The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2)

by Dervla McTiernan
The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2)
When DS 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 otherwise never have been assigned to him. The dead girl is carrying an ID, that of Carline Darcy, heir apparent to Darcy Therapeutics, Ireland’s most successful pharmaceutical company. Darcy Therapeutics has a finger in every pie, from sponsoring university research facilities to funding political parties to philanthropy – it has funded Emma’s ownground-breaking research. The investigation into Carline’s death promises to be high profile and high pressure.As Cormac investigates, evidence mounts that the death is linked to a Darcy laboratory 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...

The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2) Details

TitleThe Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2)
Author
LanguageEnglish
ReleaseMar 7th, 2019
PublisherSphere
ISBN-139780751569346
Rating
GenreMystery, Crime, Fiction, Cultural, Ireland, Thriller

The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2) Review

  • Kylie D
    January 1, 1970
    A compelling follow up to The Ruin, The Scholar puts Dervla McTiernan into the upper echelon of crime writers. In this latest offering DS Cormac Reilly's girlfriend, Dr Emma Sweeney, stumbles across the body of a dead girl in the carpark after leaving her university lab late one night. Cormac is the first on the scene and the girl's security ID confirms her to be Carline Darcy, granddaughter of pharmaceutical billionaire John Darcy.All is not as it seems, however, and Cormac's investigation haul A compelling follow up to The Ruin, The Scholar puts Dervla McTiernan into the upper echelon of crime writers. In this latest offering DS Cormac Reilly's girlfriend, Dr Emma Sweeney, stumbles across the body of a dead girl in the carpark after leaving her university lab late one night. Cormac is the first on the scene and the girl's security ID confirms her to be Carline Darcy, granddaughter of pharmaceutical billionaire John Darcy.All is not as it seems, however, and Cormac's investigation hauls him in several different directions at once. The trouble is, having his girlfriend Emma as the one who discovers the body, and a key witness, Cormac soon finds himself compromised, and wondering if he is biased in his findings. As the evidence against the lab, and Emma, accumulates, Cormac is second guessing himself, and then racing against time to crack this case, a case he is probably too close to and invested in.This gem of a book had me racing through it, ignoring all else, to solve the case. I did come up with some of the answers, but definitely not all of them, and some parts had me stumped! The characters continue to be fleshed out, and we find out the backstory between Cormac and Emma. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment of the series. Recommended to all lovers of mysteries and crime fiction.My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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  • Paromjit
    January 1, 1970
    Dervla McTiernan embeds her series featuring DS Cormac Reilly set in Galway, Ireland, with flair here. I loved The Ruin, and this is a brilliant sequel. Reilly is still being shunted into cold cases, but overworked DS Carrie O'Halloran fights his corner as at long last he is assigned current investigations, including the Henderson case, where Rob Henderson planned to wipe out his wife, Lucy and their children. It has been difficult to get Lucy to co-operate with the police inquiry, and Cormac ju Dervla McTiernan embeds her series featuring DS Cormac Reilly set in Galway, Ireland, with flair here. I loved The Ruin, and this is a brilliant sequel. Reilly is still being shunted into cold cases, but overworked DS Carrie O'Halloran fights his corner as at long last he is assigned current investigations, including the Henderson case, where Rob Henderson planned to wipe out his wife, Lucy and their children. It has been difficult to get Lucy to co-operate with the police inquiry, and Cormac just might be able to break the impasse. By sheer chance, Reilly lands a case which technically he should not have when his partner, Dr Emma Sweeney, becomes a witness when she comes across a hit and run victim outside the Darcy research laboratories that she works at. It appears the dead young woman is Carline Darcy when they find ID on the body, but it turns out Carline, the granddaughter of John Darcy, CEO of Darcy Pharmaceuticals, is very much alive and she claims that she lost her ID some time ago.Cormac is sceptical about Carline's claim, but he is unable to follow up when he is warned to leave the Darcy family alone, unless he has strong evidence, as the political clout of the Darcy family has the police treading extremely carefully. Determining the identity of the dead woman takes some time to verify until a desperately worried 15 year old boy, Paul Lambert, reports his 18 year old sister, Della, as missing. Della was an extremely bright student that had started university early at the age of 16 before dropping out and working as a waitress, why would anyone want to kill her? It soon becomes clear that the murder has connections to the Darcy Laboratories, and to Cormac's consternation Emma comes under police scrutiny, surely his beloved Emma is incapable of murder? As Cormac finds himself suspended from the case because of his relationship with Emma, another tragic murder takes place. This fires Cormac's determination to get to the truth no matter what and nail a killer, helped by a police team that includes his colleague, the loyal Peter Fisher.McTiernan engages in some stellar character development with Cormac and the others in this hugely compelling addition to the series. I really adored the supporting characters of Peter Fisher and Carrie O'Halloran. It is wonderful to observe Cormac slowly being accepted and supported by his police team, with the exceptions of McCarthy, his boss, with his political manoevres, and Moira Hanley, who resents Cormac and not above causing him as much trouble as she can get away with. More insights are provided on Emma and Cormac's personal relationship and history with her. This is a gripping and entertaining read, full of suspense and tension, and an absolute thrill ride. Cannot wait for the next in the series! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
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  • Peter
    January 1, 1970
    PerfidiousThe Scholar is Dervla McTiernan’s second book with DS Cormac Reilly, and as a crime writer, she has reinforced her position as one of the best new talents around.Cormac Reilly is an ex-anti-terrorist officer who moved from Dublin to the Galway Gardaí to accommodate his partner, Dr Emma Sweeney, with her new job working with Darcy Therapeutics in a BioTech lab, hosted at the University in Galway (NUIG). Emma previously suffered a horrific attack and moving from Dublin provided a new sta PerfidiousThe Scholar is Dervla McTiernan’s second book with DS Cormac Reilly, and as a crime writer, she has reinforced her position as one of the best new talents around.Cormac Reilly is an ex-anti-terrorist officer who moved from Dublin to the Galway Gardaí to accommodate his partner, Dr Emma Sweeney, with her new job working with Darcy Therapeutics in a BioTech lab, hosted at the University in Galway (NUIG). Emma previously suffered a horrific attack and moving from Dublin provided a new start that was important for her recovery. The incident details were not revealed in the first book, but Cormac is incredibly protective of her and worries what long term effect and mindset the trauma may have had.Cormac’s relationships within the Galway police force has been anything but straightforward as he is viewed with caution, suspicion and mistrust. There are those members of the force that recognise his talents and those that are openly difficult. Inter-relationships play an important part without dominating the story. The careful management of the story threads add depth to the environment and are often the catalyst for the opportunities and skills proffered by Reilly, to become apparent. Cormac's boss, Superintendent Murphy, has had him working cold cases while the live workload has been falling mainly onto DS Carrie O’Halloran. It's now at breaking point and Murphy and Carrie agree to offload one to Cormac but he will be carefully monitored. In Galway he had the constant sense that things were not exactly right, that everything was slightly off-kilter. A year had passed and he still didn’t know his team well enough to trust them. Murphy may finally have given him a live case but he’d given it reluctantly and he was looking over Cormac’s shoulder. It might be paranoia, but Cormac wondered if he was being set up to fail. Late one evening, on her way to the Lab, Emma discovers the victim of a hit and run which has left the young woman, dead and badly disfigured. The initial identification comes from a staff ID card in her pocket and it is none other than Carline Darcy, the granddaughter of John Darcy the multi-billionaire owner of Darcy Therapeutics. Emma calls Cormac who arrives on the scene and manages to convince his bosses that he should take the case, which they agree. A decision that will have ramifications for Cormac, a potential conflict of interest and another cause for office misgivings. The victim is eventually confirmed as Della Lambert, but why was she carrying Carline’s ID and what is the connection. Cormac is, however, warned off talking to Carline Darcy, by his superiors.The novel’s complex and insidious plot is brilliantly developed with misdirection wonderfully structured and believable. What I find extremely impressive with Dervla is not only her ability to imagine multiple diversions but give real life to them. Even when the reader sees threads that are hidden from certain people, the characters still feel totally committed to their version of the truth and it is given room to play out. All the characters are superbly drawn, unforgettable, and it’s impressive to follow the gradual uncovering of personalities and relationships. The background with Emma and the connection with Cormac is revealed in this story and completely adds to the suspicion and actions that may be at play.The Scholar is a complex and totally captivating crime thriller that promises to fortify Dervla’s connection with a dedicated and rapidly growing fan-base. I would like to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.
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  • Debra
    January 1, 1970
    DS Cormac Reilly receives a phone call from his girlfriend, Emma who is clearly upset. Emma has discovered the body of a young woman in the street while driving home from work. The young woman is carrying the ID of Carline Darcy, who has ties to Darcy Therapeutics, one of Ireland's most successful pharmaceutical companies. This is going to be a high-profile case. No mistakes cannot be made. DS Cormac immediately takes action as he is the first officer on the scene.As the investigation mounts it DS Cormac Reilly receives a phone call from his girlfriend, Emma who is clearly upset. Emma has discovered the body of a young woman in the street while driving home from work. The young woman is carrying the ID of Carline Darcy, who has ties to Darcy Therapeutics, one of Ireland's most successful pharmaceutical companies. This is going to be a high-profile case. No mistakes cannot be made. DS Cormac immediately takes action as he is the first officer on the scene.As the investigation mounts it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems, and that the death is liked to Darcy Therapeutics where his girlfriend Emma works. Further complicating issues, another young woman is murdered. What is the connection? Who has secrets? Who is telling lies? I did not read the first book in the series and felt this book worked very well as a stand-alone novel. I really enjoyed the complexities of this plot and the investigative work that went into solving this case. It felt realistic and believable. Nothing felt as if it came out of left field. The Author did have me questioning several characters guilt in a very subtle and clever way. When the big reveal came, it felt believable and I felt she set it up realistically. I have been reading a lot of "it-came-out-of-left-field-for-the-shock-value" reveals, and I am really annoyed with them. I thought the Author did a wonderful job building to the reveal and through the police work that it worked flawlessly. I also appreciated how Cormac wrestled with being protective of Emma while trying to solve the case. He mulled over whether his relationship with her could cause a bias in his investigation. Again, this felt real and believable.An enjoyable book and I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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  • Phrynne
    January 1, 1970
    This is an excellent follow up to the author's first book, The Ruin. Cormac is back as our brilliant but long suffering detective. Somehow he always seems to end up in the wrong despite doing everything right. I start to feel a bit sorry for him!The Scholar begins with a hit and run death and the first person on the scene happens to be Emma, Cormac's partner. Cormac, who should know better, takes the case and it is all down hill for him from there. Luckily his team is becoming more supportive, a This is an excellent follow up to the author's first book, The Ruin. Cormac is back as our brilliant but long suffering detective. Somehow he always seems to end up in the wrong despite doing everything right. I start to feel a bit sorry for him!The Scholar begins with a hit and run death and the first person on the scene happens to be Emma, Cormac's partner. Cormac, who should know better, takes the case and it is all down hill for him from there. Luckily his team is becoming more supportive, as his boss is definitely not, and certain fellow workers are out to undermine him too. Emma causes many problems as well. There is some great character development in this book which I hope indicates the author plans to continue with this series. The story is excellent, the identity of the murderer is hard to guess and the tension increases hugely in the last section which makes it very hard to put the book down at all. I enjoyed it enormously!
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  • PattyMacDotComma
    January 1, 1970
    4★“Money didn’t keep you safe, she’d known that since she was a little girl. Without position, status, power, protection, what was she but just another pretty girl, floating around Cannes or Marbella?”Carline was beautiful, rich, and smart. So smart she was working on her thesis at her grandfather’s renowned laboratory where our Emma was headhunted to work. Emma’s the girlfriend of our Cormac, handsome Detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly of the Irish Garda (police) who moved from Dublin to Galway w 4★“Money didn’t keep you safe, she’d known that since she was a little girl. Without position, status, power, protection, what was she but just another pretty girl, floating around Cannes or Marbella?”Carline was beautiful, rich, and smart. So smart she was working on her thesis at her grandfather’s renowned laboratory where our Emma was headhunted to work. Emma’s the girlfriend of our Cormac, handsome Detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly of the Irish Garda (police) who moved from Dublin to Galway with her when she was offered the great position at the lab. She’s another smart, beautiful girl (but not rich, no).Reilly’s been stuck following up cold cases until now, and not allowed out on active investigations. He’s treated with suspicion as an outsider and misses his old job. But when Emma stumbles across a dead body outside her lab late one night, she calls him directly, and voilá! He’s right in the middle of a very active crime scene indeed. A crime, because the girl was obviously an intentional hit-and-run victim.Ought he be involved? After all, it’s his girlfriend who discovered the body. He explains (rationalises) that Emma’s just an innocent bystander who happened to be the first on the scene. Nothing to see here. I’m not conflicted. Someone else can please interview her and then take her out of the picture. By the way, Emma had a terrible time with violence in the past and is still shaky, so be gentle with her. (Does he sound not conflicted?)We learn more about her violent past and then – horror of horrors – it seems Emma may have been more connected to the victim than we thought. Maybe Cormac is conflicted after all. I like McTiernan’s characters. Her stories are about people, connections, and behaviour more than they are about time and place. Of course it’s still cold and wet – this is Ireland, after all – but this shows how Cormac’s relationship develops with the other garda and with Emma. That’s not to say McTiernan isn’t descriptive, because she certainly is. Here is a lacklustre witness and her sister. “Lucy Henderson opened the door to them with a baby in her arms and milk stains on her shoulder. She was a bird-like little woman. Petite and fine-boned and with a definite air of abstraction . . . The second woman looked very like Lucy, but sharper somehow, more robust, as if Lucy was an artist’s rough pencil sketch, and the second woman was the finished picture.”Part way through the story, I was disappointed that the lovely, personable Dervla McTiernan had written such a simple mystery that I had figured it out already and was just going to watch all the pieces fall into place. Ooops. I should have known better, of course. It was quite a satisfying result.I enjoyed Carrie, another detective sergeant, who’s carrying a heavy workload of active cases and trying to balance that with a young family. She can see how wasted Cormac’s talents are on cold cases, successful though he may be, so why can’t he take some of hers over? And I liked Peter Fisher, whom Cormac calls away from his PlayStation to assist. He turns out to be more useful and astute than Cormac or we imagine. Cormac is not hardened, but I’d say he’s seasoned. He’s dealt with bad stuff before. Interviewing someone, he hears:“‘I hadn’t heard that she was young. I don’t know why but that somehow makes it worse, doesn’t it?’ Cormac thought about all the houses he’d visited where Mummy or Daddy, or on one awful occasion both, hadn’t come home, and felt he couldn’t agree.”He also knows the personal toll that is taken by the job, by guilt, and by trauma. He wonders if he could have prevented something, Emma wonders if she could have prevented something, both worry about the price their relationship may take after all is said and done. Cormac gives her his view about feeling guilty.“‘But here’s the thing, Em. That way lies madness. That way lies a drink problem, and early retirement, and me propping up a bar somewhere with the other men and women the job has chewed up and spat out, and then what the hell good am I to anyone? You have to let it go, right? You have to do the best you can, and let the rest go. And if you’re angry, if you’re guilty, you have to shove all that into the work, into your next case, so that next time you don’t make those mistakes.’ He let out a shaky, hard laugh. ‘Maybe you make new ones, but you try.’”Now I’m waiting for next time and the inevitable new mistakes! :)Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.If you’d like to hear the delightful Dervla herself, I can recommend this recent “Better Reading” podcast interview. By golly, she’s been through a lot, and we’re glad she’s enjoying a sunny life in Western Australia while writing about her homeland of cold, wet Ireland.https://omny.fm/shows/better-reading-...P.S. You can enjoy this as a stand-alone. There's no crucial information or even background story that you need to know to follow the plot or the relationship.
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  • Diane S ☔
    January 1, 1970
    Second outing for my new favorite Irish series, and just as well done as the first. Cormac is now in Galway, still relegated to cold cases and cold shoulders. All that changes when his love Emily finds a young woman who has been run over and is obviously dead. Cormac will pick up this case, which will almost cost him everything he holds dear.The writing and the storyline are both smooth, almost seem effortless. Cormac and his sense of rightness even when he knows things might be better left undo Second outing for my new favorite Irish series, and just as well done as the first. Cormac is now in Galway, still relegated to cold cases and cold shoulders. All that changes when his love Emily finds a young woman who has been run over and is obviously dead. Cormac will pick up this case, which will almost cost him everything he holds dear.The writing and the storyline are both smooth, almost seem effortless. Cormac and his sense of rightness even when he knows things might be better left undone, unsaid. The entitlement of the wealthy, their ruthlessness to protect what they consider theirs, no matter what it takes, or whose life. Drugs, legal drugs, and the big money they can bring, the pressure to create the next wonder drug. An explosive situation that only gets bigger. Good stuff here.ARC from Edelweiss.
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  • Carolyn
    January 1, 1970
    I'm happy to report that Dervla McTiernan's sequel to The Ruin is just as good! Cormac Reilly is back and this time, after a year in Galway, he's finally been moved off cold cases and allowed to investigate some live cases to take some of the pressure off his colleagues. When Cormac's partner, Emily finds the body of a young woman killed in a hit and run outside the pharmaceutical R&D labs where she works, Cormac finds himself investigating the people who work there, including Carline Darcy, I'm happy to report that Dervla McTiernan's sequel to The Ruin is just as good! Cormac Reilly is back and this time, after a year in Galway, he's finally been moved off cold cases and allowed to investigate some live cases to take some of the pressure off his colleagues. When Cormac's partner, Emily finds the body of a young woman killed in a hit and run outside the pharmaceutical R&D labs where she works, Cormac finds himself investigating the people who work there, including Carline Darcy, the grand-daughter of the owner of the powerful multinational Pharmaceutical company, Darcy Therapeutics. Carline is a research student at the University, who has grown up an outcast from the Darcys after her father died and is desperately trying to get some recognition from her grandfather by trying to impress him with her work in the labs.Cormac is dangerously close to overstepping the line in this case, remaining as lead investigator while Emily is a witness in the case. He is starting to get to know and respect the team at Galway, but still has to tread warily around his Superintendent and the politics involved in upsetting a very powerful, wealthy man. To eventually find the truth, Cormac must unravel a web of secrets and lies, even at the risk of putting his own relationship with Emily in danger. Ms McTiernan has woven a very credible tale of intrigue and corruption in the race by pharmaceutical companies to design new drugs to sell for huge profits. The plot is well developed and gripping and the main characters are all developing well into engaging personalities - besides hoping Cormac and Emily continue to stay together, I really want Carrie O'Halloran to sort out her problems at home and for Peter Fisher to keep doing well enough to become a sergeant and for Moira Hanley to be called out for telling tales behind Cormac's back. Guess I'll just have to wait for the next book in this excellent series!With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Harper Collins Australia for a digital copy to read
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  • Mackey
    January 1, 1970
    The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan is the second book in a series featuring DS Cormac Reilly. As usual, I had not read the first book (I have now) before beginning this one and did not once feel lost or confused.DS Reilly has been assigned to cold cases until the night his girlfriend frantically calls him. She has found a young woman in the street, the victim of an apparent hit and run. The dead girl is carrying an ID of Carline Darcy, heir apparent to Darcy Therapeutics, Ireland’s most successful The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan is the second book in a series featuring DS Cormac Reilly. As usual, I had not read the first book (I have now) before beginning this one and did not once feel lost or confused.DS Reilly has been assigned to cold cases until the night his girlfriend frantically calls him. She has found a young woman in the street, the victim of an apparent hit and run. The dead girl is carrying an ID of Carline Darcy, heir apparent to Darcy Therapeutics, Ireland’s most successful pharmaceutical company and the company for whom Reilly’s girlfriend, Emma, is conducting research on the first successful artificial kidney. Reilly is certain that Emma cannot be involved so he takes the case, but as it continues to unfold, doubts into Emma’s innocence start to rise, complicating their relationship and eroding his reputation at work.The Scholar is a multi-layered mystery with heaps of suspense and fabulous, complex characters. McTiernan is a marvelous writer who capably molds her characters into realistic people that often remind us of those we see every day. Never does she cross the line into hyperbole or drive Reilly into a farce of what a DS should be. He is flawed, but not the typical drunk, broken, woe-is-me copper who has become the stand-by for far too many police novels. Instead, he has real flaws like we all do. He makes mistakes like we all do and that creates a character who is far more relatable to the reader.This is not a “fast paced thriller” but rather a well-done suspenseful mystery and when I say “well-done” I mean superb. I highly recommend both The Scholar which is due for publication in the US in May and The Ruin, which you can find at your local bookstore or library.
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  • Brenda
    January 1, 1970
    After responding to the call from his partner, Dr Emma Sweeney, DS Cormac Reilly arrived at the scene of the young woman’s body that Emma had stumbled across. The deserted grounds of the university where Emma had been heading to the laboratory seemed a strange place for the unknown young woman to have been. But it was when a security ID was found in her pocket that the case took a sinister turn. Perhaps it wasn’t the simple hit-and-run that it had first seemed… As head of the investigation Corma After responding to the call from his partner, Dr Emma Sweeney, DS Cormac Reilly arrived at the scene of the young woman’s body that Emma had stumbled across. The deserted grounds of the university where Emma had been heading to the laboratory seemed a strange place for the unknown young woman to have been. But it was when a security ID was found in her pocket that the case took a sinister turn. Perhaps it wasn’t the simple hit-and-run that it had first seemed… As head of the investigation Cormac felt frustrated. He was up against big money and dark secrets – plus word from the top had him feeling uneasy. And with Emma’s involvement, he knew he really should hand the case over to another detective. But he continued to follow his gut, and that was telling him that the Darcy Laboratory was linked to it all. What would be the outcome with Cormac’s superiors giving him orders which went against what he believed?The Scholar is the 2nd in the Cormac Reilly series by Aussie author Dervla McTiernan, and just as well written as The Ruin. Fast paced, filled with twists, emotion, devious minds and heartache, this gritty thriller is everything I love in this genre. Cormac is an excellent character and I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommended.With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for my honest review.
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  • Kathleen
    January 1, 1970
    Irish-Australian author McTiernan’s 2nd offering featuring DS Cormac Reilly is even better than her first (The Ruin). It is a solid police procedural investigating the death of a hit-and-run. The condition of the body makes initial identification difficult, plus it is none other than Reilly’s partner, Dr. Emma Sweeney, that discovered the mangled woman’s corpse. Despite the possibility of a conflict of interest, Reilly is thrilled to have a real, live homicide to investigate rather than the cold Irish-Australian author McTiernan’s 2nd offering featuring DS Cormac Reilly is even better than her first (The Ruin). It is a solid police procedural investigating the death of a hit-and-run. The condition of the body makes initial identification difficult, plus it is none other than Reilly’s partner, Dr. Emma Sweeney, that discovered the mangled woman’s corpse. Despite the possibility of a conflict of interest, Reilly is thrilled to have a real, live homicide to investigate rather than the cold cases he has been relegated for the past year.Superintendent Murphy is cautiously supporting Reilly, but DC Moira Hanley certainly is not. She finds a way to impede Reilly through rumor, innuendo, and obstruction whenever possible. Fortunately, she is also lazy—so villainy requiring real effort is absent. On the other hand, Reilly has found a strong team player in DC Peter Fisher and enjoys mutual respect with DS Carrie O’Halloran.The strong plot revolves around the research at a large pharmaceutical firm owned by the autocrat John Darcy, and the University students studying nearby. Strongly recommend.
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  • Lee
    January 1, 1970
    This is the second book of McTiernan's series. In the first, The Ruin, we were introduced to Detective Cormac Reilly who'd just transferred from Dublin to Galway where he was met with mostly distrust from his colleagues. In The Scholar he has finally been taken off cold cases and given some current crimes to investigate when Emma, his girlfriend, finds a body of a young girl, a victim of a particularly violent hit and run, near the laboratory where she works. Eager to take the case, despite the This is the second book of McTiernan's series. In the first, The Ruin, we were introduced to Detective Cormac Reilly who'd just transferred from Dublin to Galway where he was met with mostly distrust from his colleagues. In The Scholar he has finally been taken off cold cases and given some current crimes to investigate when Emma, his girlfriend, finds a body of a young girl, a victim of a particularly violent hit and run, near the laboratory where she works. Eager to take the case, despite the obvious inappropriateness, Cormac finds himself in hot water with his superiors again when Emma goes from the person reporting the crime, to a witness and then, to a suspect.The girl’s body is not able to be identified at first and I liked how Reilly basically had to solve the case of who it was before he even got to work on the whodunnit part. I thought that in The Ruin, McTiernan concentrated too much on the secondary characters, especially the victim's partner, rather than focusing on Reilly. This time around there were still a couple of scenes from other characters’ point of views but it felt a little more balanced. If I was editing, I would have still probably cut the [told from a minor character's point of view] prologue though. Again, I just want more Cormac. And Carrie actually. Carrie, a fellow garda, is much more interesting than Emma. I’d found Emma quite enigmatic and a tad boring in The Ruin and after reading The Scholar, my opinion has changed only slightly.Tom, another character from The Ruin, popped up in The Scholar in a cameo type role and I really enjoyed his inclusion. I would have been happy with less Emma and more Tom actually!I was pleased to see that McTiernan finally expanded on the hints about Emma's background, however, and gave us the whole story. (I would have felt so cheated if we’d been kept in the dark for another book.) I thought the way Emma’s story came to light was quite natural - no big info dump towards the end of the book thankfully! I must add that The Scholar can be read completely as a stand alone. Even though I’m referencing things from the first book, it was all explained adequately that, if you really wanted to skip The Ruin and jump right in, you could understand the plot.  I would, of course, recommend reading The Ruin though; it's a good book.I did find the amount of time that Cormac and co took to solve one particular part of the crime a little odd and frustrating. It was obvious from the get-go. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be a twist to the plot but, if it was, it wasn’t very tricky.The Irish setting is again enjoyable. McTiernan struck a nice balance here too. One good example was the scene when Cormac and his team had to liaise with the Northern Ireland police which made me blink and realise I was really reading a book set in a different country.All in all, I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. 4 ½ stars out of 5
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  • Bianca
    January 1, 1970
    Dervla McTiernan's debut novel The Ruin was quite enjoyable, so I jumped at the opportunity to read the follow-up, as I was eager to reacquaint myself with Detective Cormac Reilly. Detective Reilly moved to Galway, where his girlfriend, Emma, a scientist, was offered a job in the laboratories of the prestigious Darcy Therapeutics.When Emma stumbles across a dead girl on her way to work, she calls Cormac, who takes on the case as the lead investigator, despite Emma being a witness. This was the f Dervla McTiernan's debut novel The Ruin was quite enjoyable, so I jumped at the opportunity to read the follow-up, as I was eager to reacquaint myself with Detective Cormac Reilly. Detective Reilly moved to Galway, where his girlfriend, Emma, a scientist, was offered a job in the laboratories of the prestigious Darcy Therapeutics.When Emma stumbles across a dead girl on her way to work, she calls Cormac, who takes on the case as the lead investigator, despite Emma being a witness. This was the first time I raised my critical eyebrow in disbelief, but I let it pass.Quite early on, without trying, I was able to see one of the main subplots. It took Cormac and his team halfway through the novel, if not longer, to get to that point. Besides the red herrings that this genre employs in order to distract us from the culprit, I found quite a few loose threads and incongruences. Also, without going into too many details for fear of spoilers, the motivations were unbelievable to me and there was too much made-up unnecessary drama and a bit too much padding, including the introduction of a character - Carrie O'Halloran - who basically gives the case to Reilly and then comes back to it in the end, but ends up getting Reilly to close it. I hope the introduction of O'Halloran was for the benefit of a third novel in the series. While I'm at it, the prologue was too long, and worse, unnecessary. I am aware that there's pressure to ride the wave of success, before people's attention moves onto something else, but in my opinion, this novel suffers from a lack of credibility, lose plot points and too many fillers. I'm afraid The Scholar hasn't overcome the curse of the second novel. In saying all that, I'm looking forward to reading McTiernan's third novel. I've received this novel via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to HarperCollins Australia for the opportunity to read and review this novel.This also goes towards my Aussie Authors Challenge on www.bookloverbookreviews.com
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  • Brooke - One Woman's Brief Book Reviews
    January 1, 1970
    *www.onewomansbbr.wordress.com*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbrThe Scholar by Dervla McTiernan. (2019). (Cormac Reilly, #2).When Dr Emma stumbles across a hit- and-run victim, she calls her partner Detective Cormac which in turn makes him in charge of the murder scene. An ID card identifies the victim as a gifted student and heir apparent to an Irish pharmaceutical giant. The murder investigation will be high profile and high pressure. But all is not what it seems. And evidence is increasing that i *www.onewomansbbr.wordress.com*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbrThe Scholar by Dervla McTiernan. (2019). (Cormac Reilly, #2).When Dr Emma stumbles across a hit- and-run victim, she calls her partner Detective Cormac which in turn makes him in charge of the murder scene. An ID card identifies the victim as a gifted student and heir apparent to an Irish pharmaceutical giant. The murder investigation will be high profile and high pressure. But all is not what it seems. And evidence is increasing that it is all connected to Emma's workplace and Emma herself, which causes scrutiny of Cormac's running of the case...I have been looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint at all. If you are a fan of crime detective books and haven't yet read this or it's predecessor then you really are missing out!In this book we learn more about Cormac and Emma's backstory which was great and satisfied some of my lingering questions around the first book. We also get more of a feel of some of the other officers at the station which I feel their stories will be developed more in future books. The mystery in this book was enthralling and clever. I don't usually pick up a series as I don't want to commit but I hope to have a long relationship with this series haha. The sneak peek at the end of the book indicates the next novel in the series will be another gripping one which I look forward too already!Overall opinion: another excellent crime novel from this author.
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  • Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews
    January 1, 1970
    *https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.comI was asked in the lunch room at work the other day after mentioning I was attending a local book event with Irish native, WA based author Dervla McTiernan, what writer she could be compared to. This proved to be a hard question, after a few names were thrown in the ring, from Agatha Christie, to Val McDermid and Ruth Rendall, the overwhelming conclusion was that she was simply Dervla. McTiernan is a writer who clearly stands on her own two feet, carving out *https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.comI was asked in the lunch room at work the other day after mentioning I was attending a local book event with Irish native, WA based author Dervla McTiernan, what writer she could be compared to. This proved to be a hard question, after a few names were thrown in the ring, from Agatha Christie, to Val McDermid and Ruth Rendall, the overwhelming conclusion was that she was simply Dervla. McTiernan is a writer who clearly stands on her own two feet, carving out a niche for herself in the highly popular crime genre. Fans will be pleased with McTiernan’s second offering. The Scholar offers the reader a chance to revisit the appealing lead of Cormac Reilly, while at the same time solving a complex new case.As a victim of a hit and run lies on the grounds of Galway University, discovered by Doctor Emma Sweeney, seasoned Detective Cormac Reilly is brought in the investigate. This terrible murder has far reaching ramifications, for the victim, Emma and Cormac. A case of mistaken identity emerges as the opening complexity issue of the murder. The case takes Cormac and his team deep into the privileged world of medical research, pharmaceuticals, billion dollar corporations, the university faculty and the tenuous area of sponsorship. For Emma Sweeney, her personal and professional life converge, as the murdered young woman she discovered impacts on her vital research work. Cormac faces a moral and professional clash of ethics. He is increasingly drawn to Emma and her team’s work as the vital clue in cracking this complex murder case. Cormac must push his personal feelings aside if he is to get to the cold hard truth of this baffling case.Dervla McTiernan makes an explosive return to the crime writing scene with The Scholar, which again features the affable Detective Cormac Reilly. Just shy of a year after the release of the first book in this series, and the debut that made Dervla a household name both in Australia and internationally, The Ruin, The Scholar is a great follow up novel to what I anticipate to be a long running series for McTiernan.This time around the case is complex, moral and personal for Cormac Reilly. The investigation at hand becomes problematic as soon as Emma Sweeney, Cormac’s partner, is the one to discover the body of the deceased woman. This throws up all sorts of moral and ethical dilemmas for Cormac. He must grapple with his feelings for Emma and his professional need to solve the case. McTiernan handles this aspect of the case with a sense of ease and insight. I enjoyed it very much.There are some really interesting themes and sub strands that The Scholar raises. McTiernan shows her full commitment to these narrative threads and the process of working through issues of university level research, the pharmaceutical world, ambition, expectation, pressure and greed is explored with integrity. McTiernan’s style is astute and the process of working through the various scenarios as a result of these themes offered a great exercise of the mind.There is a good balance between the case at hand and the personal lives of the principal protagonists. There is also a sense of familiarity that follows McTiernan’s returning characters. McTiernan does a fine job with the police mechanics, she explores the process of investigation, the impact of budgets cuts, the level of overtime taken on by the police, the role of Cormac’s fellow team members and his superiors. I think crime fiction fans will appreciate the angle McTiernan has taken to the police work side of her latest novel. The final results and the conclusion to the case offers up plenty by the way of intrigue, suspense and surprising results.As with the previous novel penned by McTiernan, the sense of place in The Scholar forms as much a character as the actual protagonists that inhabit this novel. I have come enjoy and look forward to McTiernan’s setting descriptions very much. The locale based passages form an extra piece of the overall narrative. In particular, I appreciated the chance to walk in the shoes of a detective based in Ireland on the beat, which is far removed from my own life in Sunny Western Australia.‘They turned off into Distillery Road. It was a narrow road flanked by 1960s houses that had once been home, all bought up by the University for Use as offices and tutorial rooms. You could follow Distillery Road down to the river, which was where the private laboratories were located, or you could take a sharp right that would lead you past the university chapel and onward to the entrances to the library, the larger university canteen and coffee shop, and the concourse. Cormac knew the campus well.’A convergence of underhanded tactics, the power of ambitious drive, the pressure to fulfil expectations, privilege, the influence of corporate agendas and corruption all play a part in The Scholar. Paired with the inviting influence of Detective Cormac Reilly leading proceedings, add The Scholar to your reading list if you are looking for a new thriller, or a crime series that is impossible to put down.*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.The Scholar is book #39 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
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  • Liz Barnsley
    January 1, 1970
    I was a huge fan of “The Ruin” so was very much looking forward to reading this, the follow up due in March 2019.Once again this author immediately sucked me into Cormac’s world, the beautifully descriptive sense she brings to both character and place is gorgeously immersive, the challenges faced here different but still utterly compelling.Money talks, the rich are different, in The Scholar this finds Cormac once more fighting a political minefield as he tries to solve a most horrific murder – w I was a huge fan of “The Ruin” so was very much looking forward to reading this, the follow up due in March 2019.Once again this author immediately sucked me into Cormac’s world, the beautifully descriptive sense she brings to both character and place is gorgeously immersive, the challenges faced here different but still utterly compelling.Money talks, the rich are different, in The Scholar this finds Cormac once more fighting a political minefield as he tries to solve a most horrific murder – whilst protecting his girlfriend Emma, caught up accidentally in the aftermath. Or at least he hopes accidentally…The Scholar is a brilliant literary mystery set in the world of big pharmaceuticals, of research and secret projects, a foreign world to most of us and one that challenges Cormac in his search for the truth. It is also a very human story, of family and connection, of love and the lengths we’ll go to in order to protect what is important to us.It is unpredictable and beautifully plotted, with twists of story and character, I loved every minute.Fascinating, emotional and completely addictive, The Scholar just confirms my view that Dervla McTiernan is one to watch, not only in 2019 but beyond.Highly Recommended.
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  • Andrea
    January 1, 1970
    A quick visit to her lab late on a Friday evening results in Dr Emma Sweeney being the first to discover the victim of an apparent hit-and-run in the middle of one of the university campus roads. Shaken, instead of calling emergency services, she calls her partner DS Cormac Reilly. Earlier that same day Superindent Murphy had agreed to shift DS Reilly off the perpetual cold caseload and onto active police work, so Cormac is determined to make this new case his own, despite Emma being a witness. A quick visit to her lab late on a Friday evening results in Dr Emma Sweeney being the first to discover the victim of an apparent hit-and-run in the middle of one of the university campus roads. Shaken, instead of calling emergency services, she calls her partner DS Cormac Reilly. Earlier that same day Superindent Murphy had agreed to shift DS Reilly off the perpetual cold caseload and onto active police work, so Cormac is determined to make this new case his own, despite Emma being a witness. He would play everything by the book, and it would be fine. But when the victim is initially misidentified, the case begins to become more challenging than he expects.This is another great read from Dervla McTiernan, and a worthy follow-up to her debut, The Ruin. Reilly is just as strong and reliable as before, and this time we get to know a few other characters a bit better too, such as Emma of course, but also Garda Peter Fisher, Murphy and DS Carrie O'Halloran. Because the story is set firmly in central Galway, I also felt more connected to the city as a location too. While I guessed the what fairly early on in the story, I had to wait until almost the end to find out the who and the why, so it was still a very satisfying mystery.I really hope this series continues.With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a digital ARC to read and review.
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  • Susan
    January 1, 1970
    I enjoyed the first Cormac Reilly novel, “The Ruin,” so was pleased to receive the second in the series for review. Reilly is still side-lined with cold cases, while girlfriend, Emma, continues her research work as a scientist. However, things are about to change for both of them. Cormac’s colleague, Carrie O’Halloran is exhausted and demands her boss drop his attitude towards Cormac, using him to run current cases; meaning that not only does he take on some of her workload, but also picks up a I enjoyed the first Cormac Reilly novel, “The Ruin,” so was pleased to receive the second in the series for review. Reilly is still side-lined with cold cases, while girlfriend, Emma, continues her research work as a scientist. However, things are about to change for both of them. Cormac’s colleague, Carrie O’Halloran is exhausted and demands her boss drop his attitude towards Cormac, using him to run current cases; meaning that not only does he take on some of her workload, but also picks up a new case, when Emma finds a hit and run victim on campus, where she works. The young woman, hit by a car, has an identity card in her pocket, for Carline Darcy, the granddaughter of pharmaceutical giant, John Darcy. However, when Cormac goes to her plush, un-student like apartment, she is very much alive. The victim turns out to be a student who dropped out, to work as a waitress. However, it soon turns out that she had a hidden life and that Carline Darcy is hiding her knowledge of events and of Della Lambert. This is a series which has a lot of promise, but is still finding its feet. Cormac is a likeable character, who does his best to protect Emma, who, of course, has her own past demons to deal with. However, her involvement means that Cormac should have handed over the case. Meanwhile, he still faces issues at work, not only with his boss, but also with Moira Hanley; a lazy, disgruntled police officer, who is apt to indulge in gossip and rumour spreading. Generally, this is an above average crime novel, which needs to move away from the issues of Cormac and Emma and focus more on the crimes. This worked best when the focus was on the issues of entitlement, family dysfunction, and the protection of wealth and power, as Cormac ignores warnings to involve Carline Darcy and looks at the links between her and the dead girl. Some of the characters are just a little too stereotypical and lacking depth, but, overall, a good read and a series which I feel will grow better with time. I received a copy of the book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
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  • Roman Clodia
    January 1, 1970
    A wonderfully engrossing read, fluent writing and appealing characters. There are some minor plot holes that jar (view spoiler)[the switched identity plot seems transparent so why does it take the police so long to get it? If Della's brother knows enough to have her password why is he so reticent with the police? If lab security is so tight, how come Carline and Della get away with so much? Given that we're only introduced to one person in the lab, apart from Emma, it's not exactly a stretch to A wonderfully engrossing read, fluent writing and appealing characters. There are some minor plot holes that jar (view spoiler)[the switched identity plot seems transparent so why does it take the police so long to get it? If Della's brother knows enough to have her password why is he so reticent with the police? If lab security is so tight, how come Carline and Della get away with so much? Given that we're only introduced to one person in the lab, apart from Emma, it's not exactly a stretch to spot the villain (hide spoiler)].It would be nice if the characters had a bit more personality or individual voices: I mean, no-one cracks a joke or makes snarky comments - they all sound the same, whether they're 20-something students, seasoned detectives or top-level pharma billionaires. These are niggles, though, not deal-breakers. A hard book to put down.Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC via NetGalley.
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  • Paula
    January 1, 1970
    After The Ruin,which was excellent, this one was a HUGE disappointment. Run of the mill,predictable...Only good thing:fleshed out characters (the police, not the rest,which were stereotypes).Hope its the second book syndrome, but not so sure. After The Ruin,which was excellent, this one was a HUGE disappointment. Run of the mill,predictable...Only good thing:fleshed out characters (the police, not the rest,which were stereotypes).Hope it´s the second book syndrome, but not so sure.
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  • Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum
    January 1, 1970
    Irish born Australian author Dervla McTiernan is the bestselling author of The Ruin. Released last year, The Ruin was wildly successful and in fact was one of the five bestselling Australian crime novels of 2018. A year on, and The Scholar is the second in the series to feature DS Cormac Reilly.Set in 2014 in Ireland, DS Cormac Reilly is still recovering from events in The Ruin, but rushes to the scene of a hit and run when his girlfriend Dr Emma Sweeney phones for help. Cormac begins by identif Irish born Australian author Dervla McTiernan is the bestselling author of The Ruin. Released last year, The Ruin was wildly successful and in fact was one of the five bestselling Australian crime novels of 2018. A year on, and The Scholar is the second in the series to feature DS Cormac Reilly.Set in 2014 in Ireland, DS Cormac Reilly is still recovering from events in The Ruin, but rushes to the scene of a hit and run when his girlfriend Dr Emma Sweeney phones for help. Cormac begins by identifying the victim, investigating the nearby university and the apparent links to the insanely rich family who fund the research lab where Emma works. Cormac soon finds himself with a conflict of interest and doubts about his girlfriend's involvement in the case.I read The Scholar as a stand alone (not having read The Ruin), but in doing so I suspect I missed out on some important character development involving Cormac's colleagues and the set up of the complex relationship between Cormac and Emma.In spite of this, I found a well structured atmospheric crime novel with classic whodunnit and whydunnit themes for the reader to untangle as they follow the investigation.Cormac Reilly is a likeable protagonist, and fans of the series will be pleased to know the next instalment is due for publication in 2020.* Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Australia *
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  • Mandy White
    January 1, 1970
    Review to come
  • Jennifer (JC-S)
    January 1, 1970
    ‘I found a body. A girl. Someone’s killed her.’Detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly and his partner Emma Sweeney live in Galway, where Emma has obtained a funded position at a prestigious medical research laboratory. The couple first met when Emma was charged with a murder. While Emma was exonerated, the experience has scarred them both. When Emma stumbles across the body of girl, the victim of a hit and run accident, she rings Cormac. He is first to the scene. The dead girl is carrying the ID of Ca ‘I found a body. A girl. Someone’s killed her.’Detective Sergeant Cormac Reilly and his partner Emma Sweeney live in Galway, where Emma has obtained a funded position at a prestigious medical research laboratory. The couple first met when Emma was charged with a murder. While Emma was exonerated, the experience has scarred them both. When Emma stumbles across the body of girl, the victim of a hit and run accident, she rings Cormac. He is first to the scene. The dead girl is carrying the ID of Carline Darcy, granddaughter of John Darcy, the owner of Darcy Therapeutics. Darcy Therapeutics, Ireland’s most successful pharmaceutical company has many interests. It is also the sponsor of Emma’s research.It quickly becomes clear that this was a deliberate and vicious murder. It is going to be a high-profile case and, arguably, one which Cormac Reilly should not be overseeing given that Emma was first on the scene. But the Galway Gardaí are under pressure, and Cormac Reilly has finally been moved off cold cases at the Mill Street Station. He is keen to prove himself. But who killed this girl and why? And then there’s a second murder. It seems clear that both murders are linked to the laboratory where Emma works. Could she be involved? Cormac doesn’t think so, but doubt starts to creep in as the investigation deepens.I really enjoyed this novel. While some aspects were (to me) more credible than others, I was too caught up in trying to work out ‘who’ and ‘why’ to be distracted. If you enjoyed Ms McTiernan’s first novel, ‘The Ruin’ then you’ll want to read this. Cormac Reilly is the main character in both. There are some well developed secondary characters as well, including Detective Sergeant Carrie O’Halloran and Garda Peter Fisher. Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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  • Heidi
    January 1, 1970
    I really loved Dervla McTiernan’s first book, The Ruin, and was a very happy chappy when I received a copy of The Scholar, number two in the Cormac Reilly series. I am pleased to say that I liked it equally as much, and it was great to see all the characters back again and to get to know them a bit better.In The Scholar, DI Cormac Reilly is finally taken off cold cases and given a caseload of current crimes to solve. However, when one of the cases involves someone close to him, it may test his l I really loved Dervla McTiernan’s first book, The Ruin, and was a very happy chappy when I received a copy of The Scholar, number two in the Cormac Reilly series. I am pleased to say that I liked it equally as much, and it was great to see all the characters back again and to get to know them a bit better.In The Scholar, DI Cormac Reilly is finally taken off cold cases and given a caseload of current crimes to solve. However, when one of the cases involves someone close to him, it may test his loyalties. That is really all you need to know about the story– some books are best plunged into with held breath and eyes closed, letting the author take you on a journey.As soon as the story started, McTiernan transported me seamlessly into Cormac’s world, and I was totally engrossed. He really is one of the best fictional detectives to come along in the last two years! I said it in my review of The Ruin, and I will say it again, the refreshing thing about Cormac is that he is so “normal”. He is neither an alcoholic, nor a tortured cynical soul that lives on take-aways and donuts, neither is he a sad divorcee nor involved in some bizarre workplace romances. Cormac just appears to be an average nice guy, and a damn good investigator to boot. However, all is not totally whole in Cormac’s world. There are some workplace issues that have seen him banished to work cold cases after his transfer to Galway, and even though he is finally granted permission to take on a caseload of fresh cases, his boss seems determined to see him fail. Cormac does not appear bitter or resentful about this, surprisingly, although he will be sorely tested when one of the crimes he is sent to investigate involves his girlfriend Emma. This brings me to his personal life, which may have appeared quite idyllic in The Ruin, but which also has some darker events preceding his move to Galway. I loved getting to know Cormac better as a character, and really look forward to watching him grow in depth and background as the series progresses – which I hope will be a loooong one!McTiernan writes well, and drew me in with the ease of a skilled author, effortlessly evoking the sights, the sounds and atmosphere of the world her characters inhabit. I found both cases Cormac is trying to solve in The Scholar utterly intriguing, and as in The Ruin, some of the themes pulled on my heartstrings. With The Scholar, the author has written another intelligent, multi-layered mystery that was pure joy to read and get lost in. Some things may not come as a surprise to a seasoned mystery-lover, but the side stories added a depth that is not often found in other police procedurals. I must also mention that I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the side characters, like Carrie O’Halloran and Peter Fisher, and will look forward to seeing them back in the next book. McTiernan’s Cormac Reilly series has quickly risen to reside amongst my favourites, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!4.5 stars Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review. *blog* *facebook* *instagram*
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  • Noeleen
    January 1, 1970
    I loved The Ruin, the first book in the Cormac Reilly series. This is the second book in the series and I absolutely loved it! I couldn't put this book down and finished it in two sittings. The characters are so well developed, the plot is tight, well thought out and ideally paced. I thought I had it all figured out towards the end but I didn't! It's great to have another crime fiction series set in Ireland. Irish crime fiction writers, especially female authors, are really top notch at the mome I loved The Ruin, the first book in the Cormac Reilly series. This is the second book in the series and I absolutely loved it! I couldn't put this book down and finished it in two sittings. The characters are so well developed, the plot is tight, well thought out and ideally paced. I thought I had it all figured out towards the end but I didn't! It's great to have another crime fiction series set in Ireland. Irish crime fiction writers, especially female authors, are really top notch at the moment and it's great to see this and see them get the recognition that they deserve. I will be hotly anticipating and waiting patiently for Dervla McTiernan's next instalment of this great series.My thanks to Little Brown & NetGalley
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  • Jacki (Julia Flyte)
    January 1, 1970
    This is the second book by Dervla McTiernan, a followup to The Ruin (which you don't need to have read and/or remember well). McTiernan writes great characters and the central mystery is intriguing, albeit full of improbabilities. I really enjoyed it.The story focuses on the body of a young woman found late one night at a university. She has been deliberately and repeatedly run over. Her ID and clothing indicate that she is Carline Darcy, member of the wealthy Darcy pharmaceutical clan (and a st This is the second book by Dervla McTiernan, a followup to The Ruin (which you don't need to have read and/or remember well). McTiernan writes great characters and the central mystery is intriguing, albeit full of improbabilities. I really enjoyed it.The story focuses on the body of a young woman found late one night at a university. She has been deliberately and repeatedly run over. Her ID and clothing indicate that she is Carline Darcy, member of the wealthy Darcy pharmaceutical clan (and a student at the university). This immediately makes it a high profile, high pressure case. Cormac Reilly is the detective in charge but he quickly finds that things don't add up and that witnesses appear to be concealing information from him.My husband and I have a phrase for when books grab you from the start - we say "the movie's started". This was definitely one of those books and it held my attention throughout. I thought I had it all worked out about halfway through but there were some significant twists still to come. I did feel however that the author had come up with a good plot but then struggled with how to reveal it. There are parts that feel clunky. There's a flashback scene which always strikes me as a copout way to reveal information or misdirect the reader. There are a couple of convenient witnesses who crop up at the right times and there is the frankly unbelievable involvement of Reilly towards the end (any decent lawyer would get that entire interview ruled as inadmissible, surely). However these are irritants rather than disasters.At the end there's a preview for the next book in the series due next year and I'm in. I'm invested in these characters and I want to see what's next for them.
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  • K.
    January 1, 1970
    Trigger warnings: death, murder, domestic violence, probably other stuff that I've forgotten?? I've read like 17 books since I finished this, so......... 4.5 stars.I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series and I was desperately hoping this would give us some answers to the backstory of Cormac and Emma. And thankfully, it delivers in fine form on that front. I was hooked by the mystery here from page 1 and it certainly had plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The politica Trigger warnings: death, murder, domestic violence, probably other stuff that I've forgotten?? I've read like 17 books since I finished this, so......... 4.5 stars.I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series and I was desperately hoping this would give us some answers to the backstory of Cormac and Emma. And thankfully, it delivers in fine form on that front. I was hooked by the mystery here from page 1 and it certainly had plenty of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The political stuff happening in the police force is just as fascinating as the crime being investigated and this didn't disappoint in any way. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!
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  • Deborah
    January 1, 1970
    Irish-born Aussie-dwelling Dervla McTiernan's debut novel, The Ruin, was warmly received last year, winning hearts and accolades.Her fans will be happy to know that its sequel, The Scholar, most definitely does not disappoint and we pick up with Irish detective Cormac Reilly where we left off.This case is a particularly interesting one. We briefly meet a 12yr old Carline upon the death of her father and I engaged with her immediately. So it was devastating that the book-proper opens with a hit a Irish-born Aussie-dwelling Dervla McTiernan's debut novel, The Ruin, was warmly received last year, winning hearts and accolades.Her fans will be happy to know that its sequel, The Scholar, most definitely does not disappoint and we pick up with Irish detective Cormac Reilly where we left off.This case is a particularly interesting one. We briefly meet a 12yr old Carline upon the death of her father and I engaged with her immediately. So it was devastating that the book-proper opens with a hit and run and she's identified as the victim, eight years later.I don't think I'm offering up huge spoilers here by saying there's a case of mistaken identity but it seems obvious that whatever's happening here, revolves around the young woman who's now wealthy-in-her-own-right, but desperate for acceptance by her patriarchal grandfather.The biggest challenge for me (here) was that I didn't recall a lot of detail from The Ruin. I remembered the main plot but not enough about Cormac's colleagues and boss or even Emma. I re-read my review of the first book and noted that I'd commented on the lack of backstory around Emma which I hoped would be forthcoming.This time around Cormac's worried about her fragility and there's mention of the events leading up to how the pair met and though I can't remember if they were the answers I was after in the first book or happened in the first book, I assume them to be.I also wasn't sure if we'd met Cormac's colleagues, Carrie O'Halloran and the ambitious Peter Fisher then. Either way I enjoyed that (cop shop) story arc - about trust, loyalty and those who have your back when you least expect it.This is an intriguing story and kinda sad when you think about what actually happened and why. Such intelligence and potential snuffed out... 'n' all that.I know it's only book two but McTiernan is offering up consistently engaging characters and interesting plots in this already-impressive series.
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  • Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling
    January 1, 1970
    Brilliant!My View:This series continues to deliver a narrative that on the surface appears straightforward but is nuanced with contemporary issues, richly developed characters, interesting back stories with a landscape of corruption and political point scoring that is contemporary and engaging.Cormac Reilly continues to outshine most contemporary protagonists I have read. The only negative – it will be a long wait for book 3 in the series Brilliant!My View:This series continues to deliver a narrative that on the surface appears straightforward but is nuanced with contemporary issues, richly developed characters, interesting back stories with a landscape of corruption and political point scoring that is contemporary and engaging.Cormac Reilly continues to outshine most contemporary protagonists I have read. The only negative – it will be a long wait for book 3 in the series 
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  • Cathy Ryan
    January 1, 1970
    Sergeant Callie O’Halloran is on the edge of exhaustion with working all hours since her promotion. Her home life is suffering and the Henderson case, one of several she’s working on, seems to be losing momentum despite giving it most of her attention. Cormac Reilly is still being assigned to cold cases after a year at the Galway police station and Callie can’t understand why the powers that be aren’t utilising such a good detective. She says as much to her superior, Superintendent Murphy, plead Sergeant Callie O’Halloran is on the edge of exhaustion with working all hours since her promotion. Her home life is suffering and the Henderson case, one of several she’s working on, seems to be losing momentum despite giving it most of her attention. Cormac Reilly is still being assigned to cold cases after a year at the Galway police station and Callie can’t understand why the powers that be aren’t utilising such a good detective. She says as much to her superior, Superintendent Murphy, pleading Cormac’s case and her own, although it doesn’t turn out quite as she hoped. Cormac transferred to Galway from Dublin when his partner, Dr Emma Sweeney, had been head hunted, securing a position with Darcy Therapeutics as a research scientist. They both felt the need for a new start although Cormac’s time with the Galway Gardaí hasn’t been, and still isn’t, what he would call satisfying. At least now he is getting ongoing cases, thanks to Callie’s intervention.When Cormac receives a phone call from a distraught Emma late one evening, Cormac catches a case he really shouldn’t be investigating. Emma discovers the victim of a hit and run by chance as she is on her way to the lab. According to ID found on the body it seems the dead woman is Carline Darcy, the granddaughter of John Darcy, head of Darcy Pharmaceuticals. Things aren’t quite what they seem initially, as the ID found turns out not to belong to the victim, and the injuries sustained make it difficult to make an identification. A case involving the Darcy family is high profile and Cormac is told in no uncertain terms he has to tread very lightly, unless he has strong evidence. All sorts of factors come into play during the course of the story, including the issue of internal police politics, secrets, lies and deception, corruption in the corporate world and the privileged existence of the rich.The characterisations of minor players, one in particular, are succinct and give an immediate sense of their personalities. The key characters, including Cormac, Callie, and Peter Fisher, are extremely well developed and realistic. Cormac has moral standards without being self-righteous and won’t stop until he gets at the truth. There’s still more to learn about Emma—this case impacts on both her and Cormac and Dervla McTiernan gives a nice balance between professional and personal relationships. An atmospheric, well thought through plot, interesting police procedural and several twists make The Scholar a worthy successor to The Ruin. I really enjoyed it.I chose to read and review The Scholar courtesy of Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley
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