Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan

2 reviews

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I've mixed feelings about this one. While I liked the overall reading/listening experience of the book and enjoyed the general plot I did feel a little put out towards the ends with some of the twists and turns.

So what I did like:
• A variety of different characters with some very distinct different motives
• The uncertainty and uneasiness of who exactly was telling the truth was conveyed very well throughout
• The tension and unknown entity of the relationship between Hannah and her mother.

What I wasn't keen on:
• Unfortunately sections of the plot line felt a little too unrealistic at times and one or two aspects didn't add up at the end for me.

I switched between ebook and audiobook and enjoyed both formats. The audiobook was great with a 3 person cast which made it easy to follow. 

Overall, an enjoyable read which looks at the concept of justice, revenge and who is really innocent after all?

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savvyrosereads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

Out May 10, 2022 [Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4/5 stars

Everyone thinks Hannah is a third-year law student dedicated to helping secure the release of a wrongfully convicted man as part of her volunteer work with the Innocence Project. In reality, her goal is to make sure he never gets out of prison.

I was already a big fan of Dervla McTiernan, so when I heard she was writing a book set in the U.S. and featuring a law student, I was extremely excited. Fortunately, the book itself didn’t disappoint! I sped through it in just over 24 hours (a compliment in itself) and was thoroughly pulled in by the plot, the characters, and the various twists.

While I felt like there may have been a few glosses on the law, legal world, or criminal law and procedure that weren’t perfectly realistic/accurate, this is a novel and not a legal treatise, and I appreciated the overall high level of accuracy—I was definitely getting a few law school flashbacks as I read! The pacing of the novel was also really well done, with just enough information fed quickly enough to keep me interested without spilling all the secrets too early, and a conclusion that gave just the right amount of closure without seeming too neat. In short, the recipe for a solid and compelling legal thriller.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: legal thrillers; buried family secrets; explorations of justice.

CW: Murder; sexual assault; physical violence/abuse; alcoholism.

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