This book is told over dual time zones - 1994 & 2024.
In 1994, during a case with 2 missing girls, Gardaí Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are called out to a house in Cork. One of the girls runs out to their car and Adrian stays in the car to deal with her, while Julia heads inside to find the other girl. She finds nothing, and heads back out to find both her partner Adrian, and the girl have been murdered in the vehicle.
Forward to 2024 and Julia is called back into the force when a series of similar murders take place.
This was an amazing book, full of twists and turns, and is one not to miss. I couldn't read it fast enough as I wanted to find out who the killer was.
I will be on the look out for more from this author. A1

1994: When Gardaí Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are called out to a sleepy housing estate in Cork to investigate a noise complaint, they are entirely unprepared for what they find. What happens next will haunt Julia for the rest of her days, leaving her plagued with nightmares and terrified of the dark. There is a serial killer at work in Cork, one as clever as he is deadly. Julia may not be a detective yet, but after the harrowing events of that night, she is determined to be the one to catch him…

This is a well written, pacy story which I found hard to put down. The characters are three dimensional and relatable. In all it’s a great read with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed it.

This was an interesting read in that it was crime fiction based in Ireland, and a police procedural involving two retired Garda officers who are called in to help out on a serial killer case with links to a case that they both worked on .
The story is written on a split timeframe based in 1994 and 2024. The story is quite a slow burn but that is understandable as there is quite a bit of background information to understand .
For a debut novel I think that the author has done really well with both the storyline and the character development
Well worth a read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Many thanks to HQ, Net Galley and the author, for providing me with an electronic advanced review copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review .
The book will be published on the 30th January in e- book, audiobook and hardback formats .

Struggled with this book add was a DNF for me,I seem in the minority looking at other reviews but it just didn’t hold my interest

The Dark Hours is a debut novel that gripped me from page 1. Following Julia Harte a retired Garda in 2024 and the same character during a horrendous murder case in 1994 I loved the movement between time periods.

The dual timeline storylines were equally strong and I loved the pacing. The current day timeline follows Julia being called back to Cork from retirement to consult on a case which appears to be a copycat of the worst case of her career.

I enjoyed the way the story was told and how the story was revealed and loved the relationship between Des and Julia. The way that the perpetrator is revealed in each timeline was really well done and the reasons behind the crimes were equally heartbreaking.

I would highly recommend this book.

Reading this its hard to believe it is a debut novel, it is written really well and the pace does not let up, The story grabs you and reals you in along the dual time lines, the main character is Julia Harte, a retired detective trying to live a quiet life after a prestigious career in the police force, but when she was starting out Julia attends a call out with her partner about a crying sound coming from a house, here she finds a injured missing girl and what happens next haunts her life, now 30 years on someone is copying the crimes and & Julia is reluctantly dragged into the current investigation.

This really is a great start to a writting career and I look forward to reading more from Amy Jordan.

In 1994 Garda Julia Harte and her partner Adrian Clancy are called out to investigate a noise complaint on a housing estate in Cork. When they arrive at the house a young girl runs from the house covered in blood. Sounds of crying are coming from the house and Julia goes to investigate while Adrian looks after the girl. Realising she's been set up Julia returns to the patrol car to discover that Adrian has had his throat cut and the young girl is dead. Julia is determined to bring the killer to justice and he is duly apprehended and convicted of murder. Fast forward to 2024 and Julia is retired and living quietly with just her dog Mutt for company James Cox the serial killer has just died in prison Then Julia's old boss contacts her to let her know that someone is copying Cox's crimes and they have both been asked to help the police in Cork. This was an immensely enjoyable read, told over two timelines, 1994 and 2024 with interesting characters and an unexpected ending. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It kept me intrigued all the way through, it had a great plot!

The book is a gripping crime thriller set in Ireland. The story follows retired Detective Inspector Julia Harte, who is drawn back into a chilling case that mirrors a traumatic event from her past

Julia Harte was part of the Guardia team that helped put a serial killer behind bars thirty years ago. Former Guardia detective Julia Harte is now retired and lives a quiet life. She is relieved when she hears that the serial killer dies in prison. But now there is a copycat serial killer.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The story has a dual timeline - 1994 and the present day. The plot line is complex. I was pulled in from the first page of this tense, gripping and suspenseful thriller. The pace was perfectly set, the characters are well-developed.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ and the author #AmyJordan for my ARC of #TheDarkHours in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of crime thrillers and police procedural novels so was intrigued to see what this debut novel would be like.

I was gripped by the story straight away and the main character, Julia, is so interesting and compelling you find you have to keep reading.

Julia is living a very quiet retirement in a remote part of Ireland with her dog Mutt, a far cry from her time as a DI in busy Cork. She receives a phone call asking her to come back and support with an investigation that’s eerily similar to a murder case from thirty years ago. That murderer is recently deceased, so surely it’s the work of a copycat? History starts to repeat itself and Julia is in much more danger than she realises.

A dual timeline between 1994 and 2004, I found this worked very well at giving you more insight into why Julia is how she is, and what happened all those years ago. Unlike in some books, this isn’t confusing to follow at all and adds a lot to the story.

The book is easy to read, yet well written. At times it’s creepy and unsettling and you can feel the fear the characters are feeling. I loved Julia’s grit and determination and thought it was a refreshing change to have an older main character that says it like it is. There are a few twists in the book that I didn’t expect, but it doesn’t feel totally implausible.

Overall, I liked this book a lot and thought it was an excellent debut. Publishing on 30th January 2025 I recommend you preorder a copy if you like crime fiction! I’ll definitely look out for more from this author.
Thanks to HQ Harper Collins and NetGalley for my advance copy.

The Dark Hours Amy Jordan

5 star

A very impressive debut

This is one of those books that as soon as I started reading it I was absorbed not only by the plot but the actual writing. There are some authors who just seem to have a magic touch in their style of writing, Peter James springs to mind for me, and I feel that Ms Jordan has that same knack.

Julia Harte is a retired detective living a quiet life in Cuan Beag, her retirement place of choice. 30 years ago she had been involved in a horrific case where 2 young girls had been murdered. She had been called to the scene with her partner, Adrian Clancy, and when one of the girls rushes out from the house covered in blood Julia goes inside in search of the other girl who she can hear screaming. When she cannot find anything she emerges only to find both her partner and the girl have been savagely killed. Her determination to solve this crime has consumed her life ever since leading to the breakup of her marriage and even though she is now retired she is still haunted by this case.

It is now 2024 and the murderer that Julia had brought to justice, James Cox, has just died in prison. Finally Julia feels that she can find some peace and enjoy her retirement.

However a phone call from her previous boss Superintendent Les Riordan ruins all her plans. Two girls have been found murdered and another is missing but they have been killed in exactly the same way as 30 years ago and to make matters worse, Julia's book on criminal psychology has been found with the bodies. It is obvious that this cannot be the original killer but why is someone using exactly the same mode of killing and why are they targeting Julia?

Julia and Les feel that they have to assist in this case and the book jumps between the old crime and the new slowly bringing the two stories together. This is one of those books where you have to keep reading to find out what has happened and as in all good thrillers it is not who you think. The characters were very well described and the police procedures believable and I really enjoyed this book.

As stated before, I thought this was amazing for a debut and I will be looking out for any further books from Ms Jordan.


Karen Deborah
Netgalley

🖋5 HUGE 🌟review🖋
I am so lucky to have started the year with some fabulous reads and this one is definitely up there!!! It started with tension and the fast pace and events did not slow for the entire book!

To describe it as a ‘Police procedural’ does not really do justice to the dark events, the fear and emotions I felt as I read this book. The characters were flawlessly developed, totally relatable and felt so real, drawing my full empathy. Amy Jordan brings the story to life through her brilliant descriptions and astute observations of people.

This book has had me desperate to read on but conversely not wanting to reach the end as I was so absorbed, loving the dual timelines, 1984 and 2024. The plot was intrinsically twisted and layered with mysterious happenings gradually revealing the underlying story.

Julia Harte, the main protagonist, reveals a unique view on a police investigation and her personality and demeanour strongly endeared her to me. The final moments of the story are just glorious! Will there be a second book? I really hope so, I cannot recommend this highly enough!

In 1994 Julia Harte is a police office who with her partner successfully caught and prosecuted a serial.killer, ensuring he ended his days in prison. Fast forward 30 years where Julia is now retired and living alone in obscurity in a remote community when she is contacted by her old Superintendent as there is a copycat serial killer that draws her out of retirement to assist in tracking the killer down. The story flips between the two time periods which did make it difficult for me to get to grips with the storyline in the beginning. There are several twists and turns, red herrings and breath taking moments. Brilliant crime thriller.

‘𝖵𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝖾𝗐 𝗉𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗋𝗇 𝖾𝗏𝗂𝗅; 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗂𝗋𝖼𝗎𝗆𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗍𝗐𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝖺 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇 𝖼𝖺𝗉𝖺𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌.’

1994, Julia Harte, a Garda in Cork, Ireland; when she gets wrapped up into a deadly crime after a phone call regarding a noise complaint, her life changes forever. Afraid of what lurks in the darkness with a serial killer on the loose, she must work against the misogyny and judgement, and race against time to solve the case.

Fast forward to 2024; 30 years later, it’s happening again. Having retired and relocated to a village and away from the previous crime, the darkness still plagues her. However, she now has years of seasoned detective work under her belt, and the same hunger for the truth. Can she solve the case before it’s too late?

‘The Dark Hours’ is written in 3rd person and spans two timelines; one in 1994 and one in 2024. I really enjoyed the way the pace of the book slowly increased and the stakes got higher as the chapters went on, cultivating an enthralling plot!

I still found I could connect with the characters and their emotions, which is impressive as books in third person sometimes lack this for me. A fascinating and twisty thriller that I would highly recommend to crime and thriller lovers.

A copycat killer strikes in this impressive debut

Detective Julia Harte only ever wanted to retire quietly, peacefully to a craggy fictional island off the coast of Galway. A solitary existence, alone with her dog, Mutt, a well-stocked whiskey cabinet and a framed wedding photo to gaze at of an evening; is that too much to ask for?
Yes, yes it is, in the world of detective fiction, which is where we find ourselves in The Dark Hours, the debut novel of Amy Jordan. A phone call from her former boss, himself also retired and running a guesthouse with his wife, forces her out of her retirement back to Cork, where the brutal murder of her partner 30 years earlier started her career as a detective.
In 1994, while still a uniformed officer teamed up with family-man Adrian Clancy, Julia makes a fatal mistake in the investigation into the kidnapping of two young women, which leaves Clancy dead and Julia determined to avenge him. In 2024, a copycat has emerged, with similarities enough to bring the two key officers on the case.
As the narrative flits between the Julia of 2024 – world weary, confident in her ability and in self-imposed exile – and the Julia of 1994, who is young, ambitious and somewhat foolhardy, the story elegantly takes shape. The character development is done well; both Julias are believably the same person, just with more mileage and experience on one.
The 1994 case, though solved, has left threads loose. The killer of Clancy and the two young women he snatched has just died in prison, alone in the world, so the new kidnappings are unlikely to be his responsibility. Yet they bare his hallmark, and a clue deliberately left at the scene leaves the investigators in no doubt that a message is being sent to Julia.
It's a conundrum rehashed at length by the team, which is inexplicably hostile towards Julia and her – and their – former boss. This was what I found the least believable, despite the story taking place in a Cork rife with psychotic killers. DI Neil Armstrong, or Small Step to his colleagues, greatly resents his retired colleagues’ presence, despite the fact that they have invaluable insight into the case.
Julia is also a bit more of an odd fish than she is credited with. A newlywed in 1994, her husband is a doctor who is practically perfect in every way, but who she doesn’t feel able to confide in. Later, when she is brooding on a not-Aran island, she makes sure a wedding day photo is within glancing distance at all times. Why this is weird can be guessed from quite an early stage, and slightly undermines the coherence of the rest of the story.
But it doesn’t quite take away from the solving of the mysteries, which unfold differently from each other so that there is no confusing them, although they have much in common. It’s a well-structured tactic that pays off; the stories unfurl in tandem while never giving anything away too early.
There is, of course, plenty of guessing to be done, and figuring out what and who goes where in each timeline. It is a great way of keeping the reader turning the pages well into the night, even when some of the pacing stalls here and there as the stories catch up with each other.
The character of Julia Harte put me in mind of Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir, the protagonist of Ragnar Jonasson’s Hulda Series based in Reykjavik. She too is a lone wolf who investigates with great methodology and a dogged determination, which comes at the expense of her private life.
The Dark Hours also has a darkness and uncompromising un-cosiness in common with the Icelandic series; it is a police procedural that is pulls no punches, and doesn’t endeavour to sanitise murder. It does skirt other social issues that could do with further examining, but there is only so much you can do about that in a detective mystery that needs to be tied up before its consulting detective gets a compulsion to up sticks and head home to her island retreat.
A solid story, well told, I’ll be interested to see what comes next from Amy Jordan.

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Julia’s life changed dramatically following a case she worked as a young Garda with partner Clancy Now retired and living an isolated lifestyle little could she have own that that case would draw her and her dog Mutt to the place she had left

Brilliantly written keeping me totally engaged. Nice to see a book where the unlikely pairing of Julia and Des both retired are central to this case

This book means that they have to look back to have a chance of solving what’s happening now

Full of twists and turns.

Definitely an author to follow

Well Amy, you kept me guessing till the end and I was still wrong.
Really enjoyable crime thriller, moving between 2 eras, with similar crimes. Don't let the fact that Julia has retired fool you into thinking this is cosy crime.
I hope there are other novels as I'd be keen to read them.

An accomplished cliff hanger of a novel! Amy knows how to get you totally immersed trying to second guess how things will turn out- will th3 girls be found in time to save them and will Julia survive!

An extremely well written debut psychological thriller which is compelling and intense. There is a well integrated dual time line where the events of a seemingly routine call out in 1994 resonate down the years for the then inexperienced Garda Julia Harte. In 2024 when copycat crimes begin, Julia comes out of retirement and her reclusive life to offer her experience to the current team. The parallels being to mount and build into an intense climax and enable Julia to deal with the life long psychological trauma from the events of 1994. A fantastic book, one of the best I read in 2024 and highly recommend it.