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Detective Ella Marconi #2
Darkest Hour, The
Paramedic Lauren Yates stumbles into a world of trouble the night she discovers a dead man in an inner city alley, for the killer still lurks nearby. When the murderer threatens to make her life hell if she tells the police, she believes him - he's Miles Werner, her sister's ex and father to Lauren's niece... and a very bad man indeed. But when a stabbing victim tells her with his dying breath that Werner attacked him too, she finds herself with blood on her hands and Detective Ella Marconi on her back. Keen to cement her temporary position in the homicide squad, Ella knows Lauren is the perfect witness for the murder since she can testify to the victim's last words. But when Lauren tries to change her statement, Ella realises that Lauren is hiding something big, and, while her colleagues label her suspicion an obsession, she begins her own investigation. The harder she digs into Lauren's past, however, the more Lauren resists, and the worse the threat from Werner becomes. Will Ella's investigation put her career on the line, just when she's finally got her foot in the door? And as trouble deepens, can Lauren keep her family safe before Werner makes good on his promise, or will they all - Ella included - pay the ultimate price?
MP3 CD
First published January 1, 2008
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About the author
Katherine Howell
15 books136 followersKatherine Howell worked as a paramedic for fifteen years while completing her Bachelor and Masters degrees in creative writing. Her first novel, Frantic, was published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan and set a paramedic alongside Sydney police detective Ella Marconi in 'an adrenaline rush of a thriller' (Sydney Morning Herald). It won the 2008 Davitt award for best crime fiction. Her second book, The Darkest Hour, continued the pattern with Ella and another paramedic in 'a finely paced and engrossing novel' (Guardian UK). The third in the series, Cold Justice, made the Australian bestseller list, saw Katherine travelling on a P&O cruise as guest author, and was described by NYT bestselling author Tess Gerritsen as 'one of my favourite books of the year'. It also won the 2011 Davitt award for best crime fiction, making Katherine the only author to have won twice. Her fourth book, Violent Exposure, was described by Bookseller & Publisher as 'arguably her best yet - four stars', while the fifth, Silent Fear, was chosen as a ‘Guaranteed Book You Can’t Put Down’ by the national Get Reading! programme. Katherine’s books are published in multiple countries and languages and have been likened to the work of Karin Slaughter and Patricia Cornwell. Katherine is studying female doctor investigators in crime fiction for her PhD at the University of Queensland, and teaches writing and editing. She lives in Queensland with her partner, who owns a bookshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 11, 2016
This genre, if it could be called a genre, is shaping up to be my new favourite, I think. I’m loving all the books written by Australian women writers. This one is no exception. Written by an ex-paramedic, this story is full of suspense and a little romance. Number two in the series, Detective Ella Marconi is a single woman who is great at what she does, but I sense that she’s usually second to the action of the particular story. What I like about this series is its’ contemporary nature, the stories are set in Sydney and the reader can clearly see the experience and knowledge of the author. You know what you're reading is the real deal.
It must be a tough gig, and knowing a couple of paramedics personally, I can see why the long timer is very ready for a career change to spend more time with her children.
Lauren becomes embroiled in a life and death case involving her sister and niece, and her partner Joe becomes involved also. Their professional relationship is a great one, they make a good team, and Joe’s fiancé, a nurse, is a good side character who rightly senses there is more to this partnership than there should be. I'd like to read more about these two. This is a fast paced mystery with a little romance thrown in. I can’t wait for the next one, and one of my libraries will have it!
It must be a tough gig, and knowing a couple of paramedics personally, I can see why the long timer is very ready for a career change to spend more time with her children.
Lauren becomes embroiled in a life and death case involving her sister and niece, and her partner Joe becomes involved also. Their professional relationship is a great one, they make a good team, and Joe’s fiancé, a nurse, is a good side character who rightly senses there is more to this partnership than there should be. I'd like to read more about these two. This is a fast paced mystery with a little romance thrown in. I can’t wait for the next one, and one of my libraries will have it!
February 1, 2023
“Close up she saw two things: she knew who he was, and he was dead. Stewart Blake was a former schoolteacher, a convicted paedophile and murderer of a twelve-year-old girl, and his photo has been all over the news since his recent release from jail. Now his mouth hung open, and his pupils were fixed and dilated. The back and left side of his head were beaten in and dark blood pooled around him. Someone had taken their revenge.”
The Darkest Hour is the follow up to Katherine Howell's superb debut thriller Frantic and succeeds in maintaining the momentum that was initiated with the first book. Returning is homicide detective Ella Marconi but she is one half of this dual protagonist story. In a rarity for crime novels, The Darkest Hour features two strong female lead characters with paramedic Lauren Yates filling the other role.
As can be seen by the above quote, Lauren Yates finds herself in a dicey situation late at night while working a solo shift. She spots two men sprinting out of a dark alley, one of them is injured and, while refusing her offer of medical attention, alerts her to the fact that there's someone else in the alley who needs her. She checks it out and finds a known paedophile lying there, dead. But she also finds Thomas Werner there, too. Thomas happens to be her sister's ex-boyfriend and father of her niece, but he's a violent man and warns Lauren to say nothing about seeing him there, adding a threat that he will come back and harm Lauren and her family if she doesn't do as she's told. Scared to death, Lauren says nothing.
A few months later Lauren and her partner, Joe, are called to a stabbing that took place in broad daylight in the middle of Edgecliff near Sydney's inner city. As the man is being rushed to hospital he reveals to Lauren that he knew his assailant and names him...it was Thomas Werner.
Remembering the threat Werner issued before, Lauren is torn. Does she tell the police or doesn't she? Should she risk her career by lying about the fact that she knows a man named Thomas Werner?
Ella Marconi has recently been appointed to Homicide and is desperate to prove that she is a solid detective, capable in her new role. The stabbing looks as though it could be the case she's hoping for, with an identification from a dying man and corroboration from a reliable emergency worker it seems as though this case should be a straightforward affair.
But when Lauren tells Ella that she wants to change her statement - that she thinks she may have been mistaken about what the man said - the case no longer looks as rock solid as it first did.
Naturally, Ella suspects the truth behind Lauren's reticence but it throws up many more complications she could do without. Then more bodies begin to turn up and the investigation begins to get very complicated.
Importantly to the success of the book, The Darkest Hour sits on a thoroughly absorbing plot but it's the character development that gives the story substance. We are introduced further into Ella Marconi's life during the course of the book and gain a deeper understanding of the pressures she faces other than her work. Equally, the complex emotional jungle that tangles Lauren Yates' life ensures that the reader takes a stake in her welfare and cares about how she is treated in adverse circumstances.
Like Frantic, The Darkest Hour showcases paramedic procedure to a nicety focusing a significant portion of the story on the desperate emergencies handled by ambulance crews. Again, the ambulance station at the centre of the story is located at The Rocks in Sydney. Howell's expertise as a former paramedic is used to great advantage with the procedure and dialogue firing off with a sharp crispness.
Katherine Howell has again combined a solid police procedural thriller with the adrenaline-charged uncertainty of a paramedic's daily life. This is a novel that exudes strength as a quality crime thriller, it's emotion charged action and relentlessly fast paced.
The Darkest Hour is the follow up to Katherine Howell's superb debut thriller Frantic and succeeds in maintaining the momentum that was initiated with the first book. Returning is homicide detective Ella Marconi but she is one half of this dual protagonist story. In a rarity for crime novels, The Darkest Hour features two strong female lead characters with paramedic Lauren Yates filling the other role.
As can be seen by the above quote, Lauren Yates finds herself in a dicey situation late at night while working a solo shift. She spots two men sprinting out of a dark alley, one of them is injured and, while refusing her offer of medical attention, alerts her to the fact that there's someone else in the alley who needs her. She checks it out and finds a known paedophile lying there, dead. But she also finds Thomas Werner there, too. Thomas happens to be her sister's ex-boyfriend and father of her niece, but he's a violent man and warns Lauren to say nothing about seeing him there, adding a threat that he will come back and harm Lauren and her family if she doesn't do as she's told. Scared to death, Lauren says nothing.
A few months later Lauren and her partner, Joe, are called to a stabbing that took place in broad daylight in the middle of Edgecliff near Sydney's inner city. As the man is being rushed to hospital he reveals to Lauren that he knew his assailant and names him...it was Thomas Werner.
Remembering the threat Werner issued before, Lauren is torn. Does she tell the police or doesn't she? Should she risk her career by lying about the fact that she knows a man named Thomas Werner?
Ella Marconi has recently been appointed to Homicide and is desperate to prove that she is a solid detective, capable in her new role. The stabbing looks as though it could be the case she's hoping for, with an identification from a dying man and corroboration from a reliable emergency worker it seems as though this case should be a straightforward affair.
But when Lauren tells Ella that she wants to change her statement - that she thinks she may have been mistaken about what the man said - the case no longer looks as rock solid as it first did.
Naturally, Ella suspects the truth behind Lauren's reticence but it throws up many more complications she could do without. Then more bodies begin to turn up and the investigation begins to get very complicated.
Importantly to the success of the book, The Darkest Hour sits on a thoroughly absorbing plot but it's the character development that gives the story substance. We are introduced further into Ella Marconi's life during the course of the book and gain a deeper understanding of the pressures she faces other than her work. Equally, the complex emotional jungle that tangles Lauren Yates' life ensures that the reader takes a stake in her welfare and cares about how she is treated in adverse circumstances.
Like Frantic, The Darkest Hour showcases paramedic procedure to a nicety focusing a significant portion of the story on the desperate emergencies handled by ambulance crews. Again, the ambulance station at the centre of the story is located at The Rocks in Sydney. Howell's expertise as a former paramedic is used to great advantage with the procedure and dialogue firing off with a sharp crispness.
Katherine Howell has again combined a solid police procedural thriller with the adrenaline-charged uncertainty of a paramedic's daily life. This is a novel that exudes strength as a quality crime thriller, it's emotion charged action and relentlessly fast paced.
February 27, 2014
Paramedic Lauren Yates finds herself working on her own one night when a man comes bolting through an alley in the heart of Sydney. Lauren goes to investigate and finds the body of a convicted paedophile. Further down the alley Lauren will come in contact with another person, but this person is not dead and she knows him from her past. He is Thomas Werner who is Lauren's sister's ex-boyfriend and the father of her niece. He knocks her to the ground and warns her not to say nothing if she wants to keep her family safe. And Lauren knows only to well the kind of person Thomas is and he wouldn't hesitate in following through with his threat.
Lauren lied about what happened in the alley that night as she needed to keep her family safe from Thomas. Months later she and partner Joe are transporting a stabbed man to the hospital when he tells them the man who stabbed him was Thomas Werner. Lauren knows that this is not good and worries as to where Thomas is and what he has planned next.
Detective Ella Marconi is assigned to the case and after gathering all the vital information she soon realises that Lauren is hiding something. She wonders as to why Lauren tries to change her statement about the the dying mans deceleration. Will Detective Ella Marconi find Thomas before he makes good on his threat to Lauren and her family?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to see how it was going to end and I wasn't disappointed. So if you enjoy a good thriller then I highly recommend you read this book.
Lauren lied about what happened in the alley that night as she needed to keep her family safe from Thomas. Months later she and partner Joe are transporting a stabbed man to the hospital when he tells them the man who stabbed him was Thomas Werner. Lauren knows that this is not good and worries as to where Thomas is and what he has planned next.
Detective Ella Marconi is assigned to the case and after gathering all the vital information she soon realises that Lauren is hiding something. She wonders as to why Lauren tries to change her statement about the the dying mans deceleration. Will Detective Ella Marconi find Thomas before he makes good on his threat to Lauren and her family?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to see how it was going to end and I wasn't disappointed. So if you enjoy a good thriller then I highly recommend you read this book.
May 8, 2012
Paramedic Lauren Yates was working alone one night in the middle of Sydney, when a man ran from an alley directly in front of her ambulance. Jamming on the brakes, coffee going everywhere, she succeeded in avoiding him. When a second man followed, seemingly in a panicked state, she stopped, shaky from fright, to see what was going on. What she found horrified her... the dead body of a well known paedophile! Hearing noises, she investigated, and came across a person from her nightmares... Thomas Werner, Lauren’s sister’s ex-boyfriend, also the father of her niece. He pinned her to the ground, partially choking her while warning her to say nothing if she wanted her family to remain alive.
Some months later, Lauren and her partner Joe were transporting a stabbing victim to the hospital when he told Lauren that the man who had attacked him was Thomas Werner. Lauren’s nerves were getting the better of her as she didn’t know what to do with the information she held, knowing she’d lied in court! Then the guilt hit her, as she knew that if she’d told the truth initially, this stabbing victim would still be alive.
Detective Ella Marconi was assigned to the case, and when Lauren tried to change her statement about the patient’s dying words, she realised that Lauren had something serious to hide. Meanwhile, Lauren, her sister Kristi and niece Felise (Flea) needed to stay safe. And Lauren wasn’t sure what to tell Kristi, as her memories of those earlier, dark days were traumatic for her.
Ella had problems of her own, and when more bodies began to appear, they realized that somewhere, someone had more information than they should....the race was on, could Ella and the team of detectives keep Lauren and her family safe...could Ella keep herself safe?
This thriller is non-stop action, with multiple twists and turns keeping you on your toes until the last page is turned. It was a brilliant read, and I’ll be following along with the 3rd in this series shortly!
Some months later, Lauren and her partner Joe were transporting a stabbing victim to the hospital when he told Lauren that the man who had attacked him was Thomas Werner. Lauren’s nerves were getting the better of her as she didn’t know what to do with the information she held, knowing she’d lied in court! Then the guilt hit her, as she knew that if she’d told the truth initially, this stabbing victim would still be alive.
Detective Ella Marconi was assigned to the case, and when Lauren tried to change her statement about the patient’s dying words, she realised that Lauren had something serious to hide. Meanwhile, Lauren, her sister Kristi and niece Felise (Flea) needed to stay safe. And Lauren wasn’t sure what to tell Kristi, as her memories of those earlier, dark days were traumatic for her.
Ella had problems of her own, and when more bodies began to appear, they realized that somewhere, someone had more information than they should....the race was on, could Ella and the team of detectives keep Lauren and her family safe...could Ella keep herself safe?
This thriller is non-stop action, with multiple twists and turns keeping you on your toes until the last page is turned. It was a brilliant read, and I’ll be following along with the 3rd in this series shortly!
November 7, 2017
The Darkest Hour is book two in the Detective Ella Marconi series by Katherine Howell. Detective Ella Marconi was on secondment to homicide and Ella was hoping it would become permanent. Detective Ella Marconi needed a good case to help her to achieve her dream and Ella got her wish. One night Paramedic Lauren Yates pass caught up with her when she and her partner Joe Vandermeer heard the dying deceleration of one there patients. The readers of The Darkest Hour will continue to follow the twist and turns of Ella Marconi investigation and see what Lauren Yates was hiding.
I enjoyed reading The Darkest Hour. I am not sure why I did not start to read Detective Ella Marconi Series from the beginning. However, reading The Darkest Hour allow me to began to understand some of the issues I did not realise reading the other four books. I love the way Katherine Howell entwine law enforcement and paramedic into her plots. I like Katherine Howell portrayal of her characters especially Detective Ella Marconi. Katherine Howell does know how to engage her readers with her books.
The readers of Darkest Hour will learn about the procedures and problems of being a paramedic. Also, the readers will learn about law enforcement procedures. The Darkest Hour also highlights the issues and consequences of drugs on everyone who are involved.
I recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading The Darkest Hour. I am not sure why I did not start to read Detective Ella Marconi Series from the beginning. However, reading The Darkest Hour allow me to began to understand some of the issues I did not realise reading the other four books. I love the way Katherine Howell entwine law enforcement and paramedic into her plots. I like Katherine Howell portrayal of her characters especially Detective Ella Marconi. Katherine Howell does know how to engage her readers with her books.
The readers of Darkest Hour will learn about the procedures and problems of being a paramedic. Also, the readers will learn about law enforcement procedures. The Darkest Hour also highlights the issues and consequences of drugs on everyone who are involved.
I recommend this book.
October 17, 2014
Adjusting well to this Aussie writer and liking her slant on police procedurals, mainly through the eyes of a paramedic.
The series looks at a case from two different points of view, both of which are leaning towards each other: police detective and the paramedic. Well written with twists and turns, inner emotions and angst culminating in an intense final chapter.
The book also left me needing one more wrap up chapter, which I am guessing will be covered in the next book.
The story this time revolves around the "Meth" world which is extremely dangerous in every sense and lethal. Who's making this concoction and do they have the right recipe, better still, do they care? It doesn't appear so.
2 thumbs up and 4 stars (again because I feel the book needed a wrap up chapter).
The series looks at a case from two different points of view, both of which are leaning towards each other: police detective and the paramedic. Well written with twists and turns, inner emotions and angst culminating in an intense final chapter.
The book also left me needing one more wrap up chapter, which I am guessing will be covered in the next book.
The story this time revolves around the "Meth" world which is extremely dangerous in every sense and lethal. Who's making this concoction and do they have the right recipe, better still, do they care? It doesn't appear so.
2 thumbs up and 4 stars (again because I feel the book needed a wrap up chapter).
January 17, 2014
Oh yes - that was good! I think I read most of that in one sitting - I kept thinking I really should be doing something else but who cares! I find myself really caring about what happens to both Lauren and Ella. I am constantly amazed by the incredible situations in which Lauren finds herself as a paramedic but must believe them since the author is writing from her own experiences. Amazing.
November 26, 2014
Opening Sentence: “… The wind howled between the buildings like a creature from an artic nightmare as Lauren peered into the wreck, then turned to the cop beside her.’He’s dead’...”
Whenever an author’s debut book is as top notch as FRANTIC was – I always panic when I pick up their second. The expectations are always high; the reality is that sometimes those expectations don’t follow through.
Well, Katherine Howell has managed to do it again with her follow up book THE DARKEST HOUR. The investigating officer, Detective Ella Marconi, is the same as in FRANTIC, however this time the story revolves around a different main character, Lauren. Lauren and Joe are paramedics working in Sydney. The book opens in a cold winter’s night with Lauren on her own at the scene of a horrific car smash where she declares the driver dead. On her return to the ambulance station she sees a man collapse in a gutter while a second one runs off. As she goes to his assistance she sees someone else, someone she recognises – Miles Warner, her sister’s ex-partner and father of her niece. He threatens to hurt Lauren and her family if she lets on that she has seen him. Despite the fact she knows she is breaking the law, Lauren stays silent to protect her sister and niece. A few months later as Joe and Lauren rush to hospital in a vain attempt to save a stabbing victim and he names Miles Warner as his assailant, and this time Lauren can’t cover it up.
Ella Marconi is the investigative officer, struggling to prove herself in her recent promotion in homicide while keep her doting and inquisitive Italian family at bay. Lauren has made a poor decision and eventually comes clean with Ella. Ella now has to find Warner, prove he did it and protect Lauren and her family.
Unlike Lauren and Ella, the reader knows where Miles Warner is and what he is up to which means THE DARKEST HOUR is a real page turner as the suspense builds up steadily and unrelentingly.
Author Katherine Howell has used her experience as paramedic to write another superb story. The procedures and dialogue just roll out naturally and as the reader I could “hear” the tense, rapid and concise radio exchanges as if I was really there in the ambulance as it hurtled from one emergency to another. THE DARKEST HOUR is a quality thriller, cleverly blending on the edge of your seat action with the personal lives of the main characters. Both women are as tough as they need to be professionally. However, they each have their own vulnerabilities which Howell reveals to demonstrate their humanity, and makes them more real.
Katherine Howell writes a damn good story – her plot is faultless, tension and suspense balanced with small havens of down time for both the characters and reader.
Katherine Howell recently won the 2008 Davitt award for best female crime writer for her book FRANTIC
Whenever an author’s debut book is as top notch as FRANTIC was – I always panic when I pick up their second. The expectations are always high; the reality is that sometimes those expectations don’t follow through.
Well, Katherine Howell has managed to do it again with her follow up book THE DARKEST HOUR. The investigating officer, Detective Ella Marconi, is the same as in FRANTIC, however this time the story revolves around a different main character, Lauren. Lauren and Joe are paramedics working in Sydney. The book opens in a cold winter’s night with Lauren on her own at the scene of a horrific car smash where she declares the driver dead. On her return to the ambulance station she sees a man collapse in a gutter while a second one runs off. As she goes to his assistance she sees someone else, someone she recognises – Miles Warner, her sister’s ex-partner and father of her niece. He threatens to hurt Lauren and her family if she lets on that she has seen him. Despite the fact she knows she is breaking the law, Lauren stays silent to protect her sister and niece. A few months later as Joe and Lauren rush to hospital in a vain attempt to save a stabbing victim and he names Miles Warner as his assailant, and this time Lauren can’t cover it up.
Ella Marconi is the investigative officer, struggling to prove herself in her recent promotion in homicide while keep her doting and inquisitive Italian family at bay. Lauren has made a poor decision and eventually comes clean with Ella. Ella now has to find Warner, prove he did it and protect Lauren and her family.
Unlike Lauren and Ella, the reader knows where Miles Warner is and what he is up to which means THE DARKEST HOUR is a real page turner as the suspense builds up steadily and unrelentingly.
Author Katherine Howell has used her experience as paramedic to write another superb story. The procedures and dialogue just roll out naturally and as the reader I could “hear” the tense, rapid and concise radio exchanges as if I was really there in the ambulance as it hurtled from one emergency to another. THE DARKEST HOUR is a quality thriller, cleverly blending on the edge of your seat action with the personal lives of the main characters. Both women are as tough as they need to be professionally. However, they each have their own vulnerabilities which Howell reveals to demonstrate their humanity, and makes them more real.
Katherine Howell writes a damn good story – her plot is faultless, tension and suspense balanced with small havens of down time for both the characters and reader.
Katherine Howell recently won the 2008 Davitt award for best female crime writer for her book FRANTIC
August 11, 2019
This was a good read (listen) with an interesting plot and engaging characters and it moved along at a fair clip. There were lots of twists and turns and red herrings (I was way out on who the mole was!) and it held my attention. However, one of the two main characters, Lauren, made so many bad decisions that she was hard to take seriously. (SPOILER. She knows that she is being pursued by a serial killer but she goes into a dark, deserted building in what any other person would consider suspicious circumstances without informing the police.) There were other plot weaknesses and the swapping between Lauren and Ella sometimes made the book lose cohesion but on the whole I was glad to pick this up and listen again each time. Recommended. (I had no idea until I read it here on Goodreads that this is the Ella Marconi series. I assumed that Lauren was the main character!)
February 23, 2015
I really enjoyed this crime thriller set in Sydney, in which Detective Ella Marconi returns in her second effort to gain a permanent job with the Homicide Squad. Much of the story is a fairly straightforward police procedural novel, well plotted with lots of intriguing clues. The element that enlivens this story is the perspective provided by the ambulance officers, whose personal stories and adventures on the job are intertwined with those of the detectives.
March 11, 2015
This is the second book in the Detective Ella Marconi series. I started reading this as soon as I finished book 1. It is another fast paced crime thriller, this time involving illegal drugs. The narrative is again split between police and paramedics, though it is a different paramedic to the first book. I empathised more with Ella and the police in this book, but I also liked the paramedic view.
November 12, 2015
An excellent read in the Ella Marconi series. Paramedic Lauren covers up for the perpetrator of a crime in an effort to keep her family safe from his threats. But the danger increases and she has to trust Ella to close the case before she herself is killed.
Exciting and well plotted, this will keep you turning pages to the end.
Exciting and well plotted, this will keep you turning pages to the end.
October 16, 2019
A decent Australian police/crime novel - enjoyable to listen to and kept me engaged to the end. Tempted to check out the other books in the Marconi series - I started on the second as that's what was available at my library.
July 6, 2013
Not as good as Frantic, but still a good book nonetheless.
April 6, 2016
The second one of hers that I've read. There's a collection of interesting characters, some neat moral dilemmas and some good insights into the world of ambulance drivers.
November 26, 2018
Not my favourite Howell book but kept me reading until the end, having said that the end of the book doesn't seem to finish as nicely as I like.
October 24, 2024
"The Darkest Hour," the latest offering from Katherine Howell, manages to be both more polished than its predecessor and plagued by familiar shortcomings, resulting in a middling experience. While the narrative exhibits signs of maturation, it struggles to fully escape the gravitational pull of its flaws, leading to a read that is equal parts engaging and exasperating.
Central to the novel is Sydney ambo Lauren, whose arc unravels across a sequence of ever more dubious decisions. In theory, flawed characters can be captivating, but Lauren's choices stretch plausibility to the point of alienation. As the plot thickens, her credibility as a protagonist thins, rendering her more a puppet of the plot than a believable person. Reader sympathy is sorely tested as her increasingly erratic behaviour overshadows the attempts to flesh out her complexity.
Ambitious cop Ella, the central figure in the series, occupies the narrative's heart but remains frustratingly inscrutable. Two volumes in, and she still seems to drift like a shade in the periphery, her inner world left tantalisingly out of reach. Her opacity makes it difficult to fully invest in her journey.
Where the novel does achieve moments of arresting realism, particularly in its portrayal of paramedic trauma. These sections pulse with a visceral authenticity that leaves a mark, capturing the harrowing toll of the profession in all its discomfiting intensity. The writing in these passages is masterful, even if, at times, the rawness may verge on overwhelming for sensitive readers.
Still, character development emerges as Howell's Achilles' heel. The antagonists are archetypes rather than fully realised individuals. This lack of dimensionality robs the story of the rich interpersonal dynamics it could otherwise achieve, leaving interactions that feel perfunctory rather than profound. Nowhere is this more evident than with the supposed criminal mastermind, whose tactical ineptitude is akin to a bull crashing through a china shop.
⭐ ⭐
Central to the novel is Sydney ambo Lauren, whose arc unravels across a sequence of ever more dubious decisions. In theory, flawed characters can be captivating, but Lauren's choices stretch plausibility to the point of alienation. As the plot thickens, her credibility as a protagonist thins, rendering her more a puppet of the plot than a believable person. Reader sympathy is sorely tested as her increasingly erratic behaviour overshadows the attempts to flesh out her complexity.
Ambitious cop Ella, the central figure in the series, occupies the narrative's heart but remains frustratingly inscrutable. Two volumes in, and she still seems to drift like a shade in the periphery, her inner world left tantalisingly out of reach. Her opacity makes it difficult to fully invest in her journey.
Where the novel does achieve moments of arresting realism, particularly in its portrayal of paramedic trauma. These sections pulse with a visceral authenticity that leaves a mark, capturing the harrowing toll of the profession in all its discomfiting intensity. The writing in these passages is masterful, even if, at times, the rawness may verge on overwhelming for sensitive readers.
Still, character development emerges as Howell's Achilles' heel. The antagonists are archetypes rather than fully realised individuals. This lack of dimensionality robs the story of the rich interpersonal dynamics it could otherwise achieve, leaving interactions that feel perfunctory rather than profound. Nowhere is this more evident than with the supposed criminal mastermind, whose tactical ineptitude is akin to a bull crashing through a china shop.
⭐ ⭐
July 6, 2021
I would give this book six stars if I could. I am absolutely loving the tying together of Sydney with the ambulance service and the police force. While I have some concerns about how either main character reacts to some situations, it didn't detract from the story. The action started from the first page, and didn't let up until a climax that, if I'm honest felt a little bit trope-y. The plot twists kept me guessing, and while the antagonist wasn't so much revealed as introduced, their motives and the network around them kept me guessing. The resolution was way too short for my liking, but I will have to read the next in the series very soon.
September 16, 2025
Took a while for me to get into the story, but once over the halfway mark, I became more interested.
The story jumps between Lauren Yates, an ambulance paramedic and Ella Marconi, detective and the threats to Lauren and her (Kristi) sister and sisters' daughter. The past seems to be catching Kristi when her old boyfriend and father (Thomas Werner), of her daughter comes back to Australia to continue with his drug sales to make sure that nobody gets in his way. Lauren and her paramedic partner become targets because of what they know and become targets of Werner.
The story jumps between Lauren Yates, an ambulance paramedic and Ella Marconi, detective and the threats to Lauren and her (Kristi) sister and sisters' daughter. The past seems to be catching Kristi when her old boyfriend and father (Thomas Werner), of her daughter comes back to Australia to continue with his drug sales to make sure that nobody gets in his way. Lauren and her paramedic partner become targets because of what they know and become targets of Werner.
April 16, 2018
Love this series, good story line love the two main characters Joe and Lauren, Joe needs to ditch his girlfriend don't like her one bit! If you haven't read any of this series do yourself a favour you won't be disappointed.
June 9, 2018
What I like about this story is it's set in Australia, written by an Australian author who doesn't resort to perpetuating foreign stereotypes of Australia.
No-one says cobber, struth or g'day. The characters aren't all borderline alcoholics. It's just a good story.
No-one says cobber, struth or g'day. The characters aren't all borderline alcoholics. It's just a good story.
June 1, 2019
I love this series. I wish there were more of them.
July 11, 2022
audible, loved it
October 14, 2022
Another great read from Ms Howell. Raced along, enough clues to keep you guessing. I enjoy the ambo cases thrown into the mix.
Another fan here Ms Marconi.
Another fan here Ms Marconi.
September 6, 2023
Audiobook
June 5, 2025
An ok background kind of read
December 4, 2008
Since finishing THE DARKEST HOUR I've been trying to think of another author who uses such an unusual protagonist's viewpoint of violent crime. I can't, which simply could be my aging brain, or it could be that Howell is looking at violence from an angle that not many have first hand experience of.
THE DARKEST HOUR is Katherine Howell's second book - the first - FRANTIC - was a tremendous debut and she's followed up with another tight, taut and suspenseful book, using parallel viewpoints which almost become plotlines in their own right. THE DARKEST HOUR reintroduces Detective Ella Marconi who shares the limelight this time with paramedic Lauren Yates. Lauren is the ambulance officer called to a series of violent deaths that Marconi is investigating. Unfortunately for Marconi, Lauren Yates knows a lot more about the killer than she's prepared to divulge - frightened for her family and herself by the violent and menacing Thomas Werner.
Less of a mystery as the killer is clearly identified at the start of the books, THE DARKEST HOUR is a thriller in styling, as Marconi tries to identify the killer, that Lauren is only too aware of. Both women find themselves personally threatened and frightened, although unaware of each other's position. Lauren's life is further complicated by her relationship with her working partner - Joe - and the affect this is having on his fiancé.
Whilst it is undoubtedly the difference in viewpoint that make THE DARKEST HOUR (and FRANTIC before it) such fascinating books, there needs to be more to it than just that. And there is. THE DARKEST HOUR provides an overwhelming sense of menace, interwoven with a real sense of the life, in particular, of a paramedic. The complications of potential romance with a work colleague, the exhaustion of a bruising work schedule, the difficulty in talking about the awful things that are seen on a day to day basis, are all very starkly drawn in THE DARKEST HOUR and they really serve to make, in particular, Lauren feel very real. That's not to say that Ella is not a well developed character in her own right - with the problem of what to do with elderly and ailing parents, and the pressure that comes with being a daughter in those circumstances.
THE DARKEST HOUR is definitely up to the same standard as the first book and it's very pleasing to know that Katherine Howell is currently working on a third novel.
THE DARKEST HOUR is Katherine Howell's second book - the first - FRANTIC - was a tremendous debut and she's followed up with another tight, taut and suspenseful book, using parallel viewpoints which almost become plotlines in their own right. THE DARKEST HOUR reintroduces Detective Ella Marconi who shares the limelight this time with paramedic Lauren Yates. Lauren is the ambulance officer called to a series of violent deaths that Marconi is investigating. Unfortunately for Marconi, Lauren Yates knows a lot more about the killer than she's prepared to divulge - frightened for her family and herself by the violent and menacing Thomas Werner.
Less of a mystery as the killer is clearly identified at the start of the books, THE DARKEST HOUR is a thriller in styling, as Marconi tries to identify the killer, that Lauren is only too aware of. Both women find themselves personally threatened and frightened, although unaware of each other's position. Lauren's life is further complicated by her relationship with her working partner - Joe - and the affect this is having on his fiancé.
Whilst it is undoubtedly the difference in viewpoint that make THE DARKEST HOUR (and FRANTIC before it) such fascinating books, there needs to be more to it than just that. And there is. THE DARKEST HOUR provides an overwhelming sense of menace, interwoven with a real sense of the life, in particular, of a paramedic. The complications of potential romance with a work colleague, the exhaustion of a bruising work schedule, the difficulty in talking about the awful things that are seen on a day to day basis, are all very starkly drawn in THE DARKEST HOUR and they really serve to make, in particular, Lauren feel very real. That's not to say that Ella is not a well developed character in her own right - with the problem of what to do with elderly and ailing parents, and the pressure that comes with being a daughter in those circumstances.
THE DARKEST HOUR is definitely up to the same standard as the first book and it's very pleasing to know that Katherine Howell is currently working on a third novel.
March 27, 2015
3.5 stars
The Darkest Hour is the second novel written by ex paramedic Katherine Howell. The book features Detective Ella Marconi who returns from the first book written by Howell, Frantic. The Darkest Hour features two parallel storylines, events unfold from both a police procedural point of view through the eyes of Detective Ella Marconi and simultaneously through the eyes of paramedic Lauren Yates. The book opens when paramedic Lauren stumbles upon a murder victim in a dark, back alley. It appears the suspect involved in the murder is a man who Lauren hoped to never see again. Thomas Werner is her sister’s ex husband and Father to Lauren’s niece. Thomas sees Lauren at the murder scene and immediately threatens that if she breathes a word to police as to his involvement, he will ensure her sister and niece come to harm. Lauren keeps her code of silence until some months later while attending a scene involving a stabbing victim, the name Thomas Werner is used as the perpetrator by the victim. Lauren has to decide if she should break her silence and tell Detective Ella Marconi who is working on the case.
The first thing that struck me about this novel was the level of authenticity. Katherine Howell is an ex paramedic, her experiences breathe life into her characters and in particular the scenes involving the ambulance officers. One scene that stays in my mind involves a burns victim, Howell vividly describes the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of attending the scene of a burns victim. These scenes are balanced well with her character’s personal lives, the reader is given insight into the complexities of both jobs. This is combined with the characters love lives and family complications, which clearly impact upon the character’s daily lives. Howell should be commended on developing realistic, well drawn characters. In terms of plot, it was quite complex, some scenes in the middle lost me but were still full of tension. It was interesting that Howell chose reveal the identity of the killer, Thomas Werner, early in the novel but there is plenty of thrilling moments as the reader becomes embroiled in Detective Marconi’s investigation into his capture. It all ties up rather nicely for the reader in the end. Although I have not read the first book Frantic by Katherine Howell, The Darkest Hour can be read independent of the previous book. A good one for crime fiction fans.
The Darkest Hour is the second novel written by ex paramedic Katherine Howell. The book features Detective Ella Marconi who returns from the first book written by Howell, Frantic. The Darkest Hour features two parallel storylines, events unfold from both a police procedural point of view through the eyes of Detective Ella Marconi and simultaneously through the eyes of paramedic Lauren Yates. The book opens when paramedic Lauren stumbles upon a murder victim in a dark, back alley. It appears the suspect involved in the murder is a man who Lauren hoped to never see again. Thomas Werner is her sister’s ex husband and Father to Lauren’s niece. Thomas sees Lauren at the murder scene and immediately threatens that if she breathes a word to police as to his involvement, he will ensure her sister and niece come to harm. Lauren keeps her code of silence until some months later while attending a scene involving a stabbing victim, the name Thomas Werner is used as the perpetrator by the victim. Lauren has to decide if she should break her silence and tell Detective Ella Marconi who is working on the case.
The first thing that struck me about this novel was the level of authenticity. Katherine Howell is an ex paramedic, her experiences breathe life into her characters and in particular the scenes involving the ambulance officers. One scene that stays in my mind involves a burns victim, Howell vividly describes the sights, sounds, smells and emotions of attending the scene of a burns victim. These scenes are balanced well with her character’s personal lives, the reader is given insight into the complexities of both jobs. This is combined with the characters love lives and family complications, which clearly impact upon the character’s daily lives. Howell should be commended on developing realistic, well drawn characters. In terms of plot, it was quite complex, some scenes in the middle lost me but were still full of tension. It was interesting that Howell chose reveal the identity of the killer, Thomas Werner, early in the novel but there is plenty of thrilling moments as the reader becomes embroiled in Detective Marconi’s investigation into his capture. It all ties up rather nicely for the reader in the end. Although I have not read the first book Frantic by Katherine Howell, The Darkest Hour can be read independent of the previous book. A good one for crime fiction fans.
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