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.

The Blue Hour is everything a slow-burn mystery should be. There wasn’t a single thing about it that I didn’t love, from the small island only accessible during low tide to the moody artist Vanessa Chapman. The dual timeline and multiple narrators really worked to reveal the story slowly, and I absolutely loved the ending.

This was really good and captivating until the very end. Too many loose threads not tied up. There were some pretty significant plot points and insinuations that were part of the build up that we literally just never got resolved. There wasn’t even closure on the future of the Chapman exhibition…. Very disappointed by the ending as the first 85% had me hooked.

Not as propulsive as the other novels I’ve read from Hawkins, but it still contains the intensive character building and the secrets that are begging to come to light.

James Becker works for a foundation that has been deemed the recipient of Vanessa Chapman’s art. Chapman was a reclusive artist whose husband mysteriously disappeared. When it is discovered that one of her sculptures on display contains a human bone, it is up to Becker to get to the bottom of it. Thus, he travels to Eris island, where Grace lives in Chapman’s old house and studio, as the executor of her estate. As he digs more deeply into Grace and Vanessa’s past, more questions arise than are answered.

With the twists and turns I have come to expect from Hawkins, this novel was solid.

Paula Hawkins gives us another slow burn, claustrophobic thriller. I am still trying to figure out my exact feelings about the book. I certainly don't want to give too much away, but it was a book full of flawed and interesting characters.

I greatly enjoyed the art/art world/artist parts of this book. I loved the island. I loved the format of dairy entries and letters, and I liked the crossing perspectives.

The last 1/4 of the book was odd to me. And I still am reeling from the end- I am trying to figure out if I find it fulfilling or not. Not sure who I was rooting for. I'm not sure if I liked any of the characters.

If you like Paula Hawkins, I would say it is worth the read! I'm about to try to find a few friends to have an informal book club about it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book. I have been a fan of Hawkins ever since The Girl on the Train, so I was excited to read this one. She is pretty much an auto-read author for me, so I didn't even read the synopsis of the story before diving in. I really like the atmospheric setting of an isolated location with no way out. It really sets the stage for palpable tension and a read that is sure to be entertaining. I was invested in the story from the beginning. I thought this one was a bit different than her previous stories but with the same ability to make my heart beat faster as I'm reading that I've come to expect from Hawkins. I think Girl on the Train is still my favorite, but I definitely enjoyed this one. Out now!

2.5 stars
I struggled to get into the book in the first half and then it lost me in the second half. I did enjoy the narration so that helped me get through!

Set on a Scottish island on the Irish Sea, The Blue Hour is a compelling book about what people do for love. Vanessa is a clay and paint artist who lives in the only house on an island that tides cut off from the mainland each day. Grace is a local doctor who befriends Vanessa and becomes her caretaker. There are multiple plot lines involving unsolved murders and disappearances and others concerning Vanessa's estate after she dies--but the entire story depends on the tides and the island. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy psychological suspense and sense of place.

I've read all of Paula Hawkins' previous books and enjoyed them mostly. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.

I felt bored majority of the time reading it and it felt very slow-moving. Her previous books are more thrilling, so I think I just expected that going in.

The atmospheric writing of The Blue Hour almost makes the setting the main character. Most of the book takes place on the small and remote Eris Island, off the coast of Scotland. In fact, the novel begins and ends obsessing over the island and its tide-dependent accessibility, almost ebbing and flowing like the tides themselves. The whole story, told from multiple perspectives and journal entries, has the feeling of a building tempest., making the overall tone one of imminent danger.

A real psychological thriller- twisty, moody and dark. I didn’t love the ending, but lots of things don’t turn out how we would like in real life.

This was extremely atmospheric and moody with a lot of nods to nature. I was caught up in this from the beginning and really wasn't sure where it was going. It moved a little slowly, but that felt like it was part of the story. An interesting, intriguing read.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins was a disappointment. A miss by all accounts.

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve really disliked a novel. I’m fairly picky on selections and I generally can find something I like in most of the books I read. And I will say, the setting in The Blue Hour is great—a remote Scottish island where the mainland is only accessible at high tide.

The premise is mysterious—the island was once home to Vanessa, a famous artist. Now her friend Grace is picking up the pieces, but is also hiding plenty of secrets as well.

This sounds like it should have been a winner. And while I was curious how it will go, the story got bogged down with so much backstory, a focus on the wrong character, and plenty of other strange story choices.

The worst offender of this story might be the ending. While surprising, it also was quite weak. And makes you say, that’s it?

All in all, a disappointment for me.

When the curator of the portfolio of artist Vanessa Chapman finds that one of her pieces may contain a human bone, he decides to go to her home/studio on a private island off the Scottish coast to talk to Grace, her estate's caretaker. The authorities claim that the bone could be from the artist's husband who has been missing for 20 yrs.
The island is only accessible for 6 hrs twice a day - during low tide - and is otherwise uninhabited. Grace is not entirely pleased with company, and especially the kind who pry into her relationship with Vanessa, and the artists works at the home.
The story starts slowly and builds with a complex plot, unlikable characters, plot twists, a lot of tension and darkness. Becker only wants to learn what happened to Chapman's works and how he can get them for his foundation.
The pace of this mystery was slow and I was disappointed with the ending - first because it was predictable, and secondly because it was not integrated with the story. It didn't help that there were several extraneous characters in the book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Becker is in charge of curating the legacy portfolio of late artist Vanessa Chapman, who spent her days living on an island in the sea creating art. When one of her pieces is flagged by the museum for possibly containing a human bone, authorities claim it could be her husband, who has been missing for years. Soon he learns more about who she was surrounded by, traveling out to the island to meet Grace, her estate's seemingly meek caretaker. More of history and the secrets kept on the island unwind.

This was another eerie novel by Hawkins, and she has an incredible way of setting the scene. However, I found myself with a few questions unanswered. Perhaps that was intentional?

A shocking discovery at a London art gallery. A mysterious disappearance twenty years ago. An isolated island that is unreachable from the Scottish mainland 12 hours each day. I enjoyed the premise but it was a slower pace than I prefer. Still a solid read.
3.5

Four stars because I did enjoy it for the better part. Unfortunately instead of getting better towards the end I did not like the turn the story took and I’m not even sure what happened on the last few pages.

I struck out with this book.
On the surface I thought remote island, creepy house, unexplained events, sure I’m in.
But I couldn’t get into the groove of the story and the characters just didn’t grab me.

This book was not for me. It did not keep my attention and I do not wish to continue it. I am very grateful for the access to this book and do not have a proper rating as I do not plan on finishing this title. Thank you so very much for this opportunity. I look forward to trying other books either by this publisher or even the author in the future.