Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Amy Jordan’s "The Dark Hours" is a gripping crime thriller that masterfully blends psychological suspense with the haunting echoes of past trauma. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Ireland’s coastal villages, the novel follows retired detective Julia Harte, a woman whose past refuses to stay buried.

Thirty years ago, Julia helped bring down Ireland’s most prolific serial killer, a case that defined her career but left her scarred in ways she’s never fully confronted. Now, living in quiet isolation, she hopes to leave the horrors behind—until a copycat killer emerges, forcing her back into the world she thought she had escaped.

Jordan’s writing is sharp and immersive, effortlessly shifting between timelines to reveal the chilling parallels between past and present. The novel’s dual structure—alternating between Julia’s early years as a young officer and her reluctant return to the field—adds depth to the narrative, making each revelation feel earned and impactful.

"The Dark Hours" creates a compelling Julia Harte is not the stereotypical hardened detective; she is deeply flawed, vulnerable, and shaped by the ghosts of her past. Her journey is as much about solving the case as it is about confronting the emotional toll of a life spent chasing monsters.

This novel delivers a compelling blend of mystery, suspense, and psychological depth. Jordan’s debut is a testament to her skill in crafting intricate, character-driven crime fiction.

3.5 stars

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the free copies of this book.

I don’t know what took me so long to read this one, and I cannot believe it was a debut!

Told in alternating timelines and centering around Julia Harte as she races against time to outwit a serial killer who has haunted her career, The Dark Hours is an intoxicating police procedural thriller. It is a dark tale of murder, obsession, and how the past and our decisions haunt us.

I inhaled this book almost in one sitting (who needs sleep anyway) and was on the edge of my seat. If you enjoy police procedurals and thrillers about serial killers, this one is for you.

This book completely pulled me in—the atmosphere, the character, the tension—I was hooked from start to finish. The Dark Hours is one of those rare thrillers that doesn’t just entertain you, it lingers. Julia Harte is such a compelling character: strong, broken, haunted, and utterly human. I felt everything she was carrying from the past, and that weight made her return to the job all the more gripping.

Cuan Beag is the perfect setting—eerie, quiet, almost too still. The way Amy Jordan wrote it, the village almost becomes a character in itself. The contrast between the beauty of the landscape and the darkness creeping back into Julia’s life was so well done. It made the suspense feel sharp and personal.

The case itself was chilling. Watching Julia work through the investigation while battling the ghosts of her past added such emotional depth. This wasn’t just about catching a killer—it was about survival, healing, and confronting the scars that never quite fade. The pace was spot-on too—slow-burn in all the right ways, with moments that hit hard and fast when they needed to.

I loved how grounded this story felt. It didn’t rely on over-the-top twists—it built its tension slowly, confidently, and earned every reveal. A powerful, atmospheric thriller with a lead I won’t forget anytime soon.

I really enjoyed this. One of Ireland’s serial killers just died but crimes have been committed that follow his pathology to a tee. The old detectives are determined to figure out what’s going on even if it kills them.

I enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio version as well. Interesting and keeps you reading and listening to find out what happens next and how it ends. Great job by this author. Can’t wait to read more by her.

The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan
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This debut crime thriller follows Julia, a retired police detective who must face down a vicious killer and the memories that haunt her from a serial killer 30 years ago.
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What I liked:
-The audio was really good. Also since this is set in Ireland the audio helped so much with pronunciation. Definitely recommend!
-This mystery was atmospheric and utterly engaging. I was drawn in from the first chapter to who was committing these crimes and how it could be related to what happened in the past.
-I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll be brief. But I really liked it.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I would recommend for your next mystery/thriller read.

Oh this was a fascinating mystery that kept me glued to the pages. Couldn’t put it down and when I had to it was on my mind. The writing and pacing were just my cup of tea and it tasted oh so good! Loved it.

This crime thriller was fun to read, with enough suspense and mystery to keep the reader engaged from cover to cover.

The story is done in a dual timeline, between the current time when a retired police detective is pulled back into the light to help catch a copy cat killer and 30 years ago when she was working the original serial killers case.

Our main character battles severe anxiety and has basically become a recluse. When the copy cat killer starts up, she has no choice but to return and try to use her knowledge of the original crimes to solve the newest case. Aside from the crime thriller aspect, we also get an interesting view on woman in predominately male career fields. 30 years have past but many of the same prejudices remain and it was empowering to watch her hold her own.

The story was even paced and the time jumps kept the story moving along, giving just a few nuggets of information at a time. The suspense built as we do not discover the conclusion to either crime until the ending - almost like getting two stories in one!

I enjoyed the story and look forward to seeing what else this author delivers!

Compelling and tense, with phenomenal atmosphere, I was surprised when I went to find the authors backlist that this a debut!

Dual timelines worked so well in this police procedural that explored a serial killer from the past and a copy cat in the present. Former detective, Julia Harte, is living quietly after helping to arrest the serial killer who has since died in prison but when a copy cat comes back to recreate the heinous crimes, she’s called back to assist in the capture.

Such a well told story and as I said, the dual timelines worked so well with this MC; bringing her past experiences to the present, the reader got to see how far she’d come in this male dominated field.

My thanks to HTP for this gifted DRC!

I didn't know what to expect from this debut but The Dark Hours was a gripping, dark and emotional crime thriller with a brilliant main protagonist in Julia Harte. I loved the fact that despite suffering such acute trauma from the original investigation, Julia is still determined to bring justice thirty years later when the new murders bring the case back into the limelight. The dual timeline works flawlessly and helps to layer up the suspense and the Irish setting created the perfect atmosphere for this story.

THE DARK HOURS is an exemplary crime thriller that weaves back and forth through time to deal with two related cases. Jordan pulled me in with complex characters, multifaceted investigations, and all the gritty police procedural details I love in a story like this.

From the first chapter, I was hooked. Julia is a relatable and candid character who has endured trauma and loss. She does her best to cope, but the reader soon understands that her past decisions and actions weigh heavily on her. Yet, as I was reading, I felt she still had a sliver of hope to cling to. Well, that and her dog.

Having the reader follow each case, both past and present, could have become muddled very quickly due to the similarities in the situations. However, Jordan expertly explores each investigation in a way that is unique to both while still allowing the past to inform the present. Then there's the tension and build-up of suspense. The pace was just right, and the reveals unfolded at moments in the narrative where you are clamoring for more information yet still captivated by what just happened. Honestly, it was downright addictive.

I don’t know if we will see Julia Harte or any of the cast again in any future books. But what I do know is that I am anxiously awaiting Amy Jordan’s next release.

Audiobook Note: Narrator Flora Montgomery brings a wonderful pace to this thriller as the investigation is explored. Having spent about half the time listening to this book, I can say it did a good job of capturing the tense and pulse-pounding moments.

The Dark Hours is the first novel Amy Jordan has published under that name: she previously pubished a crime trilogy in Ireland under the name Amy Cronin. The Dark Hours focuses on a 60-year-old former Garda detective in Ireland long retired from the force and living in seclusion in a rural town. Her reputation as a cop was based on her involvement in a serial kller cases, and after the death in prison of that killer, a murder that echoes his methods happens in Cork, and her former boss persuades her to come back to assist in the investigation (which she does unwillingly).

The novel alternates between that 0old case and the new one, with the resentments of more senior officers in the past and the resentment of currently serving detectives in the present case, as well as in both cases the race to catch the killer before more murders occur, and also in both cases, threats to the retired detective. The pace is quick and the stakes are hith, keeping the reader involved in a story that is interesting both for its unusual lead character and for the chase itself.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a woman who is a retired investigator. In 1994, she investigates a serial killer who targeted young women and herself. Now in 2024, young girls are being killed again in the same fashion and she is back investigating this new killer.

I really enjoyed this book! I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator was great and I would recommend.

I liked how the story jumped from 1994 and 2024. It kept the story interesting and I liked the parallels between the different timelines. The mystery kept me interested and I enjoyed following the two cases.

The characters were interesting and likeable. I liked following the main character and her thoughts.

I would definitely recommend this one!

Guarda Julia Harte was part of a high profile serial killer case in 1994, at great personal loss to herself. 2024–she’s retired and living in a small town in Ireland, hiding from her past. When a copycat killer emerges echoing the 1994 murders, Julia is called back to Cork to consult on the case and stop more murders. She’s reluctant but ultimately faces her demons.

I liked this book and thought that the 1994 case was a lot more interesting than the 2024 case. However, it was pretty obvious who the killer was in 1994. I thought that Julia was intriguing and the book overall went very fast.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a copy of his book.

I love a mystery set in a place I have never been. It gives me a way to travel to the dark parts of each community no matter where it is. This was a story about how one person can make ripples that have devasting consequences. I may have figure out who but not the why!!

loved this mystery about solving a case and it is happening again. love that it takes place in a small town. good series to start.

This story is told in third person and follows Julia Harte, a retired police investigator in Ireland who is requested when a murder investigation has eerie similarities to murders committed by a now deceased serial killer that she helped apprehend when she was a Garda. The story is told in dual timelines mirroring the current investigation with the events of 1994 in clearly labeled chapter headings. I thought the dual timelines were handled strategically, interweaving the two investigations and giving just enough information to keep me engaged without frustration as details of the past gave a sense of foreboding to the current storyline.

I loved the juxtaposition of the relationships that Julia had with various characters in the past and present, especially with Des. I commiserated with the younger Julia and her frustration at being sidelined as a woman and trying to balance her career and marriage. She also has that run into a situation without thinking bit that often makes me scream in frustration. I enjoyed her more mature perspective in looking back on those events and the experience she lent to the new investigation despite the new generation’s efforts to sideline her again. The more things change…

I primarily listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by Flora Montgomery. This was my first time listening to this narrator. I enjoyed her characters’ voices, and the compelling tone used to describe the various aspects of the mystery and suspenseful moments.

Recommended to readers that enjoy atmospheric mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley, MIRA Books, Harlequin Trade Publishing, The Hive, and Harlequin Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.

I saw a lot of great reviews for this book so my expectations were really high. I thought it didn't quite deliver on that greatness. I liked the story, but it fell flat in places for me.

The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan is a fantastic debut thriller novel set on two different timelines surrounding the detective who brought down a serial killer. Amy Jordan is able to deliver everything you would want in a dark crime thriller. Kept me on the edge of my seat!

Would I recommend this book? Yes!

<i> Thank you NetGally and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me access to this novel for an honest review</i>

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Julia is a retired police detective who lives in a tiny village in the mistaken belief that this will keep her anonymous, keeps her neighbours at arms' length, and barely sleeps for fear that a criminal she put away will come for her. She has also written a text book which became a bit of a true crime hit and made her and her cases notorious. When the story begins James Cox, the man she fears most, has died, but now someone else seems to be committing crimes which mimic his and has left Julia's text book at the scene. Julia is persuaded to help look into this.

I didn't enjoy this much. Julia was deeply unlikeable. I wouldn't have wanted to work with her at any stage in her career, particularly as she has no regard for her own or any one else's safety, and always knows best (particularly knowing more than any man). She gets very cross over and over again because no one seems to want to use her first name, although to be fair, being very cross is her normal resting state. Her marriage was a disaster, and so I didn't find the very ending of the book quite as romantic as I think the author intended.

The story is (of course) told in dual timelines, so there are a lot of police officers and victims to keep straight. There were no real clues seeded in advance and the motive of the copycat killer was simply described (at length) at the very end.

Disappointing.