The Scholar

'A truly fine police procedural' - IRISH INDEPENDENT
'Utterly compelling' - JANE CASEY
'A superbly paced, engaging read' - WOMAN'S WAY

BRILLIANCE CAN BE DEADLY . . .

When Detective Cormac Reilly's girlfriend Emma stumbles across the victim of a hit and run early one morning, he is first on the scene of a murder that would never have been assigned to him.

The investigation promises to be high profile and high pressure: the dead girl is carrying an ID, that of Carline Darcy, heir apparent to Ireland's most successful pharmaceutical company. Darcy Therapeutics has a finger in every pie, including the laboratory where Emma works.

As Cormac investigates, evidence mounts that the death is linked to the lab and, increasingly, to Emma herself. Cormac is sure she couldn't be involved, but how well does he really know her? After all, this isn't the first time Emma's been accused of murder . . .

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Praise for Dervla McTiernan's debut novel, THE RUIN:

'Dervla McTiernan is a future star of the genre' CHRIS BROOKMYRE

'Cormac Reilly is a brilliant new character' SAM BLAKE

'Brilliantly crafted . . . incredibly real-feeling characters. 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

'Loved THE RUIN by Dervla McTiernan. A compelling story with beautifully drawn characters I really cared about' LAURA MARSHALL

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

'Heartbreaking and heart-stopping' CAZ FREAR

'THE RUIN is 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 Dervla McTiernan's 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