I completely loved this story! Although it's the fourth in a series and I hadn't read the others, it was easy to slip into the story and pick up on all the past that I've missed. The characters were interesting and unique, and the murder mystery itself was even more so. I loved the Irish setting and the authenticity of Ireland and the Irish characters/cultural/speech patterns/etc. I will definitely be reading the others in this series!

I've loved Dervla Mc Tiernan's previous novels (What Happened to Nina? and The Murder Rule) and I was excited to see the return of one of my favorite fictional detectives, Cormac Reilly. The Unquiet Grave is the fourth novel in this bestselling series and while this book works well as a standalone, I'd suggest that you treat yourself to the enjoyment of reading The Rúin, The Scholar and The Good Turn, the first three novels.
A family are working away on their farm, when they come across a body in the bog. Initially expected to be a historical find, locald are shocked to realise the body is that of a local missing man. And Cormac must try to uncover the truth only to uncover a far more complex crime than he has expected. And to add to his woes, his ex is seeking his assistance whenher husband goes missing in Paris. Cormac finds himself pulled in multiple directions, as the body count rises and the media becomes involved.
I love the Cormac Reilly series and how down to earth the character appears. He cares about his work and the cases he works on. Which is evident in The Unquiet Grave as he becomes turn between the two cases and struggles to guide his colleague Peter from potentially making a grave mistake.

At the start, all of the storylines seem completely disparate but McTiernan has definite knack for weaving all of these threads together into an intriguing, compelling mystery that you cannot put down

I also loved the narration by Aoife McMahon, who has narrated the previous books and truly brings each of the characters to life. Adding an extra element to the experience of listening to the story.

A full 5 stars and can we please have another Cormac Reilly ASAP? Please?!?!

The Unquiet Grave
Dervla McTiernan
5*
Great narration by Aoife McMahon lovely Irish voice that was a pleasure to listen to
Great police procedural and even though this was book four in the Cormac Reilly series I had no problems reading it as a stand alone book, I will now however invest in books 1 to 3 as I really enjoyed this authors style and characters .
A young girl finds a body in a bog near the house she is staying in , but this body is not an ancient bog body but that of the local headmaster who has been missing a couple of years , Cormac’s ex girlfriends husband has gone missing and she asks for his help in locating him, and there are promotions and relocations in the pipeline for the central characters. So a book with various storylines , multiple red herrings and a good .
Highly recommended

Another fantastic police procedural featuring my favourite Irish Detective, Cormac Reilly. This is another fast-paced crime fiction from Dervla McTiernan, that is intricately plotted and offers plenty of twists to keep my attention. It will be interesting to read what is next in store for Cormac Reilly.

I was fortunate to listen to the audiobook, and the narration by Aoife McMahon works perfectly for the storyline and characters.

With thanks to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for the listening review copy, in exchange for an honest review.

I am keen to read more from Irish-born, Australian author Dervla McTiernan, hopefully in the not-too-distant future!

EXCERPT: Leonie turned and walked away. Still the rain fell. Behind her she could hear her father explaining (for what was easily the third time) everything he'd learned about turf cutting over the past twenty-four hours. Leonie wanted to tell him that anyone could google, that reading a Wikipedia entry didn't make him an expert. Instead she kept walking away, even though there was nowhere she could go. Her father had they key to the house, and they were miles from anywhere, with no buses.
She walked deeper into the bog, until her father's voice was muffled and distant. The ground around her changed. There were trenches now, filled with water, either side of where she was walking. The land was thick with reeds, springy and squelchy underfoot. There was a smell too. Earthy. Damp. It wasn't unpleasant.
As Leonie walked, a large bird with a white band around its neck burst, with a squawk of protest, from the reeds a couple of metres in front of her. Leonie took a startled step sideways, and sank up to her knee in cold, dirty water.
Sheiβe.
Water seeped into her left boot and the ground sucked at her leg. She tried and failed to pull her boot out of the mud. It was completely stuck.
Verdammte sheiβe.
Leonie pulled her leg from the boot, then sat on a solidish patch of ground and wrenched her boot from the mud as the backside of her jeans rapidly soaked though. She emptied the water from the boot, and as she tugged it back on, something caught her eye. Just up ahead there was a trench filled with murky water, and something was floating in it. Something odd. Leonie squinted, leaning forward to try to make out the mystery object. She stood up, rubbing her now dirty hands on her jeans, and took a careful half-step forward, then stopped. Her stomach clenched. She tried to tell herself that what she was looking at was an animal, but the lie bounced off, useless against hard reality. What she was seeing was a human back, a curved spine, and a tangles mess that was human hair.

ABOUT 'THE UNQUIET GRAVE': Every grave has a story ...
For years the boglands of Northern Europe have given up bodies of the long-deceased. Bodies that are thousands of years old, uncannily preserved. Bodies with strange injuries that suggest ritual torture and human sacrifice.

When a corpse is found in a bog in Galway, Cormac Reilly assumes the find is historical. But closer examination reveals a more recent story. The dead man is Thaddeus Grey, a local secondary school principal who disappeared two years prior.

There's nothing in Grey's past that would explain why he was murdered, or why his body was mutilated in a ritual manner. At first, progress on the case is frustratingly slow and Cormac struggles to keep his mind on the job. His ex-girlfriend, Emma Sweeney, is in trouble, and she's reached out to him for help - Emma's new husband has gone missing in Paris, and the French police are refusing to open an investigation into his disappearance.

Cormac is sure that he has found Grey's killer, and is within hours of an arrest, when another mutilated body is discovered on the other side of the country. Two days later, a third body is found. Press attention is intense. Is there a serial killer at work in Ireland? Has Cormac been on the wrong trail? And if so, can he find the murderer before they strike again?

MY THOUGHTS: Dervla McTiernan has hit another one out of the park! She has skillfully woven several storylines together into a stunning and thought-provoking climax.

I love the way McTiernan always manages to keep me on the back foot. I have given up trying to solve Cormac's cases and just go along for the extremely challenging and equally enjoyable ride.

The plot in The Unquiet Grave is nothing short of brilliant - complex and brilliant. You'll need to keep your wits about you. There are twists, red herrings, dead ends and some superb detecting. Cormac is torn between two cases, one of which is not official but is close to his heart, and Peter takes matters into his own hands when he believes justice is not being done. I have to admit, I was rather shocked by this. Happy, gratified, but definitely shocked.

Both Cormac and Peter are destined for new paths in their careers, but I can't help wondering just what McTiernan has up her sleeve. In other words, bring on Cormac Reilly #5. And sooner rather than later please.

I was able to combine reading with listening to The Quiet Grave, written by Dervla McTiernan and superbly narrated by Aoife McMahon, who is one of my favorite narrators.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheUnquietGrave #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Before turning her hand to writing, Dervla spent twelve years working as a lawyer in her home country of Ireland. Following the global financial crisis, she relocated to Western Australia where she now lives with her husband, two children and too many pets.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers Australia via NetGalley for providing both an e-ARC and an audio ARC of The Unquiet Grave by Dervla McTiernan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

The Unquiet Grave is the fourth book in the Detective Cormac Reilly series and follows the detective after a body is found in an Irish bog by an unsuspecting family. When Cormac Reilly is certain he has found the killer, another mutilated body is discovered and two days later a third body is found.

I loved the atmospheric writing style with a moody Irish weather that serves as perfect setting for this crime mystery. It was cleverly plotted as there are parallel threads woven alongwith the main mystery. The author does a great job of juggling perspectives of the many characters with ease and with twists and turns that ultimately fit the puzzle pieces together in a satisfactory way.

Aiofe McMahon does a great job of narrating the audiobook perfectly capturing the personalities of all the characters. This is a great series to get into for any mystery or thriller lover especially if you love a good police procedural.

I haven't read a book by Dervla before and this can be totally read as a standalone however I would like to go back and read the earlier books in the series.

Thank you @bolindaaudio for the ALC to listen and review. The book publishes on 4/30.

I’ll read anything by Dervla McTiernan, so was happy to put my hand up for her new book in the police Sergeant Cormac Reilly series, The Unquiet Grave, when it was offered by Netgalley. This is the fourth mystery featuring Reilly, and I’ve always found him an interesting character – unrelenting yet sensitive, logical but also good at reading people. He always seems to be up against it, whether it’s relationship problems, pressure to close a case early or issues with colleagues. Or all three – which is what we have here.

In previous books, Reilly has struggled to fit in, returning to Galway after years in the force in Dublin. A stickler for doing things by the book, he’s been a whistle blower, which is why, in the new book, he’s being headhunted to run a team investigating police malpractice – not a job to earn him popularity. While he’s mulling this over, he and his sidekick, Constable Peter Fisher, are called to a body discovered in a bog. Fitted out to look like a ritual killing, of the kind discovered in ancient burials, the presence of underwear suggests otherwise.

The body turns out to be that of a polarising head teacher at the local school – Thaddeus Grey, who disappeared two years ago. Found on the outskirts of town near his house, Grey expected high standards of the students, and it turns out, was a bit of a bully. Cormac soon narrows his focus to three students who particularly bore the brunt of Grey’s unpleasantness. But when another body is found in similar circumstances, his bosses and the press are jumping on the idea that it’s a serial killer. Cormac soon has a battle on his hands to bring the actual killer or killers to justice.

Meanwhile, Cormac’s ex-girlfriend, Emma, now married and expecting a child, is desperately worried about her husband Finn who has gone missing in Paris. The French police give her the brush off as he’s not a French citizen and she gets the feeling everyone thinks she’s a hysterical female, whose husband suddenly has cold feet about being a family man. Finn was a cyber security expert in the forces until recently, so Cormac pulls a few strings with an old army mate and gets things going with a police investigation. But nobody’s optimistic.

There’s a further plot thread involving a computer tech. wizard planning a fraud against the lottery company he works for. How all these story threads come together is a masterpiece of crime mystery plotting and keeps the story humming along. What makes it particularly interesting are the moral dilemmas faced by Cormac and Peter as they try to find justice for those caught up in crime, as well as problems in their personal lives.

These issues add layers of complexity that give the story a bit more heft. There’s danger too, with some pacy, edge-of-the-seat moments. Add the relentless Galway weather – it’s either freezing or raining or both, and we’ve got the atmospheric settings I’ve come to expect from McTiernan, who takes us to Paris, London, Dublin as well as some boggy rural corners.

All in all I wasn’t disappointed with The Unquiet Grave and it was great to check in with Cormac Reilly again – I do hope there will be more in the series. I really enjoyed the e-audiobook edition of the novel, published by HarperAudio and read by Aoife McMahon, who captured the personalities of all the characters, which were many and varied. With a publishing date of 30 April, The Unquiet Grave is a four-star read from me.

I was not familiar with the Cormac Reilly series before listening to this book and although it was obvious it was part of a series, it worked perfectly well as a stand-alone story. Detective Cormac Reilly is dealing with a body retrieved from a peat bog in Galway. It is not, however, a historic find from the Celtic past, but the body of a missing and not terribly well-loved local head-teacher who disappeared without a trace a few years earlier. Meanwhile, in Dublin, Cormac’s ex-girlfriend, Emma, is dealing with the disappearance of her husband, who failed to return from an assignment in Paris. The plot was compelling, the characters were engaging and believable and the story was beautifully narrated in an easy to listen to Irish accent. All in all, extremely enjoyable to listen to.

Thanks to the author, audio-book publisher and narrator for an opportunity to listen in exchange for a review. I highly recommend this audiobook.

The Unquiet Grave
Dervla McTiernan

Cormac Reilly is back in the fourth instalment. For years the bog lands of Northern Europe have given up bodies of the long deceased, thousands of years old but uncannily preserved. When a corpse is found in a bog in Galway, it’s assumed it’s a historical body reemerged. Closer inspection reveals a more recent story. The dead man is Thaddeus Grey who had disappeared two years prior and nothing in Grey’s past would explain why he was murdered, or why his body was mutilated in a ritual manner.

Concurrently Cormac’s ex-girlfriend Emma Sweeney is reaching out for his help; her new husband has gone missing in Paris.

When Cormac is sure that he has found Grey’s killer, and within hours of an arrest, another mutilated body is discovered. Two days later a third body is found.

With bodies stacking up, and intense media attention, Cormac must find the murderer before they strike again. There’s plenty of moving parts in this book and never a dull moment. I really enjoyed this and the way the answers are revealed was perfectly executed. I really enjoyed Cormac’s no fuss approach to policing and the logical conclusions he draws.

Receiving the audio from Bolinda was brilliant and I loved being able to listen to this exciting tale. The audio was wonderful with the rich Irish accents adding to the characterization and of course helping with proper pronunciation. The narrator nailed this story!

‘Plenty of time to prepare, to write little scripts and practice them but she had no idea what it would actually be like to sit opposite those two men with their keen assessing eyes and lie to their faces. The friendlier of them was the most dangerous, you could fall for his warmth very easily, start thinking of him as someone you could lean on when really he was out to gut you.’

I read this as a standalone even though it is part 4 of a series.i loved the start and was hooked by the discovery of the body in the bog. The narration was superb - a wonderful voice and characterisation.
However I found the subplot confusing and found the story jumped around and I found it hard to follow as an audiobook. Maybe I would have been better reading the book because I can see from other reviews that I am in a minority. I picked this book because I loved What happened to Nina, so will try the first book in the Cormac series.

Having listened to The Scholar and The Good Turn (earlier books in the series) I was excited to have the opportunity to hear the fourth book in the DI Cormac Reilly series. Again narrated by Aoife McMahon; she has truly perfected the tone and pace for this series.

The Unquiet Grave has reinforced my belief that Dervla McTiernan’s DI Cormac Reilly books really is the best crime fiction series around at the moment. Perfect storytelling with strong and compelling characters, and intriguing plots; with fascinating subplots which don’t distract from the main story but rather add to the realism. I love that Cormac is such a believable character with none of the over exaggerated angst of most DI’s in other crime fiction books. The Unquiet Grave can be read as a standalone but honestly why would you! I strongly advise reading every book in this flawless series.

I’m off to read Dervla McTiernan’s stand-alone novels now but sincerely hope there’s more to come in the Cormac Reilly series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the audio ARC. Once again, Bolinda Audio create perfect clarity and sound on their audiobook recording.

The Unquiet Grave is the 4th book in the series and I have now read them all. Cormac O'Reilly is a murder detective currently based in Galway but promotion is on the cards.

A body is found in a bog and investigations are needed to establish who the victim was and why he has been tortured and left there. When it is found that the body isn't an ancient well preserved 'bog body' Cormac is put in charge of the case.

Meanwhile his ex girlfriend is frantic when her husband doesn't come home from work and reluctantly asks Cormac to help.

An intriguing story with twists and turns and narrated perfectly as always by Aoife McMahon who is one of my favourite narrators.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the DRC, it was much appreciated.

The Unquiet Grave (Cormac Reilly #4) is everything we know and love about the Cormac Reilly series.

Fast paced, full of twists and turns, suspense and intrigue, The Unquiet Grave sees Detective Sargent Cormac Reilly having murders to solve, and there’s personal and professional issues to resolve.

You’ll become immersed in the story with the brilliant narration by Irish narrator Aoife McMahon. She has so far narrated all the books in this series, so love the continuity!

I read an ARC from NetGalley prior to listening to this ALC of the audiobook. Loved both formats!

The Unquiet Grave is intense. I listened to the audio version and narration throughout is absolutely superb. Brilliant pacing and accents and I was hooked within the first few minutes. It start off simply enough when a German family on holiday discover human remains in the bog. Not an anxpcient relic, but a more recent murder victim and Cormac is leading the investigation.
This is the fourth book in the series and I’ve only read one other, but I like Cormac as a character and the way he interacts with colleagues and his former girlfriend. He’s very relatable and not blessed with a huge range of hang ups so often found in a lead detective! But the joy of this story is the multi layered plotting which builds and builds. First there’s one body, a suspect, then another body then a diversion as Cormac has to help is former girlfriend. It goes along at a pace, with characters who feel real and reactions that resonate. Really well written and I cleaned this up in a couple of sittings. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The Unquiet Grave is the fourth novel in the Cormac Reilly series by Irish-born Australian author, Dervla McTiernan. The audio version, brilliantly narrated by Aiofe McMahon, is an utter joy to listen to. DS Cormac Reilly and Garda Peter Fisher are called away from reading the riot act to a harassing ex-husband when a body is discovered in a bog near Monivea.

While the body displays some unusual mutilations, police pathologist Dr Yvonne Connelly quickly disabuses them of the notion that it is an ancient bog body: this is a recent murder victim. Follow up with the current owner of the bog field and the attached cottage reveal that the tenant of that cottage went missing two years earlier. Might this be local secondary school headmaster, Thaddeus Grey?

As Cormac and Peter try to learn what they can about him, many they speak to depict him as a strict authoritarian who wasn’t well-liked, but the one parent who confronted him has an ironclad alibi. Two years on, the students he picked on most are at college or on an Asian gap year, and not responding to calls and messages: are they being evasive, or just typically self-absorbed teens?

Distracting Cormac from the case is the Commissioner of the Garda Siochana’s urging that he apply for promotion to Inspector: Kevin Matheson needs him to head up the Complaints section of Gardai’s Internal Affairs, investigating other garda when warranted. It would mean less time in the field, more time behind a desk, and would make him even less popular. But the role needs someone who believes in it, and Cormac is probably that man.

Also distracting him is the visit from his ex-girlfriend, Emma Sweeney, now married and pregnant. Emma begs for his help in finding her husband, Finn O’Ceallaigh, a fifteen-year Irish Army veteran who failed to return home from Paris on the previous Friday evening. The Gardai have no jurisdiction in Paris, while the French police have a policy of not actively searching for missing adults, leaving Emma feeling helpless. Of course, Cormac will do what he can, call in favours from influential friends.

When two more bodies turn up in bogs in quick succession, the case is handed to a young Dublin DI more determined to track down a serial killer than listen to input from his team, even though there are some significant differences between how the bodies have been damaged. And after a slow start, Cormac finally has strong suspicions about who murdered Grey, if only the DI would let him go back to Galway for a face-to-face interview…

With this fourth instalment, McTiernan yet again gives the reader a terrific dose of fast-paced crime fiction: an excellent plot, twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing, an exciting climax or two (Peter gets to be a hero), and a very satisfying resolution. Luckily this is fiction, so the reader can darkly delight in the way a certain nasty character is meted out just deserts. With each instalment, McTiernan develops her regular characters a little further and adds new ones. It will be interesting to see what’s in store for Cormac. Irish crime fiction at its best.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bolinda

This crime novel set in Ireland is well-written with strong characters and an intriguing plot. The complex narrative kept me in suspense throughout. The dynamic between detectives was interesting but Cormac stood out to me and was my favorite. I loved Peter’s empathy though.
This book is part of a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone. As this is the first one I've read, I didn't feel like I missed any important context.
It took some time to get accustomed to the multiple accents, but once I did, I found the narrator to be very entertaining as well as incredibly skilled.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In the fourth book in this series by Dervla McTiernan a German family on holiday in Galway has found a body whilst digging peat. Not a 'bogbody' as initially thought but a murder victim. Cormac and Peter are brought in to investigate. There is a lot more going on in this book though for both men. Both are looking at monumental changes to their lives and their relationship with each other and this has an effect on how they handle the investigation. The author writes a good story as always. The narrative flows well and holds the readers interest throughout. The characters are well established and are developed further over the course of the book. I have both read and listened to Dervla McTiernan's books in the past and and enjoyed both styles of presentation however I did find on this recording the narration irritated me somewhat. It seemed very slow and drawn out. So much so I speeded it up. Something I've never done before. I'm aware Aoife McMahon has narrated other Dervla McTiernan books so this might just be me and this particular book. Other than that, a great story and great to have Cormac's story progress. I hope there's more to come.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

As a lifelong fan of Irish crime fiction—and a proud native of the Emerald Isle—I can honestly say The Unquiet Grave is the cream of the crop. Dervla McTiernan delivers a masterclass in authentic storytelling, with narration that feels true to the characters and to the Irish setting that pulses beneath the surface of every chapter.

What really stood out to me was the seamless switch between male and female perspectives. The voices felt distinct and genuine, never forced, and this fluid narrative style added depth and momentum to an already gripping plot. The tension builds slowly, but with such skill that I found myself diving in deeper with every chapter—I finished it in just two days.

The characters are fully fleshed out and entirely believable, with emotional layers that kept me invested throughout. The interwoven storylines never felt contrived or confusing; instead, they added richness to the central mystery. Best of all, the ending managed to surprise me without tipping into the unbelievable—a rare feat in crime fiction.

Whether you’re new to McTiernan’s work or a returning fan, The Unquiet Grave is a must-read. It’s a beautifully written, emotionally charged, and expertly plotted novel that showcases the best of Irish crime writing.

4.5 stars
Ah, it was so good to catch up with Cormac O’Reilly! It’s been a few minutes since the previous installment so I appreciated the background catch up from where we last left everyone. I liked that there were multiple things afoot so we could follow along as events unfolded in the course of time. Dervla has a skill for fully fleshing out even the minor characters. This would make a great TV series. I hope her next book is another case for O’Reilly to solve! As ever, Aoife’s narration was superb!
*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley

*Many thanks to Dervla McTiernan, Bolinda Audio, and NetGalley for a free audiobook inexchange for my honest review.*
This was my second book of the Reilley series, and despite not remembering the details of Cormac's beginnings, I had no difficulty getting into the story. Accidentaly discovered remains open an investigation which at first offers only questions, however, with time, more becomes known of the man's identity, and Reilly and his team face twists after twists. There are three subplots, linked by the main character, one of which I found really intriguing even though a little predictable. The finale was rather unexpected but well prepared.