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The Dark Hours

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The Dark Hours

By: Amy Jordan
Narrated by: Flora Montgomery
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Summary
'Clever, immersive and utterly engrossing, The Dark Hours is a triumph' Andrea Mara

‘Subverted my expectations at almost every turn… Jordan shows how the aftermath of violence affects all those who witness it’ New York Times

*****

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…

2024: Julia Harte has chosen just the right place to disappear. Now a retired detective 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 down a vicious killer and the memories that haunt her still. Yet Julia is no longer a naïve junior officer but a seasoned, tough professional who proves more than a match for any murderer…

Get gripped by this twisty police thriller from a fresh new voice in Irish crime fiction

*****

Praise for The Dark Hours

'Dazzling…this tangled, terrifying story feels as though Jordan has been writing for decades. It would make great TV' Daily Mail

‘Immersive, atmospheric, heart-stopping – I tore through it in a single day’ Louise Candlish

'An original heroine. Remarkably engrossing' Platinum

‘Dark, gripping and atmospheric, I was hooked by the first page… you won't be able to put The Dark Hours down’ Sam Blake

'A relentlessly twisty one-sitting read' Catherine Ryan Howard

'I LOVED Julia Harte. What an original and complex character. I raced through this gripping novel; Amy Jordan is an impressive new voice’ Edel Coffey

'Pace and pathos, insight and inspiration! A cracking whirlwind serial killer story' Gill Perdue

‘I loved the fact that the protagonist was an older woman… A strikingly original lead character, vivid characterisation and tight plotting… a very enjoyable read’ Liz Nugent

‘Twin timelines, two serial killers, a truly shocking opening scene: in The Dark Hours, Amy Jordan takes us on a twisty and terrifying journey to the darkest of places’ Catherine Kirwan

Readers are gripped by The Dark Hours…

'You are whipped along with the plot… Breathtaking, heart-thumping. Couldn't put this down'

'From the first to the last page, it is captivating. The pace is quick and relentless, and the plotting is flawless'

'By far the easiest 5 stars I've given this year!… I'm so excited to read more from this author'

'I absolutely loved Julia, what an amazingly complex and expertly crafted character!'

'An outstanding thriller with a fresh and original protagonist… 5 stars all the way!'

'I am truly blown away but how good this was. It was immersive, suspenseful, and fantastically written'

©2025 Amy Jordan (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
Crime Crime Thrillers Mystery Police Procedurals Suspense Thriller & Suspense Murder Exciting Heartfelt Detective

Critic Reviews

‘Subverted my expectations at almost every turn… Jordan shows how the aftermath of violence affects all those who witness it.’ New York Times
‘The Dark Hours is a pulsating debut – a tightly woven plot, assured writing, memorable characters and a totally unexpected ending. A must. More please.’ Irish Independent
'Dazzling…this tangled, terrifying story feels as though Jordan has been writing for decades. It would make great TV' Daily Mail
‘Gripping thriller’ The Sun
‘An original heroine, remarkably engrossing’ Platinum
'A relentlessly twisty one-sitting read' Catherine Ryan Howard
'I LOVED Julia Harte. What an original and complex character. I raced through this gripping novel; Amy Jordan is an impressive new voice’ Edel Coffey
'Pace and pathos, insight and inspiration! A cracking whirlwind serial killer story' Gill Perdue
‘I loved the fact that the protagonist was an older woman… A strikingly original lead character, vivid characterisation and tight plotting… a very enjoyable read’ Liz Nugent
‘Twin timelines, two serial killers, a truly shocking opening scene: in The Dark Hours, Amy Jordan takes us on a twisty and terrifying journey to the darkest of places’ Catherine Kirwan
All stars
Most relevant
One of the best examples of crime fiction I've ever come across, and I read A LOT of crime fiction. Even if the narration needed further editing and in many moments re-doing, I still want to give this five stars. Wonderful spacing, a great feel for character development, and an eerie set of tragic circumstances/crimes. As for the narration... I'm not sure what logic led the narrator to read the main character in a whispered monotone, but to me it made little sense to do so and made picking a listening volume a constant challenge. It was also jarring how often a long pause wasn't edited out or recorded again, and how often the tone of what was being read didn't match the tone of the reading. As this book is so amazing, I hope it is perhaps re-read by a different narrator, or even the same narrator but with a few sizeable tweaks and better editing.

All in all the talent of the writing makes up for the narration certainly, and I highly recommend it. You'll enjoy a delightful sense of tension, anticipation and won't want to put it down!

Fantastic novel, lagging narration

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Two, spiralling mysteries, inexplicably linked, and sharp, taut writing . Absolutely top notch Irish narrator. Doesn’t get better!

Best of the best crime fiction

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