WELCOME TO ERIS - A SCOTTISH TIDAL ISLAND WITH ONLY ONE HOUSE, ONE INHABITANT,
ONE WAY OUT. . .
A place that is unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day. Once the hideaway of Vanessa, a famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.
Now home to Grace. A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.
But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, Grace receives an unexpected visitor.
And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge . . .
'A gripping, ambitious, big-skied novel about women who refuse to surrender to the tide.’ ERIN KELLY
'Extremely hard to put down.' MICK HERRON
'A masterpiece! Gorgeous and chilling.' SHARI LAPENA
Publisher : Doubleday (10 Oct. 2024)
Hardcover : 336 pages
I was so excited to read The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins’ much anticipated fourth novel. Having read two of her previous books, I knew I’d be in for another absorbing treat! Told from Grace and Becker’s point of view and interspersed with Vanessa’s letters and diary entries, this makes for an eerie and disturbing psychological thriller.
We meet James Becker, art curator and advisor at Fairburn House, a country estate that houses artwork and sculptures. He receives a call from the Director of the Tate Modern about withdrawing one of the late artist Vanessa Chapman’s sculptures because it contains a human bone. Curious as to whether the bone is human or not, Becker travels to Eris to seek clarity about this alarming discovery. There is an undefinable tone of danger and claustrophobia in this complex plot, and I couldn’t help feeling undercurrents of The Wicker Man - edgy, brooding and nightmarish - but without the religious conflict.
Vanessa Chapman, whose husband Julian went missing over 20 years ago, lives on Eris Island, which is accessible by a thin spit of land at low tide. Notably a recluse with a beautiful studio overlooking the sea, the mood is one of isolation that runs throughout the book. Stranger still is Vanessa’s relationship with Douglas, the late owner of Fairburn, with whom she had been a legal battle. It seems odd that she would leave her art to him. As the characters’ backstories unfold, tension and menace pour out on every page. As Becker comes closer to finding out the truth, it’s the blending of the real and surreal that keeps the reader in a bewildered state.
Chapman has appointed her friend, Grace, as her executor. But Grace is suspected of hiding letters and other works of art which were also left to Fairburn House. Grace, who idolized the bohemian Vanessa, comes across as a private character, determined at all costs to protect her friend’s memory. As the story progressed, I couldn’t help disliking Vanessa for her treatment of Grace. Dismissive and somewhat cruel, it only worsens Grace’s lack of self-esteem.
The writing style is atmospheric, the landscape beautifully detailed and emotions run high. A book of betrayal and revenge, it’s one to savor with an ending that will stay with you for weeks to come.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller, The Girl on the Train, has sold more than 23 million copies worldwide. Published in over fifty languages, it has been a Number 1 bestseller around the world and was a box office hit film starring Emily Blunt.
Paula's thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant Number 1 bestsellers.
OTHER BOOKS BY PAULA HAWKINS:
PRAISE FOR THE BLUE HOUR:
Paula's very best book. An utterly compelling exploration of loneliness, obsession and jealousy, and a bloody good read. Could not put it down. ― LIZ NUGENT
Paula's new book is really really REALLY good. Highly recommended! ― MARIAN KEYES
Paula Hawkins has more in common with Patricia Highsmith than just her initials . . . The Blue Hour is her finest work yet. ― JOHN BOYNE
An addictive, exhilarating book. ― DONAL RYAN
A tensely atmospheric and layered exploration of artistic drive and devotion; loyalty and betrayal; class, money and revenge . . . I loved it. ― CHARLOTTE WOOD
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