About Dervla
Number-one internationally bestselling author Dervla McTiernan is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of six novels, including the much-loved Cormac Reilly series and two number-one bestselling standalone thrillers, The Murder Rule and What Happened to Nina?
Her books have sold over 1 million copies around the world and What Happened to Nina? is currently in development for screen adaptation. Before turning her hand to writing, Dervla spent 12 years working as a lawyer in her home country of Ireland, before relocating to Western Australia, where she now lives with her husband, two children and too many pets.
FAQ
What kind of books do you write?
I write crime fiction that’s driven by character and psychology as much as plot. My books tend to focus on ordinary people under extreme pressure, moral ambiguity, and the consequences of decisions made in moments of fear, loyalty, or love. While there’s always a strong mystery at the heart of the story, I’m just as interested in the emotional fallout as I am in who did what.
Who are your books for?
My books are for readers who like crime fiction with emotional depth and moral complexity. If you enjoy stories that make you think as well as keep you turning pages — where characters feel real, relationships matter, and the answers aren’t always neat — you’ll probably feel at home in my work.
What themes do you tend to explore across your books?
I’m drawn again and again to questions of responsibility, loyalty, and truth — particularly what happens when trust breaks down in families, institutions, or communities. I’m interested in how people justify their choices, how power operates quietly rather than overtly, and how past actions continue to shape the present.
Do I need to start with a particular book?
Not necessarily. My standalone novels can be read in any order, and each one tells a complete story. The Cormac Reilly series is also written so that each book works on its own, but I do recommend reading the series in order if you can — there are ongoing character arcs and emotional threads that are more rewarding when followed from the beginning.
What’s the difference between your series books and your standalone novels?
The Cormac Reilly books follow the same detective over time, allowing space to explore long-running relationships, personal consequences, and the cumulative weight of the job. My standalone novels are more contained and often more intense, built around a single high-stakes situation that unfolds over a shorter period. Both are character-driven, but they offer slightly different reading experiences.
How does your background as a lawyer influence your writing?
I spent twelve years working as a lawyer, and that experience has definitely shaped how I think about justice, power, and responsibility. I’m interested in the gap between what’s legal and what’s right, and in the ways systems can fail people without anyone technically breaking the rules. That perspective naturally finds its way into my fiction.
Are your books more procedural or more psychological?
They’re much more on the psychological side. While police work, legal processes, and investigations are part of the story, the focus is always on the people involved — what they’re afraid of, what they want to protect, and what they’re willing to risk.
How dark or graphic are your books?
My books deal with serious subjects, but I’m not interested in gratuitous violence. I tend to focus on emotional impact rather than graphic detail, and I try to handle difficult material with care. The darkness is there, but it’s in service of character and story rather than shock value.
If I like your books, which other writers should I try?
If you enjoy my work, you might also like Tana French for her psychological depth and sense of place, Jane Harper for character-driven crime, and Louise Penny for her richly drawn worlds. For darker psychological suspense, writers like Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware are excellent, and I’m a long-time admirer of Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves.
Where are your books set?
My Cormac Reilly series is set in Ireland, primarily in Galway and the surrounding areas. My standalone novels are mostly set in the United States, while my novellas range across a few different settings. Place is important to me — I like settings to feel lived-in and integral to the story.
What draws you to writing crime fiction in particular?
Crime fiction allows me to ask big moral questions in a very human way. Moments of crisis strip people back to who they really are, and crime creates a natural pressure cooker for exploring fear, loyalty, love, and self-deception. It’s a genre that can entertain while still grappling with uncomfortable truths.
What do you hope readers take away from your books?
I hope readers come away feeling that they’ve been emotionally engaged as well as entertained. If a book leaves you thinking about the characters after you’ve finished — questioning their choices, empathising with them, or seeing the world a little differently — then I’ve done what I set out to do.