Absolute five star read, I'd give six stars if I could. Definitely a bright new star to add to my ever growing list of awesome Irish crime authors. It's a great modern take on the crimes of the past, concentrating not just on the church but wider societies blind eye ,without being too grim reading. I'm really looking forward to the next book....

I do love being able to be in at the beginning of a new detective/crime series, particularly those set in the UK. This one certainly did not disappoint and the added bonus of it being set in Ireland. This was a fabulous start to the new series and really gripped me from page one. I loved the way that the story intertwined with modern day and flash back to when Cormac was a new garda. The characters were really well developed and whilst I guessed early on that Danny was not to be trusted, I did not see the twists and turns that came with his character. Easy to read with plenty of dialogue which I like. I can't wait to read more of this series and what a brilliant debut from this new author!

#TheRuin #NetGalley #LittleBrownBook #DervlaMcTiernan #BookReview
Cormac Reilly is the protagonist in this debut novel. Transferring back to Galway where his welcome by fellow officers is decidedly chilly.
Tasked with looking at cold cases Cormac finds himself investigating the death of a woman from twenty years ago when he was first on scene. What happened to the siblings he found at the house? With politics and rumours circulating how far will Cormac go to solve the mysteries.
I loved this as a first novel and hope that it won’t be the last involving Cormac Reilly as it’s a foregone conclusion that I would read book 2. I was hooked from page one and liked how the story unfolded. The characters were varied and interesting. I did not see the end coming which I liked as I hate when I guess the ending. Thanks to Net Galley and Little Brown book publishers for an ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of The Ruin, a police procedural set in Galway.

DS Cormac Reilly has recently taken a step down from the elite squad in Dublin he worked for to follow his partner to Galway. His welcome to Galway is less than warm and he is stuck with the coldest of cold cases despite his experience and ability. This does not change with the questionable suicide of Jack Blake, a man Cormac knew as a 5 year old when he discovered, as a rookie in 1993, his dead mother, Hilaria. In fact Cormac is asked to re-investigate Hilaria's death from a heroin overdose. He can't understand the politics swirling around both these cases and the station.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Ruin which is an excellent procedural with the requisite twists and turns, an honourable protagonist, tension and some heartbreaking history. Mostly told from Cormac's point of view it also has scenes from Jack's fiancée Aisling and his sister Maude's points of view. I'm not a big fan of the multiple point of view approach but it works extremely well here, rounding out the reader's knowledge and giving a fuller picture than Cormac alone can. I was mostly glued to the pages wondering what would come next although there is a slight sag in the middle which seems a bit repetitive and doesn't really push the plot forward, hence the 4.5 rather than 5* rating. Apart from this dip the novel is well paced and tense, especially in the second half, with the reveals coming at regular intervals.

Cormac Reilly is a great protagonist. He is smart, dogged, moral and very likeable but very much the outsider in Galway. I found it difficult at first to understand what he is doing in Galway and why his reception is so poor but the politics soon become apparent although his relationship with his girlfriend, Emma, remains ill defined throughout the novel.

I also like the portrait Ms McTiernan paints of Ireland where the present day seems inextricably linked to the Church and the past. She takes a matter of fact, it is what it is approach and it works really well.

The Ruin is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending. 4.5*

This was a slow burner of a book that gradually enthralled me with its cast of characters and several investigations that are somehow linked. The Irish setting added to the appeal of the book and the descriptions were very evocative.
The main protagonist is Garda Cormac Reilly who has moved from Dublin to Galway to fall in with his girfriend’s career plan. He is asked to investigate a number of cold cases whilst he is settling in but feels there is a rather strange atmosphere at his new police station.
The story also focuses on Aisling a young doctor who has just heard some distressing news and is trying to come to terms with it.
Cormac is then asked to look into a 20 year old case to which he is connected as he was the original investigating officer; he was new to the job and called out to what he perceived at the time as a domestic dispute and finding 15 year old Maude and 5 year old Jack, victims of child abuse home alone with a dead alcoholic mother, young Cormac takes them to the hospital but Maude subsequently disappears. This case has always stayed with him as he felt he never got the full story.
20 years on and Cormac is asked to look at the case again but how is it linked to Aisling’s tragedy?
There are many connections in this sad and at times heartbreaking story. The reader feels for young Maude and Jack and wants to get to the bottom of what really happened to them.
Cormac is an interesting character and he obviously has a back story which is hinted at and which I’m sure will come out in future books as this novel has the feel of a series.
The descriptions of Ireland and the small town community Cormac is serving had the feel of authenticity.
This is a great debut novel, part mystery and part family story. It examines the ties that bind siblings and the lengths that some will go to protect or destroy their families. It will appeal to readers who enjoy literary thrillers . It reminded me a bit of Jane Harper’s The Dry but with an Irish setting as it examined some similar dark themes.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended and suggest you look out for it when it is published in March.