When law student Hannah joins the Innocence Project, a group trying to overthrow wrongful convictions, she quickly makes herself indispensable to the biggest case they are working on. Little do they know Hannah is out to make sure their client is not saved but sent to death row. Can she achieve that without anyone realising they are sabotaging her?

Ugh this book. The blurb was superbly written and I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectation. I did enjoy the dual narratives from Hannah and her mum’s diary. It’s an interesting concept for a book. However, from start to finish you have to suspend belief for a lot of events from the book, from how Hannah managed to get the job to where Hannah was headed next to the end of the book. I didn’t feel like the Hannah’s colleagues responses were credible. Though it was an easy read and kept me turning the pages, I felt like something was missing - I wanted to root for someone - either Hannah because the convict was so awful or the project because Hannah was so warped, but I just didn’t feel that at all. It was at points vague and at others confusing.


However, with these issues aside, I did really enjoy the last quarter of the book. It was brilliantly tense and satisfying. I have bumped up my rating for the ending alone, I just wish the rest of the book was as good as the writing at the end.


Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4663546147

The Murder Rule is the fourth novel by award-winning, best-selling Australian author, Dervla McTiernan. Law student Hannah Rokeby leaves her mother Laura in Orono, Maine and travels to Charlottesville, Virginia to study for a semester at UVA. She has a convincing cover story and manages to get herself a trial position with The Innocence Project. Professor Robert Parekh takes her on despite her fairly blatant attempt to blackmail him into it, but she will have to prove her dedication to the cause.

Parekh’s intimate team of three students is faced with an urgent case preparation: their latest client, Michael Dandridge, having served eleven years for the rape and murder of Sarah Fitzhugh in Yorktown is, due to certain technicalities, about to face trial once again. Within days, Hannah has manipulated the situation to her advantage, becoming one of Rob’s team.

What isn’t apparent to anyone on the team is that Hannah is not there to help prove Michael ’s innocence; rather, she wants to see him incarcerated for as long as possible, and to this end, sets about surreptitiously sabotaging their efforts; she knows something about Michael Dandridge that they don’t.

Laura Rokeby’s journal from 1994, the year she worked as a maid in a Seal Harbor Hotel, describes her summer love affair with a rich young man, an affair that ends with a shocking tragedy.

McTiernan’s first stand-alone novel has a plot that twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing right up to those jaw-dropping reveals. The felony murder laws and the inner workings of the Innocence Project add interest, and very little suspension of disbelief is required with this intriguing page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins

I liked the use of intermittent diary entries to explain the past events and give context to the present but without breaking the flow of the narrative.

It is quite involved and there is the potential to get e lost if you’re not into the legal game or knowledgeable about legal terms, but I don’t think there’s an alternative way of writing it as all the characters are knowledgeable and it would look out of place to suddenly have someone explaining the basics just for the sake of the reader.

I don’t know why I was expecting it, but I did think there would be more action earlier on. There’s a lot of talking, a lot of narrative for the first 60-70%, and whilst that’s not a bad thing as it is exciting and draws you in, it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be.

There are twists and turns and subtle red herrings and clues dotted throughout the book. The narrative really grabs you and before you know it you’re half way through. You feel like you’re part of the legal team and you’re trying to work out the truth for yourself before it’s revealed to you.

I’m a weird way I think there’s almost a dark Legally Blonde side to this - of a young girl not being bevel in an industry of men. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not the main crux of this, there’s not a full-on feminist element or anything, it just gave me that vibe and I’m here for it!

3,5* upped to 4
I was a huge fan of Cormac Reilly mysteries and had high expectations for this new book by Dervla McTiernan.
I found it a bit disappointing as it starts with a bang and the last part is a bit unbelievable.
I think i would have loved it if this was a debut but after the series I found it a bit too disappointing.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5★

Dervla McTiernan has enjoyed enormous success with her Cormac Reilly series, and deservedly so. For her latest release, The Murder Rule (a standalone) she is trying something quite different. For me it was good, but didn't reach the heights of her Irish crime series.

Laura Rokeby is a fragile single mother with a strong, independent daughter in law student, Hannah. The two have a very close bond that members of larger or more traditional families might struggle to understand. Hannah has been looking after, and looking out for, her mother since she was 6 years old. Laura would be lost without her. So when Hannah literally sneaks off to Virginia without telling her mother her plans, you just know she has a compelling reason. She's gone to volunteer on the Innocence Project, a legal service within the University of Virginia Law School, that champions death row inmates who they believe to have been wrongly convicted. But she's not there to help - she's there to make sure the man who broke her mother stays in jail.

It was a good story with a couple of truly unexpected twists that make you question where you thought it was heading. If this had been McTiernan's debut, I would have been rather impressed. But it wasn't, and I think in a few weeks I'll have forgotten a lot of the detail of this story. Well, except for one thing. The diary entries. I won't forget Laura's diary entries because I thought they were the weakest part of the novel. After days of reflection I'm still undecided whether McTiernan's use of this device was clumsy or clever. These diary entries are threaded through the first 2/3 of the book, and each time I found them frustrating to read and a good excuse to put the book down for a while. Who writes a diary in the present tense? Or in such complete sentences, with that much background detail? By the time my brain circled back around to the idea that maybe it was actually clever, it was too late - I was already annoyed and disappointed. In the end, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and concede that she knew what she was doing.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. The Murder Rule is the story of Hannah Rokeby, a seemingly idealistic student who is desperate to join the Innocence Project- a group whose cause is finding new evidence to benefit criminals who have been seemingly wrongly convicted. It soon becomes obvious, however, that Hannah is really only interested in one case that of Michael Dandridge and will do anything to ensure she is assigned to it. Hannah's story is interspersed with extracts from an old diary of her mother's Laura and it becomes increasingly apparent that this is the trigger for Hannah's obsession with Dandridge. A twisty tale that speeds long - recommended, I shall seek out more of her writing.

Unfortunately I did not really enjoy this book.
Not overly keen on the main character Hannah, did not find her likeable at all. Should you always like the lead character?! No, but I didn’t find any redeeming qualities in her and even the story gave no justification for her personality.
Story seems transparent with Michael as the villain but you can smell a twist quite early on.
This is like a legal thriller but does not have the legal jargon or backing of a John Grisham book for example. I found the legal/ law student/ innocent project unbelievable and far fetched to be honest.
I have loved all of Dervla McTiernan’s previous books which had the main character of Cormac Reilly. But sadly this stand along novel was not for me.
Book is well written and could appeal to others

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

A great story with some really serious themes (rape, murder, alcoholism)

A page turner of a legal thriller follows our main protagonist as she attempts to sabotage a man's chance of freedom.

It is a story of family and trust and the author twists the plot beautifully as we go along and the cracks start to appear. The characters are engaging and the legal shenanigans are hugely compelling.

It fell down a bit witn the rushed and highly unlikely finale where suspension of disbelief is difficult but on the other hand it is a dramatic conclusion so fits in with the rest.

Overall a great read.

This was a great read, full of suspense, tension and intrigue. Couldn’t put the book down once I started, it’s different to the author’s other books but an excellent book all the same.
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an impartial review.
#TheMurderRule #NetGalley

I am a fan of Dervla Mc Tiernan - a very big fan and I was so excited to hear that she was releasing a new novel, especially one with such an intriguing title as 'The Murder Rule'. My momentary disappointment that the tale was not set in my beloved home town of Galway (if you have not visited this fabulous city, on the beautiful west coast of Ireland, - and why not???? - then I recommend that you do so asap) and the lack of the cool, rather bad-ass (at times) Cormac Reilly proved unfounded as Hannah Rokeby proves more than equal to the task.
Now, unlike Cormac, Hannah is not the most likable of characters - after all, she admits from the start that she has a mission:
First Rule: Make them like you
Second Rule: Make them need you
Third Rule: Make them pay
and the people that she is targeting? Well, they are the people who are working at the famous Project Innocence and their new client who is on death row. Hannah's reasoning and behaviour is revealed through a series of diary entries belonging to her mother and the facts that she chooses to reveal as the story progresses. And there are a few genuine moments of shock as I realised just how many risks she is willing to take - not just with her own life but also playing with the careers and lives of her new friends and colleagues. There is definitely a sense of high pressure as the deadline for the client looms ever closer and Hannah increases her gambles to win, against the Project Innocence team. But as she comes closer to 'winning' , we start to notice that there are some differences in the stories that we have heard and now Hannah may be responsible for the impending death of an innocent man.

I loved this book, the story catches your attention from the opening page as Hannah sneakes away from her home life in the middle of the night and blags her way onto the project, only to cause instant havoc. You know that this is just the start of a high-octane thriller. Turn off the phone, grab a (big) cuppa and revel in this brilliant novel.

#NetGalley #TheMurderRule This is a very different book to the authors Irish police procedural and is set in the USA. Nevertheless it is gripping and tense with lots of twists and turns. Mainly told from the POV of Hannah and the diary of her mother Laura. I enjoyed the book although I didn't really 'like' or engage with any of the main characters, especially Hannah. Easy to read and well written, as I have come to expect from this author. I was not sure how believable a law student with virtually no experience would be able to cross examine witnesses in front of a judge but that may just be my knowledge! A good read.

I really, really like Dervla McTiernan's Galway set procedurals, listening to the third on Audible when it became clear that for some reason it wasn't going to be published in the UK. So I approached The Murder Rule with mixed feelings, I was pretty sure I would enjoy anything McTiernan wrote but I also can't help thinking that this is the end of Cormac and his battles with corruption and crime in Ireland. And The Murder Rule is a very different book - it's US set, it's not a procedural but it shares the same great characterisation, plotting, pacing and writing as the Cormac Reilly series leading to a one day binge read.
Most of the book is told from Hannah's POV. Young, bright and ambitious she joins the Innocence Project, a scheme run from the University of Virginia to help victims of miscarriages of justice overturn their sentences. But it's clear from the outset that Hannah isn't just there to right wrongs or to advance her career. From her attempt to blackmail/blag her way into the project to the lies she tells everyone, she has a hidden agenda. The rest of the book is her mother, Laura's, diary detailing her own summer as a young woman working in a resort in Maine. A summer that changes her entire life. Now a single mother with a dependency on her daughter and an alcohol problem, Hannah is determined to right old wrongs, no matter what rules she has to break to do so. And if that means inveigling her way onto a murder case then that's what she has to do, woe betide anyone standing in her way.
But as Hannah reviews the evidence and speaks to old witnesses doubts start to creep into her mind. There is something rotten in Yorktown, but if that means the case is unsound, then what else is a lie?
Twisty, turny and compelling, highly recommended.

An intriguing and unusual read. Lots of twists and turns with surprises along the way. None of the characters are particularly likeable but this doesn't detract from the story.
Not sure entirely how believable or convincing it is, however.

This is a well written and well executed, gripping storyline, engaging characters that were relatable and likeable, It was mysterious, had plenty of suspense and was unpredictable with twists and turns that made me read well into the night really enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley, Dervla McTiernan and William Marrow and company

This is quite different to the previous books by Dervla McTiernan, the Cormac Reilly books set in Ireland. The Murder Rule is a legal thriller set in the US and it’s a tense and compelling read.
Hannah is difficult to like from the start. A law student, she effectively blackmails her way into a position on the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia, a program that looks into last ditch efforts to free wrongly convicted prisoners. It’s clear she’s on a mission of some kind and it has something to do with her mother, Laura now an alcoholic. Interspersed through Hannah’s narrative are excerpts of Laura’s diary from the early 90s when she was a maid at a hotel in Maine and also cleaned rich people’s houses.
Once the story gets going it’s difficult to put down. It’s a complex plot yet it works and I enjoyed the twists and turns.

Hannah is keen to join the Innocence Project and will do anything to become part of the team. Interspersed with her story are extracts from her mother's diary which explain Hannah's motivation.

Started off extremely slowly and it was difficult to get enthusiastic about turning to the next page. The story does build in interest but the twist is quite predictable. It's hard to feel sympathetic for any of the characters who remain pretty one-dimensional throughout.

The courtroom climax is pretty ridiculous and the forgiveness of Hannah's duplicity and ruthlessness by her colleagues tests credulity.

This book is not a part of the series with Cormac Reilly. The main character in this is Hannah Rokeby who manages to somehow get herself onto the Innocence project clinic which is being run by Professor Rob Parekh at the University of Virginia. But why does Hannah want to be on this?
It turns out Hannah’s mother Laura, had been a cleaner in Maine back in 1994, her mother had kept a diary. She had met a wealthy Tom Spencer and his friend Michael Dandrudge. Michael is now in prison after the rape of aSarah Fitzhugh, but he claims he is innocent. Is he?

The story is told from the point of view of Hannah, with bits from her Laura’s diary interspersed throughou. There were times that I felt the pace of this was just a little bit slow, but that’s me I like a fast paced read. But as you read the tension builds up and becomes more and more gripping as you read on. I’m still not sure I liked Hannah she could be manipulative and determined.

How reliable is the diary, is everything in it all true or could there be some doubt. But as you learn more and more about the case the more you are drawn in. It eventually comes out as a story about corruption, violence along with some intimidation which can leave the team a little muddled.

This is another well plotted read by the author. I look forward to see what comes next.

Thank you to #netgalley and #HC for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

The first part of the book really blew me away and had me convinced this would be an easy 5 star read.
As we learn more about Hannah’s past it became a little harder not to feel some skepticism.
There’s lot of instances that seem rather improbable, and the revelations uncovered certainly fall into place a lot more easily than I think they would.
And the ending was very abrupt for my liking - that left some questions unanswered for me.

4★
“HANNAH – Sunday, August 25, 2019
Because of the diary, Hannah knew exactly what had happened to Laura, and she knew exactly who was to blame.
=======
LAURA DIARY ENTRY #1 Saturday, July 9, 1994, 9:00 p.m.
Writing in a diary is a habit you’re supposed to grow out of. Starting one now, at nineteen . . . I’m like the girl who brings her My Little Pony collection to her college dorm.”

We’re not in Ireland anymore! McTiernan has written an American mystery about a young woman who found diaries written by her alcoholic mother, Laura. Only fourteen when she found them, Hannah read her mother’s story of how she became pregnant by one man and was abused by another.

The abuser was jailed 11 years ago for murder, but the Innocence Project thinks his conviction should be overturned. This enthusiastic group of law student volunteers is determined to get him released.

Hannah is a law student in Maine and reads about this. She's furious, so she writes to the head of the Innocence Project in Virginia, to wangle her way into their team. I use the word “wangle”, although her methods are a little more persuasive than that.

Hannah is a doer – she gets things done. As far as she’s concerned, he’s paying for what he did to her mother and should continue to pay. Who cares how he was convicted?

She arrives and sees how frantic the pace is and how many cases there are that students - students! - are sifting through to see which convictions they think were unjust. The boss explains.

“Here at the Project, we are not the police and we are not the FBI. We have a very limited budget to pay investigators. I need students who are imaginative, inventive, and willing to be creative when it comes to pursuing our cases. Working here does not mean sitting behind a desk drafting motions—our staff attorneys take care of that. We need students to do the hard grind of investigating facts and tracking down new evidence. If you could be as dogged with that as you were with that as you were with trying to get a place here, maybe you could be of use to me.”

They have several reasons for having selected this convict, so it is going to be quite a feat for Hannah to earn the trust of the group, while privately trying to foil their crusade to prove him innocent.

It makes for compelling reading. Laura’s ten diary entries are interspersed through the first half of the book. They are often several pages long and written in italics, which makes it easy to differentiate from the main story.

Laura’s voice is different from Hannah’s as well. In her diaries, she sounds young, impressionable, naïve, and in love. Today, she fluctuates between complaining bitterly and sobbing pitifully. She is so dependent on Hannah that Hannah feels tremendous guilt going to Virginia.

Don’t be fooled when the story seems to slow down a little in the middle and you think you know where it is going. It isn’t. It becomes a thriller. They have a very short deadline to appeal the case, necessitating some interstate travel and questionable investigating.

After the last few years of political and pandemic news, I'm not going to quibble about reality. I’m happy to suspend disbelief for the sake of a good yarn. I also have no idea how accurate the legal side of the story is, but I did want to know what came next.

“The courtroom settled again into tense, anticipatory silence. Hannah was painfully aware that every person in the courtroom was focused on her and on what she might say next.”

In spite of whatever artistic licence McTiernan found necessary for the telling, I enjoyed this story. I think she is probably going to appeal to a wider audience with this one, although I missed her usual Irish landscape, and I wish she would try an Aussie one.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.