Globetrotting literary version of an art-fuelled whodunnit
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The issue with novels about art is that the art needs to be described on the page, and in the case of a fictional artist, without any visual cues. Words can describe its colours and tetures, the dimensions of a painting, the physicality of a sculpture, the effect of light on its surfaces; but they cannot describe how it feels to be in its presence: it will always be an impossible distance away. The author’s day job is in the art world and he brings his knowledge and experience to bear, building a multi-dimensional world of a high-flying artist returning to the limelight; the gallerist he abandoned years before, both professionally and personally; and a rich collector for whom owning the art is the whole point. Around these three fixed stars are a supporting cast of lovers, rivals, journalists, assistants, families, both blood and found, in a globetrotting literary version of an art-fuelled whodunnit.

The gallerist, Lorna, is the most fascinating character, squeezed between artists and collectors but holding all the powers of a go-between, a traverser of worlds. Her character, her story, her voice comes leaping off the page with the most urgency and the most opacity. I could have read a whole novel just from her viewpoint; she’s on the way to somewhere and I’d like to know where. The artist Thomas and Leon the collector also have their demons to lay to rest, but perhaps the pudding is just a little over-egged. Gorgeously written, full of pathos and tension, but it could do with being pared back a little.

This was an intriguing book, I enjoyed Cahill’s first novel ‘Tiepolo Blue’ and was excited to see his second book. However, I majorly struggled getting into this book, and I did not really gel with it. I do however, feel I was not the correct audience for this book - nevertheless this was a well written book, with great characterisation and depth.

James Cahill’s The Violet Hour is a sophisticated and introspective novel set within the world of contemporary art. Building upon the success of his debut, Tiepolo Blue, this second offering delves into themes of authenticity, memory, and the moral compromises inherent in the art market.​

The narrative begins with a dramatic incident—a young man falls to his death from a London balcony. This event sets the stage for a complex tale involving three central characters.

Thomas is a renowned Swiss abstract painter whose career is marked by a shift from figurative work to sterile abstraction.​Lorna is a New York gallerist and former lover of Thomas, who is haunted by their past and a child they conceived together. And Leo is billionaire art collector whose obsession with acquiring Thomas’s latest work leads to personal and professional entanglements.​

As the story unfolds, Cahill explores the intersections of art, desire, and the complexities of human relationships, all set against the backdrop of the high-stakes art world.​

Cahill's prose is both elegant and incisive, weaving together elements of literary fiction with the intrigue of a psychological thriller. The novel examines the tension between artistic integrity and commercial success, and offers a meditation on the unreliable consolations of art, love, and materialism.​

Its quite a complex and gripping exploration of the modern art world - there is glamour, yes, but also greed. It’s kind of a highbrow whodunnit but also explores much deeper themes. Recommend!

James Cahill's second novel is set in the world of high art. Thomas Haller is the artist du jour, wildly successful after moving to New York and being set up with an exhibition , by an old art school friend, which makes his name. He is drawn back to London by a German dealer who he had idolised in his early years and the opening of his show there is somewhat marred by the death of a young galley assistant whom Thomas had had a relationship with. this being the art world, everyone is gay (with the exception of the rich old Jewish property developer who buys up Thomas' work) and there is a great deal of gay sex, which if you are of a nervous disposition might gross you out. thomas Cahill writes very well, this is top rate literary fiction. Its a compelling, and ultimately, tragic story.

A follow-up to Tiepolo Blue, this is almost superior to that book, and is immensely enjoyable whether or not you are involved in the world of art, artists, galleries and collectors. Set between London and New York, it follows the fortunes of a Lesbian gallery owner and her star artist, with whom she had a one-night fling which resulted in the birth of a son many years before we encounter them. The son, given up for adoption, is a constant presence as we read, and we know that he is the key to understanding the complicated relationships that we are presented with through the narrative. There is greed, arrogance and raw sexuality displayed by the main protagonists, and the reader is challenged to find any redeeming characteristics in any of them. They are, however, complex and altogether human, although their lives are alien to most readers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This is one of those books that I just struggled to get into. We're set in the art world, which could be interesting, but I wasn't grabbed from the get go, and I didn't want to keep reading just for the sake of it. I often struggle with books that have pre-established relationships so maybe that played into my lack of interest. I may return to this book in the future, but for now it's a DNF.

The Violet Hour by James Cahill is an atmospheric book set in the glittering world of high art. The story begins with the tragic death of a young man in London, which unexpectedly brings together a group of seemingly unconnected individuals. Among them are Thomas, a renowned painter struggling with his waning talent; Lorna, a successful but dissatisfied art dealer; and a billionaire art collector whose obsession with a new painting borders on madness.

Exploring themes such as success, failure, grief, love, and the complexities of living in a world driven by money and ambition, the book spans multiple locations, from Manhattan and Mayfair to the Swiss mountains, Venice, and Los Angeles. The author delves into the intricate, often morally ambiguous relationships within the art world.

At the heart of the story is Lorna's strained relationship with Thomas, her oldest friend, whose betrayal has left deep scars. When Lorna is sent to London to secure a painting for a bitter art collector, the collision of past and present forces her to confront difficult truths about herself and her world.

Cahill’s writing is taut and compelling, drawing readers into a world full of shadows and complex characters. The Violet Hour is a twist on the traditional whodunnit, where the mystery lies not in solving a crime but in uncovering the hidden layers of human emotion and ambition. The book will captivate anyone interested in the darker side of the art world and the moral complexities of success.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

I could only get halfway through The Violet Hour and had to give up. Most disappointing having loved Tiepolo Blue I had high hopes of James Cahill's new book.

I only got halfway through; there was just too much explicit gay sex and that spoiled the book for me. The storyline itself seemed good, it rather reminded me of 'Tiepolo Blue', another book by the same author. Art gallery descriptions were good with the author detailing the people's of the art world well.

I was sent a copy of The Violet Hour by James Cahill to read and review be NetGalley. I really loved the author’s first novel Tiepolo Blue and though I did enjoy The Violet hour it didn’t have quite the same impact on me. I love reading novels that include art and artists, their art practice, and the art world itself, and this novel is stuffed full of all of these. There aren’t many likeable characters and sometimes things get quite confusing, and I certainly could have done with out most of the explicit sex! Perhaps I’m just a prude! Having said all of that the descriptions of the artworks themselves were beautifully vivid and I could almost see them in my mind’s eye. I would definitely read more of James Cahill’s work – hopefully ending with a 5 star review next time!

Having absolutely adored Tiepolo Blue I was delighted to receive an ARC of The Violet Hour. I fell in love with the book from the beginning. An inciteful portrait of art, historians, galleries and all human life. A painting in words. Cahill clearly knows his stuff about art and offers a fascinating glimpse to the flawed humanity who make up the patrons and gallery owners the world over. The characters have great depth and well crafted. My only niggle was the mix of American terms and UK terms/spellings. An uneccesary inconsistency.
I very slightly preferred Tiepolo Blue but this book is superb.

4.8 stars /5 (just not quite 5)

James Cahill’s The Violet Hour is a sharp and haunting exploration of the art world’s illusions, where ambition and vanity blur the lines between truth and deception. At its heart is Thomas Haller, a celebrated artist whose public persona—an enigmatic genius at the height of his career—hides a fragile, fractured reality. When a young man dies on the eve of his latest show, the carefully curated façade of Haller’s life begins to unravel, pulling his former friends, lovers, and rivals into a reckoning with the past.

Cahill writes with precision and depth, capturing both the intoxicating glamour and the brutal undercurrents of the art world. The novel moves between past and present, revealing how power dynamics, betrayals, and artistic obsession shape not just careers but identities. Lorna, Thomas’s former dealer and confidante, is particularly compelling, embodying the tension between artistic idealism and commercial survival.

What makes The Violet Hour so gripping is its atmosphere—an almost gothic sense of foreboding beneath the polished surface of wealth and culture. Cahill dissects the transactional nature of fame, the ruthless hunger for artistic relevance, and the price of both success and exclusion. The prose is elegant yet cutting, with moments of vulnerability that give the characters a haunting depth.

More than just a thriller or a commentary on the art world, The Violet Hour is a meditation on identity, longing, and the truths we choose to see—or ignore. With its darkly mesmerizing storytelling and psychological insight, it’s a novel that lingers, much like a painting that reveals new meanings the longer you look. A must-read for those who love literary fiction with an edge of mystery and a keen eye for human frailty.

3.5 rounded up

I was a big fan of Tiepolo Blue, so was naturally curious about Cahill’s next release. I have some pretty mixed opinions of The Violet Hour, though.

Cahill is consistent and sits so comfortably within the niche he has found and that’s brilliant. If you’re looking for a book filled with well written prose and outstanding backgrounds and characters with great depth, fhen it’s definitely worth the read.
However for me, it felt the prose sometimes dipped out of the story and into overwritten indulgence on Cahill’s behalf. It’s not bad, but it did mean that I struggled to keep with it, and only occasionally found myself hooked on the plot.

The characters are brilliantly crafted, but I found myself wanting more from some and less from others.

I will say that if you’ve read Tiepolo Blue and didn’t enjoy the era and it’s haziness (which I very much did), this is a stark contrast, set against colourful, sunlit London, New York and Montreux.

Overall, this atmospheric twist on a whodunnit is well done and worth it if it interests you. But for me it barely compares to Tiepolo Blue, which is disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sceptre for the ARC!

Intriguing, fascinating, and gripping. A solid novel, well plotted, featuring toxic and fascinating characters
Well done, Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love this idea of twisting the genre of a 'whodunnit' -- we need more of this kind of writing today, I think. The dry old formulas of the past can't hold a candle to this. Of course, the writing is excellent, and a real joy to read someone who isn't afraid of making the reader work just a bit harder for a big reward. The novel tells a story that is intensely dark, really, propelled by complicated relationships, and leaving narrative gaps that offer a real thrill of a read. I know I'll read this novel again and find new aspects I hadn't noticed before. Highly recommended and my grateful thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and James Cahill for this ARC!

After reading Tiepolo Blue, I was really curious to see what my next Cahill read looked like. One thing I can say for sure is that he is consistent and has a niche he sits quite comfortably in. If you want a book that is about the intricacies of the art market that really luxuriates in the diplomacy of it all, you can definitely rely on a James Cahill book for that. I personally find the prose readable but a bit dry for my taste, sometimes slipping into what feels like an author indulging so much that it felt overwritten rather than crafting a plot that holds my attention as well as I’d hoped. I did like it and read it in one sitting, but there were points where I was looking to see how much of the book I had left.

Beautifully written with colourful background scenes of art and scenes.
I did find it rather hard to really discern or even engage with this plot, but as a story, it had taken a lot of work to produce.

While the period setting of James Cahill’s debut novel, Tiepolo Blue, lent it a hazy light in my mind’s eye, The Violet Hour is all bright sunlight reflected off the glass and chrome of buildings in London, New York and Montreux. In contrast to Tiepolo Blue which was necessarily full of men, The Violet Hour has a more balanced roster of characters, from gallerist Lorna and her writer partner Justine to young filmmaker Marianna and taciturn factotum Bonita.
Lorna from a modest background has forged her way as a New York art dealer. Since leaving her abruptly, her art school companion Thomas has made it big as a painter of abstract colour studies, shaped, even pushed, into the man he is by moneyed dealer Claude. But reputations are fragile, nothing is secure.
This is all interesting enough that there’s no need for a plot to prop it up but plot there is aplenty: the novel opens with a shocking event then we’re whisked off to New York to meet 85-year-old Leo, who is defiantly unreconstructed, drives like a madman and is the kind of rich where you’re used to getting your own way and have people to take of everything, be it pouring your coffee or securing a painting.
We follow the characters to events in London, New York and Venice; there is ego and stubbornness along with scheming and odd behaviour, while a couple are just trying to make art. You may find, as I did, that the mention of so many works of art necessitates some happy sidetracking into finding images of them online. I recommend this if you fancy a peek into the world of modern art and a cast of characters that will stay with you.

The prose feels overwritten and doesn't work for me (still trying to work out how islands can be stationed round an altar) so I struggled to engage with the story.

An atmospheric twist on a whodunnit that poses more questions than it answers, all set against the glittering, double-crossing world of high art. Lorna is a successful art dealer whose relationships suffer and whose world seems increasingly hollow. Her oldest friend, Thomas, a famous painter has done her dirty in both art and life and when she is sent to London to see his new show and get a painting for an embittered art collector, the past and present collide in the most visceral and unpleasant ways.

This is well written, taut and pacy, full of shadows and strange, complex relationships. You always get the sense that there is far more going on under the surface of the book than what is actually described. It's tantalising and smart.