The Murder Rule was the first book I had read by Dervla McTiernan, I was drawn by the intriguing synopsis, I enjoy the occasional novel about trying to free a prisoner on death row, so my attention was grabbed. It was absolutely brilliant. So cleverly plotted, very original and once I started reading I was hooked and wanted to desperately read on, find out what was going to happen next and how the whole scenario would end… I really could not put it down.
Hannah has to get accepted onto the innocence project at university. They are an organisation that work pro bono to free unjustly convicted people who are now on death row.. Hannah has to be accepted for the project as she wants to work on one particular case, that of Michael Dandridge. Not believes she believes he is innocent and wants to free him, but because she believes he is guilty and wants to see him dead.
An excellent original idea, so well plotted and accomplished.
I won’t say any more about the plot as it is easy to give away spoilers, and I think part of why I enjoyed this so much is I had only read the brief synopsis on the book jacket and didn’t know what to expect so everything was an amazing revelation. I would strongly advice not to read any more reviews and just buy the book!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks once again to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book as the synopsis doesn’t give you much to go on , so I was going in without much of an idea what the book was about which I loved if I’m being honest.

If you enjoy the tv show How To Get Away with Murder this book has that kind of vibe going but with an innocence project and students doing the leg work and research, I really enjoyed that element.

Hannah is such a compelling character, I felt sorry for her so much having to live and be brought up by a mother like Laura. I really can’t give too much away or it’ll spoil the whole book, I want readers to go into this book kind of blind like I did and enjoy the thrill of finding out what happened/ happens and how things get exposed.

Hannah Rokeby's first day on campus (or grounds) at the University of Virginia is vital for her plan to succeed. She needs to get herself noticed at The Innocence Project, a non-profit organisation that take on possible miscarriages of justice. The biggest case at the moment is that of convicted killer, Michael Dandridge, & the Project is hoping to have his conviction overturned. Hannah wants in on the case, but not to help, but to make sure Dandridge stays behind bars for good.

The first glimpse of Hannah we get is a short email correspondence between her & the leader of the Project, Prof Rob Parekh, where Hannah has no compunction in alluding to blackmail in order to secure a spot on the team. This sets the tone for Hannah for most of the book, a character who has no scruples in screwing over another person (sorry Hazel) to get what she wants, which in this case is revenge for her mother. The narrative is told mainly from Hannah's point of view, with some chapters from her mother's diary setting the scene.

I was all for giving this book 4+ stars as it grabbed my attention from the outset. The story was intriguing, fast-paced & looked to be barreling along to a gripping conclusion - but then, for me, it went wrong. First of all, a side character suddenly went all 'Jason Bourne driving a mini through Paris', whilst the court room scene turned into something resembling Legally Blonde, with a student representing the accused. It spoiled the ending for me as all I could think was "Yeah, right!" as a corrupt character who had held together a ring of blackmail & intimidation for years suddenly crumbled under a couple of minutes of questioning & had left incriminating evidence where it could easily be found. I suppose it could be argued the character was complacent due to overconfidence but it felt too easy for me. Because I enjoyed reading it for most of the book, I'm rating this 3.5 stars (rounded down on sites which do not allow half star ratings).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Immersive, Intriguing…
Hannah has set herself some rules. Hannah is on a mission. Except that Hannah is most definitely not on the mission that everyone else has in mind. As a young law student, Hannah is only out to achieve the aim of success in her field. Isn’t she? Hannah has other aims and when she infiltrates the Innocence Project they may well come to light. Nothing, however, is ever quite as it seems. Immersive suspense with a deftly drawn cast of characters, a compelling, twisting and dark narrative and an intriguing premise which delivers.

It is obvious, early on in this stand alone thriller, that Hannah Rokesby is a ruthless young woman prepared to do anything to achieve her ends. The reasons why become apparent as the diary entries of her mother, written some years before, are interspersed with the action. Hannah seems to be an accomplished liar who manages to insert herself into The Innocence Project with blackmail and lies.
A fast moving plot with so many twists and turns.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Dervla McTiernan/HarperCollinsUK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Law student, Hannah Rokeby quietly left the house, leaving a note for her mother Laura, knowing she would be upset she’d left, but also knowing she had no choice. Hannah had read Laura’s long-ago written diaries and knew about the man, Michael Dandridge, and what he’d done. Now Hannah was determined to join the Innocence Project in Virginia, who were working to free Dandridge from prison where he’d spent eleven years. Hannah would work hard to impress Professor Robert Parekh, the boss of the project, so she was trusted. Then she would find a way to stop the release of Dandridge…

Hannah’s lies and deceit saw her join Sean and Camilla who were working on Dandridge’s case and Parekh was happy with what they were doing. But corruption and betrayal was everywhere. Would Hannah be able to do what she set out to do? And with the danger all around, what would be the outcome?

The Murder Rule is a standalone novel by Aussie author Dervla McTiernan and it didn’t really work for me. After reading and loving the Cormac Reilly series I guess I expected something along the same lines. And I must admit to not being a great fan of legal thrillers, which this is. That said, for all her antics, I did feel for Hannah. The big twist at the end made for a satisfying conclusion. Recommended for fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

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

Well, if you’re looking for a legal psychological thriller that has a cunning, resourceful and scrappy female lead, then look no further. This book is EXACTLY my cup of tea! I’m fascinated with the legal system and McTiernan clearly knows her stuff, being a trained lawyer herself.

This was a slow burn to start with, but it was all strategy and cunning, with Hannah clearly on a hiding to something major. That came crashing down in a dramatic theatrical showdown!

I found all characters well written and worthy of investment, and as the deceit and manipulation intensified, the more I was sucked in. I binged two thirds of this in one day! Hannah’s evolution as a character, especially as it rattles towards the end, is compelling.

I recommend you go into it blind with the only knowledge that it’s a story of lies, deceit, and consequences. No one is innocent in this story, and one person’s hero is another person’s villain. Enjoy!

When Hannah Rokeby was fourteen years old, she found her mother’s diary and read about a man who was her father, a man whom she had never met, and about a man who abused her mother – causing her to spiral into a life of alcoholism and depression. That man was called Michael Dandridge – a man who has served eleven years in prison for the brutal rape and murder of a young woman in Virginia.

Hannah is now a third-year law student at the University of Maine. One day while reading a copy of Vanity Fair, she comes across Michael’s name and learns that The Innocence Project in Virginia is working to overturn his conviction. Hannah can not let this happen – her mother may not have been able to get justice for what happened to her, but Hannah is going to make sure that Micheal never gets to leave prison – no matter what it takes! No one is innocent in this story! First Rule: Make them like you. Second Rule: Make them need you. Third Rule: Make them pay!

I love a good legal thriller and enjoyed the journey that this book takes you on. There is a dual timeline from Laura’s diary eateries in 1994 while she was working as a maid in a hotel, and Hannah in 2019 – present day. The switching between the two timelines was done well and kept the story fresh and interesting. I also really enjoyed the author’s writing, which was easy to read and flowed well for me. Hannah was an interesting character, one who I liked initially and then disliked due to her dubious behaviour, but throughout the telling of the story – you realise why she goes to the lengths she does and she redeems herself – but as things begin to get more complicated and Hannah starts to realise that the story isn’t quite as cut and dry as she first thought, morals and ethics are called into question… Did an innocent man get set up for something he didn’t do? Or is he guilty? And if he is guilty, is it of the crime he was convicted for? You find yourself questioning what the right thing to do is as more comes to light with the many twists towards the end. This book is fast-paced and filled with suspense! Highly recommend it if you’re into legal dramas.

“ The bar was called Thirsty Beaver, and it went downhill from there…”
My thanks to the author and Harper Collins Uk for my advance copy to review via NetGalley. The Murder Rule is due to be published on 12th May 2022!!

Four legally twisty stars

The Murder Rule tells the tale of Hannah, a young law student who moves to Virginia to join 'The Innocence Project'. This group of volunteers are working to free a man who who they believe was wrongly accused of rape and murder. However, Hannah has her own personal reasons for wanting to join the project.

The story is told mainly from Hannah's point of view, but it is interspersed with entries from her Mother's diary, many years earlier.

Hannah wasn't overly likable as a main character and I found that I wasn't particularly invested in the outcome for any of them.

The book was ok and I did enjoy reading it, although it went a bit 'Legally Blonde' at the end!

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

Hannah Rokeby is on a mission; she is determined to transfer to the University of Virginia to work on the Innocence Project run by a charismatic lecturer Prof Robert Parekh, a project that sets out to defend prisoners they feel have been wrongly convicted and have exhausted all other means to appeal.

When growing up Hannah discovered a secret diary that her mother Laura kept which explains a lot about how they came to be where they are. Now she plans to get revenge for what happened to her mother and thinks she can do this once she gets onto the Innocence project.

The Murder Rule is a superbly-written, twisty thriller which goes in a completely unexpected direction. There are a number of powerful characters and a few horrible ones which makes for a great plot. Read this one - you will not regret it!

This is a stand alone book by the author of one of my favourite series featuring Cormack Reilly. That said, it's completely different from that, although the author's style and quality does shine through.
Long story short, Hannah Rokeby is on a mission. A personal mission, to avenge her mother who is an alcoholic. When a child, Hannah read her mother's diary and found out something that had happened to her mother when she was younger. A bad something that, well, more than contributed to how her mother is today. A chance story in a magazine highlights a way to avenge this crime. But it means moving far away from home, to a different school, to infiltrate a project... Hannah is smart and not afraid to break the rules. But how far will she go...?
As we follow Hannah in the present as she goes about her business, we also become privy to her mother's past by way of diary excerpts. All included at exactly the right times to colour and progress the present day thread. And turn it on its head too! But that's all I'm saying about that. To be honest, it's better going in as blind as you can.
It's a bit of a slow burn initially so don't go into it thinking it'll be all guns blazing. There is quite a lot to set up, foundations to build, paths to mark. Until it eventually becomes time to smash it all down as the truth eventually comes out. Then we really get going and it all becomes a bit of a race to the end. Which, I hasten to add, although I did guess a few things a bit early, did wholly satisfy.
Characters are good, well drawn and easy to connect to. I especially loved Hannah and took to her very early in the book, running the whole gamut of emotions along with her as she started to realise some things.
Interestingly enough, this book was born of a real event regarding the real Innocence Project and, when I get time, I fully intend to learn more about this entity, as from what I read here, my interest in that way has definitely been piqued.
All in all, a gripping read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thanks to Dervla and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Murder Rule before the publication date.

The Innocence Project is the last hope for people on death row when all other appeals have failed. It is mainly staffed by volunteers and law students.

Hannah Rokeby applies to Professor Parekh who oversees the project, using more than a little deception to gain a place.
Then she sets to work on ensuring that she gets a place on the team which is working on Michael Dandridge’s case to have his conviction for rape and murder quashed.

Only Hannah is determined to prevent that happening because her mother, Laura, has led her to believe that Dandridge also murdered Hannah’s father.

Teamed with Sean Warner, they review all the evidence and interview the witnesses involved in the case.
The deeper Sean and Hannah dig, the more questions arise about the prosecution.

Laura is a demanding and devious alcoholic. Hannah starts to doubt what Laura has said and question what lengths Laura will go to in order to protect herself.

A great story which is a real page turner.

The Innocence Project at the University of Virginia investigates cases where there is a possibility of a wrongful conviction. Final year Law students do the investigative work and Faculty lawyers handle the cases where sufficient evidence is found. Hannah Rokeby transfers to UVa from University of Maine ostensibly because her mother is undergoing cancer treatment in the area, although we know that her mother is still in Maine and is an otherwise healthy drunk. Hannah tricks her way onto the Project with the intention of wrecking its most high profile case, the rape and murder eleven years earlier of a young mother. The man convicted of this, Michael Dandridge, is still on Death Row and the Project is his last chance of a reprieve. Hannah and her mother, Laura, have no opinion about his guilt or innocence on this charge, but have reasons (buried within Laura’s twenty year old diary) for wishing him dead. But what seems to be a fairly straightforward vengeance story rapidly starts to develop additional complexities and Hannah becomes conflicted. Who is guilty of what and what truths lie hidden behind apparent motives?
The story, which is told mainly by Hannah interspersed with extracts from the diary, starts off at a fair pace, but then starts to drag a bit while establishing characters, initial motivations, and the operation of the Project. Once it gets properly on the rails, however, it picks up speed and becomes more of a thriller rather than just a mystery, before transforming into a courtroom drama. There are twists, notably around the points where the story transitions between the three different tropes. It all resolves satisfactorily, although I found the courtroom sequence intrinsically unlikely if not legally impossible. Still it reads well.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I had previously read and liked Dervla McTiernan’s book The Ruin, which is the first in her police procedural series of Cormac Reilly so I was excited to pick up her new standalone thriller – The Murder Rule. In this book we follow Hannah who joins The Innocence Project for a very unique reason – to keep a man in jail.

I must admit I wasn’t particularly enthralled with this story – it’s a solid enough read and kept me engaged but I didn’t really feel motivated enough to write a review on it straight away and just a few weeks after finishing it I’ve found myself forgetting the details about it. The story is mainly told through the perspective of Hannah who isn’t particularly likeable, makes some odd decisions and is able to get away with some actions that you have to suspend your disbelief about on a number of occasions. We also get diary entries from Hannah’s mother Laura back before Hannah was born about a previous relationship which goes sour.

The book progresses well but the ending twist actually throws up a lot of plot-holes with hindsight which was a bit of a shame. There are some very convenient aspects of the plot as well – I doubt a professor would send a few students, one of whom he only met a few days prior out to interrogate an essential witness, for example.

Overall, I’m afraid The Murder Rule was a bit bland and forgettable for me with some very far-fetched ideas in its plot. Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK – Harper Fiction for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up

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 brutal system. They think I'm working hard to impress them. They think I' here to save an innocent man on death row. They.re wrong. I'm going to bury him.

Hannah Rokeby is a third year law student. She's using blackmail to get into the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia, which was set up to help free miscarriage of justice victims on death row or serving life sentences. Hannah's mother is a fragile alcoholic. After reading her mother's diary from 1994. and learning about Michael Dandridge, she wants to be part of the Innocence Project.

The characters were an interesting bunch. There's plenty of twists to keep you invested in the plotline. I liked the authors style in writing this legal thriller. But I did feel there were still some loose ends left hanging at the end.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #DervlaMcTiernan for my ARC of #TheMurderRule in exchange for an honest review.

For me this was an okay book but definitely not up to this author's previously proven standard. I wondered why she had decided to set a legal thriller in America and whether she had researched their legal system fully because some of the events in the book seemed rather unlikely.

Nevertheless there is a good story in there as long as you suspend belief and do not analyse what is happening too closely. Events unfold through a series of old diaries which tell Hannah how her mother, Laura, suffered at the hands of Michael Dantridge. He is currently in prison but there appears to be a chance that the Innocence Project may be about to get his release. Hannah lies her way into a job on the Project in order to undermine this possibility and keep him locked up.

There follows lots of lying and deceitfulness, a major twist which turns everything you have believed so far upside down and a reasonably satisfying ending. I was left with a feeling of not being quite sure about a number of points but I do not want to go into spoiler land, so I will accept that I liked the book but did not love it.

Hannah Rokeby is a law student who is desperate to work for the Innocence Project at Virginia University. Enrolled at Maine she transfers to Virginia and manages to get herself accepted by Robert Parekh, the Professor in charge. From page one it is clear that Hannah is prepared to do anything to be part of Parekh’s team.
Parekh and his small group of selected students look into last hope legal cases where prisoners have proclaimed that they are innocent and there is definite cause to believe that they are telling the truth.
Michael Dandridge has been in prison for 11 years, accused of raping and murdering a young mother but there are reasons to believe he is not guilty and he has appealed to the Innocence Project as a last resort.
Hannah really wants to work on Michael’s case and will stop at nothing to achieve her aim but what is her real motivation? It quickly becomes apparent that she has a hidden agenda.
As the book progresses the reader is treated to diary excerpts written by Hannah’s mother, Laura in 1994 when she was a young maid at a hotel near Boston. This goes some way to explaining why Hannah has an interest in Dandridge’s case. However all is not is at seems and it becomes obvious that few characters in this novel are telling the truth.
This was a compelling read with many twists and turns. I liked Hannah’s character and her ability to think quickly. She is willing to do anything to achieve her goal and this leads her into some tricky situations.
I thought the plot was clever and a bit different. I’ve read many legal thrillers and this one was definitely a page turner. I did wonder whether Hannah and her friends at the Project might possibly appear in another book by this author as they were definitely appealing!
I would definitely recommend this books to legal thriller and mystery readers who enjoy a quick and entertaining read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Hannah is a young Law Student desperate to join The Innocence Project. Run by high profile lawyer, Robert Parekh, it’s a project focussed on correcting miscarriages of justice and getting innocent people out of jail. Robert thinks Hannah is as idealistic as the other students who work on his team but he couldn’t be more wrong. Hannah manages to get herself on the team working to free Michael Dandridge who was jailed for raping and murdering a young mother in her own home. Dandridge claims that he is innocent and having exhausted all of his appeals, The Innocence Project is his last hope. The team are hopeful of securing his freedom but not everyone is convinced and working towards that goal.
Original storyline, tense, fast paced this was a really good read.

This one was a fun if somewhat flawed read.

The story of Hannah Rokeby who blags her way onto the Innocence Project in Virginia. The Innocence Project take on cases that they see as miscarriages of justice and try and set the perpetrator free.

Why does Hannah suddenly want to join the Project? When she was much younger she found her mothers secret diary which contained some brutal and very traumatic actions against her mother. Hannah still lives with her mother who is somewhat of a recluse and an alcoholic. The man named in the diary is having his case taken up the the Innocence Project to try and prove him innocent and Hannah is there to make sure that doesnt happen.

This one was a fun fast paced read. Some nice twists and turns along the way, it really does weave quiet a clever story.
Where it does fall down somewhat is the legal side of things. The courtroom scenes...well, you really do have to suspend disbelief to go along with it.

The ending of the book felt a bit rushed also and a little unbelievable.

Still a fun read overall. Its just a shame about the courtroom scenes and the ending. Otherwise I would have marked this enjoyable book higher.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

Favourite book of the year.
Great premise for a book and boy did it deliver.
Hannah Rokeby goes to extreme lengths to get herself onto the Innocence Project but not for the same reasons as the others. No, she wants to make sure a prisoner is never released. But why? The story switches effortlessly between Hannah and her alcoholic, needy mother Laura (and her diary)
Skilfully written and with a fantastic twist.
Highly recommended
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
4.5 Stars