A review by readingwithhippos
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan

4.0

I’ve already read all of Tana French’s mystery novels, so when I went looking for a mystery/thriller to read before a trip to Ireland, I wanted to try a new-to-me author. I am so glad I branched out and gave Dervla McTiernan a chance! The Ruin, for my money, is every bit as good as the Dublin Murder Squad series. At the beginning of the book, Cormac Reilly is a wet behind the ears cop who responds to a call where a woman has overdosed, leaving her two children alone in a crumbling mansion in the middle of nowhere. Years later, one of the children from that incident turns up dead himself. Reilly is now in Galway, relegated to cold cases and feeling some ennui about his career. The two cases may be connected, and Reilly seems to be the only one willing to take a closer look. I found this book extra compelling because it deals with people in power doing corrupt shit, and it all felt very #relevant. I’ve already added the sequel to my list.