The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

A Haunting Exploration of Human Nature on a Remote Scottish Isle

There’s something uniquely captivating about islands—those isolated patches of land surrounded by water, cut off from the mainland and the rhythms of everyday life. In her latest psychological thriller, The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins harnesses the eerie atmosphere of a remote Scottish island to weave a mesmerizing tale of long-buried secrets, obsession, and the sometimes blurry line between protector and predator.

With her keen insight into human nature and gift for crafting complex female characters, Hawkins has created a story that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Like the relentless tides that dictate life on Eris Island, the narrative ebbs and flows between past and present, gradually revealing the dark undercurrents beneath the surface.

A Masterful Dance of Multiple Timelines

At the heart of The Blue Hour is Eris Island, a tidal island off the Scottish coast accessible by causeway for only 12 hours each day. It’s here that renowned artist Vanessa Chapman made her home and created her most famous works before her death from cancer several years ago.

The story unfolds through multiple timelines and perspectives:

The Present Day

James Becker, an art historian and curator at the Fairburn Foundation, visits Eris to speak with Grace Haswell, Vanessa’s former companion who still lives in the artist’s house. Becker hopes to gain insight into Vanessa’s work and life for an upcoming exhibition. But his visit sets in motion a chain of events that will unearth long-buried secrets.

The Recent Past

We see glimpses of Vanessa’s final years through her own diary entries and Grace’s recollections. Their relationship was intense and complex, colored by Vanessa’s declining health and creative struggles.

Twenty Years Ago

The disappearance of Vanessa’s philandering husband, Julian Chapman, during a visit to Eris casts a long shadow over the narrative. What really happened that summer? And how does it connect to the present-day revelations?

Further Back

Interwoven throughout are fragments of earlier history – Grace’s lonely past, Vanessa’s tumultuous marriage, and the island’s own dark secrets stretching back centuries.

A Cast of Captivating, Flawed Characters

Hawkins excels at creating nuanced, morally ambiguous characters, and The Blue Hour is no exception. The main players include:

Grace Haswell

A former doctor now living in isolation on Eris, Grace is prickly, defensive, and clearly hiding something. Her devotion to Vanessa’s memory borders on obsession. Is she a loyal friend protecting Vanessa’s legacy, or something more sinister?

James Becker

The earnest art curator becomes our entry point into Eris and its mysteries. His fascination with Vanessa’s work stems from a childhood connection, adding emotional depth to his quest for answers.

Vanessa Chapman

Though deceased before the main events of the novel, Vanessa’s presence looms large. Through diary entries and others’ recollections, we see a brilliant but troubled artist grappling with her own demons.

Sebastian Lennox

The charming heir to the Fairburn Foundation has his own agenda regarding Vanessa’s art. His complicated history with Becker adds another layer of tension to the story.

Themes That Resonate and Haunt

The Nature of Art and Legacy

Hawkins delves deep into questions of artistic creation, ownership, and the sometimes murky ethics surrounding a dead artist’s work. Who has the right to interpret and profit from Vanessa’s art? How much of an artist’s private life should be exposed posthumously?

Isolation and Its Effects

Eris Island becomes a character in its own right, its remote beauty and unforgiving tides shaping the psyches of those who call it home. The novel explores how prolonged isolation can warp perceptions and blur moral boundaries.

The Complexity of Female Relationships

The bond between Vanessa and Grace forms the emotional core of the story. Hawkins deftly portrays the intense intimacy, jealousy, and codependency that can develop between women, especially in isolated circumstances.

Memory and Perception

As in her previous novels, Hawkins plays with the unreliability of memory and the way past traumas can color our understanding of events. Multiple perspectives leave the reader questioning whose version of the truth to believe.

Hawkins’ Trademark Suspense with a Literary Edge

Fans of Hawkins’ previous bestsellers (The Girl on the Train, Into the Water) will find familiar elements of psychological suspense and slowly unraveling mysteries. However, The Blue Hour feels more contemplative and literary in tone. The pacing is deliberate, allowing for rich character development and atmospheric scene-setting.

Hawkins’ prose shines, especially in descriptions of the island’s stark beauty. She also captures the feverish intensity of artistic creation through Vanessa’s diary entries.

A Slow-Burn That Ignites into a Fiery Climax

While the novel’s pacing may be too languid for some thriller fans, patient readers will be rewarded. The final act ratchets up the tension to almost unbearable levels as long-held secrets explode into the open and characters are pushed to their breaking points.

Hawkins proves once again that she’s a master of the shocking reveal, with twists that feel both surprising and inevitable. The resolution is satisfyingly complex, avoiding easy answers while still providing emotional catharsis.

In the Tradition of Gothic and Psychological Suspense

The Blue Hour draws inspiration from classic gothic novels and psychological thrillers. Echoes of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca can be felt in the way a dead woman’s presence haunts the narrative. The claustrophobic island setting and exploration of artistic obsession bring to mind Patricia Highsmith at her most unsettling.

Hawkins also nods to more recent works in the genre. Fans of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet will appreciate the sensitive portrayal of an artist’s inner life, while those who enjoyed Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient will relish the gradual unraveling of psychological mysteries.

A Few Minor Quibbles

While The Blue Hour is a compelling read overall, there are a few elements that don’t quite hit the mark:

• Some of the secondary characters, particularly those at the Fairburn Foundation, feel underdeveloped.
• A subplot involving Becker’s wife occasionally distracts from the main narrative thrust.
• The pacing in the middle section can drag at times, though it picks up significantly in the final third.

Final Verdict: A Mesmerizing Journey into Darkness

The Blue Hour solidifies Paula Hawkins’ place as one of our most psychologically astute thriller writers. It’s a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page, inviting rereading and reexamination. Hawkins has crafted a story that is at once a gripping mystery, a meditation on art and grief, and a nuanced exploration of human nature in all its messy complexity.

Like the tides that shape life on Eris Island, the narrative pulls you in inexorably, submerging you in its world until you emerge, gasping, changed by the experience. For readers who appreciate literary suspense with depth and ambiguity, The Blue Hour is not to be missed.

Perfect for fans of:

• Donna Tartt’s The Secret History
• Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series
• Sarah Waters’ gothic-tinged historical fiction