The Ruin
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic first in series. I was very pleased to find McTiernan’s The Ruin. Tight plotting, engaging characters, and a believable setting and mystery.
Cold cases are my favorite form of mystery. With The Ruin we have a new death (is is suicide or murder?) linking up with an old death and tragedy.
McTiernan effortlessly switches perspectives from the lead Guarda, Cormac Reilly, to the girlfriend of the dead man. We are drawn into life in Galway from the vantage point of a police procedural and that of a doctor dealing with the death of her partner. Past and present threads weave together to create a tapestry of trauma, loss, and corruption. Yet, the story is never heavy and often hopeful.
There are many plot layers here, and stellar writing keeps it all together. All loose ends are tied up by the last page.
Each of the main characters struggles not just with the murders being investigated, but with inner turmoil, and how past decisions and current events shape who we are and who we are to become.
I look forward to the next in series!