The Murder Rule: smash hit #1 bestselling New York Times thriller of the year 2022
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3.9 • 765 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
No one is innocent in this story ...
The unmissable no.1 bestselling New York Times thriller of the year
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' Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City on Fire
'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
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Dervla McTiernan, author of the highly praised Cormac Reilly crime series, returns with a thriller that brilliantly examines the nature of guilt. When law student Hannah Rokeby transfers to the University of Virginia, her goal is to join a team that aims to exonerate people wrongly convicted of serious crimes—but her intentions are not straightforward. Hannah’s backstory is also her mother’s, and it’s their intense relationship that compels Hannah’s disturbing pursuit of justice and propels the plot towards its jaw-dropping reveals. McTiernan’s first standalone novel draws on her fascination with the Innocence Project, a real-life organisation that pursues criminal justice reform and works to free the innocent, and the true story of a young law student working for the project in the United States. The author skilfully turns these interests into a riveting story that crackles with tension right up to its final, gut-wrenching moments.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 2019, University of Maine law student Hannah Rokeby, the protagonist of this entertaining if flawed psychological thriller from Thriller Award winner McTiernan (The Scholar), shares a home with Laura, her alcoholic mother, until she transfers to the University of Virginia, where she wangles a highly desirable job with the law school's Innocence Project, which tracks down new evidence in cases of individuals convicted of a crime, but who profess their innocence. 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. Meanwhile, vivid excerpts from her mother's diary recount dramatic events surrounding the death of wealthy Tom Spencer in 1994, when Laura was working as a maid at an exclusive hotel in Seal Harbor, Maine. McTiernan keeps the suspense high as she gradually reveals how Spencer's death relates to Hannah's work on the Dandridge case. Unfortunately, the rush to the finish is riddled with unaddressed issues, like why no one challenges Hannah after she admits in court that she broke into a sheriff's garage to obtain evidence. McTiernan has done better.
Customer Reviews
Slow burn
Nearly put it down because it didn’t grab me in the first few chapters like other McTiernan novels. Glad I persevered as it picked up tempo and I found myself hooked.
Good read
I enjoyed the book immensely it started a bit slow but picked up the pace as the plot began to unfold.
Great Read
Loved this book. Love all of Dervla’s books but this one was my fave!