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?

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.