As debut novels go, The Dark Hours is a pretty compelling, gripping read. From the opening chapters the reader is sucked in, and once started, the compulsion to continue reading is strong.

The main protagonist is retired garda inspector Julia Harte. If that makes you think of retirement homes and amateur sleuths, then allow me to disabuse you of that notion. This is not a cosy mystery.

In 1994, Julia was part of a team on the hunt for a serial killer. In 2024 she is assisting Cork gardaí hunt down a killer whose crimes mirror those from 1994.

The Dark Hours is well paced, with an intricately woven plot. Unfortunately, the characters aren't very likeable, although 2024 Julia is far more agreeable than 1994 Julia. My favourite character was Mutt, who is, erm, a dog. 🐕
I enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more by Amy Jordan.
Thanks to HQ Stories and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

A great read
A author I’ve never read before but will definitely be reading more of
This had me hooked from the first to the last page
Looking forward to her next book
Thanks NetGalley

It took me a little while to get into the story, picking it up and putting it down a couple of times. Once I got into it I was hooked. I liked the split timeline following the original case and the modern one. I enjoyed Julia as a main character and her interactions with the others. The plot was interesting and I didn’t guess the ending.

Set in two distinct time frames, The Dark Hours is a fast-paced and gripping thriller.
Back in 1994, Gardaí Julia Harte and Adrian Clancy are visiting a noise complaint at a house in Cork, when a horrific series of murders occurs.
Thirty years later, in 2024 another series of murders occurs that is worryingly similar to those previously and for retired Garda Julia, it's time to face her fears and join the investigation.
I enjoyed the use of two timelines as this allowed the reader to learn of the past crimes and follow the present day investigation easily. There are very clear similarities between the cases, and occasionally, I did have to recheck the timeline but once I was familiar with the characters, this was not longer an issue and I loved the pacing.
Julia is a sympathetic character and I was rooting for her from the first page.
The Dark Hours is disturbing, dark but engrossing.
Read it, you won't regret it!

Going into this I didnt know much. But once I started reading I found I didn't want to put it down.
The pacing is perfect. Just enough keeps happening to keep you wanting to read more.
With the jumping between two years you see the clear connection between the cases you just have to figure out who is behind it.
While I didnt figure that out. I am intrigued. Part of me wants another book following Julia. Especially due to that ending. I need more.

Would you want to go back?

Julia Harte, our main protagonist, has hidden away from her past. But a phone call drags her down a fearful memory lane.

You are whipped along with the plot, guessing won't help. Just read this. Breathtaking, heart-thumping. Couldn't put this down.

An old murder case brought back to life

I am afraid that I struggled with this book. I found it to be too slow, and it did not hold my attention. Hope other readers like it more.

I had mixed feelings for this book, which is told in dual timelines,I found one of the timelines interesting, but the other just didn't hold my attention,and the story was a bit drawn-out which didn't make for an enjoyable read.
Hopefully, others will enjoy more.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

Sadly I didn’t enjoy this book. I found it confusing being set in two time periods as the events were so similar. I didn’t warm to the characters. The plot was unbelievable and farfetched. I did like the cover and brief description but felt that the book itself didn’t live up to this.

I found myself really invested in this book.
It captivated me and throughout.
Packed with action and a great underlying story as well.
I found myself routing for and liking the main character, a retired investigator.

I would recommend.
A great story with backbone.

#TheDarkHours #NetGalley
5 ⭐
1994: When Gardas 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 career, 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…
2024: Julia Harte has chosen just the right place to disappear. Now retired, with an illustrious career behind her, she has moved to a tiny cottage in a remote part of Ireland, where she hopes to find peace. But then she receives a phone call from her old superintendent—two women have been murdered, their bodies marked and staged, just like in ’94. It’s happening again. Only this time, the stakes are even higher. Julia must return to Cork to face a vicious killer and the memories that haunt her. Yet Julia is no longer a naive junior officer but a seasoned, tough professional who proves more than a match for any murderer…
It's an excellent debut. Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.

Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.

Amy Jordan's The Dark Hours is a fantastic thriller. From the start to the last page, it is captivating. The pace is quick and relentless, and the plotting is flawless. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed this! It did take a little while to get into but once the pace picked up I was hooked! I loved the hints into the past before getting into the flashbacks which were perfectly linked throughout! A shock twist at the end that I did not see coming at all! Well done on this one!

A quietly impressive crime novel which switches between the past and present as a retired officer gets drawn into a case with hallmarks from an earlier murder.

Competent writing underpinned by a good grip on plot and characterisation means that The Dark Hours is a satisfying read and much more than an ordinary police procedural. It deals with the brutality of murder in a realistic fashion without piling on the gore and explores the physical and psychological toll that violence - in its many forms - can have on people. The "dark hours" is an apt title for the book as characters struggle through their lives trying to deal with the after-effects of trauma.

After retiring from the police force Julia Harte moved to Cuan Beag on the east coast of Ireland to disappear. One case in particular had always upset her, 30 years ago whilst looking for a missing girl her police partner was killed. The murderer was eventually caught and jailed and has recently died but when she gets a phone call from a former boss she agrees to go to Dublin to help in the investigation of what appears to be a copy cat crime.
The suspense is gripping, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

What a clever and enjoyable book The Dark Hours is .Written in two timelines and set in Ireland I was gripped from the first chapter. The plot was brilliant and the characters likeable .I do hope we hear more about Julia Harte .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

Murder, police procedural, set in Ireland, strong female protagonist - what’s not to like? Extremely well written, great characters, with lots of twists. I loved it!

A really good read, tense and thrilling, it keeps you turning the pages. I liked the way the book went backwards and forwards between two time periods. Julia, the main character, is likeable and easy to envisage. I very much enjoyed the author’s writing style and look forward to reading more from her.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and to the author for her excellent work.

Wow! An utterly fantastic crime, police thriller from a fresh new author that had me glued to my seat flipping the pages in anticipation or what or who was round the next corner.

Crikey, how true is it when you have to question if you ever truly know someone eek. This book gives me all the feelings from anxiety to sadness.

I truly felt for Julia at several points throughout the book. She was a fantastic protagonist, and the author developed her really well over the course of the book within the multiple timelines.

Talking of which the two timelines worked really well in this story as they gained more clues or knowledge of the crime at hand in the past and in the present.

A definite must-read for any and all thriller fans. Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Collins for a review copy.