extremes that they can lead to. The tension is slowly built, you’re not sure who you can trust, who is genuine, who is just misunderstood? It culminates in the chilling realisation of what this story is all about.

A brilliant atmospheric thriller, perfect reading for the dark nights ahead.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though is feels very different to her previous works. I like the unique style and you're told the story through journal entries, news articles, and multiple POVs & timelines, The Blue Hour leads you on a unique journey..

The way this was written fully immersed me into the world of Vanessa Chapman, a recently deceased artist on an isolated island in Scotland. 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 making it a satisfying slow burn.