Gave it 4 stars when I read it but now a month later I can’t even really remember enough about it to review it. Not one that stuck with me. Knocking it down to 2 stars. Just Ok.

This book didn't work for me. I felt that there was a lot of fluff and filler to add to the overall page count. Overall, the story was just so-so.

Sorry, I am trying to clean up my netgalley and clear some old books. I did not finish this book because I couldn't get into it.

Ooh, this was a fun one. I liked the narrators, I hadn't been paying attention, when I requested this book, to the fact that there were multiple narrators for this audiobook, so I was pleasantly surprised when the other narrators started talking. I would listen to any of these narrators again in the future, they all did a great job with the narration.

I love the concept of this book. Hannah joins the Innocence Project not to prove a convicts innocence but to possibly disprove it. Dervla McTiernan did a great job of weaving a complicated back story by using alternating points of view at the beginning of a new chapter.

Looking forward to reading more books from Dervla in the future.

I enjoyed this audiobook very much. Narrator was very good.
In 2019 Hannah Rokeby tricks her way onto an Innocence Project case because a diary she found written by her mother in 1994 when she was a teenager talks about a young man, Michael Dandridge, who killed his friend. The boy who was killed was her mother's boyfriend. Michael Dandridge is in prison for the rape and murder of a young women and law student Hannah wants to make sure his case doesn't get dismissed by the work of the Innocence Project. Hannah is very devious and does not so ethic things to get on this case and as she gets further into the case, she starts to question a lot of the facts along with her team about the case against Dandridge. There are a lot of twists and turns-some are somewhat unbelievable but still a very good story.

Thank you NetGalley for an audio ARC of this book.

I have read a number of books by Dermal McTiernan (several as audiobooks), and I was so excited to see she has a new book coming out. I wasn't disappointed--'The Murder Rule' is excellent.

The story alternates between the perspective of Hannah, present-day, and her mother's diary entries from 1994. In the present-day, Hannah has lied her way onto a coveted spot on the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia. She is convinced of the guilt of convicted murderer and rapist Michael Dandridge, who the Innocence Project is working to free. The why and how of his guilt and conviction are slowly revealed through her mother's diary entries.

This a cleverly plotted, twisty mystery with more than a few surprises along the way. The narration was excellent and it was a very enjoyable audiobook. Highly recommended!

Interesting plot about a woman who joins the "Innocence Project" at another college in order to ensure that the person they are trying to free remains in prison. She is convinced that he murdered her father and raped her mother. She joins the project under false pretenses, only to start questioning the facts after interviewing the prisoner and other facts emerge. Good read, keeps you gripped right until the end.

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 5 Stars

Just like the tagline of the book reads, no one is innocent in this story - Dervla McTiernan, what a knockout! I honestly don't even know where to begin, I'm so, so picky when it comes to legal thrillers, but I loved everything about this.

It's so clear how much research McTiernan put into this, from a legal standpoint this was extremely accurate & never once did she make rules bend & twist to fit particular plot points - this was very much grounded in reality & made the book that much more powerful. This was a twisty, layered story, one that requires your full attention but I promise you, the pay-off is absolutely worth it - everything was methodically planned (the past/present timelines were very effective here), I was completely caught off guard by a handful of twists, & I was very satisfied with how everything played out. The characters, even the villains, were all written incredibly - Hannah was such a fascinating MC & I loved her journey throughout the book, trust me when I say you'll feel every emotion she's feeling as more & more secrets are revealed. Camila & Sean were my favorites, Sean especially - I've got to give it up to McTiernan for creating such a diverse cast without it ever feeling forced (fantastic queer rep, BIPOC rep & disability rep). & the book just brings up such important discussions centered around corruption within our justice system & the police force (particularly small town police forces), the importance of the Innocence Project, & questions of morality of those who choose to help the wrongfully convicted - are they really in it for the greater good, or is it a form of boosting public image & persona? This would make a great book club pick, there's so much to unpack! & the audio was amazing, all of the narrators did such a great job, especially Hannah's.

It's been a handful of days since finishing this & I can't get it out of my head, I'm so impressed - highly recommend picking this up! & thank you so much NetGalley, Harper Audio & Dervla McTiernan for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!

From my blog: Always With a Book

This is the first book I’ve read by Dervla McTiernan and I’m not quite sure how that is because she has quite an extensive backlist and I can only surmise that her books just haven’t been brought over here yet because after devouring this one, she is immediately going on my must-read list. Yes, one book in and I just know I have to read all her books.

I love a good legal thriller and it’s been a while since I’ve picked one up that kept me engaged from start to finish. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it and it had a stellar cast – yes, this one is narrated by multiple narrators – or perhaps it’s just the combination of a really good revenge story that ends up getting turned around a bit, but I was glued to this story and I find those to be the very best kinds.

I loved Hannah – I think she is such a complex character who has a lot on her plate. I’m hesitant to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away but all is not as it seems here and I love this type of premise. I loved the journal entries that Hannah found from her mom and how that was woven into the story and was so intrigued as to how that would tie in.

This story is about secrets and blackmail and the Innocence Project and the twists are so expertly plotted. I cannot wait to get my hands on Dervla McTiernan’s backlist. I’m still shocked this is the first I’ve heard of this author. If you’ve read her, where do I start?



Audio thoughts: As I mentioned above, this is narrated by multiple narrators and I thought it was so well-done. Kate Orsini is one of the narrators and I just love listening to her. The other two narrators are Sophie Moss and Michael Crouch and they did a great job, all three really making this book come to life. Their pacing was spot on and they all infused just the right amount of tension and suspense into their voices as needed.

In 2019, Hannah Rokeby is a student at the University of Maine law school. Hannah is the clever protagonist. of this complicate psychological book of intrigue. She currently lives at home with Laura, her alcoholic mother, until she transfers to the University of Virginia,. The reason for the transfer is to try and obtain a highly desirable job with the law school’s Innocence Project. The Innocence Project is an initiative to track down new evidence in cases of individuals convicted of a crime, but who, with valid reasons, profess their innocence. After an unethical move on Hannah’s part she is reluctantly accepted into this elite program. She’s assigned to work on freeing Michael Dandridge, who’s on death row, having served 11 years for the rape and murder of Sarah Fitzhugh. As the store moved from past to present readers view excerpts from her mother’s diary which recount dramatic events surrounding the death of wealthy Tom Spencer in 1994. This event occurred when Laura was working as a maid in an exclusive hotel in Seal Harbor, Maine.

I listened to the audio of The Murder Rule and I think, listeners will find, as I did, the narrators do a magnificent job of setting a stage of intrigue with both story and voices. The author, in a most suspenseful manner, gradually unfolds how Spencer’s death relates to Hannah’s work on the Dandridge case. I think there will be aha moments for readers as it was for me.

Aftrer weaving through endless court files and diary entries leading up to the truth I found the finish to be a bit rushed and left this reader with minor unaddressed issues. For example, why didn’t someone challenges Hannah after she admits in court that she broke into a sheriff’s garage to obtain evidence.
Still, this is a well written novel which will keep you listening until the VERY LAST WORD.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan is a well-narrated legal thriller. Hannah is a law student in Maine. However, she's recently uprooted her life to move to Virginia. She's wormed her way into becoming part of the team involved with helping release people who have been wrongfully convicted. As we get to know Hannah and her mother we learn that all is not as it appears. Hannah has some serious alternative reasons for moving from Maine to Virginia. I really liked the narrator, Michael Crouch. His voice was soothing and captured the essence of the plot. Read (or listen) and enjoy!

I’m between 3.5 and 3.75 stars but rounded up.

This was a page turner and I loved the audiobook, narrated by multiple voices, from Kate Orsini, Sophie Amoss and Michael Crouch who is a favorite of mine.

THE MURDER RULE was my first by author Dervla McTiernan, and overall it was an entertaining cat and mouse type legal thriller.

*many thanks to William Morrow and Harper Audio/Netgalley for the gifted copy and ALC for review

This is the first book that I've read by Dervla McTiernan and it was a fast-paced thriller for sure. Hannah is a law student at the University of Maine, but after seeing an article in Vanity Fair decides to volunteer for the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia. Since the semester has already started this will be quite something to accomplish, but Hannah will not let anything stand in her way. She has very personal reasons for wanting to be involved in a case that they are working on, but will keep that information to herself. There were so many twists in this story that at times it was hard to tell what was the truth and Hannah was also hard to like at times. I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrators of all of the characters. I will be adding this author to my TBR list.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from Harper Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A mother, Laura Rokeby, reveals her sad and broken past to her daughter Hannah through her diary, sharing the story of summer love with the wealthy Tom Spencer. Tom dies in a tragic accident, and Laura records in her diary that she believes Tom's friend Michael was at fault, and also that she later finds out that she is pregnant with Tom's baby. Years later Laura discovers that Michael is on death row for rape and murder and that a group of law students volunteering for an Innocence Project is taking on Tom's case. Convinced that Michael is guilty of her father's based on her mother's journal entries, Hannah finds a way to get accepted into the Innocence Project hoping to prove that Michael should remain on death row.
I enjoyed the narrator, the suspense, pacing, and plot twist near the end. I'm giving it 3.5 stars because the final courtroom scene was just a little too pat and not believable.

The tagline for the audiobook is ‘No one is innocent in this story' and it’s true.

Hannah joins the Innocent Project trying to save an imprisoned man. However, she believes that he raped her mother and wants him to stay in jail. Once she starts working for the group, she starts to question what she thinks she knows.

Hannah is a bright character with flexible morals. She, along with a gripping plot makes this audiobook hard to stop listening to.

This review is based on an advanced listener copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

If you’re in for a pretty good cat and mouse legal thriller than give The Murder Rule a read! Hannah is set on finally bringing her mother’s rapist to justice. How is she going to do this? By getting herself on the team that is trying to exonerate him. When Hannah's manipulation of the legal system turns against her and those close to her are getting hurt, she starts to realize that her life's pursuit may have not been worth it. With twists and turns that are somewhat predictable but none the less enjoyable, this legal thriller was worth the listen and a definite 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

I really enjoyed this title and following Hannah on her mysterious journey. The author wove this story together very well and kept me in suspense throughout the audio.

If you want enjoy psychological thrillers, you will definitely not want to miss this one.

This is a wild ride with a very smart young woman. She has always been close to her mother, an alcoholic, a woman who was violently assaulted one summer after high school. She had stumbled on a diary her mother kept during that summer and so she knows exactly what happened. When Hannah hears that the Innocence Project is looking into Michael Dandridge the man her mother has said raped her and murdered her boyfriend, Hannah talks her way onto the team that is working to exonerate him. The twists and turns happen quickly, and although some of the character interactions don't feel right, and some of the legal items were not quite right, this still kept me turning pages. The chapters alternated between Hannah's life and and her mother's diary. As Hannah continues the investigation she begins to question the truth of those entries as more and more things do not add up.

This was a good book that is worth reading when you want a quick and fun mystery. It won’t make my list of favorites but I’ll definitely recommend it. The narrators were okay— they were so careful to enunciate that it felt less fluid most of the time. I am coming off two Julia Whelan audiobooks so it might not be fair to compare. This won’t be your favorite mystery of the year but I think it should make your tbr.

Hannah, a third year law student, finds herself traveling from her home state of Maine to Virginia. She is desperate to find a place among the state University’s Innocence Project; a program consisting of law students taking on cases of the potentially innocent incarcerated, but her true motivations and intentions are unknown to the leader, Professor Rob Parekh, and to the entire team. This is a high stake cat & mouse legal thriller and is perfect for fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham.