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The Ruin

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The Ruin

By: Dervla McTiernan
Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
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About this listen

The International Best Seller.

Cormac Reilly is about to reopen a case it took him twenty years to forget.

On his first week on the job, Garda Cormac Reilly responds to a call at a decrepit country house to find two silent, neglected children waiting for him - 15-year-old Maude and five-year-old Jack. Their mother lies dead upstairs.

Twenty years later, Cormac has left his high-flying career as a detective in Dublin and returned to Galway. As he struggles to navigate the politics of a new police station, Maude and Jack return to haunt him.

What ties a recent suicide to the woman's death so long ago? And who among his new colleagues can Cormac really trust?

This unsettling crime debut draws us deep into the dark heart of Ireland and asks who will protect you when the authorities can't - or won't. Perfect for fans of Tana French, Jane Casey, Liz Nugent, Susie Steiner and Caz Frear.

2018, Irish Book Awards crime category, Short-listed

2019, Davitt Awards Best Novel, Winner

2019, Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, Winner

2019, Kate O'Brien Award, Short-listed

©2018 Dervla McTiernan (P)2018 Hachette Audio UK
Crime Thrillers Fiction Modern Detectives Police Procedural Psychological Suspense Mystery Thriller Ireland Exciting Detective
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Critic reviews

A very fine novel . . . excellently written and, at times, heartcatchingly sad (Marian Keyes)
Corruption, clandestine cover-ups and criminal conspiracy ... as moving as it is fast-paced (Val McDermid)
Bravo! The Ruin is a terrific read! (Liz Nugent)
I tore through The Ruin, desperate to unravel the mystery that Dervla so cleverly lays out. Heartbreaking and heart-stopping in equal measure, it's an incredibly well-crafted, complex tale and yet remarkably easy to read, such is the subtle brilliance of the plotting . . . Dervla maintains the suspense all the way through, yet never at the expense of plausibility. She's sure to become one of my go-to authors! (Caz Frear)
Instantly hauling the reader into its permanently charged atmosphere, The Ruin is as convincing as it is multi-layered, as compelling as it is complex, and heralds the arrival of Dervla McTiernan as a future star of the genre (Chris Brookmyre)
There are not many books that will keep me reading from start to finish but Dervla McTiernan's The Ruin did just that . . . An excellent story, very well written . . . this one was a winner for me! (Alex Gray)
Fans of Tana French will love McTiernan's expertly plotted, complex web of secrets that refuse to stay hidden (Karen Dionne)
Loved every page. Cormac Reilly is a brilliant new character, so real you can hear his footsteps on the stairs. Utterly gripping, brilliantly executed story. Serious contender for Irish Crime Novel of the Year (Sam Blake)
Intelligent, compassionate and believable (Sinead Crowley)

What listeners say about The Ruin

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I found this book disappointing, the pointless friction within the police department is really irritating, solving crimes would not be possible within such an environment of petty spitefulness. It detracts from the story and is just plain annoying! Having said that I quite enjoyed the overall story and felt inclined to buy the second in the series.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing!

Really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't normally take the time to leave a review but in this case I had to. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Would be good as a TV production.

Intetesting characters, well observed. Good layers to the storylines.
Enjoyed the turn of phrase.
Narrator very good.
This will be on TV one day I'm sure.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating story and beautifully narrated.

Compelling tale, great characterisation and fantastical narration.
Just finished and immediately downloaded book 2 in the series.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Good story but too much swearing

This was a good crime story, but far too much foul language for my taste. It would be really helpful if books had some kind of ratings system like movies, or at least some kind of warning about things like foul language, sexually explicit content, etc.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good

Good story but the narrator accents were a little off putting not sure if I would download another book with same narration

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Twists and Turns

Normally don’t do crime but enjoyed Sisters so decided to give this a go.,very enjoyable and full of surprises, kept you guessing through out

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it. The story was good, the characters interesting, it came together really well.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An interesting intro to Irish crime dramas.

Chose the book because Aiofe McMahon was narrating & reviews were positive. I wasn’t disappointed. The story was complex & twisty, which I liked, the characters fairly well depicted & the events, although harrowing at times (I was almost moved to tears at one point) were detailed & made me want to get to the truth. The next 2 books are on my wishlist & I have a feeling they are only going to get better.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A good listen

I’ve just re listened to this one and it’s intriguing enough to enjoy a second time, good characters and interesting plot.

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