No one is innocent in this story ...

The unmissable new standalone from the no.1 bestseller of The Good Turn

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.

'Complex, unsettling and relentless, with a female protagonist on a journey of self-discovery that will culminate in a riveting final act, The Murder Rule is a great read' Sydney Morning Herald

'Tense and fascinating, dripping with the sort of suspense and intrigue we've come to depend on from Dervla McTiernan' Christian White

'Dervla McTiernan somehow makes the crime writing caper look effortless (spoiler: it isn't). This one's a headlong rush.' Jock Serong

'An extremely smart, thoroughly addictive, super twisty legal thriller that strikes the perfect balance between high-stakes action and real emotional depth. An absolute must-read, I guarantee you won't be able to put it down.' Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place

'Clever and compelling, Dervla McTiernan has seamlessly switched from fast-paced police procedural to original and suspenseful legal drama without missing a beat.' Sarah Bailey, author of The Housemate

'Gripping and full of tension, with twist after unexpected twist. You won't just read The Murder Rule, you'll devour it.' Karin Slaughter, no.1 bestselling author of Pieces of Her

'Diabolically clever, highly compelling and deeply moving. I loved The Murder Rule and did not want it to end.' Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of The Force and The Border

'Extraordinary. Haunting. An incredible thriller. I could not put this book down. Dervla McTiernan is a gifted writer with a very special way of telling a story. This is a heart stopping rollercoaster of a tale.' Adrian McKinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain

'With her third novel Dervla McTiernan confirms she's a born storyteller' Val McDermid

The unputdownable no.1 bestseller from the author of The Ruin and The Scholar.

Police corruption, an investigation that ends in tragedy and the mystery of a little girl's silence - three unconnected events that will prove to be linked by one small town.

While Detective Cormac Reilly faces enemies at work and trouble in his personal life, Garda Peter Fisher is relocated out of Galway with the threat of prosecution hanging over his head. But even that is not as terrible as having to work for his overbearing father, the local copper for the pretty seaside town of Roundstone.

For some, like Anna and her young daughter Tilly, Roundstone is a refuge from trauma. But even this village on the edge of the sea isn't far enough to escape from the shadows of evil men.

PRAISE FOR DERVLA McTIERNAN:

'Intelligent and fast-paced ... We can't wait [for the next case]' - Wall Street Journal

'Top-notch crime writing' - Kate Forsyth

'Like The Ruin, The Scholar is a fast-paced, rewarding read' - Irish Examiner

'A truly fine police procedural that should see the author rocket from star to superstar' - Irish Independent

'Taut, tense and darkly addictive' - Candice Fox

'Confirms McTiernan's place in the top rank of crime writers' - Chris Hammer

'The Ruin was an outstanding debut but The Scholar proves beyond a doubt that Dervla McTiernan is a remarkable talent ... crime fiction of the highest standard' - Jane Casey

'A story that is as moving as it is fast-paced' - Val McDermid

'A writer to watch' - Publishers Weekly

'Dervla McTiernan's first novel far outclasses some of the genre's stalwarts, marking her as a crime writer to watch, and Cormac Reilly a cop to follow to hell and back. Fans of Ian Rankin and Tana French will feel right at home' - Bookseller + Publisher

'Dervla McTiernan has rocked the crime fiction world with good reason. Taut, tense and darkly addictive. A treat for lovers of fine crime writing.' - Candice Fox

Being brilliant has never been this dangerous ...

When Dr Emma Sweeney stumbles across the victim of a hit and run outside Galway University late one evening, she calls her partner, Detective Cormac Reilly, bringing him first to the scene of a murder that would otherwise never have been assigned to him. A security card in the dead woman's pocket identifies her as Carline Darcy, a gifted student and heir apparent to Irish pharmaceutical giant Darcy Therapeutics. The multi-billion-dollar company, founded by her grandfather, has a finger in every pie, from sponsoring university research facilities to funding political parties to philanthropy - it has funded Emma's own ground-breaking research. The enquiry into Carline's death promises to be high profile and high pressure.

As Cormac investigates, evidence mounts that the death is linked to a Darcy laboratory and, increasingly, to Emma herself. Cormac is sure she couldn't be involved, but as his running of the case comes under scrutiny from the department and his colleagues, he is forced to question his own objectivity. Could his loyalty to Emma have led him to overlook evidence? Has it made him a liability?

PRAISE FOR THE SCHOLAR

'Atmospheric and beautifully paced, with nuanced characters and a gripping plot - The Scholar has it all.' - Chris Hammer

'This is top-notch crime writing - fast, clever, surprising, and psychologically acute. I can only wish Dervla could write as fast as I can read!' - Kate Forsyth

'The Scholar is a gripping follow-up to McTiernan's debut crime novel The Ruin, featuring the enigmatic DS Cormac Reilly ... The Scholar is a tightly plotted, fast-paced read with enough twists to keep you guessing right to the end.' - Better Homes & Gardens

'Another thrilling tale that delivers on all the promise of McTiernan's debut - not to be missed.' - Readings Monthly

'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.

Zwanzig Jahre später hängt Reilly seine Karriere als Detective in Dublin an den Nagel und kehrt nach Galway zurück. Nun kehren auch die Erinnerungen an Maude und Jack zurück und verfolgen ihn. Was verbindet einen kürzlich begangenen Selbstmord mit dem schon Jahre zurückliegenden Tod der Frau? Und wem kann Reilly von seinen neuen Kollegen wirklich vertrauen?