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.

Very slow paced which made it a bit tricky to engage with at times. Gorgeous writing though, and I liked the depth of the characters and the plot. Overall a good well rounded book, I just struggled with the pacing and it felt a bit uneventful at times.

I enjoyed reading this book. It leans very heavily on character perspective and very introspective descriptions, with the storyline moving quite slowly. There’s a lot of looking into the past within the story, and this was sometimes hard to follow for me. It read like a very extended character study. It was an interesting look into the world of art, collection and exhibition which I knew nothing about.

I was excited for this having been a huge fan of Tiepelo Blue.

It's different in tone and style and does lack some of the intensity of his first novel. Howeber, it's a beautifully written story. It's about an artist and his former best friend. There's mediations on art, commerce and creativity and a storyline that pushes you through the book.

I enjoyed this but at times the characters felt slightly flat for me and I wasn't quite as engaged with the story as I'd hoped to be.