Amy Jordan: The Dark Hours [2025] paperback

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

A gripping police thriller from a fresh new voice in Irish crime fiction

'Clever, immersive and utterly engrossing, The Dark Hours is a triumph' Andrea Mara

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

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1994: When Gardai 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 naive junior officer but a seasoned, tough professional who proves more than a match for any murderer...

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Readers are gripped by The Dark Hours...

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

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

'Quietly impressive... Much more than an ordinary police procedural' Reader review

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

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

Praise for The Dark Hours

'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