I really love Dervla McTiernan's Cormac Reilley series, so I was excited to see she had a new book coming out - but a little worried that like Tana French's initial foray outside of the detective series I love her for, it might be a little disappointing to me. In this case, it was and it wasn't: while my general preference is for a detective procedural, this is a bit more of a psychological twister (but not crazy twisted) with a legal aspect - but in the end that combination ended up coming together for me. The book starts with Hannah transferring to a new law school in order to try to join their chapter of the Innocence Project and work on a particular high-profile murder appeal; it's clear that she has ulterior motives having to do with something in mom's past but unclear at first exactly what that's about. As her chapters alternate with diary entries from her mom's teenage years, it gradually becomes clear what the instigating event in her mom's past was, and what it has to do with the case that Hannah is trying to sabotage. It took me a little while to get into because I found Hannah and Laura both kind of unlikeable/annoying (partly as a rule follower I have trouble with stories about people being duplicitous!) but then the twist partway through the book got me both very interested and more sympathetic to Hannah, and I was hooked by the end. The latter part also had more of the legal investigative/courtroom type thriller than the psychological, and I was more interested in that part. So in the end, a solid read, and I can see a lot of people enjoying it. E-copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ★★★.5

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan was pretty twisted. I liked the rules. No matter what, the end justifies the means? Perhaps just this time.

The premise of this novel intrigued me from the start. I thought I had it all figured out, only to be totally thrown by what was actually going on. The protagonist was rather unlikable, but the overall story makes it worth the read.

Well written and engrossing. This author is becoming one of amy favorites for her razor sharp writing. Love it

This is a decent thriller/mystery from McTiernan with a fairly original plot. The characters feel a bit one note but the pacing is good and keeps the reader turning pages. I would have liked more solid information on the Innocent Project and how it functions in the real world.

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.

I listened to the audiobook of this and when I was getting toward the end, I read the last third of the book on my Kindle because I was really into the story and wanted to finish it quickly to see how it ended.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

Internationally bestselling author # Dervla McTiernan has a new novel # The Murder Rule . This thriller is also loaded with mystery. And will keep your interest from beginning to the last page.
First Rule: Make them like you.
Second Rule: Make them need you.
Third Rule: Make them pay.
Thank you for the advance copy,
# Netgalley, # Dervla McTiernan and # William Morrow

2.5 stars, rounded up because maybe I'm being harsh, or maybe I'm just dense, but I don't feel like the title, "The Murder Rule" actually had anything to do with this story???

It was slow and not inspiring and the main character was not likable. In fact she did some really questionable things and didn't seem too remorseful about any of it and then had the balls to be upset when someone else had questionable morals and shady behavior, lol.

The middle 1/3 was the best part of the book where I actually felt like I was following along and we were getting somewhere and the story picked up a bit but then the last chunk hit and the ship jumped the shark. The reader had to suspend all belief to think any of that would ever actually happen in real life. I recommend skipping this one unless you like tedious law procedurals with unimaginative writing.

A nail-biting legal thriller that kept me guessing. With alternate timelines in 1994 and 2019, this story follows Hannah Rokeby’s quest to join the Innocence Project at UVA in an attempt to sabotage one of their cases. With alternating chapters from Hannah’s mother’s 1994 diary, we learn why Hannah has come to Charlottesville. This is a fast paced and thrilling story, with many unexpected twists. My only complaint is that it wrapped up a little too quickly! I really enjoyed this one. Love a good page turner.

I really enjoyed the UVA/Charlottesville setting since I went to college there myself. I honestly had no clue where this story was going when I picked it up, which made it even more exciting. I kind of though Hannah was a sociopath from the first page but slowly walked that back as the book went on. One of the major things the plot turned on seemed to me like it would've been inadmissible evidence in court -- granted, I have no legal background whatsoever, so I could certainly be wrong. But hey, it's fiction and I had fun reading it so what more can you ask for. Definitely recommend this one to my friends who love a good thriller especially with some legal intrigue and court scenes.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in a day. I really liked Hannah's character, even if she did things I didn't agree with. She was feisty and did what she thought was right. The book reminded me a lot of Legally Blonde. I almost took a break from reading to watch the movie.

I didn't consider this an edge of my seat thriller, but a medium paced, good story. The twists I didn't see coming. This was my first book from the author and it definitely won't be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style. You got a sense of the scene and the characters. There were quite a few characters, it got a bit confusing, but it worked itself out. Sometimes I feel like the dialogue, especially in courtroom dramas, can feel a bit forced, but this book just had a flow about it. It seemed very organic. I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Make them like you. Make them need you. Make them pay...
Hannah Rokeby is about to start her third year of law school when she learns about the Innocence Project at University of Virginia. She can't pack her bags fast enough. She's determined to get the Professor, Rob Parekh, to bring her onto the Innocence Project, no matter what it takes. She makes them think she's passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system. In reality, she's there to make sure the "innocent" man on on death row gets buried for his crimes...
This was a fun and interesting read. There were many twists I didn't see coming and was shocked by the ending. I read along on the e-book while listening to the audiobook; The narrators did a great job. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers with a bit of law mixed in.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Great story, well written. And a surprise towards the end, one I wasn’t prepared for.Thank you #netgalley and #HarperCollins Publishers for the chance to read this book .I got this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very good book one that I read quickly to find out what was carrying on. The twist I didn't see coming but afterwards I was surprised I didn't guess it. Well written but I wish it would have been longer. Will read again!

The publisher's blurb gives very little away about this legal thriller by an Irish crime writer living in Australia (yet, the story is set at the University of Virginia) and I very much enjoyed going in fairly blind. All I knew going in was that it involves The Innocence Project at UVA Law School. My reading experience was a little topsy turvy, but this is overall a solid thriller that kept me turning the pages. I was initially interested in how The Innocence Project worked. And, just when I was getting bored since I thought I knew where this was going, I was proven completely wrong and pulled right back in. And, of course, the author is an attorney!

This is a new-to-me author, so I really wanted to like this book. But, I just didn’t. The premise of The Innocence Project at UVA drew me in to begin with, but the story itself had a slow build with a manipulative and unlikable protagonist. Hannah inserts herself from the University of Maine law program into the Innocence Project by trying to blackmail the professor who heads the program. Strike One for me since she is a law student and lacks ethics. To me, that was not realistic. Then, Hannah makes it clear that she is not there to prove the innocence of felon Michael Dandridge but to make sure that he stays on Death Row. Her reasons are revealed slowly via the diaries that her mother wrote in 1994. Strike two for me was the switching back and forth between Hannah and Laura (her mom) instead of just telling the story in a straightforward way. The plot seemed to wander at times from the main story, so that was strike three for me. All of the extra details that were unnecessary and that just make the book longer were boring. I will say that the book did create tension at times, especially when there was an unexpected twist, but those occasions were too rare to totally keep my interest. With themes of violence and corruption and an overuse of expletives, this book was okay but only mildly entertaining for me. The plot was not substantially developed and although the characters were well-developed for the most part, none of them was relatable to me. Fans of legal justice books may enjoy this book, but it was not my cup of tea.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan introduces us to Hannah, a young girl trying to find her way in life. Is everything she has ever been told a lie or the absolute truth? Her mom, Laura is undergoing cancer treatment in Virginia, while Hannah is attempting to be part of the Innocence Project and free a man accused of murdering a young mother decades ago. Did Michael really enter the home and kill her or was this all a set up? Investigating a small town is hard to do under the radar without too many people asking questions and reporting back to the sheriff. Hannah can't have too many people on her radar either.
Overall, a good story. I was intrigued enough to finish the book but I didn't find it to be a page turner filled with suspense. I liked the addition of Laura's diary entries to tell the story of the past. I would like to read other works by McTiernan and will recommend The Murder rule to my friends who enjoy the lawyer/ victim/ investigation type of read. Special thanks to NetGalley, Dervla McTiernan, and William Morrow Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars for me
#TheMurderRule #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. The Murder Rule is a complex and suspenseful story of Hannah, a law student who finds a way to insert herself in UVA’s office of The Innocence Project. The reasons are not immediately clear but, as the story unfolds, truths are slowly revealed as to her purpose. Hannah is admired by her professor and fellow law students for her fearlessness and proves to be a worthy adversary. Unveiling the facts as well as the relationships is well done. Pacing is good and yields a very good read.

I really enjoyed this one! I thought it started a little on the slow side, but it did pick up pretty quickly and had some good twists and turns. I figured one of them out but there was one that really surprised me!

Thank you to Scene of the Crime Early Reads, Netgalley and William Morris for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan was a page turning, suspenseful novel that kept the readers attention to the very end! The twists and turns that the author had the reader take to piece the plot together was intriguing and captivating. I will definitely recommend this book to my colleagues!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC OF The Murder Rule. I enjoyed this book. I usually like stories that go from past to present and this was done very well. I’ll read more from Dervla McTiernan.