In order to get more accurate results, our search has the following Google-Type search functionality:
If you use '+' in front of a word, then that word will be present in the search results.
ex: Harry +Potter will return results with the word 'Potter'.
If you use '-' in front of a word, then that word will be absent in the search results.
ex: Harry -Potter will return results without the word 'Potter'.
If you use 'AND' between two words, then both of those words will be present in the search results.
ex: Harry AND Potter will return results with both 'Harry' and 'Potter'.
If you use 'OR' between two words, then bth of those words may or may not be present in the search results.
ex: Harry OR Potter will return results with just 'Harry', results with just 'Potter' and results with both 'Harry' and 'Potter'.
If you use 'NOT' before a word, then that word will be absent in the search results.
ex: Harry NOT Potter will return results without the word 'Potter'.
Placing '""' around words will perform a phrase search. The search results will contain those words in that order.
ex: "Harry Potter" will return any results with 'Harry Potter' in them, but not 'Potter Harry'.
Using '*' in a word will perform a wildcard search. The '*' signifies any number of characters. Searches can not start with a wildcard.
ex: Pot*er will return results with words starting with 'Pot' and ending in 'er'. In this case, 'Potter' will be a match.
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan is a thrilling mystery that delves into the life of Detective Cormac Reilly when a case from his past comes back to haunt him. After moving to a small town, Reilly finds himself working on the cold cases, until a familiar, supposedly simple, case lands on his desk.
It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel as the writing is very strong and the author demonstrates a clear compassion for her characters with which readers easily identify. Not only do we empathise with the protagonist's struggles but we come to understand the motives-sinister or otherwise-of all of the players in the complex and twisted game. The action unfolds over the course of a week and through the narrative the author builds the characters by interchanging past and present, providing insight into their minds and decisions. Reilly is a deft detective and quickly follows the leads once they reveal themselves, providing a good pace for the book's 400 pages. This is an exciting first novel, and it will be thrilling to see what McTiernan places on Detective Reilly's desk for the second book in the series.