I’m going against the average review here I’m afraid I wasn’t convinced by a reclusive retired police officer being brought back into action along side an even older detective. It was fairly slow moving but that’s not to say it didn’t have a decent storyline because it did. I preferred the older Julia probably because she was a more rounded character. A good idea and a good debut book.

It is a compelling and immersive crime thriller set in Ireland that immediately draws the reader into an atmospheric and menacing ethos. Julia is a retired Irish police detective living in a remote village trying to escape her past and ever-present nightmares. Alone, except for a rescue dog, she finds the solace she seeks. Unexpected news allows her to integrate with the small community, but when she receives a phone call from her ex-boss, she has to face her worst fears. I empathised and invested in Julia, and this connection intensified as her past story unfolded. I like the dual timeline that informs Julia's present state of mind. I also liked the intensifying suspense and the dynamic between the investigating teams, which makes the story authentic. The quality of the characters and the gradual revelations make this an addictive book that I read long into the night.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I loved the premise of this novel - seeing a police officer at the very start of her career in 1994, then when she's called back as a retired detective in 2024 to pick up a case that has echoes of that traumatic first one.

The novel is set in Ireland and we see the young Gardai Julia Harte walking into a horrific crime scene - one where women are killed and their bodies staged, and where tragedy strikes at the heart of her police team. An investigation follows where Julia helps to bring down a prolific and brutal serial killer. This turns out to be the case she can't forget, so it comes as no surprise that (in 2024) she's retired and living in a small, safe community in order to get over the events of her past. When new murders start with the old modus operandi, Julia is called back into the police team and is forced to face her demons. It's an older, wiser Julia who picks up the modern-day investigation, but can she meet the challenge?

I was really impressed by this twisty crime novel, especially given that it is a debut from Amy Jordan. It's definitely quite dark, dealing with graphic crime scenes, brutal murders and psychological trauma. However, it's also well written and definitely one you won't want to put down once you start reading. I'd definitely be interested in reading more from this new writer.

This is almost two stories running in parallel, one set in 1994 and one in 2024.

Julia Harte is a Garda in Ireland, and in 1994 she was called out with her partner Adrian to respond to a complaint of noise at a housing estate - the call turned very sour as two young women were found, fatally injured, and her partner is attacked. Julia built up her career from here but the case shadows her and eventually she retires to a secluded area.

However, her former superintendent gets in touch as a series of murders has taken place and the methodology reflects what happened years ago and the Gardai would like their input and experience.

The result is a fast paced and interesting read, although I found the time switching rather distracting. The author cleverly builds tension and doesn't give away all the background information too quickly but leaves the reader to guess and work things out, which was great. Overall a very good read. Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book by Amy Jordan!!
Great characters with the story unfolding across a dual time-line, this is a very good crime novel. The fact that the lead character is an older retired detective adds an extra element to the story and the twists in the investigation kept me hooked to the end. An interesting new voice in Irish crime writing!

A brilliant read told over two timelines , 1994 and 2024
Julia Harte, an ambitious Garda in 1994 dealing with a vicious case that involves the murder of her partner and which will go on to define her life and change it irrevocably.
Julia Hatre a retired Detective Inspector who lives a quiet life and thought she’d left her former Garda life behind her.
Two cases, three decades, and one excellent read from an author I hope to hear more from in the future.

Oh my goodness, this book was tense! Right from the start I was on the edge of my seat and I never left it! Two different time lines and complex characters but easy to follow. I love a police procedural novel and this is a good one! I was surprised to learn it was a debut novel as it really did feel accomplished and written with the confidence and skill of an author with a few books under her belt. I really do hope this is the start of a series for Julia Harte.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Publishing for an eARC of this book.

I’ll be honest, the blurb might not inspire too much. The “serial killer has died but someone is killing in the same way” is probably Serial Killer Plot B (Plot A is just “there’s a serial killer”). What makes a difference here is the split narrative. We follow both the 1994 and 2024 investigations in parallel, with the author doing a good job in the present day narrative of masking the conclusion to the 1994 case. So we see two versions of Julia – the less experienced officer pushing her way into an investigation that has rapidly become very personal to her and the older, wiser version who is determined not to make the same mistakes. Her development between the stories – and in the two strands – is very interesting to follow.

It works very well. It’s a very readable book and Julia is a good focus for the story. There are a couple of good reveals in the two finales and a very interesting motive for the modern day killings.

I’m putting this caveat in my reviews at the moment – this isn’t a clued mystery, and the motives in particular, unless I missed something, seemed to come out of nowhere. So this does fit firmly into the thriller genre, despite having a whodunit element to the story. Not a bad thing, just so you know what you’re getting.

An interesting read – the split narrative is a good structure – so if you like this sort of thriller, do check it out.

The Dark Hours is a gripping, suspenseful novel with an amazing lead character who retired from the her position as a detective some years prior. She gets a call from her former DCI who believes they should help on a new case years after they worked a similar case.

Jordan creates a cast of believable characters and her plotting is brilliant with one of two clever twists.

Oh my goodness, if this is a debut novel for Amy Jordan long may she continue writing.
I love a book that I can get really invested in and this one had me hooked from the first page.
Rookie cops Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are sent to investigate the sound of a child crying in the house next door to complainant.........life was never to be the same again.
This is the story of Julia Harte and it is based over two timelines, three decades apart but it flows very well.
In 1994 Julia's life was to change forever as she begged and badgered her superiors to let her join the team investigating a serial killer, a killer that was in her nightmares, she had a vested interest.
In 2024 Julia had retires to the peace of quiet, costal Cuan Beag, just her and her faithful, adored dog, Mutt, quiet until a call from her past had her heading back to the city. A copycat killer was on the loose, the head of the team wasn't happy to have Julia and her also retired ex boss Desmond Rioden looking over his shoulder but his boss had insisted.
Julia wasn't going to be intimidated, the killer in 1924 had almost cost Julia her life and had cost her her marriage, all she wanted to do was find the killer and return to Cuan Beag and peace.
As this story unfolds, the two cases are compared, there had to be a connection, what was the common denominator ? was the killer working alone ?
Julia is once more putting her life on the line but is she a target ?
I loved this story, it was action packed, suspense filled, had red herrings galore and I look forward to Amy Jordan's next book.
Thank you Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary.

The story is told over two timelines - 1994 and 2024. In 1994, Gardai Adrian Clancy and Julia Harte are called to attend an incident of a noise complaint at a house. What occurs next will send shockwaves through the lives of of Julia and her colleagues. 2024, Julia has retired to a small village in Cork, where she lives with her dog, Mutt and tries to find peace. However, in 2024, retired Detective Inspector Julia Harte is called by her old Chief Superintendent Des Riordan to help consult with a case that is very similar to one Julia, as a young Garda had been a part of in 1994. It was a gripping read and a page turner of a book, to the point, I couldn't put it down as I was invested in the characters and the plot. I hope there is a follow up as Julia must have more old cases to review in the present day!!!

Julia Harte is a retired guarda, now living in a fairly remote part of Ireland. When she gets a call from her former boss asking for her help, she has to return to Cork City and help track down a killer who is copycatting a killer who turned her life upside down.
The story flits between events of 1994 and 2024. The author teases the reader by holding back details of what had happened at first, trickling them out slowly. before the reader draws too many conclusions about what might have happened.
A nicely paced read

First book I have read from this author.. It had plenty of suspense to keep me guessing. Great characters. Enjoyed the style of writing.. All round great book. Look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Great debut novel from Amy! I was second guessing throughout right to the very end! I loved the 2 time periods of the story. Great easy read. Fast paced and I look forward to what Amy brings us next!

I loved everything about this! It’s a dark psychological suspense/police procedural crime thriller just dripping with atmosphere and tension. Truly brilliant.

The Dark Hours is so addictive and so tightly plotted from start to finish. The dual timelines worked so seamlessly in piecing together Julia Harte’s life, her work, and how it all spirals out of control. All the characters we meet are so perfectly developed, with Julia definitely being one you’ll never forget. There were so many tense scenes where my heart was in my mouth, the description so vivid, every thought and feeling shared. It’s really cleverly written and I will not hesitate to pick up anything Amy writes after this! Tense, dark and unnerving.

O'r dudalen gyntaf roeddwn i ar goll ym myd Julia Harte, ditectif sydd wedi ymddeol ar ôl blynyddoedd o wasanaeth yn datrys dirgelion ac yn dal dihirod, ond mae cysgod un dihiryn wedi gadael ei ôl ar Julia. Wrth i'r stori ddatblygu gyda dwy linell amser yn neidio rhwng 1994 a 2024, cawn ddod i adnabod Julia cyn iddi ddringo'r rhengoedd i fod yn dditectif wrth iddi geisio datrys diflaniad dwy ferch ifanc a'r holl erchylltra a ddaw wrth i'r achos ddatblygu, yna cawn ddod i adnabod y Julia sydd wedi ymddeol ac wedi dianc i dawelwch ardal bellennig ond mae'r hen gysgodion yn ei dwyn yn ôl i fyd y dihirod wrth i ddigwyddiadau ailadrodd flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach. Mae dawn yr adrodd yn achosi rhwystredigaeth wrth i ddiwedd pennod afaelgar arwain at gyfnod gwahanol a minnau eisiau gwybod beth oedd am ddigwydd nesaf, ond erbyn i mi ddarllen tudalen arall o'r bennod nesaf dw i wedi anghofio am yr hen linell amser ac wedi ymdrochi yn y cyfnod newydd, ac mae'r patrwm yn ailadrodd i mi wrth fynd drwy'r nofel gan olygu fy mod yn hedfan drwy'r tudalennau. Chwip o nofel gyntaf, stori sy'n llawn tensiwn, yn eich gorfodi i ddarllen yn gynt wrth i chi ysu i gael gwybod beth fydd y canlyniad i Julia a'i chriw. Mae Amy Jordan yn un i gadw golwg arni yn bendant!

From the first page I was lost in the world of Julia Harte, a retired detective after an impressive career solving mysteries and catching villains, but the shadow of one villain has left it's mark on Julia. As the story develops with two timelines that jump between 1994 and 2024, we get to know Julia before she climbed the ranks to become a detective as she tries to solve the mysterious disappearance of two young girls and all the horrors that follow as the case develops, then we get to know the retired Julia, the one who's escaped to the tranquility of a quiet area but the old shadows draw her back to their villainous world as events reoccur years later. The storytelling talent here causes me some frustration as the end of a gripping chapter leads to a different time period and I'm desperate to know what happened next, but as I start the next chapter I get lost in the new time period and forget about the previous one, and this pattern repeats over and over as I continued reading, meaning I flew through the pages. What a debut, a story full of tension forcing you to read faster as you eagerly try to find out what will become of Julia and her crew. Amy Jordan is certainly one to watch!

If you are looking for a good old-fashioned (well, with minimum hi-tech) solid policework thriller, this is for you. Hauled out of retirement, Julia Harte, again embroiled in copycat killings, also faces the same dismissive attitudes towards women in the force as she encountered 30 years earlier. A strong character and determined to find the killer, Julia continues to read situations, assemble the puzzles, remember connections – and put her life in serious danger for the second time.
With strong characters throughout, the case and the background story romp along to deliver an engaging read. I did wobble about one author-convenient tying up, but on the whole, I enjoyed ‘Dark Hours’ and the genuine fear that filters throughout.

The Dark Hours is fast paced, utterly gripping and creepy as hell. I absolutely loved it and look forward to whatever Amy Jordan does next.

What a marvellous book this is, I still have blisters on my brain from the speed at which the intrigue built!! Seriously, this is the best mystery/police procedural book that I have read in at least the last 12 months and I do read a lot.

Cannot really give an example as they are all integral to the plot and I would hate to drop a clue that spoils the book for anyone. Give yourself a real treat and read all about Julia Harte, I cannot imagine that you will want to put the book down until you finish it.

1994 Gardaí Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy a sent to investigate a complaint on a housing estate. What happens next will haunt Julia for the rest of her life.
2.24 and she is living in a small village with her dog and enjoying the quiet life.
Then she receives a call saying its all happening again. A copycat of 1994 and her help is needed.
Can she face her fears and what will the outcome be?