No one is innocent in this story.
First Rule: Make them like you.
Second Rule: Make them need you.
Third Rule: Make them pay.
They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system.
They think I’m working hard to impress them.
They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.
They're wrong. I’m going to bury him.
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The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan was published on 12 May 2022 in hardback by HarperCollins. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour
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Dervla McTiernan's The Murder Rule is her first stand alone novel and instead of her usual Irish setting, in this story, the reader is transported to the southern states of the USA.
Hannah Rokeby is a young law student who is determined to become part of The Innocence Project. This project actually does exist in America, and the people who work there spend their time trying to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions and create a fair justice system.
Hannah manages to secure a voluntary post at the project, and it is clear from the outset that she is quite an unconventional character. Her method of ensuring her place on the project is unusual and shows her total determination to get what she believes is correct.
Leaving her mother at home, Hannah moves to Virginia and the story really begins. Michael Dandridge is the prisoner who Hannah is really interested, and once again, she manages to get just where she wants to be ... right in the middle of the case being prepared to free him.
However, the reader is aware that Hannah may not have the same reasons for working on this case as the other volunteers and staff. We are privy to the contents of a diary, written many years ago. The words in this diary are Hannah's fuel, she knows what she wants and she will do nothing to stop it happening.
With a fairly slow start, the author settles the reader into the story, the background, and most imporantly of all, to Hannah's inner feelings. I really know very little about the legal system in America and have to admit that there are events within the plot that did surprise me, I'm not sure if these were poetic licence taken by the author, or whether the system really does work like that.
The Murder Rule is a well structured novel that kept my attention throughout. Whilst not always likeable, Hannah is certainly complex and I enjoyed the way she was built by the author.
The Murder Rule is a well structured novel that kept my attention throughout. Whilst not always likeable, Hannah is certainly complex and I enjoyed the way she was built by the author.
Great storytelling, with a fascinating premise. I will certainly look out for more from this author.
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biggest names in crime fiction. Her books have garnered critical acclaim around the world and sold over 400,000 copies in Australia and New Zealand alone.
In 2022, McTiernan returns with her first ever standalone thriller, The Murder Rule. Inspired by the true story of a young law student who worked at the Innocence Project and eventually uncovered evidence which exonerated a man who had been in prison for 26 years, McTiernan has created an unforgettable, twisty thriller – the must-read novel of the year.
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About Dervla:
Dervla McTiernan’s debut novel, The Rúin, is a critically acclaimed international bestseller published around the world. The Rúin won the Ned Kelly, Davitt and Barry Awards and was shortlisted for numerous others. It was on the Amazon US Best Book of the Year list 2018 and screen rights were snapped up by Colin Farrell’s production company and Hopscotch Features. Dervla’s second book, The Scholar, won the International Thriller Award and debuted straight into the Nielsen Bookscan Top 5 on release in 2019, and her third, The Good Turn, went straight to no.1, confirming her place as one of Australia's best crime writers.
Instagram: @dervlamctiernan
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