The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins is an atmospheric thriller that takes you to a remote Scottish island shrouded in mystery. The setting is haunting, and the story gradually picks up, offering moments of intrigue, especially as the secrets of the island start to unravel. While the book did improve as it went along, I struggled to connect with most of the characters—Helena being the only one I felt anything for. The ending, unfortunately, didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Overall, it’s a decent read for those who enjoy a slow-burn mystery, but it didn’t fully captivate me. I’d give it 3 out of 5.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House UK for a Review Copy

Addictive, atmospheric reading. The small Island of Eris holds a lot of secrets and not all of them are good ones.

I could not put this book down got totally immersed in the story. Successful artist, became more successful when she had died. But how did she die, how did her lovers die?

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book.

What a great book. It is mainly set on an island which is cut off from the mainland half a day and that depends on the tide. An artist Vanessa has led a strange life and decides to escape from the world as best she can. She mainly wants to escape from her husband who is manipulative and unfaithful. A Scottish island comes up for sale and Vanessa buys this and does up the run down buildings, one to live in and one as a studio. Vanessa passes away with cancer and leave her collection of paintings, ceramics etc to the Fairburn Foundation on the mainland and her property to a friend, Grace. The story really starts before her death and leads you to the crux of the story. Douglas Fairburn is shot during a hunting trip. His son Sebastian postpones his wedding due to this and in comes Julian Becker to the story as the art curator to the Foundation. Julian’s job is to visit the island and find out from Grace why only some of Vanessa’s pieces of art have made it to the Foundation. This leads to all sorts and opens a huge can of worms including why a piece of sculpture has a human bone in it and whose does it belong to. The book twists and turns rapidly, is tense in parts. It defines the relationship between Vanessa and Grace as well as the Fairburn household which includes Julian. Definitely worth a read

This is the latest from The Girl on the Train author, Paula Hawkins, set on the remote location of a Scottish island, with its inclement weather, and cut off from the mainland for 12 hours a day. If you are looking for a fast paced read, this is not it, it is a slow burn, with multiple characters and perspectives, and with different timelines. The troubled deceased artist Vanessa Chapman lived on the island with her friend and companion, Grace Haswell. Two decades previously, Chapman's estranged husband, Julian came to visit but he then went on to disappear. In the present, Chapman has left her artworks to a foundation, the Director, James Becker, has risen above his unpromising background, to his current position.

There is a dark, pressing, and ominous feel to this story of varied characters, none likeable, and varied mysteries at play as Becker makes his way to the island as Grace has been delaying handing over the art or Chapman's paperwork. There is almost the inevitable conflict between the two of them, coming from different angles, until they get to know each other a little better. There is plenty of intrigue and complicated relationships that emerge, not to mentions the rivalries, secrets, lies, self deceptions, ambition, art, obsessions, love, and more. There are twists and turns, as tensions rise that lead to the revealing conclusions.

Hawkins writes an engaging psychological thriller that is likely to appeal to both her existing fans and to readers new to her work, although I do recommend going in knowing as little as possible.. This will, however, require you accept it may take time and patience, slowly getting to know the characters, and follow its intricately plotted narrative. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this new novel by Paula Hawkins. It has an interesting plot and very easy to read and enjoy.

I thought Girl on a Train was brilliant. The Blue Hour is very different and there’s no comparison; if you’re expecting something similar to GOAT, look elsewhere.

The setting is a remote Scottish island and I enjoyed the depiction of isolation and the wildness of the land. Past events hold secrets and these are revealed in fragmentary fashion, with a narrative from a number of viewpoints. The central characters are interesting but not particularly likeable. It’s also a very slow burn with a final twist that was a little underwhelming. Overall, it just feels there’s something lacking and although I finished the book, it wouldn’t encourage me to read more by Paula Hawkins.

I think this might be the end of the road for ne with this author. Since The Girl On The Train, I don't think the other book had me as hooked and this one disappointed me, very slow and the writing wasn't what I expected. As soon as I read that one character thought that anothet one was ugly for no apparent reason, I was done with it.

I won’t compare this to Girl on a Train as it’s totally different. I enjoyed this even though it was a slow burn and I have to say not many characters wer likeable but it was gripping once you really got into it and I couldn’t wait to get to the end…..which then did slightly dissapoint, I’m not keen on endings that don’t tell you the full story and then your still left with questions. But I did enjoy and would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this early copy.

I enjoyed how fast paced this book was, I flew through it because I needed answers. However, I was really disappointment with the ending and felt it kind of ruined all the build up.
I liked the inclusion of the letters and diary entries as it added a bit more depth to the story.

This is a slow burn of a novel, but at least for the first half it held my attention well. I was interested in the artist, Vanessa, and I could sense the layers of mystery beneath her life, and I was intrigued by Becker too and his obsession with her art. But then it did start to drag a little, and I found myself liking Becker less and less, and nobody in the story was very nice at all...I did like the way the story was told though, in bits and pieces and fragments of letters and diaries. It conjured up that feeling of wading through an archive, or mooching through someone's personal correspondence and uncovering truths about their life.

It's certainly atmospheric as well, especially the parts about the island, Eris. But I felt let down by the ending. I had guessed much of it, but had been hoping for a big twist that didn't come. I was left with lots of unanswered questions, so mixed opinions overall - I read it fairly easily, I was interested in the art and the artist's life, but it ultimately left me dissatisfied.

I really enjoyed Girl on the Train and expected this book to be the same in regards to pace and revelations. The blue hour is much slower paced and took me longer to get into. The story starts off slow but towards the end I was gripped and reluctant to put it down. The only down side is that it just ends and are left with lots of unanswered questions which is slightly disappointing.

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am sorry to say that this novel was not for me. I found it really slow and couldn't engage with any of the characters and didn't finish it
I was very excited to get the book as I havd read anf thoroughly enjoyed The Girl on The Train.

I am sure I will be in the minority with my views.

The Blue Hour is a well-written novel in which the plot , told from multiple viewpoints, unfolds slowly. The setting of a Scottish island which is cut off at high tide adds to the feeling of menace and danger. There is a cast of well-drawn complex characters. I found the character of Grace to be particularly chilling. I enjoyed the book but those looking for a fast-paced, gripping thriller may be disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A very slow reading that almost made me give up and even though in general I hear a lot of praise about Paula Hawkins work this one wasn't what I expected. It's a shame but I feel like slow thrillers are not my thing.

This wasn’t what I was expecting based on the author’s bestseller, The Girl on the Train, which I loved. A cast of extremely unpleasant characters and a story that seemed long winded at times - but the last quarter or so was really good and I have to say that I did race through it. Different but recommended.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC! Loved loved the book, a classic Hawkins thriller, I enjoyed every bit of it and the ending..🤌🏼 for readers who love thrillers, this one is for you!

Another intriguing read from Paula Hawkins - when a museum curator is contacted to say that a piece from a collection contains human bones, not only is the case literally opened but also metaphorically too. What will be uncovered and discovered?
An engrossing rwad

This is a very enjoyable literary thriller. It’s a slow burn at the beginning but I soon found myself intrigued by the mystery of a human bone being discovered in a work by the late artist Vanessa Chapman. She lived a reclusive life on the Scottish island of Eris. I loved the author’s descriptions of the island, its rugged scenery and the fact that it was cut off for half of every day. This adds greatly to the tension as the story progresses. I felt interested in the lives of the main characters and found them, if not always totally likeable, fascinating and well-drawn. My feelings kept changing, particularly with regard to Becker and Grace. I don’t want to give too much away but the pace really picks up towards the end.

There is a problem for any author who has enjoyed success with a book, since that inevitable becomes the benchmark by which later novels are judged. On this basis, the Blue Hour is always going to struggle, being endlessly compared with The Girl on The Train. In no way, however, is this a poor effort by Ms Hawkins; characters are well drawn and the plot finds its way to the end of the book. But - for this reader, at least - it didn’t light a fire that drew me into the story being told as much as I would wish. Nonetheless, it’s a perfectly readable story that will find many fans.