Reviewed by Quirky Cat on
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.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 5 July, 2018: Finished reading
- 5 July, 2018: Reviewed