In the Blue Hour

by Elizabeth Hall

From the bestselling author of Miramont's Ghost. Can a grieving widow unravel a message from the spirit world?

Elise Brooks dreams of a car accident on an icy road. Weeks later, her beloved husband, Michael, is killed in just such a crash. Now, overcome with grief and uncertainty, Elise believes his spirit may be following her in the form of a raven, trying to tell her something from beyond the grave.

Desperate to understand the signs, Elise embraces both the Native American wisdom she grew up with and the world of psychics and seers. So when a tarot-card reader suggests she take a journey to the mysterious address found in Michael’s old jacket, she embarks on a cross-country trek to follow the clues.

Accompanied by Tom Dugan, an engineer, and scientist who does not believe in psychics, mediums, or the hoodoo “conjure woman” they encounter on the road, Elise navigates the rituals and omens of the spirit world in an attempt to unravel the mystery of her husband’s message.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Ghosts, Spirituality, Family

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2016

About the author

Elizabeth Hall spent most of her life in the mountains of Colorado. She has worked as a teacher and communications consultant, including hosting, writing, and producing the radio show Heart of the West (KRZA, Alamosa) and producing an oral history compilation for the Great Sand Dunes National Park. She now lives in the Pacific NW.

Reviews

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story, particularly good for an October night. Steeped in mystery and sadness, and yet approachable and easy to read. Elise has just lost her husband and is sure he's trying to tell her something. Or maybe it's just her call of help from the depths of her grief. Either way, she can't suppress the call and must follow it and find it's source. The story has many foreboding, mysterious elements of magical realism, made stronger by the presence of many Native American rituals and traditions. The story keeps a good balance of suspense and wonder, and it also has a beautiful ending. Surely a pleasant, engaging evening read.

I thank Lake Union Publishing, Elizabeth Hall and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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[CL · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dream comes true and Elise Brook’s husband dies. She feels she missed the signs and may have been able to prevent his death. Her husband was Native American and she feels him all around her and she feels he may be trying to communicate with her. As she investigates his death she finds along the way a family and a heritage. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Hour:the time when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead was the thinnest; that time when it might be possible to catch the finest thread of connection with the departed. During this hour, shadows cascade in the horizon - perhaps a departed loved one coming to visit?

Elise Brook's has a dream of a terrible accident; she believes it is a vision of her own death. Little does Elise know, the dream is actually a premonition of her husband's impending death.

This book takes you on many journeys - it tells of great love and loss; one of the journeys is through Elise's grief. The amazing power of friendship and Native American culture round out this book to give it a 5 star. A powerful, memorable, amazing read.

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway. What was most extraordinary about this particular win is that there was only one copy being given away. This makes it particularly unfortunate that I'm always behind on reviewing my Goodreads giveaway books. Mine is necessarily the only review that Lake Union and Elizabeth Hall will get from doing this particular giveaway in 2017. I still have two more 2017 GR giveaway books that I've won to read and review.

I wanted to read this book because I'm interested in paranormal phenomena as well as Native American folkways, arts and crafts. I am also a student of all spiritual paths. Elizabeth Hall deals with some practitioners of minority and alternative spiritualities in this book, and I believe that she treats them respectfully though there is a character who represents scientific skepticism.

Since I'd never read Elizabeth Hall before, I had no expectations. I need to draw attention to her lyrical and descriptive style which was lovely to read on the protagonist's travels across the United States. Her starting point in New Mexico is a milieu that I have always particularly enjoyed.

Elise learns a great many lessons on her journey, and finds herself in the process. This is a heartwarming novel that will inspire readers.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elise, a New Mexican weaver, has had a dream in which her car hurtles over a cliff. Soon after her husband, a Native American woodcarver of birds borrows her car and dies in such a horrific accident. Elise, at loose ends because she hadn't warned him, seeks a psychic's advice then finds a business card and a carved piece of obsidian in the jacket of her husband. From what the psychic has told her she goes on a journey east to find out what her husband may be telling her. She feels her husband's spirit may reside in a raven [or ravens] which follow[s] her. She deals with a "conjure woman" and there is much Native American spirituality mixed into the story.

I enjoyed learning about Native American beliefs through Elise's friendships--with a former schoolmate, Monica, and with new people she meets. It was an easy read. A big theme was one's personal choices.

[Laurie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

I enjoyed this book. I didn’t know where it was going but i liked where it went. Interesting ideas about ‘feelings’ and intuition and other such things.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

I love a great ghost story, and this was probably one of the best I have read. This one had a little twist, mixing in the American Indian history and beliefs. That was what really made this book so interesting.

The character development was very good. I really loved Elise I got into her character right away and felt her personality shine through.
I was never too sure about Tom, aka - Mr. Science/geek techy guy. He was a great character, done to perfection. I just wasn't too sure how I felt about him. He always seemed shady to me, but I really wanted to like him. I wanted him to be the good guy.
And then there was Monica, Elise's BFF. She was a stitch! I loved how she just spoke her mind. She didn't care what anybody thought. I loved her.

"Well, let's see. Sign says, 'Oak Grove, three miles.' How does that sound?"
"We're eating acorns for dinner?"
Tom pulled his glasses down and looked at her over the top of the rim. "You must be feeling better. Sarcasm is a difficult maneuver for the clinically depressed."

"Where do you come up with this stuff?"
Tom held up the phone in his hand. "Google. Not valid for true scientific study, but nevertheless, it does provide very useful, or at least interesting, information."

Monica hesitated for one fraction of a second. "How is Mr. Science-slash-Charlie Manson, by the way?"
Elise snickered. "He talks too much. Drives erratically. He has a distinct tendency to bore you with tedious details about concepts in which you are not interested. Clueless, basically."

This was not a scary story... but it was the kind that gave me goosbumps and made the hair on the back of my neck rise a few times. And I think I really was sitting on the very edge of my seat during at least 1/3 of the book.

"I don't hear voices, with my ears. I don't see spirits, with my eyes or my mind. But I can sense their presence. Absorb their thoughts. Instantaneously. They communicate on a level that is far beyond anything we have here, on the physical plane of the living."

When I grabbed this book off the pile on my shelf I was only going to read a couple pages just to get the flavor of it... Well 50 pages in I was still reading!

The whole book was so interesting. I was hanging on every page all the way till the great ending! I am very interested now in reading another one of this author's books. She has one called Miramont's Ghost that I think I will try at some point.

If you love a good chill-bump, eerie kind of story - this is one of the best! Its a book you won't want to stop reading once you start. Its absolutely riveting!

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving this book from TLC book tours and Lake Union publishing. Thank you!

Check out my blog review to win a copy! (till 11/28) - https://wall-to-wall-books.blogspot.c...

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Blue Hour was an interesting book and different from what I have read lately. I wouldn't really classify it as a ghost story. It's more of a mystical journey for widow trying to find her own way out of her grief. Elise lost her husband in a car accident 7months before. She beings to sense someone around her and wonders if he is trying to tell her something. She meets Celestina, a trot card reader, who tells her a man with dark eyes will help her and take her on a journey. Tom Dugan is running from his past and agrees to help Elise.

I won't talk too much about plot because it would ruin the ending for you. Instead, I'll talk about the book as a whole. For the most part, I liked the story. I empathized with Elsie and was eager to follow her on her journey. Her story was interesting commentary on how we can let someone else take over our life until we lose who we really once were. I was hoping she would end up finding herself again after living in Michael's shadow for so long without realizing she had. The part that stood out for me was when she walked into her house at one point and realized there really wasn't anyting in there that she picked out herself. What a sad realization to make. I also liked Tom. Being a science oriented person myself, I found myself nodding at his logical explanations for the things that happened to Elsie as well as to him.

Having said all that, I did find the pacing a bit slow and I did skim in a few places that were very bogged down in narration. There were a few changes in points of view that kind of threw me off because I was so immersed in Elsie's story that I wasn't expecting it so late into the book. I also thought the ending was a bit abrupt and would have liked more of an "after". Still, I do recommend giving this one a try. It was a quick and pleasant read.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard anything about this author, but after reading this book, I can say without hesitation that I absolutely loved it! The subject most addressed by the characters in this book is grief; sadness over the loss of family members. Elyse, who just lost her husband Michael, is not only grieving, she feels that somehow Michael's death was her fault. Frantic, she begins to seek the counsel of psychics; some fraudulent, and others not so much. Elyse's Native American ancestry was a huge comfort to her spiritually in my opinion. There are a lot of stories of grief and loss in this novel, but at the end of the book, the author wove a spell of hope and redemption for us all.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elise's husband dies after she has a dream that she believes was a vision of the event. Afterwards the books tells of all the ways she tries to get closure in the passing of her husband. She meets a lot of interesting characters on the way. This story gives a new meaning to "Everything happens for a reason". It was a great story chocked full of Native American history and lore. I loved the visuals of the landscape both in New Mexico and Tennessee. A really great read.
I won this book from a giveaway on goodreads.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think

I liked this one better than Miramont's Ghost and I liked that one a lot. Elizabeth Hall is very good at evoking place and time as well as pinning down some important questions. Read and see.

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The loss of a loved one is hard and it feels like they never really leave. That feeling lives where we can barely see it, in the blue hour.

When Elise Brooks has a dream about a car accident, she doesn’t think much of it, after all it is just a dream. Then a few weeks later, her husband is killed just like her dream. She blames herself feeling that she missed the signs and could have somehow prevented his death. Now she feels his spirit following her in the form of a raven. There are forces at work beyond her understanding and she turns to both the Native American wisdom she grew up with and psychics, which she has always been skeptical about. Clues lead her to take a journey after finding a mysterious address found in her late husband’s jacket. She puts her trust in a new friend, Tom, or at least she hopes he is a friend, and follows the clues. Tom doesn’t believe in the supernatural but is happy to help Elise on her journey. Together they will both find more than they could have ever imagined.

Let me start by saying that overall I really did enjoy the story. The way it was written, not so much. The story started with mostly narrative, very little dialogue to move the story forward, and stayed that way throughout much of the rest of the novel. When a reader opens a book to see if it might be worth their time and find page after page of narrative, it can be a turn off. I know it is for me. I think the story would have flowed much smoother if Hall had found a way to portray more of it through dialogue in some way. This type of story does rely heavily on narrative, I get that, but when it causes me to want to skip over parts of the story just to get to something I deem more important. However, had I done that with much of the narrative, I’m sure I missed a few key points that could have caused the ending to be a little less enjoyable, if not a little confusing. The conclusion made me think that perhaps I was missing something from the beginning but it was all there just a little hard to follow at times. It was still an enjoyable read, but not one I will pick up again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes there are books you need a little more time to process after reading them. This is one of those books for me.

Its different from what I usually read.

I did enjoy learning about Native American's and their culture and folklore.

It took quite a bit to really grasp what I liked and didn't like about this book. It was an enjoyable read, but the pacing was terribly slow. Elise's journey to find out what her husband was trying to tell her just took way too long for me, though I did enjoy her journey.

The book was a comfortable read, which sounds strange, but that's the best word I can use to describe how I felt the story.

It was one I didn't blow right through. I read it at a very leisurely pace, which is really how Elise's journey felt to me.

Elise's husband died tragically less than a year prior and she dreamed what happened to him and she has guilt that she could have done something to prevent it.

Then there's the raven that keeps showing up along with a piece of art that he had made of a raven. These things reaffirm her belief that her husband is trying to tell her something from the beyond.

She meets a psychic who gets her started on her journey by introducing her to a man that helps her and her widow's and orphan's group.

The people she met on her way were wonderful and unique. Tom was the perfect foil for her and her friend Monica. He's the critical thinker, and a bit of geek and a nerd, and truth be told, quite lovable.

Through a series of coincidences or through fate or whatever you call it, she meets some wonderful people that give her more to think about when it comes to her husband's message. Then she also gets a seed of doubt from her best friend, which results in a rather climatic event.

The ending was a unique twist but unsatisfying as well. It was very unexpected and totally out of the blue. (Pun intended) I was pleased with the results, but in a way was also let down because of all the expectations that the reader gets while Elise makes her way to Tennessee.

[Cindy Roesel · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The hair on the back of her neck went up, a feeling as if she were being watched. From the depths of the porch up ahead, the tinkling of chimes filled the air. Elise stopped and turned slowly. Her eyes scanned the black silhouettes of the trees surrounding her.” In The Blue Hour

In IN THE BLUE HOUR (Lake Union Publishing), by Elizabeth Hall, Elise is suffering intense grief after the death of her husband. She believes she’s responsible, because she saw the car accident in her dreams and didn’t tell Michael in advance. Elise embraces both, Native American wisdom she grew up with and the world of psychics and seers. She believes his spirit may be with her in the form of a raven.

When Celestina, a tarot-card reader suggests she take a journey to an address found in Michael’s jacket, Elise first attends a séance. Afterwards, she leaves New Mexico on a cross-country trek to Tennessee, following clues and hoping to find answers.

She hires Tom Dugan to drive her in Michael’s old truck. He’s a non-believer who has been working for Celestina. Tom, an engineer and scientist doesn’t believe in psychics or mediums, drives while Elise navigates at the leading of the spirit world, in an attempt to unravel her husband’s message. At the end of IN THE BLUE HOUR, Elise, in her state of sadness, and readers, are rewarded with a highly unexpected reunion.

IN THE BLUE HOUR was quite different anything I’ve read. I was intrigued to learn about Native American culture, folklore and the world of psychics and mediums. I enjoyed the pacing of the story and how I gradually got to know the characters. Elizabeth has a subtle talent in the method she creates her characters. I was reading along and then there was a moment when they visually “appeared” in my mind, fully developed. It was as if I was “watching” the book be created. I’m curious to read more of Elizabeth Hall’s work.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

GNAB I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Elizabeth Hall, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for sharing your hard work with me!

I ask to review this book because it is centered for the most parts in my New Mexico - those little communities scattered across our beautiful mountains inhabited by fiercely independent people with great heart. Our protagonists fit that mold in unique and surprising ways - a good story, very well told. And that golden hour of mountain dawning and the healing gloaming as night falls have important rolls as well. I think you will adore Elise as she finds her way through grief, love feisty best friend Monica and share a chuckle over scientist Tom - this is a book that will set your troubles aside for a time.
Nov 1 2016 pub date
Lake Union Publishing

[Debra Oliva · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to read the book because Elise Brooks' grief about the death of her husband is portrayed so accurately (I am a widow) that I would put the book down and continue another day due to my memories of the time following my husband's death.
Once she embarks on her trip, things pick up and I read the book in a few days.
All the background information about Native American beliefs and customs is fascinating. I very much enjoyed the book and its emphasis on the importance of friends and family specially when grieving.
I won this book in a Kindle Giveaway through Goodreads.

[Diana]

DNF @ 38%. It pains me to give up on this book, but the pacing is so slow that it's not holding my attention. It's taken me over a week to get to the 38% point. I enjoyed the Native American elements and Celestina's character, but other than that - meh. Just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

[nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read and enjoyed,

My rating was four . at first thought it was love gone story. It wasn't and went along and got hooked.. Ending not what I thought it would be but a entertaining read all the way.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was w a y too long and drawn out! Except for the last few pages the book was boring – the widow went through every psychic manner to try and find the spirit of her dead husband --- all she had to do was follow her instinct and heart.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this story. Elizabeth Hall weaves a tale full of fantastic imagery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads First-reads program.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

A woman loses her husband and goes on a journey to discover what she thinks her dead husband wants to tell her.
This book starts with some very racist scenes with explanations about what is acceptable racism and what isn't. Who knew there was such a thing? Almost stopped reading from the get-go.
Elise is rather pathetic. She is totally lost without her husband. It does not take a shrink or a psychic to figure out that she has NO life. She has no job because she lives too far out. She doesn't have any hobbies because hers weren't as spectacular as her husband's. She is living off grid but needs help after her husband dies so she wasn't taking care of the house or the property. She has no other friends besides her husband and his family. With all the talk of ancestors one would think there would be the other side of that but there wasn't even one progeny running around. She doesn't go to church, volunteer, be part of a civic organization, join a book club or take a Zumba class. What has she been doing for twenty years except worshiping the ground her husband walks on?
The road trip turns into a lecture on various beliefs of taking with spirits. Most center on various Native American beliefs as well as tarot, voodoo and hoodoo. Aboriginal beliefs are never brought up even though she is technically going on a walkabout.
Elis hitches a ride with Tom, the "science" part of the story. Their conversations are more tedious nonsense then a debate.
As far as the writing, the author repeats stories several times and there are several flashbacks that don't always seem logically placed. The ones at the end almost seem like a cheat.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued to learn about Native American culture, folklore and the world of psychics and mediums. In The Blue Hour Elise is suffering intense grief after the death of her husband. She believes she is responsible, because she saw the car accident in her dreams and did not tell Michael in advance. Elise embraces both, Native American wisdom she grew up with and the world of psychics and seers. She believes his spirit may be with her in the form of a raven.

There are forces at work beyond her understanding and she turns to both the Native American wisdom she grew up with and psychics, which she has always been skeptical. Clues lead her to take a journey after finding a mysterious address found in her late husband’s jacket. She puts her trust in a new friend, Tom, or at least she hopes he is a friend, and follows the clues. Tom does not believe in the supernatural but is happy to help Elise on her journey. Together they will both find more than they could have ever imagined.

This is my first time to read a book from this author and did find the story interesting and do recommend this story for those who want an easy intriguing read.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my review

[Lizzie Wann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the second I've read of this author. I remember really enjoying the first one, and this one was also very good. It definitely keeps you guessing as to where her adventure is leading, and I had not imagined the ending so, for that, I give the author well-deserved kudos.
What made it 3 stars instead of 4 for me was that I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. The protagonist, Elise, is a 50-year-old woman (okay, I could sort of relate to that), but she's an orphan (well, her mother died when she was 7 or so) and a widow. Beyond that she was never really that well-defined as a character. Yes, there were details, like how her husband was the only person she'd ever loved, that she was a mediocre weaver, that she had been a waitress, and that she didn't get along with her grandmother. But for all of the emphasis put on her dreams, her feelings, her gut intuitions, she continually downplays her belief in it, only relaying that the people she considers her family, a native Taos family, TRULY believe in it.
I guess in the end, that all makes sense, but it made for a detached kind of reading for me.
I've got this author's other book in my queue, so we'll see how that one goes!

[Al Gritten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked "Miramont's Ghost" but I loved this one. It is heartbreaking but hopeful, poignant yet filled with promise and even in the midst of grief Elise finds that life can overcome. The characterizations are very good, especially Elise, the main character, the plot is interesting and there are a few twists and turns and bumps to keep the pages turning along the way. Hall's fascination with spirits and ghosts continues to inform her storytelling, but she does it well - with heart and a passion to share the story. I enjoyed the Native American lore in this one as well as the exploration of death and the spirit world. In some ways this one reminds me of Louise Erdrich, whose books I also enjoy.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

In French culture blue hour refers to a moment of the day that is seen as full of melancholy and reflection. It's a time of introspection often associated with heightened awareness and a sense of peace. The spiritual meaning of the blue hour is personal and subjective. In Elizabeth Hall's book, recently widowed Elise Brooks is reeling from the loss of her husband. Looking for a message from him she opens herself up to psychics, seers, Native American wisdom, signs, ritual, omens, and even hoodoo to follow her feeling. Her journey takes her several days through several states. At the book's conclusion, everything falls into place. This book is well written and I found it thoroughly entertaining.

[Wally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review
Last updated on 08 May 2017
I was a skeptical when I started the book as it focuses on the supernatural and I am a skeptic. But, the story was intriguing, the writing good and I kept on going. And, it got better and better. I won't say it converted me into being a believer in the supernatural but I was fascinated to read more and learn more about 'powers beyond'. Putting aside that, it is a wonderful story about a middle-age woman finding herself again after the sudden death of her husband. She takes a difficult but wonderful journey (emotionally and physically) and brings along with her some very interesting people.

[Marsha Hubbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second novel I've read by Elizabeth Hall. "In the Blue Hour" was a complete surprise, and I loved it. To be honest, I thought the beginning was a bit slow, but then I realized it was not a story to be rushed. Once I accepted that, I found i was hooked and could not put it down. Ms. Hall takes the reader on a journey through grief, loss, love, personal choice, spirits, Native American culture, psychics, the natural world. and learning to listen and be still. It was a magical tale of synchronicity.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blue Hour is "the time when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. The best time to speak to the spirits of the departed". Elise is a grieving fifty year old widow whose Native American husband died in a tragic accident. An accident Elise dreamt about before his death.
Elise is trying to move on with her life but she cannot shake her depression or the feeling that her dead husband is trying to send her a message.
This is a story infused with Native American folklore, psychic predictions and a bit of mystery. Is the raven that is following her and tapping on her window her dead husband or is it an evil spirit trying to do her harm? The story held my interest and had some interesting twists and turns along the way.
I received an kindle copy in a Goodreads giveaway and this is an honest review.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story that almost was. Characters were well developed. The ride along the plot was sound and interesting. A little twist at the end and the story got summed up with a saccharin-like feel as if I'd watched a Lifetime movie. Disappointing because the story took place in the area where I live. Could have been so much more if the ending had been orchestrated as well as the rest of the book!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun read. I love woowoo stuff and this book certainly has it in many different flavors. American Indian elders, new age psychics and even a CONJURE woman. And there’s nothing I like more than a benevolent raven on a mission. Of course my COINCIDENCE METER went off the charts but who cares when you’re on a wild ride? I only wish the spirit world were as accessible in real time.