The Scholar

April 1, 2019
In McTiernan’s solid second police procedural featuring Galway’s Det. Cormac Reilly (after 2018’s The Ruin), Reilly’s girlfriend, Emma Sweeney, a lab researcher for Darcy Therapeutics, calls him when she discovers the body of student Carline Darcy, a rising research star in the lab and the granddaughter of the company head, on the road near their workplace, the victim of a hit-and-run. In the subsequent inquiry into what develops into a murder case, departmental rivals of Emma, who suspect that she is somehow involved in Carline’s death, try to push Reilly off the case. Meanwhile, the lab principals impede the investigation. Though the characters nearest to Carline are a bit too stereotyped, and the solution to the mystery is telegraphed too soon, the complexities of the relationships within the department, and the tensions between Reilly and Emma, are rich enough to carry the reader through this story and into the next one. McTiernan’s cautionary tale about money, prestige, and the secretive world of pharmaceutical research will resonate with many. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group.

The ruthless world of academic scholarship rears its head in this gripping audiobook, narrated in an intense but gentle tone by Aoife McMahon. The story focuses on Detective Inspector Cormac Reilly, whose girlfriend, Dr. Emma Sweeney, discovers the body of a hit-and-run victim whose identification says she is the heir to Ireland's most successful pharmaceutical company. However, the actual heir is alive and well. DI Reilly discovers more facades than reality and must dig deep to uncover what his girlfriend and others may be hiding. McMahon's soft, melodic Irish accent complements McTiernan's prose. She is equally adept at instilling critical moments with the appropriate intensity, making this thriller a joy to listen to. D.J.S. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

December 1, 2019

Emma, DS Cormac Reilly's girlfriend, finds the body of a young woman who was hit by a car and calls Cormac, who ends up being assigned to the case. The dead girl's ID identifies her as Carline Darcy, of the family behind Ireland's most successful pharmaceutical company. The case takes a turn when Cormac finds that Carline is still alive. Since Darcy Pharmaceuticals funds Emma's research and the unidentified victim had access to Emma's lab, Cormac has to consider whether she may know more than she's telling him. Aoife McMahon's skilled narration makes for a gripping listening experience. VERDICT Fans of Jane Casey and Tana French will devour this twisty procedural.--Stephanie Klose, Library Journal

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