The Ruin

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!

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.

A 20-year-old cold case. A suicide that might not be all it seems. A dogged garda trying to establish the links between past and present, and a whiff of corruption in the Garda Síochána as fresh as today's headlines. Dervla McTiernan deftly weaves all the strands together in this hugely impressive debut novel, set in Galway and Mayo. Her real strength is in writing credible characters with whom you empathise from the off. This is the first in a series that will feature detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly - refreshingly normal and morally upright, and not a divorced, alcoholic loner - and I eagerly anticipate the next one. Thanks to #NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Cormac Reilly has recently moved from Dublin to Galway, not by choice though, rather that of partner Emma who is starting a new job there. He sees it as a step down but is willing to give it his best. Sadly, his new colleagues don't share his enthusiasm and he is really struggling to fit in. Given old cold cases rather than current ones and working pretty much solo as his team have been seconded elsewhere. To say he is frustrated would be an understatement but he gets on with it in the vain hope that things will eventually get better.
Then, one day, an old face comes back to haunt him. A young man is found drowned in the river. Deemed suicide on the evidence of an eye-witness, the case is closed. Cormac recognises the victim, Jack, as being associated with one of his very early cases, when he had just started with the guards. Jack was the young boy he rescued from a mother who had died from an overdose some 20 years since. Rescued along with his sister who subsequently disappeared from the hospital. Cormack remembers that he wanted to pursue the case back then but it was closed by his superiors.
But, with Jack's death and the subsequent reappearance of his sister, coupled with the fact that Aisling, Jack's girlfriend, not believing it was suicide, gives Cormac the chance to re-open the old cold case. But are things best left alone? Did Jack really kill himself or are the two cases linked? And if so, how? Is there more to this than meets the eye?
Oooo, this was a delightful, slow burner of a book. It wasn't all wham, bam from the start but it did get right under my skin from the off and gave up its secrets slowly along the way. It was definitely refreshing to read a slightly slower paced book for a change. I guess this was due mostly to the nature of the alleged crimes involved. One cold case and the other already ruled suicide. With no immediate panic to "solve" either, we get more of a plodding investigation. Chipping away at the truth, hinting at some foul play, piece by piece until the whole, rather shocking, truth is laid bare.
The slow build up also gave the truth far more impact that I think it would have had if the pace had been more frenetic. I definitely thought that as I started to cotton on to what really happened many years ago.
In Cormac, the author has created a really great character. Apart from some happening between him and partner Emma, he really is just a straight forward guy. Moral, principled, fine upstanding citizen. Determined to get to the truth no matter how many toes he has to tread on to get to it. He is put through the mill at work somewhat but although it does anger and frustrate him, he is still just determined to do his best for people. I guess that the thing that is hinted at throughout the book, the thing about Cormac and Emma, the thing that I hope is resolved in book two and not dragged on throughout the series, is significant enough for him to have made the sacrifice in his career rather than her in hers. Whatever it is!
I know that crime books aren't meant to be happy but there is an underlying feeling of doom and gloom throughout the majority of this book. Probably not helped by the setting which is almost a character in its own right, significance wise. Also not helped by some of the gritty subject matter. But it works, it really does and there is always that glimmer of hope trying to shine through.
All in all, a good debut and a solid series opener that has left me wanting more. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is the first in the DI Cormac Reilly series set in Galway, Ireland. Reilly is trying to find his feet at the police station, after having moved from Dublin to be with Emma, his partner, who starts a demanding new job. After a high flying career, the move which might be viewed as a step down for him proves to be significantly more difficult than he expected. He is viewed with suspicion by other officers, there are problematic politics and tensions which prove to complex and hard to decipher, and the only person willing to connect with Cormac is a colleague he trained with, but who is being shunned by others. Reilly is only being offered cold cases, such as the disappearance of 15 year old Maura Hughes in 1975. 20 years ago when he was a rookie officer, Reilly arrived at the scene of the death of Hilaria Blake, a terminally ill woman who had overdosed on heroin, with her neglected and badly abused children, 15 year old Maude and 5 year old Jack. Upon taking them to hospital, Maude disappears and Jack was taken into foster care. His efforts to investigate were blocked and he is now being offered the opportunity to look into it as a cold case for which there seems to be no logical reason to do so.

Jack Blake grew up happy in his foster home and is now living with medic, Aisling Conroy. Aisling's life descends into a harrowing mass of horror when she is informed by the police that Jack committed suicide by jumping into the river. Maude has recently returned from having spent her life in Australia, and is unconvinced that her brother committed suicide, and she draws in a confused and reluctant Aisling to look deeper into the circumstances of Jack's death. The police refuse point blank to countenance any other scenario other than suicide, despite being offered video evidence gathered by Maude that proves that Jack was nowhere near the bridge at the time he is supposed to have jumped. However, to Reilly's consternation, Maude is arrested for the murder of her mother 20 years ago for no reason that he can fathom. To add to the pressure on Reilly, there are unfounded rumours swirling around in the station that he had slept with Maude and allegations of misconduct in his time in Dublin. Reilly finds that Maude and Jack had been failed by everyone in their childhood as a curtain is lifted to reveal Ireland's dark history with the church. He encounters the poisonous and evil Domenica Keane, and learns of the presence of a paedophile. Will Reilly be able to battle the sinister hidden agendas and obstacles within the police station and find out what happened to Hilaria in the past and Jack in the present?

Dervla McTiernan gives us a promising beginning to this new series as Cormac begins to establish himself in Galway, only to encounter a real can of worms in his new workplace. Despite all that he comes up against, including betrayal, his focus and determination to get to the truth is undiminished. Although we do not get a real sense of Emma, his commitment to her and their relationship gives us a strong sense of his character, he does not drop into a state of blaming Emma for his woes or wanting to return to Dublin. He feels for Maude and all the responsibilities she was forced to shoulder as a child for Jack and her incapable, ill mother, and the lack of action that shames the Church and the Ireland of that time. I found the story a little slow at the start but was soon caught up in the grip of the compelling and tense narrative. Great to have a new voice in Irish Crime on the scene. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but I was drawn in very quickly and really liked the main character, Cormac Reilly.
He’s the new man in town and is finding it hard to connect with fellow Gardas but someone he’s worked with before is there so he sticks with him at first.
It soon becomes clear to Cormac that Danny has done something to upset his colleagues but he can’t get to the bottom of what this is.
Tasked with going through cold cases Cormac has time to try and work out what’s going on with Danny but then he’s asked to re-open a murder investigation from 20 years ago.
Cormac is familiar with this case as he worked on it when he first joined the Garda but soon matters are taken out of his control and he has to find out why.
This is a gritty crime thriller which will keep your interest throughout as there’s constant revelations as the story progresses
I really enjoyed this book and will read the next one in the series.
Thanks to Sphere and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Dervla McTiernan’s first novel is an accomplished police procedural set in the west of Ireland town of Galway. It is an atmospheric and moving piece of writing with an assured plot and a range of well-drawn characters, both the sympathetic and the odious.

As a young policeman Cormac Reilly was the first on the scene at a ramshackle mansion where he encounters two neglected and abused children and their mother, lying dead in her bed. Twenty years later events of that night come back to haunt Reilly, now a successful detective. An apparent suicide, a missing young woman, child abuse and police corruption all combine to draw in a wide range of suspects and participants.

There are many twists and turns in the story: Cormac finds it hard to know who to trust among his police colleagues and among the various other participants in the drama. If the novel has a fault, it is that the guilty party becomes obvious too early, although the motivation remains a mystery until the end.

This was a very entertaining read and I would recommend it to lovers of crime fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book. The Ruin is a slow burning Irish thriller that escalates into a great surprise climax. I liked the characters are lot, especially Cormac and look forward to reading the next book in the series. Loved it

Five stars for this book. It was brilliantly written. The storyline was fab, the characters were very believable. I couldn’t put this book down, I was hooked from the first page. Loved it. Highly recommended

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dervla McTiernan for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Brilliant atmospheric novel in which the ever present rain gives the perfect backdrop to unfolding events. Impressive twists which keep you guessing almost to the end. Gripping from the beginning with a story that draws you in. Can't wait for more.

"The Ruin" is Dervla McTiernan's debut novel and the first in the DI Cormac Reilly series set in Galway, Ireland.

I started this book with no expectations or preconceptions as I hadn't heard of Dervla before. However straightaway the book had me hooked. It is gripping and engaging throughout, with likable character and a lot of interesting twists and turns. In fact I enjoyed the book so much, I found myself leaving my bookclub read down and reading this instead! (A lot of speed reading to do now before bookclub on Friday!)

The story opens in an old "ruin" in Galway, twenty years previous, with a dead body and two damaged children. Cormac Reilly is the rookie guard who is sent to handle this situation and it has continued to haunt him for the last twenty years.

A series of circumstances leads Reilly back to this case and he must discover how it has become intertwined with a current case his unit are working on. Reilly has moved from a high flying career in Dublin to what some may consider a step down career to start a new life in Galway with his partner Emma. He is viewed with suspicion by many of his new colleagues, who are reluctant to help him out.

Although it becomes clear who the culprit is before the reveal, this only adds to the overall sense of the book, as it is more a story about why it happened, than the mystery of who did it.

This is truly an excellent debut novel from Dervla McTiernan and I look forward to reading about DI Cormac Reilly's future escapades in her following novels!

The dark heart of Ireland’s religious past is explored in this gritty crime fiction novel. I was absolutely hooked, as I raced from cover to cover.

Newbie Garda Cormac Reilly is sent to an isolated location by fellow cop Marcus Tully. The location is so remote, he begins to wonder if this a hazing, due to his short-time on the police force. Eventually, he locates Dower House in the small village of Kilmore. What he finds behind the doors, will shake him to his core and haunt him for many years to come.

A young girl opens the door to reveal a scene of neglect and despair. The house has no power, is cold and riddled with mould. The children appear emaciated and mistreated, with the small boy Jack showing signs of a recent beating. There are items of alcohol and drug use, laying around the property. Cormac is horrified, and he is yet to discover the body. . .

‘How were you supposed to handle traumatised children’

In the upper floor of the property lays the children’s mother. Her life has expired, and the children have been left to fend for themselves. Cormac spots what he thinks are track marks on the mother’s arms. How did nobody know, what was happening at Dower House?

Cormac takes the young children to the hospital. He feels out of his depth and lost for words. The sight of Maude 15yrs and Jack 5yrs, is one he will never forget.
When Maude goes missing at the hospital, never to be seen again. It adds another layer of mystery, to an already baffling case. But no one asks questions and the case soon becomes forgotten by all.

‘The best interests of the child came second’

20yrs later in Galway, Ireland. A young woman named Aisling is contemplating her future with her partner Jack. She has recently discovered she is pregnant and as a young doctor, it fills her with apprehension for what her future will hold. Her dreams of a career in medicine, seem almost over. Then the Garda arrive. . .
Cormac has suffered a career fall from grace. No longer the golden boy of Dublin’s special detective unit. He must seek pastures new, or for Cormac pastures of old.

The police officers are also looking into the rape and murder of a student. The case draws comparisons to the cold case of Maura Hughes, a young girl who was rumoured to be having an affair with a teacher.
Through Jack’s suicide, Aisling becomes acquainted with his long-lost sister. A sister she never knew existed. The two women become increasingly concerned about the Garda’s assumption, this is a suicide. Jack had everything to live for. So, who would want Jack dead?

Maude has returned from Australia and we learn she is now a woman of some considerable means. She is driven, determined and has a ruthless quest for justice. The two women united by grief, won’t rest until they know the truth.

The novel covers various themes well documented in the history. But it does so, with such a personal touch, that you feel distraught at the plight of the young children. As you read on, you want them to have known love, peace and kindness in their adult lives. But life isn’t always fair, and an abused child is never promised a second chance.
A great novel with haunting historical references 5*

I finished The Ruin in two days, perfect to read while relaxing in the sun... it is a real page turner and a fab debut from Dervla McTiernan, the first in the Di Reilly series. Set in Galway Ireland, this book is a perfect summer read.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read

This book is brilliant. It is wonderfully written and put together and it held my attention from the first page. The characters are great and the plot is really good. I did not notice time passing. I was totally immersed in the story. I could imagine the scenery and the characters. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends and I hope that Dervla writes more books.

Absolutely loved The Ruin! Brilliant characters, fantastic story, kept me gripped until the end! Definitely hope there are more books to come in the Cormac Reilly series - my new favourite detective! 5 out of 5 stars *****

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher & Dervla McTiernan for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dervla McTiernan's debut, The Ruin, is an excellent addition to the fine run of Irish crime novels published in recent years. Set in Galway, the novel introduces Cormac Reilly, recently transferred from Dublin to a seemingly unwelcoming An Garda Síochána station in the city, who finds that suicide of a local man appears connected to a crime scene to which he was assigned 2o years ago as an inexperienced Guard. The Ruin reminded me a lot of Tana French, which can't be a bad thing. Dervla McTiernan writes very well; the characters are well drawn and the dialogue natural. I enjoyed this immensely and look forward to the next in the series due in 2019.