Shortlisted for the Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year
Shortlisted for the RTE Listeners' Choice Award
Shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker Prize 2018

'As moving as it is fast-paced' VAL McDERMID
'Spectacularly good' MARIAN KEYES
'Beautifully drawn characters' LAURA MARSHALL

*****

February 1993

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 - fifteen-year-old Maude and five-year-old Jack. Their mother lies dead upstairs.

March 2013

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 powerful debut will draw you into the dark heart of Ireland and ask who will protect you when the authorities can't - or won't. Perfect for fans of Val McDermid, Tana French and Susie Steiner.

*****

Praise for THE RUIN:

'Brilliantly crafted . . . an absolute treat!' SUNDAY MIRROR

'An exciting new voice in Irish noir' SUNDAY TIMES

'Corruption, clandestine cover-ups and criminal conspiracy . . . as moving as it is fast-paced' VAL McDERMID

'Absolutely brilliant. Wonderful characters, authentic setting, and a sublime, twisty plot' IRISH EXAMINER

'A compelling story with beautifully drawn characters I really cared about' LAURA MARSHALL

'Heartbreaking and heart-stopping' CAZ FREAR

'As convincing as it is multi-layered, as compelling as it is complex . . . Dervla is a future star of the genre' CHRIS BROOKMYRE

'Fans of Tana French will love McTiernan's expertly plotted, complex web of secrets that refuse to stay hidden' KAREN DIONNE

'There are not many books that will keep me reading from start to finish but THE RUIN did just that . . . An excellent story, very well written . . . this one was a winner for me!' ALEX GRAY

'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' SAM BLAKE

'Intelligent, compassionate and believable' SINEAD CROWLEY

About the Author
Dervla McTiernan was born in County Cork, Ireland to a family of seven. She studied corporate law at the National University of Ireland, Galway and the Law Society of Ireland, and practiced as a lawyer for twelve years. Following the global financial crisis she moved with her family to Western Australia, where she now works for the Mental Health Commission. She lives in Perth with her husband and two children.

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
Absolutely brilliant. Wonderful characters, authentic setting, and a sublime, twisty plot * Irish Examiner *
An absorbing tale * Irish Times *
I can't wait to read the next one . . . a star crime writer is born! * Books Ireland *
A crime writer of promise * RTE Guide *
An exciting new voice in Irish noir * Sunday Times (Crime Club) *
Brilliantly crafted . . . incredibly real-feeling characters. An absolute treat! * Sunday Mirror *


Awards
Winner of Davitt Awards Best Novel 2019 (UK) and Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction 2019 (UK). Short-listed for Irish Book Awards crime category 2018 (UK) and Kate O'Brien Award 2019 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780751569315
Author Dervla McTiernan
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Sphere
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 274g
Dimensions(mm) 201mm * 127mm * 25mm