The Dark Hour

The Dark Hour
Robin Burcell
Harper
Harper Collins Publishers
New York, New York
ISBN: 978-0-06-213347-2
Mass market paperback
December 2021
$ 5.99
370 pages

What would you do if you watched the death of your spouse and then discovered that this person might be alive? Added to that, your ex-spouse is possibly the only witness to an international murder. Would you begin to look for this person? That is what Zachary Griffin decides.

C. I. A. agent, Zachary Griffin chooses to go to Amsterdam to investigate the possibility that his wife, Becca, is alive. The composite sketch of the witness is unquestionably her.

F. B. I. Special Agent, Sydney Fitzpatrick has been unofficially sent to Amsterdam due to her superb skills as a forensic artist. While in Amsterdam, a U.S. senator is assassinated back in the states. So how is this related to Zach's wife and why does someone want her and Zach dead?

Robin Burcell has been a police officer since 1983 working as a detective, patrol officer, a member of a hostage negotiating team, and an FBI trained forensic artist.
Her first novel, Every Move She Makes was nominated for an Anthony Award which is part of her Kate Gillespie series. Other books in this series featuring Kate are Fatal Truth, Deadly Legacy, and Cold Case. Her series with Sydney began with Face of a Killer and The Bone Chamber with The Dark Hour being the third book in this series. Although part of a series, each of these books is easily comprehended as a stand alone.

With the short intense chapters, The Dark Hour, is a fast read with constant action. The characterization is the strong aspect in this story as the reader can easily see the action through the characters and the conflicts with their emotions, even to the point that the reader feels the physical and emotional exhaustion. The non-stop action wears everyone out much as anyone would feel who would actually have these experiences.

The Dark Hour is breath-taking, intense, and definitely a novel for anyone who enjoys high action-packed thrillers. The frightening part of this novel is that it could really happen. With this intricately woven plot with multiple layers, this complex thriller should delight mystery readers.