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.

I can always count on Paula Hawkins to write a story to keep me engaged and on my toes. THE BLUE HOUR does have some formulaic predictability, but I still enjoyed my journey along. I think the ending knocked this one down just a bit for me, but I can see it working more for a lot of other readers. But still a solid read and the book world is a much better place with Hawkins creating stories!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Gothic story with the obsession over art and its artist as the core of the novel. Some of it seems repetitive, but the timelines mixed with letters helps to keep the reader pondering the plot.
Overall, a creepy, slowly developing story. The very unexpected ending could go multiple ways and the conclusion left me feeling aghast.

Some readers may want to look up trigger warnings.

Thanks for HarperCollins and NetGalley the
e-galley. I listened to the audiobook on Everand for this review.

My ratings and reviews are my own.

WOW WOW WOW! to put it lightly, I loved this book. there is so many layers and so much drama for each character, even the ones that you dont think matter that much. the murder, the mystery.... obsessed.

this book made me second guess everything, every single character, all their actions. 2024 was the year of thrillers for me and although this was not a "thriller" it had me hooked just like thrillers do.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was a miss for me. I know it is a slow burn type of novel, but I just couldn't really get into it.

Thank you so much @MarinerBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 29 October 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Vanessa is a renowned reclusive enigmatic artist who lived on a Scottish tidal island. There are many rumours about her and her art, but the main question asked by the public is what happened to her unfaithful husband (Julian) who disappeared 10 years ago after visiting the island. Upon her death, she leaves her estate to her nemesis (an art curator called Douglas Lennox at the Fairburn Foundation) instead of the closest companion.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the diary entries
- the past timeline was much more interesting than the present day timeline
- the atmospheric remote Scottish island setting

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- there's a lot of character names being thrown around and I had a hard time keeping them all straight
- also not a lot of likeable characters (which usually doesn't bother me but I struggled to get invested or believe their motivations)
- a really big build up for ultimately a really unresolved ending
- a lot of artsy speak that pulled me out of the story
- very slow pacing throughout

⭐️(2/5) The Blue Hour - Paula Hawkins

✨Pages: 288

✨Genre: Thriller (Slow Burn)

I keep reading every book Hawkins writes because “The Girl on the Train” was an enthralling audiobook. Yet every thriller she’s written since is only fine, and they are all a very slow burn. I love a slow pace mystery (like Tana French’s works) but Hawkins aren’t quite worth the slog for me sadly.

A human bone is identified in a famous artist’s piece in London. The reclusive artist resided on a remote Scottish island (and is now deceased), but the museum sends a representative to investigate the possibility of a crime.

There are too many characters here to really immerse yourself with any of them IMO. It took me over a month to read this one because I never was compelled to pick it back up. I did love the atmospheric Scottish island and the inhabitants there, but the pacing (and the vague ending!) left me wanting more unfortunately. This was a fine yet forgettable one for me.

✨Content Warnings: Murder, Toxic Friendship, Body Shaming, Cancer, Physical Abuse, Grief, Dementia, Pregnancy, Mental Illness, Sexual Assault, Suicidal Thoughts

✨Themes: Ambition, Secrets, Greed, Obeession

✨You May Like This If You Enjoyed:
-The Witch Elm (Tana French)
-The Last to Vanish (Megan Miranda)

#bookworm #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #booknerd #backstagebookreviews #reader #netgalley #thebluehour #ebook

Set on an island, Paula Hawkins new book explores the disappearance of an eccentric artist's husband. When a human bone is found in the artist's work, the police investigate the twenty-year disappearance. The story is told through multiple points of view, including the artist's companion. This novel is slow-paced, and is more of a character study than most thrillers. Patient readers who enjoy thick atmosphere may enjoy this, but anyone looking for a repeat of Girl on the Train will be disappointed. While all the threads come together in the end, some readers may find the resolution underwhelming.

I loved this one! Atmospheric, beautifully written with interesting characters. And a killer ending!

I did not like this. The plot plodded along without anything really happening. The characters were boring at best and deeply unlikable at worst. The mystery wasn't given enough gravity for me to really care about it.

I really enjoyed this book. I think the author did an amazing job with their writing style in a way that kept me interested in continuing to read the book. I will admit that moments were heart pounding, and I enjoyed it to the point that I would definitely suggest it to others.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

This is a compelling psychological thriller set on a secluded Scottish island. Hawkins intricately weaves the lives of Vanessa, a renowned artist whose husband vanished two decades prior, and Grace, a solitary resident of the island. The discovery of a human bone in one of Vanessa's artworks motivates a suspenseful exploration of secrets and deception.

Hawkins has crafted a very atmospheric backdrop with the island's isolation amplifying the novel's tension. The character development is strong particularly in portraying Grace's complex nature. The plot unfolds, building suspense through unexpected twists. Overall, The Blue Hour is a captivating story for those who appreciate atmospheric thrillers with deep character exploration.

Afraid this one was a bit too slow-burn for me! I loved the setting and the premise, but this was much less of a thriller and more of a light, slow suspense read. Quite a few things were left unanswered, and the ending was very abrupt.

Wanted to love this one! Still, very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

HOOK: A shocking discovery is made at an art gallery. A woman chooses isolation in the home of the artist who is shrouded in mystery, causing a visitor to come and secrets to come out

REVIEW: The book was pitched as being atmospheric, and I agree that it was. You felt unsettled reading it, At least, I did. While it wasn't the most original plot, Paula Hawkins is a masterful character creator. I had some mixed feelings about the ending, but not enough to demote it to a true 4

RATING: It's a solid 3.5, rounded

Another haunting tale from Hawkins. Eris Island is remote and wild, perfect for an artist, and the woman obsessed with her. The story is heavy with darkness and foreboding as Grace's story unfolds alongside Becker's as they both enraptured by the art of Vanessa. The best book from Hawkins since Into the Water.

It started out slow. Kind of, too slow. Way too slow. But then, somehow, it turned around and picked up some serious break-neck pace.
It's claustrophobic, weird, and with a totally unexpected ending.

I found this story boring and predictable. I liked Hawkins last 2 books but this one was a miss for me. It had an unsatisfying ending.