A great debut. Julia Harte is a retired police officer, who rose through the ranks . Her Garda partner was murdered in 1994 while searching for 2 missing girls. . Fast forward to 2024 , Julia is now retired and is asked to help with a new murder investigation which has similarities to the 1994 Killings. The tension and intrigue in this crime thriller continues throughout .

Great debut novel by Amy Jordan. Set in two time periods, 1994 and 2024 with the central character, Julia Harte as a member of the Gardai in Ireland in 1994 and a retired officer in 2024 recalled to action. An interesting plot and fascinating tale. Multiple time periods don't always work for me but they do in this case. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I found myself totally engrossed in this book, the way it runs the two strands of the story side by side works so well, cutting in just when you need the background
Ex DI Julia Harte is asked, along with her old boss, to help out with an investigation that is very similar to the one that happened thirty years previously, it has to be a copycat though as James Cox has recently died.
Returning to Cork to the same Garda station brings back lots of memories for Julia, but she is determined as she was all those years ago to bring the killer to justice.
There are plenty of twists, and a totally unexpected ending. Well worth reading.

My thanks to H.Q and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Dark Hours’ written by Amy Jordan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Thirty years ago James Cox was locked up for killing Garda Adrian Clancy and the two teenage girls that he and Garda Julia Harte had been searching for. Now retired, Julia is relieved to learn that he’s died in a psychiatric hospital, but when her old Chief Superintendent Des Riordon phones to tell her that the bodies of two teenagers have been found dead Julia knows she must return to Cork as the murders are too similar to those carried out by Cox to be dismissed.

‘The Dark Hours’ is a gripping police thriller from a new writer of Irish crime fiction and I must congratulation her for writing such an exciting novel. It has two time-frames running parallel to each other, the first beginning in 2024 with retired Garda Julia Harte living in the secluded village of Cuan Beag where no one knows her past, then going back to 1994 as it tells of how James Cox was finally caught. This thriller has a fast-paced and complex plot with lots of tension, drama and twists that leaves Julia and Riordon with more questions than leads. It’s good to read of characters who are over retirement age and the plot was so intricately woven that I was hooked from page one and couldn’t stop reading until I’d reached the conclusion.

A gripping read, set in two time periods 1994 and 2024. I felt like I was investigating the crimes with the characters and was kept guessing until the end.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Many thanks to net Galley and HQ publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review
An outstanding debut novel.
A gripping twisty police thriller, fast paced and hard to put down.
Two timelines, a case from 1994, and a current case, two killers, a serial killer and a copycat killer, a great plot which keeps the reader engrossed.
I loved Julia, a retired detective inspector, what a complex character, I also loved her dog, Mutt.
The ending felt like there could be a series, featuring Julia, let’s hope so.
This is a 5 star read which I highly recommend, will be keen to read more by Amy Jordan.

Really enjoyed this! You need to be able to get around the split timeliness, which could be a little confusing, but this is a minor point....great characters, fast paced...why wouldn't you read this? Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

The Dark Hours is a police procedural set over two distinct timeframes and is an enjoyable read with the twin narratives working well and not being confusing.

This is the first book that I have read by Amy Jordan and I will keep an eye out for future releases. .

Retired detective Julia Harte is dragged back into a murder investigation when it has disturbing similarities to a case she worked in and was personally involved with in 1994.
The story is told through a dual timeline both using Julia’s POV so as a reader you really feel like you get to know her. Both timelines (1994 and 2024) have their own intricate plots which then weave together to tell the overall story.

This is an amazing debut and compels you to keep reading to find out what happens both in the past and the present timelines. Really liked the character of Julia Harte and would enjoy reading more novels with her as the main character.

I would highly recommend this book and will be looking out for more from Amy Jorden,

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