The Murder Rule - Dervla McTiernan

I love a good legal suspense tale. There's been lots of buzz around Dervla McTiernan's newest book, The Murder Rule - and it's well deserved. I thought The Murder Rule was an absolutely fantastic listen.

"First Rule: Make them like you. Second Rule: Make them need you. 

Third Rule: Make them pay."

Hannah is a law student who leaves Maine to volunteer at The Innocence Project in Virginia. The impetus for the move is what she discovered in the pages of  her mother's old diaries - and the story they tell. And the man at the center of the latest case of the wrongly convicted justice group.

Oh, Hannah is a complicated lead character. She presents one persona to the group, hiding her real motives and self from the group and the public. But - she would do anything for her mother. She sacrifices much to keep her healthy and happy. I was so curious about the why and what of her plan.

Now here's the neat bit - McTiernan's inspiration for the Murder Rule was an actual case of The Innocence Project. It is indeed a real organization. McTiernan is a lawyer herself and that insider knowledge adds so much to the book. The courtroom pieces, the behind the scenes machinations and more have that ring of authenticity. But, that's not to say that McTiernan doesn't put her own spin on things, adding levels and more levels to her plotting. The answer to that burning question - is he innocent - is up in the air until the last chapters. 

Danger, suspense, action, corruption, betrayal and duplicity abound in The Murder Rule. And my favorite - twists and turns. I honestly couldn't stop listening. An easy five stars for me. 

The readers were Kate Orsini, Sophie Amoss and Michael Crouch. I really like having multiple narrators, as it makes each character easily identifiable. And it feels more 'real'. The voices used matched the mental images I created for the characters and suited the characters McTiernan created. The energy of the plotting, the emotions of the characters and more are all easily portrayed and performed, bring the book to life. Each narrator spoke clearly and was easy to understand. The speed of speaking was just right. A great performance by all. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of The Murder Rule.