Stop. Look. Think. Was it a dream? Were you actually there? Do you want to go again? Paula Hawkins’ new book, The Blue Hour, is a beautiful invitation into the surreal—a story rooted in secrets, struggles and their inevitable consequences.
Released in late October, Hawkins’ latest novel comes after her global success with the psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, in 2015, which inspired the 2016 film adaptation starring Emily Blunt.
The Blue Hour, published by Mariner Books, takes readers to Eris, a remote Scottish island accessible from the mainland only 12 hours a day. The island is home to a single house, once owned by the late Vanessa Chapman, a renowned artist. The action starts immediately when a shocking discovery emerges from one of her artworks in London. The story unfolds through Grace, a local doctor who now lives in Vanessa’s house, and Becker, an expert on Vanessa’s art and curator for the Fairburn Foundation, which inherits her works as outlined in her will. Meanwhile, Vanessa’s unfaithful ex-husband mysteriously vanishes, adding intrigue to the plot.
Hawkins’ imagery is stunning, and the poet in me relished her lyrical prose. I found myself highlighting lines like: “It stirs her blood, the pull of the tide; it wakes her in the dead of night. All the years on Eris Island—more than 20 of them now—have made Grace tidal… Governed by the moon. She no longer sleeps when the tide is out; she only rests when the sea separates her from the land.”
The island’s haunting solitude, wilderness and secrets reflect the main characters’ inner lives. As secrets unravel—some jaw-dropping, others predictable—Vanessa’s poignant diary entries provide profound insights.
The novel examines themes of women’s freedom, ambition, legacy and the peril of buried secrets, while the leitmotif of colors and vivid setting will no doubt keep you engaged.
You can find The Blue Hour where books are sold, or on Amazon here.
Photo courtesy of PaulaHawkinsBooks.com