Dervla McTiernan

"The Ruin is spectacularly good. So confident... excellently written and, at times, heartachingly sad."

Dervla McTiernan's debut novel, The Ruin, was a critically acclaimed international bestseller published around the world. The Ruin won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, the Davitt Award for Best Adult Fiction and the Barry Award for Best Original Paperback, and was shortlisted for numerous other awards. It was on the Amazon US Best Book of the Year list in 2018 and screen rights were snapped up by Hopscotch Features.

Dervla's second book, The Scholar, debuted into the Nielsen Bookscan Top 5 on release in 2019, and her third, The Good Turn, went straight to no.1, confirming her place as one of Australia's best crime writers.

Born in County Cork, Ireland, to a family of seven, Dervla practised as a corporate lawyer for twelve years. Following the global financial crisis, she moved with her family to Western Australia, where she now lives with her husband and two children. An avid fan of crime and detective novels from childhood, Dervla now writes full time.

What genre does Dervla McTiernan write?

She writes crime and detective fiction, often set in Ireland, along with some general fiction.

What is the recommended reading order for her books?

Begin with The Ruin, which is Cormac Reilly Book 1, then read The Scholar. Her third novel was The Good Turn; later titles include The Murder Rule and The Unquiet Grave.

Which book should I start with if I'm new to her work?

Start with The Ruin. It is her debut and the first book in the Cormac Reilly detective series.

Are her books part of a series or standalone?

She writes both. Several novels form the Cormac Reilly detective series, while others, such as What Happened to Nina?, are presented as standalone works.

Has she received any awards or notable recognition?

Yes. The Ruin won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, the Davitt Award for Best Adult Fiction and the Barry Award for Best Original Paperback. It was also on Amazon US Best Book of the Year listings. What Happened to Nina? won ABIA 2025 General Fiction Book of the Year.