Fantastic - superb - brilliant - wow

This book gripped me from the beginning and I loved the 2 timelines which was well written.

The plot was fantastic and I kept reading until the end- I couldn’t put the book down, and I hope there’s more to come from Amy Jordan

Highly recommended if you enjoy police procedural, crime fiction and thriller fans

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins

I really enjoyed this debut crime thriller book. This story follows a retired detective called Julia who is investigating some kidnappings, some time after helping to convict a serial killer.
I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and enjoyed how the story unfolded during the book. I loved the dual timeline aspect too.

Retired detective Julia Harte has sealed herself off from her past life, living quietly by the sea in Ireland, until a killer strikes. The crimes are uncannily similar to a case Julia was caught up in years ago - but it can't be the same person responsible because the murderer is dead. Julia and her boss, who is also retired, are called in to advise on this latest case.
I could not believe the author is a new voice in crime fiction - it felt like a very accomplished novel featuring a main character who could quite easily be part of a series. I didn't necessarily like Julia, but I 'got' her, and her quest to further her career in what was then very much a man's world, and all that entails, and her reflections on that now, in the present.
The dual timeline thriller was thrilling, compelling, nuanced and unravelled at a very good pace. There were some things towards the end that I need to go back and revisit, to make sure I've understood the crime, the criminal and the ancillary bits and pieces, but all in all, a very good read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advance reader copy of this novel.

Grateful ARC recipient. Really enjoyed this thriller with heart. Really interesting main character and heroine and great use of dual timelines that kept drip feeding me information in a well paced way. Although I couldn't read it in one go, I really found I enjoyed picking it up each time I returned to it. Wonder if Julia is REALLY retired now...

3.5 stars a solid book which kept a steady pace and was interesting throughout. I didn’t particularly like the main character which is why I didn’t score higher. I don’t think this was the writing though I just didn’t like her much. I would however read more by this author as the story was good.

It’s happening again. Only this time, the stakes are even higher.

Julia is a retired detective who is happy living her quiet life with her best friend, until she gets a call from her friend and old colleague about recent murders of two young girls and she knows she has to relive her past to help solve the recent murders.

The Dark Hours had me gripped from the start and made me feel like I was going through every emotion that Julia was going through. Fantastic writing, and I do hope there is more of Julia's story to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. Julia is great and the dual timelines are good.
Really good tension and surprise ending to both timelines.

Enjoyable police procedural. Julia has returned to her old stomping ground to consult on murders that seem linked to her past. It all seems linked to her and murders that took place 30 years before.
Good story with strong characters. Recommended.

I’ve really enjoyed the Dark hours, and loved the main character Julia Harte.

The story is divided between Julia’s past which unravels as your reading about her current situation which had brought her out of retirement.

The story flowed well and kept me intrigued to find out more. The dynamics between the detectives past and present and the relationships the forged made for a great read. Highly recommend and look in forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the Author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review, it has been a highlight for me so far

A slow start that builds up to a tense, surprising ending. Lovely to have an older leading ex police inspector showing the younger ones how to solve a murder ,even though it her past that seems to be haunting her. When a young officer and her partner attend what should have been fairly routine Julia is faced with her worst nightmare and this haunts her. When similar murders happen years later Julia is called in to help solve the latest crimes and soon realizes that they are aimed at her personally. Can she catch the killer before more tragedy happens and then get back to her okd peaceful life?

4 Stars from me

I enjoyed finding out Julia's back story as this dual time-lined story unraveled and the hunt for a serial killer ramped up.

I found the early days of Julia a little reminiscent of a young Jane Tennison, and her feisty determination to help people drives her head first into undesirable situations which compromise her own safety.


As suggested by the title, the events of 1994 leave retired Gardai Julia Harte with a fear of the dark which still plagues her in 2024. Despite her misgivings she is drawn back from retirement to help out when a current case bears all the hallmarks of serial killer from 1994. Jane's refusal to be cowed by the modern world of policing is impressive and was an entertaining part of this story. Her no nonsense manner doesn't go down with everyone but I liked it!


There was a good amount of tension throughout and I didn't guess who the killer was as there were many threads at play. This and the dynamic between Julia, the team and 'Small Step' made for an entertaining read. I would look forward to reading more from this author and I hope Julia comes out of retirement for another case soon.

This was so good!
A novel featuring retired detectives consulting due to similarities of a case many years ago. It was refreshing to read of mature characters than don't ( as so many seem to lately) have film star looks and smoldering relationships with each other.
This combined a well paced procedural thriller with enough action to prevent lulls.
The characterisation was well rounded (I love Mutt) throughout and I hope further books are planned.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC due for publication on 30th January 2025.

I absolutely loved this.

Fantastic first of all to have an older main protagonist, then there's a rip roaring serial killer thriller waiting to be devoured.

The Dark Hours is clever and it hooks you right in from the opening salvo and grips until the final resolution. The characters are all superbly drawn and it was addictive enough that it felt like it went by in an instant.

I hope we meet Julia in future novels.

A great debut from a new Irish Author.

Following Ret. DI Julia Harte as one of her old cases comes back to haunt her.
The timeline swops between 1994 and 2024 as we get insight into the crimes of James Cox and the current abductions.

Julia is a fantastic character and the story (while slow to start) is intricate and so well woven between the last & present.

I can't wait to read more from Amy Jordan.

I really enjoyed this book. It's been a long time since a thriller was just that- thrilling. I loved Julia and the fact that she was an older protagonist who was competent, intelligent and likeable. A dual timeline fitted the narrative well and the plot was tight and well crafted.
Excellent read and I very much look forward to the author's next book.
Tweeted and reviewed on FB

Julia is a retired Garda officer, she lives a quiet life with her dog Mutt, in a small village and keeps herself to herself.

She is called back after two bodies are found, which bear a striking resemblance to a crime from 30 years ago, the serial killer was caught at great personal cost to Julia, surely it must be a copycat.....

On the whole I enjoyed the book, especially the 1994 chapters which I actually found really chilling, unfortunately I found that that 2024 ones dragged a little and were quite drawn out and didn't quite reach the same heights.

A good read and would read more by this author in the series

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ Stories for the ARC of this book.
Absolutely loved Julia the retired Garda and the alternating between the past and the present and the similarities between the cases and how they unfolded before you.
It started really well and draws you in but then it seems to get a bit lost and although the ending was not what you expected I wasn't totally convinced by the way it came to an end.
Would certainly like to see if Julia takes on anymore unsolved cases.

A great read and one that I throughly enjoyed. The twists and turns and plot just kept me guessing right until the end.
Well written and I didn’t want to put it down!
First read from this author and it won’t be the last.

The Dark Hours is a gripping crime thriller that pulls you in from the start. It follows retired Gardaí Julia Harte, who is brought back to help with a copycat murder case connected to a traumatic event from her past. The story switches between 1984 and 2004, with Julia's old case continuing to haunt her.

Julia is a strong and relatable character, and it's really refreshing to see an older, retired detective as the lead.
This book is ideal for fans of police procedurals who enjoy stories with dual timelines and well-developed characters. If you like thrillers with unexpected twists, this one is really worth a read.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the privilege of reading this novel pre publication, the review is my own. Makes a change to have our lead character retired police and an older woman, standard gentle police procedural with tight story set in Ireland, the setting plays a minimal part as places are just backdrops; our retired Gardaí Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are called to a an investigation into copycat killer. The story line is split between 1984 and 2004, 10 years may have passed for Julia but the trauma dealing with a serial killer remains, fear of the dark and her emotional support dog does little to help her move on over those 10 years and the traumas. Cleverly woven story that dips back and forwards revealing the back story and how it links to 2004. Kept me reading and very enjoyable. Is there as book two?