THE DARK HOURS - I enjoyed this story, its interesting characters and intriguing story lines. I like the author's writing style and the lack of hollywood-style drama. Although the vulgar language was at a minimum, I could have done without it. The copycat was a total surprise. Source: Netgalley. 4*

Amy Jordan's The Dark Hours is a deliciously creepy debut thriller from an exciting new voice in Irish crime fiction. Retired police detective Julia Harte finds her peace shattered when a horrific event from her past seems to be repeating itself. I loved the use of alternating timelines (1994 and 2024) and appreciated the novel's focus on an older protagonist. While I had an inkling about one or two of the twists, I was quite happily in the dark otherwise and found the novel unputdownable. Fans of Dervla McTiernan, Tana French, etc. will enjoy Jordan's writing. And I am already eagerly anticipating seeing what she writes next!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Well I'll start with the positives. The story line was great, it was something different, interesting and intriguing. I also really enjoyed the back stories of the characters, it was well thought out and thorough. However, I found myself really struggling to get into this book. I just couldn't seem to get interested or invested in reading it. It didn't feel very exciting to me? Or maybe I'm in a reading slump? I'm not sure why I didn't love this book. There were so many different names and characters thrown in, it was hard for me to keep track. I was confused many times when names were mentioned and was like wait, what, who is that? Throughout the book it was made very clear that the main character doesn't believe in coincidence. But then the ending was one? I'm just confused, I have lots of questions and the end just didn't really come together for me. This may be a book I need to reread in the future because I feel like it has so much potential and I missed out on something.

Solid Irish crime fiction and an impressive debut. Much like the other reviewers I enjoyed this one and I like that the protagonist is a middle aged woman. Told in dual timelines 30 years apart with a copycat killer and a past that haunts a female detective. It is very dark so fair warning if that is a trigger for you. I did think setting would play more of a role in this one and it did not especially with the Tana French and Jane Harper comps but I did enjoy this one.

After her career as a retired detective Julia’s only desire is to live a quiet life tucked away in a small Irish town. When the serial killer she put away dies in prison and a copycat killer emerges, Julia is thrust away from her life of solitude and back into the unrelenting world of solving crimes.

This police procedural features dual timeline mysteries set in 1994 and present day as Julia seeks to confront the echoes of the past. Debut author Amy Jordan touches on women in the workforce and the sexism they are so often confronted with. THE DARK HOURS is a riveting debut mystery to add to your TBR.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-get spooked when the power goes out
-are drawn to Irish crime fiction
-appreciate a middle-aged protagonist

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 28, 2025

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! Julie is a main character we can all relate to- she's pulled into her shell, in a safe zone, along with a dog that she rescued from being abused by a fellow villager. Life is good, if a bit boring. But then she sees the news- the serial killer she put away has died. But has he? When she gets a call from her former boss, asking her to step back into her old life and see what she can offer to the new investigation team, with a possible copy cat killer, she knows things will never be the same. As she strives to give info and flee back to her safe zone, she realizes that this copy cat was trying to pull her out, and only she can solve the crime, and find the killer. A tight procedural, this one will have you reading pages long into the night!

The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan is a standalone mystery set in Ireland. Retired DI Julia Harte is relieved when a murdered she had put away 30 years ago dies in prison- that is until she learns that a copycat has started up and the local police are asking her to come out of retirement and consult. She packs up her dog, Mutt, and heads back to Cork.

The story alternates between the original crime in 1994 and the present copycat, so it’s like two mysteries unfolding at once. Julia is joined by Des, her old captain, as they try to make sense of the new crimes. The 1994 murder spree revolved around Julia and her partner: how does this one fit in?

I enjoyed this mystery. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for this ARC on exchange for my honest review.

Let me start off by saying my arc was not fully formatted correctly but it did not mess anything up. It actually makes me excited to see this book in its true intention. This being a debut novel too, was a pleasant surprise. I love seeing the two different time lines, and of course Julia could not escape the serial killer, even after all those years. The moment she stepped into the house and heard the crying, I felt that is when I fully got hooked to this book. It was such an unsettling moment and the aftermath that follows that, it kept me reading through the night. If you like crime related books, I recommend giving this book a chance!

2.5 stars. Based on the author comps of Jane Harper and Tana French, I thought this would be a good fit for me, but it was way too dark. I didn't like the subject matter and didn't get a strong sense of place as I expected to. This just did not work very well for me.

Now that is how you do a crime book!! What a brilliant debut from Amy Jordan, an author that I am already looking forward to reading more from. I am really excited by this book and hope that it will be a big success.

A serial killer..and a copy cat killer. 30 years apart. Former Guarda detective Julia Harte is now living the quiet life in a small village on Irelands coast. Now in her 60’s, she is relieved when she hears that the serial killer she helped put away in 1994 has died in prison. She can finally relax..or can she? Soon she is summoned back to Cork to help stop a copycat who is following in the footsteps of this serial killer.

Told in dual timelines of then in 1994 and today, we learn about both cases and how they relate. We see what Julia risked for this case, what it cost her and why it still has a massive impact on her today. I don’t what to say too much, just read this and be constantly shocked and surprised. This is a brilliant police procedural. I loved that our protagonist was an older woman, who uses her experience in life and in her career to try to stop a ruthless killer. Really well done.

Thank you so much to HTP, MIRA on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on January 28th, 2025.

“The Dark Hours” by Amy Jordan is a compelling thriller that gripped me with its intricate plot and complex characters. The story follows a retired police detective who has to track down a serial killer while facing horrible memories of her past. The pacing is well-balanced, with suspenseful moments that kept me on edge. Overall, The Dark Hours is a solid read for fans of thrillers who enjoy a mix of mystery and thrill.

Julia is a retired police detective who is called back to help with a case. The case has all of the same details as a case she worked on 30 years ago. Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending for me.

This was a really good book. It had so many different twists and turns and it kept me engaged from page one. So many secrets come out while reading this. I liked the way that it was written.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Riveting thriller.
Julia Harte is living a solitary life in retirement on the Irish coast. She left her job as detective and best selling author after solving one of Ireland's most prolific serial killer cases.
Now she lives a quiet life, far from the maddening crowds with no one knowing who she is.
Until she gets a call from her former boss telling her that a copycat killer is on the loose.
Julia returns to the force, with her former boss, as consultants on the new case.
Great mystery with non stop suspense and twists.
Jordan has a real winner here.

The Dark Hours is a great mystery crime thriller! I was engaged from the start. I liked Julia and appreciated the connections she made with co-workers, neighbors and the families she met. I sympathized with her emotional struggles and I kept reading to see what had happened in her past—then what the current case situation could be. By the halfway mark, I couldn’t put the book down. Great page turner!

Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for review.

A solid debut from an author that feels like it could easily be part of a series -- but a meh protagonist left me wanting more!

Julia was one of the detectives responsible for catching a horrible killer back in 1994. Thirty years later, she is trying to age quietly and alone -- made hard by her career and her subsequent book about her years as a detective. While it was supposed to be just an academic textbook for law enforcement, a societal obsession with true crime has given it a much wider audience (and her a much larger, unwanted fan base).

When the killer she caught dies in prison, she finally thinks she may be able to find peace. But her former supervisor calls her and asks her to consult on a copycat case, hoping that their experiences in the first go-around will help them catch whoever is perpetrating these eerily similar crimes.

This was just okay, honestly. I understood Julia's motivations but I didn't necessarily like her. Nor did I particularly like her husband, Philip. The 2024 timeline was definitely more palatable than the 1994 one, but overall I was left kind of disappointed by the mystery itself and the characters. There weren't many suspects so there wasn't a lot of room for the plot to go anywhere surprising.

Would give this author another try with a new plot/set of protagonists though!

This book was engaging from the beginning. I LOVE THE FACT that the protagonist is an older woman. Very relatable to readers. I also loved that the setting was in Ireland. This was a good thriller and kept me on my toes. Thank you for NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book early and review it.

Julia is tasked with tracking down a copycat killer. She’s very resilient and is willing to do anything to capture the bad people. She even puts her life at risk to try and save others.

I loved being able to read and see the growth of Julia’s character. This story alternates between the past and present life of Julia and her career in law enforcement. I was surprised when the book revealed who the copy cat killer was. I loved everything about this book.

A retired Irish police detective is called back to consult on a case -- someone is imitating the serial killer she caught some thirty years ago, and this killer must be stopped before several young women, now missing, turn up dead. The clock is ticking, so there is a lot of suspense here. I loved the dual timelines -- one story reviews her solving the 1990s era case, the other is present day. Great murder mystery with a great new character. I hope the author writes a followup.

Interesting premise and characters. Not too gory. Not my cup of tea though. 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for letting me read an ARC of this book.