I've loved Hawkins' previous work, such as The Girl on The Train, but this one was a bit of a disappointment. It took me forever to read (i.e., nearly 2 months!!), as I was engrossed for about the first ten percent of the book and the last ten percent. Other than that, it dragged and did not live up to my expectations, unfortunately. I found myself constantly putting it down and reading other books in the interim.

I enjoyed the remote island setting in Scotland, which was very atmospheric. Barring that, the book lacked the plot twists of the author's prior novels. I was able to predict the ending, which is not something I personally enjoy in a thriller. This was more of a descriptive slow-burn mystery focused on the art world, which may still be appealing to some. So if that sounds like it's up your alley, then give this one a chance, but otherwise you may want to pass.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The book begins with the discovery of a human bone within a sculpture by the late artist Vanessa Chapman. Soon, an investigation begins (which is complicated by the fact that they will have to destroy artwork to examine the bone). The story brings us to Eris, a secluded Scottish island, and weaves together the lives of three central characters: Grace Winters, Vanessa's companion; James Becker, an art scholar; and Julian, Vanessa's estranged ex-husband.

The novel is told in flashbacks and diary excerpts which makes the story more unique. And the isolated island definitely contributed to making the book feel a lot more creepy.

Why Jackie likes it

I love the idea of art in a thriller novel and Hawkins does a great job at pulling apart the relationships of the characters. This was not my favorite Paula Hawkins book- That would have to be "Girl on a Train". But, this book is worth the read.

This is the first Hawkins book I did not enjoy. I was bored for the first half, which i think is inexcusable in a thriller. The changes in perspective were interesting, and the suspense built at the end was done well. I liked the use of art.

A lot of readers hated the ending. I didn't, I just resented how long it took to get there.

Unsatisfying, don't recommend.

I did purchase for my library and will share.

What in the world.

I had to go to the other reviews on this novel to see if it was just me. We started off with a random human bone at an art exhibit, than made it all the way to a doctor who seems totally infatuated with a woman who died years before. There’s a random son who wants to get to know the mother that is now dead, so he reaches out to this infatuated woman to help him.

This book was a mess…..I thought I had missed something somewhere but it doesn’t seem like I did. I had high hopes but I couldn’t find anything I was super stoked on. Nor did I finish this. Upon reviews, there seems to be two camps, very liked and very not liked.

this was my first Paula Hawkins book and overall...I was disappointed. It started out with promise and a very hooky premise but got bogged down with highly unlikeable characters (and none in a fun or intriguing way) and too many jumps between times and characters and diary entries. Like many others said, the setting is the best part of the book, but even that for me didnt feel quite as meaty as it could of. And the ending was quite frankly, the worst. Just abrupt and sudden with no resolution at all. The twists were not twisty as they were too overtly foreshadowed, so there wasn't any surprise at the end except for how it just cut off.

Classic Paula Hawkins. What I love about her books are that things are never straight forward. To say anymore about the book takes away the reader’s own discovery. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This one unfortunately wasn’t my favorite. I love Paula Hawkins but this fell flat and failed to keep me interested. I was invested in the beginning, but it started to drag and it took me a long time to finish it. I love her books and can’t wait to read the next one in hopes it’s more like her previous writing!

I have to just come out and admit that Paula Hawkins is not for me. I am assuming if you liked other Hawkins titles, you will also like this one. Her books just don't capture me.

Paula Hawkins is always a good idea. Sinister and atmospheric and eerie, The Blue Hour is a slow-burn with a fantastic premise: a human bone in a work of art, To hear Paula talking about her inspiration for this book, surf to killerauthorclub.com/killer-episodes

The Blue Hour is a cut above the dime-a-dozen domestic thrillers that proliferate these days. The characters, plot and setting are well-drawn and the writing is fairly literary. The pacing is a little slow, but that doesn't bother me. I would recommend to fans of literary fiction. 3.5 stars.

I'm sure that I'm an outlier on this one, but I did not like The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins. I keep waiting for her to write another book as good as The Girl on the Train but I'm just not getting it. I think Hawkins is a one-hit-wonder for me. This is probably the last of her novels I'll choose to read.

The Blue Hour was supposed to be a thriller, but turned out to be a snooze. I was bored and had to force myself to pick it back up again numerous times so that I could review and rate it instead of DNFing it. I found it to be excruciatingly slow and extremely boring. I didn't like the rich, snobby characters and found nothing thrilling about the plot. It was quite predictable and took forever to go anywhere. I really enjoyed the setting and was able to imagine myself there, but that was about it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchagne for my honest thoughts.

Delve into the atmospheric and haunting psychological drama of Jules and Beck in modern London. With short chapters that move the plot forward this is a slow burn thriller with psychological depth. Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for a free book in exchange for an honest review.

During an exhibit of artist Vanessa Chapman's work, an anthropologist recognizes a bone in one of the sculptures as human. Thus begins James Becker's, the Chapman collection curator, exploration into Chapman's life. Told through an alternating timelines, Becker learns about Chapman, her work and life, through her notebooks and friend, Grace Haswell. At first standoffish, Grace soon opens up to Becker about Vanessa and their time on Eris Island together (and apart). Becker develops not only a deeper appreciation for Chapman's art but also her friendship with Grace and the deep loss Grace has felt since Vanessa's death. It is through this grief that Becker learns the truth about Eris, Vanessa, Grace, and himself.

I enjoyed the majority of this novel, but I wanted a different ending. The ending was good, but it was unexpected, and I felt like more should have happened/changed. I appreciated the subtle mystery throughout and the depth of character within the text. It just needed something different at the end. I still recommend it for those who love classic mysteries.

LOVED this read so much! Hawkins has always been a favorite and seeing this on the netgalley list made me so happy.

I loved the art aspects but felt the pacing was very erratic. I was not invested in the characters at all.

Paula Hawkins is an automatic buy for me, and this was no disappointment! I loved this dark, atmospheric read. The book goes back and forth in time and weaves between narrators, revealing the story of Vanessa, a reclusive artist, Grace, her devoted companion, and the men who orbit them. In the wake of Vanessa's death, her artwork is being fought over. Not only is Grace refusing to relinquish pieces to the art gallery that believes itself to be their rightful owner, but one of the pieces appears to contain a grisly surprise. When a visitor from the gallery visits Grace on Eris island, the secluded place where Vanessa made her home, secrets begin to come to light and things begin to unravel.

Things I liked: the story definitely has a whiff of Shirley Jackson, and I love it. Eris island and Vanessa's house is a character unto itself. The isolation and fear of society is so thick it is nearly tactile. I also loved the way the villain is sometimes sympathetic, even heroic in the face of misogyny and violence.

Huge thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a slow burn and very atmospheric setting on a secluded island.

Vanessa Chapman, was an artist who lived on a Scottish island that’s only accessible at low tide. She let very few people into her life and at times she seemed to have been a very troubled artist. She’s most famous for her paintings but later in life she worked with clay and other “found objects” from her island to create 3 dimensional works of art. Vanessa’s life was clouded in scandal, notably, the disappearance of her unfaithful husband.
After Vanessa’s death her house was left to her old friend Grace. Grace took care of her until the day she died. She has the authority to transfer Vanessa’s artwork and papers to the Foundation, but for some reason she’s not being very forthcoming with the art work. Also she holds Vanessa’s secret diaries.
Julian Becker is the art curator for Fairburn he specializes in Chapman’s work. He is determined to get every piece of art etc. for the Foundation that was left to the foundation. When he’s emailed and informed that one of the pieces they have displayed of Vanessa’s work, May actually hold a human bone he begins to investigate. Could this be from Vanessa’s missing husband? Becker has no idea that connecting with Grace about Vanessa may open Pandora’s box and reveal so many tragic secrets that will ruin lives maybe even his own. This books goes back and forth between Vanessa’s diary entries and Becker visiting Grace and trying to uncover what happened and the missing art. It was a slow burn but I enjoyed it! I could feel the tension!

Let me begin by saying that Paula Hawkins has yet to write a novel that I haven't absolutely loved. With that being said, I immediately requested this when I saw it was available.

The Blue Hour" by Paula Hawkins is an incredible mix of suspense and emotion that had me hooked the entire time. Hawkins has such a talent for creating detailed characters and crafting an atmosphere that sticks with you making readers rapidly consume page after page! This is a definitely a "MUST READ" author and this book earned an easy 5 stars from me!

The book is a suspenseful mystery set on a secluded Scottish island called Eris. The island was once home to Vanessa, a famous artist whose unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago. Now, Grace lives there alone, guarding Vanessa's legacy. When a shocking discovery is made in one of Grace's art pieces in a London art gallery (ummm....hello? possible human remains used in her art?!), secrets from the past resurface, intertwining the lives of Grace, others connected to Vanessa, and the workers who stumbled upon the specific piece of art.

This was released October 29th so go secure your copy now!

Thank you NetGalley, Paula Hawkins, and Mariner Books for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for a personal review.

I really, really wanted to like this book, but it just was not for me. Like so many others, I'm always hoping for Paula Hawkins to capture the thriller magic that was The Girl on the Train.

There's a lot about this book that I would normally love in a thriller. The main setting is a remote countryside island that is cut off from the town at high tide each day. The story starts off with a deceased artist who created a sculpture with a recently discovered human bone.

I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters, the plot moved VERY slowly, and I just wasn't engaged in the story.

Bottom line: Not for me

A remote island only reachable 12 hours a day. mysterious deaths, unlikely twists. Good time read. Kept me guessing till the end. Interesting and flawed characters.