The Ruin (The Cormac Reilly)

by Dervla McTiernan

The Top Ten fiction bestseller and critically acclaimed crime debut featuring everyone's favourite new detective, Cormac Reilly

'The Ruin is spectacularly good. So CONFIDENT ... excellently written and, at times, heartachingly sad' Marian Keyes

'Corruption, clandestine cover-ups and criminal conspiracy ... as moving as it is fast-paced' Val McDermid

'Dervla McTiernan's first novel outclasses some of the genre's stalwarts making her a crime writer to watch ... fans of Ian Rankin and Tana French will feel right at home' Bookseller + Publisher (4.5 stars)

Galway 1993: Young Garda Cormac Reilly is called to a scene he will never forget. Two silent, neglected children - fifteen-year-old Maude and five-year-old Jack - are waiting for him at a crumbling country house. Upstairs, their mother lies dead.

Twenty years later, a body surfaces in the icy black waters of the River Corrib. At first it looks like an open-and-shut case, but then doubt is cast on the investigation's findings - and the integrity of the police. Cormac is thrown back into the cold case that has haunted him his entire career - what links the two deaths, two decades apart? As he navigates his way through police politics and the ghosts of the past, Detective Reilly uncovers shocking secrets and finds himself questioning who among his colleagues he can trust.

What really did happen in that house where he first met Maude and Jack? The Ruin draws us deep into the dark heart of Ireland and asks who will protect you when the authorities can't - or won't.

• ISBN10: 1643580132
• ISBN13: 9781643580135
• Publish Date: 28 January 2019 (first published 1 March 2018)
• Publish Status: Withdrawn
• Out of Print: 5 July 2022
• Imprint: Platinum Spotlight Series
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 500
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars

The Ruin is the first in a new series, Cormac Reilly, by Dervia McTiernan. It was described as being perfect for fans of Tana French, and after having read this novel I can honestly say that this is an accurate statement. There were actually a couple of times where I stopped and double checked the author’s name, for I sincerely thought I was read a Tana French novel (specifically Into the Woods – the tone was very similar between the two novels).
I just want to say real quickly that I absolutely adore the cover to this novel. It’s beautiful and eerie at the same time, which is likely exactly what they were going for. I don’t know why, but I love thriller novel that use natural elements on their covers.



Warnings first: There’s talk of both suicide and rape during this novel. Being that one of the main characters is an Irish police officer, this probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. But still, consider yourself warned. Both are talked about as either after the fact or as theoretical, depending on the situation. Neither provides a terrible amount of detail, which in this case is a good thing.
When I started reading the Ruin I found myself immediately immersed in the new world on the pages. I know that sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s the truth. I actually ended up reading this novel entirely in one sitting, simply because I couldn’t bear to put it down.
I really loved that there are two cases, twenty years apart, tied together to make the foundation of this story. It adds depth and intrigue all at the same time. The complexity of both situations was fascinating, and in the end it turned out to be a rather difficult web to untangle.
I will say that thinking back on the matter; it is possible to spot many breadcrumbs to help lead us to the truth. It probably isn’t possibly to get the whole story until the end, but the villain is believable in that they’re seen ahead of time, their character is put into question again and again, and so on.
I do have a complaint or two about the novel, which is why I didn’t rate it higher (I wish I could have though). They were minor complaints mostly, and they just ended up stacking up over time. Despite that I honestly do think I’ll continue reading this series as it comes out. Too often I feel like I’m playing the catch-up game in a series I like, so I’m not going to get this one get away from me.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks