Dervla McTiernan is an internationally acclaimed crime and thriller writer. Her debut novel, The Ruin, kicked off her Cormac Reilly series. Since then, she’s released several books and won numerous writing prizes, including a Barry Award, a Davitt Award, a Ned Kelly Award and an International Thriller Writers Award.
Fun fact, the novel is sometimes stylised as The Rúin, with an accent mark (fada in Irish) over the “u”. This translates to “The Secret” from the Irish language. So it’s a fun little play on words for Irish speakers!
As of May 2025, Dervla’s novel The Murder Rule is in development as a limited series at FX. Furthermore, The Ruin was optioned by Hopscotch Features and Colin Farrell’s production company, Chapel Place Productions.
Read on for a list of Dervla McTiernan books we think you’ll love.
In what order should I read Dervla McTiernan’s books?
Dervla McTiernan’s series is best read in order, but each mystery is self-contained, so it can be read independently if you like. The Cormac Reilly series books in order are: The Ruin, The Scholar, The Good Turn, and The Unquiet Grave.
If you’re looking for standalone reads, Dervla has written a few, including What Happened to Nina? and The Murder Rule.
Where does Dervla McTiernan live?
Dervla McTiernan lives in Western Australia with her husband and children. She grew up in Ireland and studied law at University College Galway, around which most of the Cormac Reilly series is set. The author practised as a lawyer for 12 years before becoming an author.
Will there be a fourth Cormac Reilly book?
Yes! The fourth Cormac Reilly book was released in 2025. Learn more about The Unquiet Grave below.
There are also prequel novellas related to the Cormac Reilly series: The Roommate and The Sisters. Both were released as audiobooks through Audible.
01
The Ruin
Responding to a call, young Garda (Irish police) Cormac Reilly found two silent, neglected children – fifteen-year-old Maude and five-year-old Jack. Their mother lay dead upstairs.
Twenty years later, Cormac’s back in Galway city. 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 that death from so long ago? And which of his new colleagues can Cormac really trust?
The Cormac Reilly series continues with The Scholar and The Good Turn. The latest Cormac Reilly series book is …
02
The Unquiet Grave
For years, the boglands of Northern Europe have preserved bodies of the long-deceased. When a corpse is found in a bog in Galway, Cormac Reilly assumes the find is historical. But examination reveals the dead man is the local principal who disappeared two years ago.
Cormac is sure he’s closing in on the killer when another mutilated body is discovered on the other side of the country. Two days later, a third body is found. Is this a serial killer? Has Cormac been on the wrong trail? And can he find the murderer before they strike again?
03
What Happened to Nina?
Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his family’s cabin in Vermont, and only Simon comes home.
Nina’s parents push the police for answers, and Simon’s wealthy, powerful family rush to protect him. Soon, facts are lost in a swirl of accusation and counter-accusation. Nina’s parents recognise that if playing by the rules won’t get them anywhere, it’s time to break them.
04
The Murder Rule
First Rule: Make them like you.
Second Rule: Make them need you.
Third Rule: Make them pay.
The plot follows law student Hannah Rokeby, who joins an Innocence Project not to free a prisoner, but to sabotage the case from within. Driven by her mother’s dark past, Hannah’s quest for revenge quickly unravels into a gripping moral dilemma.
05
The Sisters
Set 10 years prior to The Ruin, bright-eyed Carrie Ryan is just starting her career, looking for a chance to break into the “boys’ club” of Dublin’s police force.
Carrie and her barrister sister, Aifric, find evidence that complicates an ongoing case. However, if the detective sergeant running the investigation finds out Carrie’s been messing around with his case, her career will be over before it has begun.
The other prequel in the Cormac Reilly series is The Roommate. Both are available as audiobooks through Audible.
