An intriguing and gripping story, I loved the characters and can't wait to read more by this author.

This standalone thriller is an interesting break from the usual books I'm used to from this author. With a legal thriller set in the USA McTiernan has moved clearly out of her comfort zone, but the result is a fabulous and enjoyable read.

The murder rule follows Hannah, a Law student who has managed to get a spot on the innocence project where they help review inmates cases and fight to release them, The story is told from Hannah's perspective in the present and we also get to see her mother, Laura's tale in the past get told which helps to weave together the 2 narratives and storyline. We do have another drunk female character in Laura's mum which I feel is a bit of a trope that is getting overdone in thriller but its a small part of the story so can be looked over, It was great to follow along with Hannah - she's trying to sabotage the inmate she's been given and his chance for freedom. There were some things in this books which were a bit 'unbelievable' and were clearly done to try and add another level of 'shock' to the story, but overall I really enjoyed this read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this book.

I felt the writing was done well in this book but there was just something missing for me and I couldn't get into it and enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

I am a big fan of Dervla McTiernan and I have loved her previous stories and I was delighted to get the opportunity to read her newest book. Unfortunately I found the Murder Rule a difficult read as I found the plot weak and main character unlikeable.

i'm gonna be completely honest, i had no idea i was going to enjoy this so much. my understanding of the innocence project was that they largely take on slam-dunk cases, or at least ones that have an element of moral injustice, so i was very surprised and challenged by hannah's perspective going in. but then the plot just kept twisting! genuinely as we trucked on the plot just got more engaging. could've used another strong copy editing pass tho

This book is clever, really clever.

"First Rule: Make them like you.
Second Rule: Make them need you.
Third Rule: Make them pay."

By doing this our heroine hopes to find true justice. But it's not in way that she expected and nor is the story what I expected.

The Murder Rule is an addictive, twisty thriller sure to hook readers from start to finish. The characters are well-developed. The tension was taut throughout. The story is unpredictable and filled with twists. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fast-paced legal thrillers. Be sure to check out The Murder Rule today. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this book . First I’ve read from this author but can’t wait to read more.
Interesting storyline and lots of twists and turns throughout the book. Couldn’t put it down but didn’t want it to end. Just proves that sometimes things aren’t what they seem and some people will go to great lengths to get what they want.

The Murder Rule is the story of Hannah Rokeby, who is determined to join the Innocence Project- a group who try to bring justice to convicted criminals that they feel have suffered a miscarriage of justice.
Hannah, after reading her mothers story is desperate to get on the case of Michale Dandridge, though it is obvious she is not on the same side as the Innocence Project.
Extracts from her mothers diary through the book give you some insight as to her motives.
Great read and I thoroughly enjoyed this legal thriller.

The Murder Rule is the first book by Dervla McTiernan that I’ve read and I wasn’t overly impressed. I am prepared to suspend disbelief to a certain extent but nothing rang true in this story; cardboard characters and amateur writing also didn’t help. I listened to the audio version and narrations were decent, hence an extra star in my rating.

I loved this! The premise was just the kind of thriller/crime novel I enjoy - an 'appearances are deceiving' plot where our protagonist joins a branch of "The Innocence Project" appearing to want to help, but in reality to ruin the chances of a particular man getting out of prison. As the blurb says, "I’m going to bury him."
There are twists and turns galore, with our law student pulling the wool over many eyes while we try to figure out her motivation and whether she is the hero or the villain here! Saying any more would potentially create spoilers, so suffice to say this was even better than I expected (and yeah, there are some very convenient moments, but in the grand scheme of the story it is fine) and I absolutely recommend it.
I'll absolutely be reading more by McTiernan after this.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for ARC.

Law student Hannah Rokeby manages to get a coveted placement working with the famed Innocence Project, which works to overturn miscarriages of justice in the USA. She makes it her business to make herself indispensable and get assigned to the case of Michael Dandridge, who has always asserted his innocence. Hannah's mother had known him years ago - but how well?
It's clear from the outset that Hannah's motives aren't entirely honourable, and there are a lot of twists, counter twists, and unreliable narration going on. In the end, for me it was all less than the sum of its parts.

If I'm being brutally honest... this was an OK read..

Alot of the storyline feels completely implausible and unlikely so as long as you suspend belief whilst reading and don't analyse things too closely you'll get on fine.

For me the first half of the book seemed to drag on and on with the investigation into what Michael maynor may not have done but thankfully the second half brought the action and violence.

This is a book full to the brim of lies and deceit with a great major twist which saved the book for me!

As above, an OK read but not one I can say I enjoyed or would recommend on to others.

2.5*

Thanks to netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Overall a good read, though a little “wordy” at times. I enjoy a main character who is difficult to like and my tension was held by the twists and turns n the storyline.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book - this is not what you think it will be and all is not so black and white.
Good storyline, good characters, fast paced and a really twisty legal thriller.
I definitely want to read more from this author.
Highly recommend

What a gripping mystery

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

Hannah begins working at the Innocence Project to help prisoners who have bee wrongly convicted of crimes; however, her motives aren't all clear as to why she is really working there.

I loved the twists and turns in this novel; the underlying story of possibly a innocent man fighting for his freedom as well as Hannah's ulterior motives al create a dark and tense atmosphere that kept me hooked. I both read the book and listened to the audiobook and loved both formats. The cast of narrators were really engaging and I ended up listening to more of the story via audiobook as it was so entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Murder Rule is a fast paced, twist filled legal thriller. I enjoyed the narrative and the characters and will read more from the author.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.