A masterful and propulsive novel that asks searing questions of ambition, power, gender and perception, The Blue Hour recalls the very best of Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith and cements Hawkins’s place among the very best of our most nuanced, powerful and stylish storytellers.
Comment: I have previously read two books by this author and found them good, but not great. I was not particularly eager to read her other novels, but I saw this one at the library and, well, that was reason enough to want to to try it.
Vanessa Chapman was a great artist but now that she is dead, she left everything in the hands of friend Grace Haswell, with the comprise that she would be in contact with the agency that will deal with her work. Things have worked out for a while but it seems Grace has held several pieces and the agency wants them, and that is why curator James Becker travels to Eris, the isolated island in Scotland where Grace is and where Vanessa lived before her death. The island is oppressive for many for it's only accessible a few hours a day, depending on the tides, but James can also see how this inspired Vanessa. However, as he investigates what is still at the island, and a possible problem with one of the pieces, can he also solve the mystery of what happened to Vanessa's husband, missing for 20 years..?
If one checks online platforms, such as GR, it becomes obvious the average for this book isn't very high. It seems the majority of readers has not appreciated this book that much, but to me, despite the problems, it was a good reading, in the sense that it was fast paced - to me! - and having small chapters helped as well. I can see why it doesn't work for many, but it did for me.
The story is focused on Vanessa, a great contemporary artist whose work was mostly paintings, but later on she also did some sculpting. One of her sculptures was seen by a forensic anthropologist (if I read that correctly) and he claims one bone used is not of deer, but human. This starts off an investigation, which includes curator James traveling to the island where Vanessa worked during her last years, and this is eerie enough since the island can only be accessed in specific times. Also, Grace Haswell, the woman who was left in charge of Vanessa's estate, has an apparent clingy personality and doesn't inspire much confidence.
The setting is definitely one of the best elements of this story. The fact the island is only accessible at certain moments means some situations can only happen in certain ways. As the plot moves along, this aspect is given a lot of importance, especially since Vanessa is a moody artist and her husband disappeared and then Grace, a stranger before Vanessa saw her as a doctor, becomes the person who inherits the island...all information is given in such a way that, of course, we have to doubt whether this is key to the plot or only something to distract the reader.
I did like the pace, which felt fast to me, with the help of the small chapters and the overall book not being too long. I can understand why some readers weren't too happy because this means some situations feel they don't really have a strong base and when the twists come, they feel weak. I would not say this but it is true that a lot is based on accepting certain whims by Vanessa and the behavior of those around her. This really disappointed, it's true, because I feel the characters weren't always likable.
Yes, this doesn't have to be a factor for a book to be successful but it meant the final chapters, when we learn the truth of what happened and why the bone seen in the piece might not be human, weren't as captivating because it would irrelevant in the big scheme of things. I was surprised by the end, as a matter of fact, but mostly for the intensity the author gave to the culprit's behavior. Of course, if more had been shared before, it would have been easier to guess, but the execution could have been a lot better, this I agree with the more doubtful readers.
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