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A review by outsmartyourshelf
The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Hannah Rokeby's first day on campus (or grounds) at the University of Virginia is vital for her plan to succeed. She needs to get herself noticed at The Innocence Project, a non-profit organisation that take on possible miscarriages of justice. The biggest case at the moment is that of convicted killer, Michael Dandridge, & the Project is hoping to have his conviction overturned. Hannah wants in on the case, but not to help, but to make sure Dandridge stays behind bars for good.
The first glimpse of Hannah we get is a short email correspondence between her & the leader of the Project, Prof Rob Parekh, where Hannah has no compunction in alluding to blackmail in order to secure a spot on the team. This sets the tone for Hannah for most of the book, a character who has no scruples in screwing over another person (sorry Hazel) to get what she wants, which in this case is revenge for her mother. The narrative is told mainly from Hannah's point of view, with some chapters from her mother's diary setting the scene.
I was all for giving this book 4+ stars as it grabbed my attention from the outset. The story was intriguing, fast-paced & looked to be barreling along to a gripping conclusion - but then, for me, it went wrong. Because I enjoyed reading it for most of the book, I'm rating this 3.5 stars.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
The first glimpse of Hannah we get is a short email correspondence between her & the leader of the Project, Prof Rob Parekh, where Hannah has no compunction in alluding to blackmail in order to secure a spot on the team. This sets the tone for Hannah for most of the book, a character who has no scruples in screwing over another person (sorry Hazel) to get what she wants, which in this case is revenge for her mother. The narrative is told mainly from Hannah's point of view, with some chapters from her mother's diary setting the scene.
I was all for giving this book 4+ stars as it grabbed my attention from the outset. The story was intriguing, fast-paced & looked to be barreling along to a gripping conclusion - but then, for me, it went wrong. Because I enjoyed reading it for most of the book, I'm rating this 3.5 stars.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence