Book review: A dark debut with plenty of thrills from Amy Jordan

The Dark Hours might be Amy Jordan’s debut as a fresh voice in the Irish crime scene, but you certainly can’t tell. Her skilled writing rockets her up in line with the greats, a position she richly deserves.

A self-proclaimed true crime fan, each page in her novel is well thought out and expertly penned. 

The story weaves between two time periods, 1994 and 2024, while revolving around Julia Harte, a retired detective inspector for An Garda Síochána.

In 1994, Julia and her partner, Adrian Clancy, are called out to investigate a disturbance in Douglas that they think is related to one of Cork’s most significant cases: serial killer James Cox. 

Two girls are abducted from Cork city, and the Gardaí desperately explore every possibility in their search for a lead, including a noise complaint from a rattled neighbour.

Unbeknownst to Julia at the time, her fate becomes forever linked with Cox and the crimes he commits. 

The minute she steps inside the eerie Douglas house, the rest of her life and career are drastically changed.

Flash forward to 2024. Julia is now 60 and lives in an isolated cottage in Cuan Beag, a small seaside town just a few hours outside of Cork. 

Her sole relationship is with her scruffy companion, Mutt, a small dog she rescued who never leaves her side.

She needed to escape Cork after everything that happened 30 years ago and is content with her solitude, minding her own business and keeping away from any nosy locals.

“This corner of the world is so peaceful, at times it feels uninhabited; that’s why she chose to disappear here. But Julia knows anything is possible in the dark hours.”

On a regular outing with Mutt, she receives a phone call from an unknown number and hesitantly picks it up. 

Her life as she knows it explodes as her presence is requested back in Cork for another case. 

The murders have started up again despite James Cox’s recent death. 

A copycat has taken his place and recreates his murders step by step, which means soon they will come for Julia...

Although Julia is older and not as nimble as she once was, experience is now on her side, and she’s determined not to let any more “innocent, vibrant young women with their lives ahead of them” die on her watch.

A Cork woman herself, Jordan creates the ultimate Leeside murder mystery. 

With many locations that will seem familiar to readers, she also takes some liberties and renames others, such as a town called Knockchapel, which is based on Cross- haven.

Despite its dark topics, the book is an homage to the Rebel county, lending a few lighter moments to dwell on its charm — this, of course, includes Cork’s iconic Shaky Bridge: 

“She remembers reading a news article about the refurbishment of the bridge, but that the “shake” was kept in by the engineers. It made her laugh at the time — how very like Cork to keep the infamous rumble intact.”

Jordan also explores the consequences of psychological trauma while perfectly capturing the struggle of wanting to do the right thing — and how those two contrasting sentiments war with each other throughout Julia’s life.

If you are to read one book this month and want plenty of twists that amount in an explosive finale, make it this one.