The Blue Hour

Paula Hawkins is best known for her runaway hit The Girl on The Train. The bleary, whipsmart thriller which stormed on it's release. Sparking a film adaption and stage show.

She followed up with Into The Water, a deeply haunting thriller and then Slow Fire Burning, a moody thrill outing.

Her hotly anticipated fourth novel and I am going to say something controversial - for me this is not a thriller. This is a literary fictional outing about beauty, madness, creativity and trust. Yes death appears, yes there are the odd mysteries to solve but this has a depth unusual to quick and pacy thrillers. After I adjusted, I wanted to finish. Disturbing and fraught with complex characters this one is different for Hawkins, perhaps this is the direction she was leading us to all along.

A sure fire hit this Autumn.

This book has a storyline that could be good but it goes on too long. There is a point at which it becomes obvious who is responsible for the murders but it still goes on. Just about every adult in the story as complicated relationships. The background is a family where inheritors are trying to create a centre for displaying the painting s and craft work if
Vanessa who has been part of the family on and off. Then her former husband disappears. She has got together in an on and off friendship with her medical doctor. She has more to do with what’s going on than appears to be the case. This is not this author’s best and I cannot recommend it.

What a suffocating and haunting story. I have read Hawkins’ other work and wasn’t a massive fan, so was a little skeptical going into this one. But I was proved wrong almost instantly. She creates an atmosphere of pure terror, with so many questions left unanswered and so many moral dilemmas that leave the reader both confused and frustrated.

The story was original and kept my attention throughout. While I did predict the plot twist earlier in the novel, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading every piece of the puzzle come together. The third act of the book was so fast paced and uncomfortable to read, I couldn’t put it down! Combined with the eerie backdrop of Eris Island, and the scattered diary entries, I was left feeling haunted and impressed. A real page turner, with vivid characters and emotions.

Another fab book by Paula Hawkins. She continues to reinvent her narrative so her stories are never samey but they have the same page-turner, tense quality. I could have quite happily sat down and read "The Blue Hour" in one sitting but sadly life got in the way but I did manage it in two sittings. It gripped me from the start when a startling revelation about an art piece shown at the Tate Modern sends Becker to Eris Island to find out more about the piece and the artist. Told in the present with flashbacks via diary entries, we are drip fed a story about the mysterious disappearance of the artist's husband and much more. You definitely don't want to get trapped on the island!

I keep reading Hawkins' books as I unexpectedly loved The Girl on the Train but this book didn't work for me overall, I didn't find there to be any surprises or red herrings in the text and I did find myself quite bored as I read it.
I can see that perhaps an film/TV adaptation would work better as so much of the story revolves around physical art and physical scenery but as a book I was underwhelmed

Eris Island and the single house that sits upon it are cut off by the tides for the majority of each day. Until recently, it was home to Vanessa, an eccentric artist whose husband famously went missing, never to be seen again. But after Vanessa’s death, the house atop Eris Island is left to her friend, Grace. The executive of Vanessa’s estate, Grace, is in charge of turning over all works of art to Fairburn, a London art gallery. But when a human bone is found in one of Vanessa’s sculptures, the secrets of Eris Island and its two most recent inhabitants threaten to spill over.

I really loved the setting and the atmosphere of this one: an island cut off by the water for hours at a time, dark stormy nights, salty sea air. This was such a great read—really tense and moody. The perfect read for a rainy night.

The plot in itself was also really enjoyable, and I would go so far as to say it’s easily Hawkins's best book since The Girl on the Train. Give this a whirl if you like the following: dark thrillers; multiple points of view; past and present timelines; mixed media in the form of diary entries; and a deliciously moody setting.

Publication date: 10 October 2024

Huge thank you to @netgalley and Random House UK for letting me read this advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts.

The storyline just wasn't for me. I always look forward to a new Paula Hawkins but I am sad to say I didn’t really enjoy this one. I didn’t like the characters and I found the storyline rather difficult to connect with. Sorry I can only give it 3 stars! It won’t put me off Paula Hawkins, just left me a little disappointed.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

A fab read , just what you've learnt to expect by this author .
Full of drama with a few twists to keep you on your toes . Really enjoyed it , would make a great film.

This was an enjoyable reading experience. I loved the mixed media of the narrative and the diary entries. I read it in one sitting. I needed to know what happened.

Wow ! I just finished this creepy , dark and twisty thriller and I am not sure what to think yet. I was definitely surprised in some parts and found some things to be predictable . I really enjoyed this one !

It definitely kept my interest and I really enjoyed the different character points of view along the way. I really liked one of the characters and really hated another so it evened out.

The premise (eerie island isolated by the tides) was intriguing and the way the artist’s letters, diaries and art pieces were used to move the story along was very interesting to me. The ending although disappointing to me did match the mood of the story.

I would highly recommend this!

FROM THE COVER📖

Eris, an island with only one house, one inhabitant, one way out. Unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day.

Once home to Vanessa. A famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace. A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling.

And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge . . .


REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a belter of an atmospheric, intriguing, twisty, real page-turner of a novel full of haunting tension that slows burns right till very unexpected ending.

I really do not get the negative reviews saying this book is boring, is all about art and isn’t like Hawkins other work for me this is her best since Girl On A Train, if not better I feel here her characters are fleshed out more, issues are explored in subtle fashion that a make big impact , the timelines and multiple POV flow along side the plot perfectly. This is before we take the amazing atmospheric writing that makes the setting/ location came right off the page you literally taste the sea salt in the air while reading. The characters are full of nuance you go from loathing them to rooting for them, the sign of truly great characterisation and accomplished writing. Yeah there is a lot mention of art but I found that added to the characters in particular Vanessa it really helped to get inside all three main characters and gave you an understanding of their motivations and actions, and while there is mention of the art it being central to the main plot it’s not as how some reviewers are making it out to be.

Told from three POV two ( Grace, Becker) over dual timelines in the third person with flashbacks to the past from Grace’s POV along with diary entries from Vanessa thought out this there are hints that all is not well after the death of Vanessa and her legacy is fought over in more ways than one.

Hawkins sets up a marvellous almost game of cat and mouse between the characters in how she tells the story there is a sinister undertone in all aspects of the story, I couldn’t workout what was going happen or to whom, it really held my interest and kept me reading well into the night. It was plotted perfectly.

The island setting is always a winner for me within a novel it instantly adds eerie, unnerving feeling to the whole book, the fact within this novel Hawkins uses the tides to isolate the island adds to the overall feeling of horror

As I have found with all Hawkins work she looks at the wider role of violence against woman in society and woman’s place within society as whole, yet again with this she manages to make the issue the forefront of the novel but in a subtle stylish way. She does this with clever little comments and observations, the chat about Daphne du Maurier is a perfect example of this.

As a long term fan of Hawkins this book has cemented my thoughts that she is one of the most accomplished thriller writers around.

A solid 4.5 stars

Paula Hawkins has always been one of my favourite authors, so I was super excited to read this new book. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
It’s a complex, atmospheric and clever thriller that has stayed with me despite finishing it last week.
I’d definitely recommend.

This story is set on the remote Scottish island of Eris, once the home of a famous artist, Vanessa Chapman, whose husband disappeared under decidedly mysterious circumstances.

It is also currently home to her friend, Grace, who lives a largely reclusive life. Not that there is much of an alternative in that regard if you live in a place which is inaccessible 12 hours of the day!

When an unexpected discovery in the art world raises questions, the man charged with managing the art collection of an estate is determined to find out the real story. Perhaps some of the answers lie in Vanessa's diaries...

This story offers more than one viewpoint in the storytelling, in a way which is very interesting. It is something of a slow burn when it comes to revealing what lies beneath the surface, which is not my preferred form of pacing, but is worth the wait. An intriguing story, well-told, it will appeal to Hawkins' existing fan base, and win her a few more.

I struggled with this book and super disappointed as I've really enjoyed Paula Hawkins previous books. For me, this was a very slow burn ending in a rather tepid fire. The story was long and pretentious. All characters apart from Grace were flimsy and dull. I made myself finish the book but nearly gave up a few times. Tough read.

I wanted to love this book, as all of Hawkins' novels have been 5 star reads for me so far. This one I couldn't connect with. Didn't really understand the characters or feel anything for them. Giving three stars because as always, the author writes beautifully. The storyline just wasn't for me.

I am a big fan of all of Paula Hawkins’ novels so was really pleased to receive the digital arc of her latest, The Blue Hour, on NetGalley.

The story is set in the art world around the work of artist Vanessa Chapman. The story moves from the present day curator of an estate’s art collection, James Becker, to flashbacks of the past using Vanessa’s diaries.

Centred on a mysterious find in one of Vanessa’s sculptures, the story sees Becker making numerous visits to the Scottish island of Erie where one of Vanessa’s closest friends, Grace, still lives.

I found The Blue Hour to be a great page turner with a fantastic plot. Grace is a wonderfully complex character, at times deeply unsettling but I also found myself feeling sorry for her as well. A great read!

I enjoyed this book, it was a character led slow burn. It seemed slow paced at times but that was fine, it suited the story and let the characters lead the narrative. I liked the way diary entries made the events and motivations of the past clearer. The setting was atmospheric and emphasised the isolation of the characters.

I think this is my favourite book by Hawkins.
I sat down with it, and before I knew it, was half way through.
I enjoyed all the relationships, and their surrounding dramas.
It's an interesting cast of characters, I liked Becker a lot, but was fascinated by Grace and her devotion.
The location and it's accessibility to mainland adds an extra layer to the thriller.

A very good read.

The Blue Hour takes place on a Scottish Island called Eris. It is very isolated and was the place a famous artist called Vanessa lived. There is some mystery around Vanessa as her husband disappeared 20 years ago. Now Grace lives on the island. Things get weird though as a human bone is discovered in a piece of art Vanessa made.

This was just okay. The story didn’t really do much for me and I struggled to connect to the characters. Honestly I don’t really care about the story itself because it was heavily focused on art which I have very little interest in. I’m giving it 3 stars because it was fine but it didn’t blow me away like this authors other work.

Lie's, twists and mystery.
I was really looking forward to this read from this wonderful author but i was left a little disappointed.
Just did not quite do it for me.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.