The Violet Hour

A stylish, ambitious novel--touching on themes of power, money, and desire--that evokes the art world and all of its moral complexities.

"The lives of a billionaire collector, a New York gallerist and an elusive superstar painter collide with the mysterious death of a young man, whose plunge off a London balcony in the book's opening pages sets the stage for an exploration of power, class and ambition in the world of blue-chip art."--The New York Times Book Review

Thomas Haller has achieved the kind of fame that most artists only dream of: shows in London and New York, paintings sold for a fortune. The vision he presents to the world is one of an untouchable genius at the top of his game. It is also a lie.

Between his ruthless new dealer and a property mogul obsessed with his work, the appetite for Thomas and his art is all-consuming. Who is the real Thomas Haller? His oldest friend and former dealer, Lorna, might once have known--before Thomas traded their early intimacy for international fame.

On the eve of his latest show, the luminaries of the art world gather. But the sudden death of a young man has put everyone on edge--and so begins a chain of events that will lead a group of friends back into the past to confront who they have become.

A story of deception, power-play, and longing, The Violet Hour exposes the unsettling underbelly of the art world, asking, who is granted admission to a world that seems to glitter and shimmer, and who is left outside, their faces pressed to the glass?

Author: James Cahill
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 03/03/2026
Pages: 368
Weight: 1.1lbs
Size: 9.11h x 6.11w x 1.51d
ISBN: 9798897100866