Helpful Score: 1
With its engaging characters, intricate plot, and interesting not-so-often-used setting of Galway, The Ruin kept my attention and got my 5 stars!
The Ruin was a thrilling police procedural set within the complex workings of the Garda Siochana, the national police service of Ireland. Cormac is a thoughtful and patient man and gets major points from me for being so supportive of his girlfriend, Emma, uprooting from a successful career to start over while giving her the chance to follow her dream. I absolutely wanted him to best those smug colleagues of his.
Aisling Conroy was, perhaps, my favorite character in the story, though. She's got such a stressful job and has lost her love at the worst possible point in their relationship. Yet, she shows strength and courage that kept her upright and pushing for the truth of what happened to Jack.The tidbits and details of life in Galway were tantalizing and made me feel like I was walking the streets right along with Cormac. The city became familiar to me, a place I'd never experienced in real life.
The mystery, though, is the thing, and this one had me riveted to the page. The investigation made sense, and I loved how everything from the past and present came together. I liked that there were resolutions to some of the old cold cases as well as the current ones.With its engaging characters, intricate plot, and interesting not-so-often-used setting of Galway, I recommend THE RUIN to mystery readers who enjoy a police detective-led investigation, strong female protagonists, and Ireland set stories.
Cormac Reilly was new to the police force when he discovered the body of Hilaria Blake. She died from an accidental overdose, leaving two children behind. The teenager, Maude, disappeared shortly after the police took the two children to the hospital. Her younger brother Jack was put into foster care.
Twenty years later, Aisling Conroy is in shock when she learns that her boyfriend, Jack Blake, has committed suicide. When Jack's sister, Maude, tells Aisling that she doesn't believe it, both women set out to learn the truth.
Cormac is now a detective working cold cases in Galway. He has been ordered to reopen the Blake case. Cormac doesn't understand why the police want to look at this again, until he learns that Jack Blake's body has recently washed up in the river after someone reports a jumper from the bridge. Cormac's supervisor is pressuring him to arrest Maude for the twenty-year-old murder of her mother, based on some new evidence that has come to light.
Dervla McTiernan is a new author for me. I believe this was her debut novel. She has given us a mystery with a complex plot and multiple story threads. I was never sure where the story would take us, but I did guess the villain. This did not lessen my enjoyment of the story. With every twist and turn the tension ramped up, making me sit on the edge of my seat. I listened to the audio version narrated by Aoife McMahon. She does an outstanding job. If you have a choice between reading or listening, go for the audiobook. My rating: 5 Stars.
Twenty years later, Aisling Conroy is in shock when she learns that her boyfriend, Jack Blake, has committed suicide. When Jack's sister, Maude, tells Aisling that she doesn't believe it, both women set out to learn the truth.
Cormac is now a detective working cold cases in Galway. He has been ordered to reopen the Blake case. Cormac doesn't understand why the police want to look at this again, until he learns that Jack Blake's body has recently washed up in the river after someone reports a jumper from the bridge. Cormac's supervisor is pressuring him to arrest Maude for the twenty-year-old murder of her mother, based on some new evidence that has come to light.
Dervla McTiernan is a new author for me. I believe this was her debut novel. She has given us a mystery with a complex plot and multiple story threads. I was never sure where the story would take us, but I did guess the villain. This did not lessen my enjoyment of the story. With every twist and turn the tension ramped up, making me sit on the edge of my seat. I listened to the audio version narrated by Aoife McMahon. She does an outstanding job. If you have a choice between reading or listening, go for the audiobook. My rating: 5 Stars.
Fabulous debut, from an author who has gone to the top of my Authors To Watch list: great sense of place, appealing characters, intriguing mystery, which is brought to a very satisfying conclusion. A character named Maura!! (Sadly deceased, the victim in a cold case that Cormac Reilly is investigating. But I so seldom see my name in print, I'll take what I can get.)
My one caveat, call it a Trigger Warning: I don't think it's a SPOILER to say that one of the main characters discovers that she is pregnant at the beginning of the novel, and spends the rest struggling over her strong inclination to end the pregnancy. I can think of friends who would otherwise love this novel, who would find her attitude deeply troubling.
BUT ... but, but, but ... like many of the best detective fiction/psychological thrillers out there, at the moment, McTiernan is thoughtfully and cleverly juggling the more superficial elements of genre fiction (the setting, the characters, the puzzle, the solution) with deeper themes. How badly are people damaged by an abusive childhood? How many kinds of unhappy childhood are there? Is there any escaping?
True confession: I read this in just over 24 hours. I reckon that's about 8 hours "nose in a book" time. (as my Dad used to say, as in "Has she got her nose in a book again!!??!!") Completely addictive, engrossing.? Yeah, you might say that. Do yourself a favor, drop WHATEVER you are doing, and get your hands on a copy of this, right now. You will thank me.
My one caveat, call it a Trigger Warning: I don't think it's a SPOILER to say that one of the main characters discovers that she is pregnant at the beginning of the novel, and spends the rest struggling over her strong inclination to end the pregnancy. I can think of friends who would otherwise love this novel, who would find her attitude deeply troubling.
BUT ... but, but, but ... like many of the best detective fiction/psychological thrillers out there, at the moment, McTiernan is thoughtfully and cleverly juggling the more superficial elements of genre fiction (the setting, the characters, the puzzle, the solution) with deeper themes. How badly are people damaged by an abusive childhood? How many kinds of unhappy childhood are there? Is there any escaping?
True confession: I read this in just over 24 hours. I reckon that's about 8 hours "nose in a book" time. (as my Dad used to say, as in "Has she got her nose in a book again!!??!!") Completely addictive, engrossing.? Yeah, you might say that. Do yourself a favor, drop WHATEVER you are doing, and get your hands on a copy of this, right now. You will thank me.
