The Murder Rule
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- Create Date：2022-04-26 04:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Dervla McTiernan
- ISBN：1460760123
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Summary
No one is innocent in this story 。。。
The unmissable new standalone from the no。1 bestseller of The Good Turn
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。
'Diabolically clever， highly compelling and deeply moving。 I loved The Murder Rule and did not want it to end。' Don Winslow， New York Times bestselling author of The Force and The Border
'Extraordinary。 Haunting。 An incredible thriller。 I could not put this book down。 Dervla McTiernan is a gifted writer with a very special way of telling a story。 This is a heart stopping rollercoaster of a tale。' Adrian McKinty， New York Times bestselling author of The Chain
The unmissable new standalone from the no。1 bestseller of The Good Turn
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。
'Diabolically clever， highly compelling and deeply moving。 I loved The Murder Rule and did not want it to end。' Don Winslow， New York Times bestselling author of The Force and The Border
'Extraordinary。 Haunting。 An incredible thriller。 I could not put this book down。 Dervla McTiernan is a gifted writer with a very special way of telling a story。 This is a heart stopping rollercoaster of a tale。' Adrian McKinty， New York Times bestselling author of The Chain
Reviews
Pam Papworth
，
Thank you， Harper Collins Publishers， for the ARC of this novel。 This book is a page-turner that will play with your emotions and keep you guessing。 I want to read the author's other 3 books now！ Thank you， Harper Collins Publishers， for the ARC of this novel。 This book is a page-turner that will play with your emotions and keep you guessing。 I want to read the author's other 3 books now！ 。。。more
Victoria Colotta
，
My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A smartly constructed thriller showing how perceptions and truth are two completely different things。THE MURDER RULE takes the typical legal thriller and turns it on its head to create a deeply impactful， psychological， and affecting tale。 McTiernan effortlessly weaves together the past and the present to show how Hannah arrives at where she is at the beginning of the book。 In the beginning， the reader has no choice but to believe our two narrators， Hannah and Laur My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A smartly constructed thriller showing how perceptions and truth are two completely different things。THE MURDER RULE takes the typical legal thriller and turns it on its head to create a deeply impactful， psychological， and affecting tale。 McTiernan effortlessly weaves together the past and the present to show how Hannah arrives at where she is at the beginning of the book。 In the beginning， the reader has no choice but to believe our two narrators， Hannah and Laura through her diary。 However， as the story unfolds， inconsistencies， falsehood， and questions seep into the perceived truths in these pages。 This push and pull with the duplicity and facts is what makes this book so good。 The way the author crafts this mystery is smart and only made better through the eyes of the flawed character of Hannah。 Her balance of emotion and rational thought is what makes her so interesting。 There is beauty in learning a mystery through the eyes of the main characters。 With Hannah， she is sure that she knows what is going on。 There is no doubt in her mind that the path she is on to derail the appeal of a convicted man on death row is the right thing to do。 Or is it？ It is this questioning and uncertainty that permeates Hannah’s and the reader’s minds which propels the narrative forward。 At the end of the day， McTiernan wrote a book where the layers of secrets， lies， and tension build to a crescendo exposing all the truths the reader has been dying to find out。 This is the first book I have read by the author， but I know it will not be the last。 What a read。 Reviewer Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Highly Caffeinated Rating of… ☕ ☕ ☕ ☕✦ ✦ ✦ ✦Follow the Art， Books， & Coffee: Website | Facebook Group | Instagram✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 。。。more
Ina
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This is a wild ride with a very smart young woman。 She has always been close to her mother， an alcoholic， a woman who was violently assaulted one summer after high school。 She had stumbled on a diary her mother kept during that summer and so she knows exactly what happened。 When Hannah hears that the Innocence Project is looking into Michael Dandridge the man her mother has said raped her and murdered her boyfriend， Hannah talks her way onto the team that is working to exonerate him。 The twists This is a wild ride with a very smart young woman。 She has always been close to her mother， an alcoholic， a woman who was violently assaulted one summer after high school。 She had stumbled on a diary her mother kept during that summer and so she knows exactly what happened。 When Hannah hears that the Innocence Project is looking into Michael Dandridge the man her mother has said raped her and murdered her boyfriend， Hannah talks her way onto the team that is working to exonerate him。 The twists and turns happen quickly， and although some of the character interactions don't feel right， and some of the legal items were not quite right， this still kept me turning pages。 The chapters alternated between Hannah's life and and her mother's diary。 As Hannah continues the investigation she begins to question the truth of those entries as more and more things do not add up。 。。。more
Louise Wilson
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3。5 stars rounded upFirst 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 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。 Hannah Rokeby is a third year law student。 She's using blackmail to get into the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia， which was 3。5 stars rounded upFirst 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 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。 Hannah Rokeby is a third year law student。 She's using blackmail to get into the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia， which was set up to help free miscarriage of justice victims on death row or serving life sentences。 Hannah's mother is a fragile alcoholic。 After reading her mother's diary from 1994， and learning of Michael Dandridge， she wants to be part of the Innocence Project。The characters are an interesting bunch。 There's plenty of twists to keep you invested in the plotline。 I liked the authors style in writing this legal thriller。 But I did feel there were some loose ends left hanging at the end。I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #DervlaMcTiernan for my ARC of #TheMurderRule in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dana （pagestoreadfl）
，
I am a huge fan of McTiernan's Cormac series。 So when I saw she had a stand alone novel coming out， I was pumped to be approved for the galley。 What I enjoyed: The quiet， but big twist at the end。 The story line itself。 The topic of the Innocence Project。 This is definitely more of a criminal justice mystery-- not a lot of court room time at all， but plenty of work done behind a case。What I didn't: the ending was a bit too neat。 Thank you to the publisher for a free netgalley。 I am a huge fan of McTiernan's Cormac series。 So when I saw she had a stand alone novel coming out， I was pumped to be approved for the galley。 What I enjoyed: The quiet， but big twist at the end。 The story line itself。 The topic of the Innocence Project。 This is definitely more of a criminal justice mystery-- not a lot of court room time at all， but plenty of work done behind a case。What I didn't: the ending was a bit too neat。 Thank you to the publisher for a free netgalley。 。。。more
Julie Hull
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Wow…could not put this down！ Great story and flowed so well。 Was sorry it didn’t last longer。
Jen Ryland
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A faced-paced legal thriller that reminded me a little of a John Grisham。 Hannah wangles her way onto the Innocence Project team at UVa law school， claiming that she is transferring there so she can be closer to her ailing mother。 The problem？ She's lying about all of it。 She has reasons for being on one specific case that the team is pursuing。。。Definitely a fun read！Read more of my reviews on JenRyland。com！ Let's be friends on Bookstagram！ Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy A faced-paced legal thriller that reminded me a little of a John Grisham。 Hannah wangles her way onto the Innocence Project team at UVa law school， claiming that she is transferring there so she can be closer to her ailing mother。 The problem？ She's lying about all of it。 She has reasons for being on one specific case that the team is pursuing。。。Definitely a fun read！Read more of my reviews on JenRyland。com！ Let's be friends on Bookstagram！ Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review！ 。。。more
Josie Ott
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Hannah Rokeby has fraudulently procured a place on the elite Innocence Project at UVA law school。 It’s mission is to free prisoners who have been wrongly convicted。 Led by distinguished attorney Robert Pareskh，the team must search for the evidence needed for a judicial appeal for Michael Donelson。 Hannah， the newest member of the team， is covertly working against them to ensure he stays in prison。 Throughout the story， we realize how life events have shaped the characters’ actions。 I enjoyed the Hannah Rokeby has fraudulently procured a place on the elite Innocence Project at UVA law school。 It’s mission is to free prisoners who have been wrongly convicted。 Led by distinguished attorney Robert Pareskh，the team must search for the evidence needed for a judicial appeal for Michael Donelson。 Hannah， the newest member of the team， is covertly working against them to ensure he stays in prison。 Throughout the story， we realize how life events have shaped the characters’ actions。 I enjoyed the twists and turns in this satisfying legal procedural。 。。。more
Robin | BookAdoration Marchadour
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The Murder Rule is wickedly good！ The plot twists had me guessing！ Piecing together the crime is just one piece of the puzzle。 Figuring out who you can trust is a whole other ball game！ 🤔 If you enjoy investigative thrillers， then you will enjoy this book！Hannah is a law student。 She joins a legal organization that works tirelessly to free prisoners who have been wrongly accused。 Little do they know she has a secret and a hidden agenda。 “First rule: Make them like you。Second rule: Make them need The Murder Rule is wickedly good！ The plot twists had me guessing！ Piecing together the crime is just one piece of the puzzle。 Figuring out who you can trust is a whole other ball game！ 🤔 If you enjoy investigative thrillers， then you will enjoy this book！Hannah is a law student。 She joins a legal organization that works tirelessly to free prisoners who have been wrongly accused。 Little do they know she has a secret and a hidden agenda。 “First rule: Make them like you。Second rule: Make them need you。Third rule: Make them pay。They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row。 They’re wrong。 I’m going to bury him。”Well done @dervlamctiernan ！ 👏🏻Thanks to @harpercollinsca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 The Murder Rule comes out May 10th， 2022。#booksofhcc #bookstagram #canadianbookstagram #bookadoration #themurderrule #dervlamctiernan 。。。more
Carolyn
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Hannah Rokeby is a third year law student at the University of Maine。 She lives with her single mother Laura， an alcoholic who suffered a traumatic event before Hannah was born and now drinks to numb the pain。 When Hannah was fourteen， she found her mother’s diaries and read about the man who was her father and the man who abused her mother。 That man， Michael Dandridge has served eleven years in prison on death row for the rape and murder of a young mother in Virginia。 However， she recently disc Hannah Rokeby is a third year law student at the University of Maine。 She lives with her single mother Laura， an alcoholic who suffered a traumatic event before Hannah was born and now drinks to numb the pain。 When Hannah was fourteen， she found her mother’s diaries and read about the man who was her father and the man who abused her mother。 That man， Michael Dandridge has served eleven years in prison on death row for the rape and murder of a young mother in Virginia。 However， she recently discovered that the Innocence Project in Virginia is working to overturn his conviction。Through various ways and means Hannah manages to inveigle herself onto the team of law student volunteers at the University of Virginia who work on the Innocence Project under the leadership of Prof Robert Parekh。 Only applications that fit three criteria are considered by the group。Firstly， the inmate must have been convicted of a crime in Virginia， secondly the conviction must be final with no ongoing appeals and thirdly the inmate must be claiming factual innocence of the crime。 The students are required to assess the applications， including any new evidence and make a recommendation on the likelihood of being able to prove innocence。 The budget is limited so the students are expected to investigate facts and follow up new evidence themselves。However， Hannah has clearly not joined the team for altruistic reasons and is only really interested in a single case， that of Michael Dandridge。 She discovers that Michael is claiming that a false ‘confession’ was beaten out of him by the arresting Sherriff and that evidence pointing to an alternative suspect was withheld from the trial。 If she is to find a way to prevent the overturn of his conviction， she must somehow first become part of the select group focusing on his case and find some way to undermine the investigation。This is an engaging and gripping tale of betrayal and corruption。 Dervla McTiernan’s experience as a lawyer shows in the intriguing legal details and investigative leads that the students follow。 Entries from Laura’s diary are interspersed with the narrative so that we learn what lead to Hannah’s desire that Michael should never be released。 Hannah may not be a likeable character with her ability to lie and manipulate everyone， but she is certainly resourceful and courageous and it would be difficult to not to be on her side by the end of the novel。 The novel’s pace is steady at first， picking up speed as the new trial draws closer and it becomes evident that other parties also have vested interests in the outcome of the trial， finally exploding into a tension packed thriller laced with danger for Hannah and others involved in the trial。 While the final courtroom scenes might be stretching plausibility， they certainly made for a compelling and very satisfying ending。 With thanks to William Morrow via Netgalley for a copy to read。 Original review first published in Mystery and Suspense Magazine https://www。mysteryandsuspense。com/th。。。 。。。more
Stacy40pages
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The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan。 Thanks to @williammorrowbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Hannah joins the Innocence Project to work on a specific case。 Her colleagues are idealistic and intent on proving his innocence。 Hannah is not。 This was an interesting read。 While it really is a legal thriller， there was some suspense and mystery to it as well。 I loved the Innocent Project and how we didn’t know who was actually innocent and who wasn’t。 The details of the case and legality were interes The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan。 Thanks to @williammorrowbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Hannah joins the Innocence Project to work on a specific case。 Her colleagues are idealistic and intent on proving his innocence。 Hannah is not。 This was an interesting read。 While it really is a legal thriller， there was some suspense and mystery to it as well。 I loved the Innocent Project and how we didn’t know who was actually innocent and who wasn’t。 The details of the case and legality were interesting， but not super detailed with too much legalese。 It kept it light and entertaining。 In the fact， the ending was a little too light and entertaining for me; almost to the point of unbelievability。 This would have been a five star read for me if they ending had been a little more clever and less Few Good Men。 “I believe we choose our people。 That we choose them and we love them and we do everything we can to protect them and keep them safe。 And that’s it。”The Murder Rule comes out 5/10。 。。。more
Amy
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First Rule: Make them like you。Second Rule: Make them need you。Third Rule: Make them pay。Hannah is a third year law student who transfers to University of Virginia from Maine for a semester to join The Innocence Project who are representing Michael Dandridge。 The project team is full when she gets there but she soon works her way in and onto Michaels team。 However she is not there to free him she is there to make sure he stays in prison。 Her mother Laura has been telling her all her life that Mi First Rule: Make them like you。Second Rule: Make them need you。Third Rule: Make them pay。Hannah is a third year law student who transfers to University of Virginia from Maine for a semester to join The Innocence Project who are representing Michael Dandridge。 The project team is full when she gets there but she soon works her way in and onto Michaels team。 However she is not there to free him she is there to make sure he stays in prison。 Her mother Laura has been telling her all her life that Michael killed Hannah's father and assaulted Laura years before。 As Hannah gets more involved in the case and sees Michael she begins to question everything。To me the beginning of the book was a little slow but it was a lot of build up and back story but I flew through the last 25% of it。 I was not able to guess the ending and boy was it a good one。 Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Phrynne
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For me this was an okay book but definitely not up to this author's previously proven standard。 I wondered why she had decided to set a legal thriller in America and whether she had researched their legal system fully because some of the events in the book seemed rather unlikely。Nevertheless there is a good story in there as long as you suspend belief and do not analyse what is happening too closely。 Events unfold through a series of old diaries which tell Hannah how her mother， Laura， suffered For me this was an okay book but definitely not up to this author's previously proven standard。 I wondered why she had decided to set a legal thriller in America and whether she had researched their legal system fully because some of the events in the book seemed rather unlikely。Nevertheless there is a good story in there as long as you suspend belief and do not analyse what is happening too closely。 Events unfold through a series of old diaries which tell Hannah how her mother， Laura， suffered at the hands of Michael Dantridge。 He is currently in prison but there appears to be a chance that the Innocence Project may be about to get his release。 Hannah lies her way into a job on the Project in order to undermine this possibility and keep him locked up。There follows lots of lying and deceitfulness， a major twist which turns everything you have believed so far upside down and a reasonably satisfying ending。 I was left with a feeling of not being quite sure about a number of points but I do not want to go into spoiler land， so I will accept that I liked the book but did not love it。My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Julie
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I almost wish I hadn’t known this book was going to be a tv show。 I spent way too much time thinking about the characters and episodes and how they’ll do that in the show。 Solid suspense drama though and I’ll be happy to watch it when it’s on。 Love her other books！
Kristi
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Third year law student， Hannah， joins The Innocence Project at the University of Virginia with less than honorable intentions。 Her goal is to be front and center working on the case to free convicted murderer Michael Dandridge; the very same man who destroyed her mother’s life so many years ago。 Hannah lies， cheats and blackmails her way into the project with the intent to work behind the scenes sabotaging the teams every move at proving Michael’s innocence。 Hannah does this because she knows th Third year law student， Hannah， joins The Innocence Project at the University of Virginia with less than honorable intentions。 Her goal is to be front and center working on the case to free convicted murderer Michael Dandridge; the very same man who destroyed her mother’s life so many years ago。 Hannah lies， cheats and blackmails her way into the project with the intent to work behind the scenes sabotaging the teams every move at proving Michael’s innocence。 Hannah does this because she knows this man is a monster and if he could do what he did to her mother then there is no doubt he is guilty of the rape/murder he’s currently spent the last eleven years doing time for。 But， is he？ There are two sides to every story and things aren’t always what they seem。 Complex characters and an engaging plot gave this twisty fast-moving story all the suspense and tension。 Alternating between Hannah in the present and her mother’s diary in the past gives a unique insight into the story and into Hannah’s character。Narration: Semi-full cast narration gives this fast-paced thriller all the dramatic effect I love。 Adding to the twisty and suspenseful atmosphere with characters that work really well in the story; each playing perfectly off one another。 My thanks to @HarperAudio for this gifted ALC and to @WilliamMorrowBooks for the gifted finished copy！ 。。。more
Kellie Whittam
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A slow burn to a solid finish。 I did find this hard to get into， partly because I didn't like any of the characters。Hannah doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants。 By the end of the book i still didn't really like her but could understand her motives。 The diary entries initially made me feel sorry for Laura， despite her not being a nice person as an alcoholic mother。 I liked her less as we saw how manipulative she was。 Even without any legal knowledge， some of the legal aspects of A slow burn to a solid finish。 I did find this hard to get into， partly because I didn't like any of the characters。Hannah doesn't let anything get in the way of what she wants。 By the end of the book i still didn't really like her but could understand her motives。 The diary entries initially made me feel sorry for Laura， despite her not being a nice person as an alcoholic mother。 I liked her less as we saw how manipulative she was。 Even without any legal knowledge， some of the legal aspects of the book were a little over the top and hard to believe。 This is the first book I have read from this author。 I would like to try another as other reviewers suggest this is quite different to her usual books。Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC， for which I am leaving this honest review。 。。。more
Judykay
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Dervla McTiernan’s 4th novel， The Murder Rule， is a crime thriller legal drama set in Maine and Virginia， United States。 Laura’s past， events from 1994， is revealed through a series of diary entries。 In 2019， her daughter， Hannah Rokeby， a young law student， moves to Virginia to put right events of the past as she understands it and make sure the perpetrator of the crime against her mother is punished。 Hannah is a persuasive， wily person， earning a position on the Innocence Project， led by Profe Dervla McTiernan’s 4th novel， The Murder Rule， is a crime thriller legal drama set in Maine and Virginia， United States。 Laura’s past， events from 1994， is revealed through a series of diary entries。 In 2019， her daughter， Hannah Rokeby， a young law student， moves to Virginia to put right events of the past as she understands it and make sure the perpetrator of the crime against her mother is punished。 Hannah is a persuasive， wily person， earning a position on the Innocence Project， led by Professor Parekh， which aims to ensure the murder rule is justly applied in the case against Michael Dandridge。 Hannah wants the truth， wants to damage the case from her position inside the project。Twist after twist， revelation after revelation， fast paced events set Hannah questioning the diary， her relationship with her mother， and her relationship with the legal team working on the project。 Hannah is a well-crafted character， unwaveringly determined， independent， wary as to whom or what she can trust or believe and fast learning about herself and her understanding of her story。 Can there be justice for the past and those who shaped it and Hannah？ 。。。more
Pamela King
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Questions in the reader's mind start in the first chapter – why is Hannah creeping out of home in the early hours of the morning？Hannah is a university student studying law。 The story starts with her sneaking out of the house she shares with her alcoholic mother for unclear reasons。 She transfers to another university and， by deceitful means， manages to get herself onto the Innocence Program run by Professor Rob Parekh and supported by a team of students。 The program is dedicated to revisiting c Questions in the reader's mind start in the first chapter – why is Hannah creeping out of home in the early hours of the morning？Hannah is a university student studying law。 The story starts with her sneaking out of the house she shares with her alcoholic mother for unclear reasons。 She transfers to another university and， by deceitful means， manages to get herself onto the Innocence Program run by Professor Rob Parekh and supported by a team of students。 The program is dedicated to revisiting cases involving convicted prisoners。Hannah particularly wants to be on the team of a specific case， that of Michael Danridge。 Michael has been in prison for 11 years for the rape and murder of a young mother。 He swears he is innocent and was only found guilty on flimsy evidence。 Hannah uses devious ways to secure her place。 Unlike the rest of the team， she intends to work to keep Michael in gaol。 Her reason gradually comes to light through her mother’s diaries from 1994， in alternating chapters of the book。Time is short for both the team to prove his innocence and for Hannah to succeed in her goal。 But doubt starts to enter Hannah’s thinking。 It began when she went to the prison with Sean to interview Michael。 Her investigations bring to light a crooked cop and cover ups。 She begins to realise everything is not as it seems or as it has been portrayed but who is lying and who is telling the truth？The characters are well developed。 Hannah is not particularly likeable but interesting。 She is smart， and conniving and will do whatever she needs to achieve her aim。 The other two students are great characters although we see more of Sean who is very likeable。I have purposely not said too much about the story， so I don’t spoil the mystery and suspense。The story is slow at the beginning but still interesting。 Stick with it。 The gradual build-up with its many twists and turns makes for a gripping story filled with tension， corruption， and secrets。As the mystery unravels， we read of intrigue， violence， and deception all making for a suspenseful and exciting read。Warning: story contains sexual assault and violence but does not dominate the story。Thank you to Netgalley， Harper Collins Australia， and the author McTiernan for an ARC in return for an honest review。 Due publication date May 2022 。。。more
Annette
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Hannah Rokeby is a law student who is desperate to work for the Innocence Project at Virginia University。 Enrolled at Maine she transfers to Virginia and manages to get herself accepted by Robert Parekh， the Professor in charge。 From page one it is clear that Hannah is prepared to do anything to be part of Parekh’s team。Parekh and his small group of selected students look into last hope legal cases where prisoners have proclaimed that they are innocent and there is definite cause to believe that Hannah Rokeby is a law student who is desperate to work for the Innocence Project at Virginia University。 Enrolled at Maine she transfers to Virginia and manages to get herself accepted by Robert Parekh， the Professor in charge。 From page one it is clear that Hannah is prepared to do anything to be part of Parekh’s team。Parekh and his small group of selected students look into last hope legal cases where prisoners have proclaimed that they are innocent and there is definite cause to believe that they are telling the truth。Michael Dandridge has been in prison for 11 years， accused of raping and murdering a young mother but there are reasons to believe he is not guilty and he has appealed to the Innocence Project as a last resort。Hannah really wants to work on Michael’s case and will stop at nothing to achieve her aim but what is her real motivation？ It quickly becomes apparent that she has a hidden agenda。As the book progresses the reader is treated to diary excerpts written by Hannah’s mother， Laura in 1994 when she was a young maid at a hotel near Boston。 This goes some way to explaining why Hannah has an interest in Dandridge’s case。 However all is not is at seems and it becomes obvious that few characters in this novel are telling the truth。This was a compelling read with many twists and turns。 I liked Hannah’s character and her ability to think quickly。 She is willing to do anything to achieve her goal and this leads her into some tricky situations。I thought the plot was clever and a bit different。 I’ve read many legal thrillers and this one was definitely a page turner。 I did wonder whether Hannah and her friends at the Project might possibly appear in another book by this author as they were definitely appealing！I would definitely recommend this books to legal thriller and mystery readers who enjoy a quick and entertaining read。Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy。 。。。more
Hilary Ridgeway
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People aren't what you think， the justice system is broken and sometimes we never learn the truth。 I loved the overall concept that if something is broken all need to do what we can to fix or at least balance is out。 Using the backdrop of the Innocence Project for this story of personal justice made for so many unexpected twists。 This was my first read from Dervla McTiernan and I will definitely be back for more！ Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the advance release copy。 People aren't what you think， the justice system is broken and sometimes we never learn the truth。 I loved the overall concept that if something is broken all need to do what we can to fix or at least balance is out。 Using the backdrop of the Innocence Project for this story of personal justice made for so many unexpected twists。 This was my first read from Dervla McTiernan and I will definitely be back for more！ Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the advance release copy。 。。。more
Sheila
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I received an ARC of， The Murder Rule， by Dervla McTieran。 People are not always what the seem to be， unfortunately。 Hannah is quite a character， this was a good read。
Bentley Clark
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I enjoyed the first 85% of this book。 I was invested in the story and the characters。 The ending， though。 What a disaster！ It's like the author wasn't through with the story and the editor told her she had to resolve everything immediately。 The term "deus ex machina" comes to mind。 Such a shame。 I enjoyed the first 85% of this book。 I was invested in the story and the characters。 The ending， though。 What a disaster！ It's like the author wasn't through with the story and the editor told her she had to resolve everything immediately。 The term "deus ex machina" comes to mind。 Such a shame。 。。。more
Chrissie
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Insomnia read
Donna Shaw
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Hannah ran across her mother’s diary and grew up believing that her father was murdered by a friend of his before she was born。 She learns that the Innocence Project Clinic， a group of lawyers， are working on the defense of the man who murdered her father。 He had served 11 years in prison for another murder and claimed he was innocent。 Hannah joined the Innocence Project with the intention of making sure her father’s murderer was not freed from prison。 This novel has unforeseen twists and will h Hannah ran across her mother’s diary and grew up believing that her father was murdered by a friend of his before she was born。 She learns that the Innocence Project Clinic， a group of lawyers， are working on the defense of the man who murdered her father。 He had served 11 years in prison for another murder and claimed he was innocent。 Hannah joined the Innocence Project with the intention of making sure her father’s murderer was not freed from prison。 This novel has unforeseen twists and will hold your interest。 。。。more
Adrian Dooley
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This one was a fun if somewhat flawed read。The story of Hannah Rokeby who blags her way onto the Innocence Project in Virginia。 The Innocence Project take on cases that they see as miscarriages of justice and try and set the perpetrator free。Why does Hannah suddenly want to join the Project？ When she was much younger she found her mothers secret diary which contained some brutal and very traumatic actions against her mother。 Hannah still lives with her mother who is somewhat of a recluse and an This one was a fun if somewhat flawed read。The story of Hannah Rokeby who blags her way onto the Innocence Project in Virginia。 The Innocence Project take on cases that they see as miscarriages of justice and try and set the perpetrator free。Why does Hannah suddenly want to join the Project？ When she was much younger she found her mothers secret diary which contained some brutal and very traumatic actions against her mother。 Hannah still lives with her mother who is somewhat of a recluse and an alcoholic。 The man named in the diary is having his case taken up the the Innocence Project to try and prove him innocent and Hannah is there to make sure that doesnt happen。This one was a fun fast paced read。 Some nice twists and turns along the way， it really does weave quiet a clever story。Where it does fall down somewhat is the legal side of things。 The courtroom scenes。。。well， you really do have to suspend disbelief to go along with it。The ending of the book felt a bit rushed also and a little unbelievable。Still a fun read overall。 Its just a shame about the courtroom scenes and the ending。 Otherwise I would have marked this enjoyable book higher。Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley。 。。。more
Kim
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It didn’t hook me right away but I stuck with it and it ended up being a good story。
Kate
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Law student Hannah Rokeby is on a mission to get on the team for The Innocence Project。 They think she's here to use her do-anything-to-win attitude to help free Michael Dandridge who is claiming innocence of the crime he's been imprisoned for for over a decade。 Hannah's can-do attitude is either the wildcard TIP needs。。。or it will sink them all。The characters in this are really well done for this story， making each other's lives harder in order to make sure they're "doing the right thing"。 The Law student Hannah Rokeby is on a mission to get on the team for The Innocence Project。 They think she's here to use her do-anything-to-win attitude to help free Michael Dandridge who is claiming innocence of the crime he's been imprisoned for for over a decade。 Hannah's can-do attitude is either the wildcard TIP needs。。。or it will sink them all。The characters in this are really well done for this story， making each other's lives harder in order to make sure they're "doing the right thing"。 The problem is that they all have different approaches/theories/opinions。。。and they all think they're right。Absolutely incredible read and I cannot wait for the upcoming TV series。 （Maybe a sequel too？！）*Thanks to William Morrow for my copy to read and share in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
BookstagramETC
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Source: Adrian McKinty， author of The ChainI wanted to reach out and tell you about a book I’ve read and loved—The Murder Rule， by Dervla McTiernan。 If you read The Chain and liked it， I think The Murder Rule might be for you。At first glance The Murder Rule seems like it’s going to be a straight-forward tale。 A young law student， Hannah Rokeby， joins the Innocence Project to help them in their fight to free an innocent man from death row。 But in this story， nothing is as it appears to be and no Source: Adrian McKinty， author of The ChainI wanted to reach out and tell you about a book I’ve read and loved—The Murder Rule， by Dervla McTiernan。 If you read The Chain and liked it， I think The Murder Rule might be for you。At first glance The Murder Rule seems like it’s going to be a straight-forward tale。 A young law student， Hannah Rokeby， joins the Innocence Project to help them in their fight to free an innocent man from death row。 But in this story， nothing is as it appears to be and no one is entirely innocent。 Hannah Rokeby has her own agenda and she takes control of this story from its earliest pages。The Murder Rule is a fast， twisty， highly-entertaining read that delivers on more than one level。 It has something to say about the challenges of doing good work in a post-truth world， about the ease with which perceptions are twisted。 About how being the hero in your own story， doesn’t prevent you from being the villain in someone else’s。If you’re looking for a story you can sink into， I recommend The Murder Rule。 。。。more
Sharon Wallace
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Favourite book of the year。Great premise for a book and boy did it deliver。Hannah Rokeby goes to extreme lengths to get herself onto the Innocence Project but not for the same reasons as the others。 No， she wants to make sure a prisoner is never released。 But why？ The story switches effortlessly between Hannah and her alcoholic， needy mother Laura （and her diary）Skilfully written and with a fantastic twist。Highly recommended Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a f Favourite book of the year。Great premise for a book and boy did it deliver。Hannah Rokeby goes to extreme lengths to get herself onto the Innocence Project but not for the same reasons as the others。 No， she wants to make sure a prisoner is never released。 But why？ The story switches effortlessly between Hannah and her alcoholic， needy mother Laura （and her diary）Skilfully written and with a fantastic twist。Highly recommended Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review。4。5 Stars 。。。more
Siobhan （Bookish Vibes）
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I went in blind with this book， I just seen it was by Dervla McTiernan and knew I had to read it and it most definitely did not disappoint。Hannah Rokeby manages to wrangle her way into The Innocence Program at the University of Virginia， a group of law students who work with death row prisoners who are believed to be innocent。 Her intent is to get onto the case of Michael Dandridge and stop him from getting free before it's too late。I loved the way the story was written， with diary entries from I went in blind with this book， I just seen it was by Dervla McTiernan and knew I had to read it and it most definitely did not disappoint。Hannah Rokeby manages to wrangle her way into The Innocence Program at the University of Virginia， a group of law students who work with death row prisoners who are believed to be innocent。 Her intent is to get onto the case of Michael Dandridge and stop him from getting free before it's too late。I loved the way the story was written， with diary entries from Hannah's mum when she was a teenager included along the way。 Laura knew Michael back then and her diary entries paint him as a monster。 In the present day he is on death row for the brutal rape and murder of a single mum but the people of the Innocence Program are sure he was set up。 Small town secrets， revenge， betrayal， untrustworthy characters。。。 Dervla McTiernan delivers one compelling story with The Murder Rule and I found it hard to put it down。 It is full of suspense and twists to keep you guessing and the ending was nothing like I thought it was going to be when I first started。Thanks to NetGalley/Harper Collins AU for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 Definitely recommend checking this book out May 4th if you are a thriller fan。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Murder Rule
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Murder Rule&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Murder Rule&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0