“The Blue Hour” by Paula Hawkins is a slow, haunting novel set on Eris, a tiny island off of Scotland that is separated from the mainland for 12 hours a day because of the tides. Eris Island has one house and one resident – Grace Haswell. At one time, it was also the home of a famous artist until her death.
Becker, the curator of Fairburn museum, is obsessed with the artist, Vanessa Chapman. She is deceased, but left her works to the private museum. One of Vanessa’s sculptures is on display, when a paleontologist notices that one of the bones used in the piece is human. In order to find more information, Becker must travel to Eris Island to meet with Grace, the lone resident, who was Vanessa’s friend. Does the bone belong to Vanessa’s missing husband? What other secrets will be discovered on the island?
The characters are developed in great depth in this slow burning psychological mystery. It moves slowly, but I loved the eerie mood and the way Hawkins revealed Grace’s secrets little by little. The chapters are short and told from alternating points of view, along with excerpts from Vanessa’s diaries. “The Blue Hour” is unsettling and very well written. Just don’t expect lots of action until the last few chapters – this novel is all about the characters and their secrets.
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