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The Dark Hours by Amy Jordan x-book

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The Dark Hours

Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Publish Date
30 January 2025
Run Time
10 hours 19 minutes
Format
x-book®
Rating
4.9 (7 reviews)

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What to expect

'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'

Critics Review

  • ‘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
See more reviews
  • ‘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

User Reviews

Book 4.9

Narration 5.0

  • 5.0 5.0

    An enjoyable read if that’s not the wrong thing to say about murder. A very human story well read by the narrator.

    Anthony Buncher 2026-05-13
  • 5.0 5.0

    Great detective story, love the characters, it drew me in from the very beginning right to the end.

    jeannette 2025-11-09
  • 5.0 5.0

    Really enjoyed this book, interesting character and I hope to listen to another tale about this retired Garda detective. Recommended

    Betty Bittles 2025-06-22

Details

Author
Amy Jordan
Narrator
Flora Montgomery
Duration
10 hours 19 minutes
Release Date
30 January 2025
ISBN
9780008656959
Format
x-book®
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Genre
Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Crime and mystery: police procedural, Thriller: serial killers, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss
Rating
4.9(7 reviews)
Narration
5.0(7 reviews)

Synopsis

'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'

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