Today iit’s my turn on the blog tour for The Murder Rule. My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

No one is innocent in this story.

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 and brutal system.

They think I’m working hard to impress them.

They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.

They’re wrong. I’m going to bury him.

Review:

I’ve heard a lot about Dervla McTiernan and her books but never actually read one myself. As The Murder Rule is not part of a series, this tour seemed the perfect opportunity to do so and I was not disappointed. The premise of The Murder Rule is fascinating and I followed the minutiae of the case on which Hannah and her team were working in awe. McTiernan explains the law in detail but it never became overbearing and I was completely engaged all the way through, wondering how the cases would conclude. 

The story is told mostly from the perspective of Hannah and through a diary written by her mum, Laura, in 1994. I found this really interesting as it gave us much more insight into Hannah’s back story. However, it does make it more difficult to know who to trust and this adds an extra dimension to the novel. 

McTiernan has created some memorable and complex characters in The Murder Rule. There are some who are not likeable at all and I was desperate for them to get their comeuppance. However, the vast majority of them were flawed but ultimately had redeeming characteristics which made me root for them. I love the way that the author struck this balance which helped me to invest in their fate. 

Towards the end of the novel, there is a marked increase in tension and I really enjoyed this. I was on edge wanting to find out what would happen next. 

The Murder Rule is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: