Robert Rutherford has done it again. The Missing Hour is a tense, edge of your seat, masterpiece. This is a one-sitting read worth your time and money. I dare you not to put this one down. 5 stars

A year ago I tried to finish Seven Days by this author and decided not to finish it. Way too many words, way too slow. I requested The Missing Hour because I wanted to see how I would like a second book by this author. Turns out that it was actually his first book, that got so many rejections he decided to write Seven Days first.
As pointed out by other reviewers already, the blurb actually doesn’t say anything about what happens when Maggie’s husband Grant is suddenly arrested on suspicion of murder. There is very brief talk about that ‘missing hour’ but more important is that Maggie needs to find out why Grant has been arrested. Before she knows it, she’s a suspect herself and she slowly discovers that there is more, much more. This story is about an international conspiracy and only with determination and perseverance (and a little bit of luck) she discovers the truth.
Words and more words. How can a book with a fast pace like this one feel actually rather slow? I don’t know but it held my attention long enough to finish it. Although I must confess that I somehow still don’t understand what the conspiracy was all about. Is it me or is it the fact that what Maggie discovers come to us slowly during the story, but again, in a lot of words. It somehow feels as if the author couldn’t find a way to have the characters clearly tell or show what was and is happening.
Maggie is an interesting character; she’s by no means flawless but we get to understand her better and better. So, no one star DNF but this time two and a half stars rounded up to three.
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for this review copy.

A good read although you have to suspend a bit of belief in the way this country is run to believe the tale being told.

Extracting dna from innocent people but for what means and how will it end?

3.5 stars

Thanks to net galley and the publishers for this arc

An interesting, well written and face paced crime thriller with lots of action and thrills along the way.
Some may feel that the storyline was a little far-fetched and unbelievable but the more I think about the more likely that this scenario could happen. Crime fiction of this standard provides us with an image of what could happen in the future and gives us, as the reader, some points and thoughts for us to be aware of when we see similar things taking place in the future.
Personally, the only negative was that the story seemed a little long but it was still easily readable and the author did all the hard work putting it together in the first place. Real places and good character progression really helped me to get connected with the story and its characters.
I now need to read Seven Days, the previous publication from this author.
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton, NetGalley, and the author for providing me with an electronic advanced copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
The book will be published on the 10th April in e-book and hardback formats, with the audiobook available shortly afterwards and the paperback published in December

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

Many early reviewers mentioned that the original blurb didn’t align with the actual plot—I completely agree. Had I known the true premise, I likely wouldn’t have requested this, as it leans more into crime fiction than the thriller genre I prefer. However, I believe the blurb has since been updated.

The story follows Maggie and Grant, two journalists based in Manchester. Maggie’s life is upended when Grant is suddenly arrested for murder- and before he can even reach custody, he dies. The evidence against him is overwhelming, including DNA at the crime scene, but Maggie refuses to believe he’s guilty. She was with him all night - except for one unaccounted hour. Determined to clear his name, she starts digging into his latest investigation, all while protecting a secret of her own.

For a book titled Missing Hour, that element plays a surprisingly minor role. From the title to the bed on the cover that makes it feel very domestic thriller feel like really odd marketing choices.

The first 10% was engaging, but from there, the plot quickly became repetitive. Maggie falls into a frustrating cycle: she confides in someone she trusts, flees in fear of putting them in danger, and then the “bad guys” track them down anyway - over and over. The new characters introduced added little to the story, making it feel drawn out with a lack of meaningful progression.

How did the villains always know where she was—whether it was her parents’ house, a friend/boss/fellow journalists’s place, transport provided by siblings? I dunno Maggie, just maybe, because those were the most obvious places to look.

By the halfway point, I struggled to stay invested. I had to take a break before pushing through to the end. The final 30% was somewhat more enjoyable, though still with some of the same repetitive patterns. What kept me going was curiosity about Maggie’s supposed “secret” from the blurb, hoping for a game-changing twist. But when I finished, I wasn’t even sure what part was meant to be the secret -it certainly didn’t deliver a game changing turn around to my enjoyment.

Overall, this was a tough read for me and close to a DNF. The shifting POVs were confusing, especially early on, as there were no clear chapter indicators. Maggie's chapters are in first person POV but contained some mistakes of shifting to third person at times. Other chapters from multiple other POVs the voices were too close together which in the beginning made it difficult to identify the characters.

On top of that, I never connected with Maggie - her poor decisions made it hard for me to root for her.

This was a fast-paced and twisty thriller, that, as my first by this author, was a solid read. I think I may have been expecting something slightly different from the title and blurb, but enjoyed nonetheless.

Another fast paced, twisty, edge of your seat thriller. I definitely didn’t see wheee this one was going!

No secret that Robert Rutherford has been one of my go-to authors for a very long time and it's hard to believe this is only his sixth novel - some absolutely belting opening scenes that completely reeled me in and will probably be the best opener for a thriller that I'll read this year.

How can a man have committed murder in one location, when he was fast asleep all night with his wife elsewhere? Because that's what they're saying has happened. And now they have him silenced and it's up to his wife to prove he didn't because there was that one hour in the middle of the night when she realised he wasn't there. Where was he?

There is no ambiguity. Someone is trying to prove that DNA can't lie. Of course it cant. But Maggie knows Grant. And despite what people are being so easily forced to believe there is so much more to this than can possibly meet the eye...

This is a David and Goliath story, great action, fast-moving plot and lots to follow as we're shown what happened in that fateful hour and much, much more besides. It's also a family story, which was unexpected but nonetheless welcome. As a thriller, though, it does exactly what I want; keeps me entertained and turning the pages - yes, at times suspending a little disbelief, but isn't that what it's all about? Top notch.

A fast paced and twisted thriller. The title was misleading and the reader will have I suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the narrative drive.

This was brilliant.
Fast paced and kept me guessing until the end.
I’ll be looking for more books from this author

What a whirlwind. Plenty of twists and turns and a shocking ending that will leave you breathless. Looking forward to the next one.

‘Missing Hour’ is a fabulous book written by Robert Rutherford about a woman looking to avenge her husband over a scheme that goes deeper than she could ever imagine. After discovering the unsavory dealings of a company called HELIX, Maggie Brewer’s life seems to turn upside down. From the moment I started reading the book, I was hooked.

The descriptions and overall writing style is excellent, submerging you in the story right away. One of my favourite descriptions was “fine rain jewels the air” located at the beginning of the book. An excellent technique Rutherford used was the main character, Maggie Brewer, being written in first person while all the other characters were in third person. This immediately highlights her as the most important character and gives the readers a deeper insight into the story. Her feelings allow the readers to see the plot from a different angle and allows for her characterisation to flourish. The little light hearted comments scattered throughout also really added to it, keeping the book undulating with emotion.

Another excellent aspect of this book is the dialogue. It feels very real and rarely pulls you from the story. It adds a lot to the believability of the characters and pairs well with their realistic characterisation. Throughout reading, it was very easy to create an image of the characters, even without specific descriptions. This is something I just love in a book. I particularly liked the uneasy atmosphere around Declan Clay, a murderous helping hand to the leader of HELIX. His soft Irish accent was the complete juxtaposition to his actions and that translated very well over the page.

The tension is probably my favourite part of this book. Having Maggie’s first person account of her emotions adds so much to the scenes. While the tension continued throughout, it never became tiresome. The pace was fast and the situations were described wonderfully, adding or removing detail depending on the moment.

Finally, the complexity of the plot is brilliant. I started reading, thinking it would be a simple thriller novel but I couldn’t have been more wrong. While, at times, the explanations of HELIX and its associated businesses were complex, it was not too hard to understand overall. I just wish there was more time to digest the information before a new piece was thrown at you.

In conclusion, Missing Hour by Robert Rutherford was excellent. It is fast paced and full of twists. The constant dialogue from Maggie paired with the more light-hearted comments kept the book varied with emotion and provided some release from the heavier scenes. If you love a book with beautiful descriptions and wracked with tension, this one is definitely for you!

A desperate wife is searching for answers in this story about a woman whose husband is arrested in the middle of the night, allegedly for murder.

When Grant subsequently dies in custody it seems as as though Maggie will never know what actually happened. But she believes in her husband's innocence, because barring one potential loop hole, Grant could not have done this. Or could he?

A gripping thriller, this one is well worth reading and gets 3. 5 stars.

A fast paced storyline which many will enjoy.
Had i known more on what i was about to read i wouldn't have gone there!
I think readers need to know more in the synopsis.
I had to skip a lot.

This was a hell of a ride! What I would say is that the synopsis is quite misleading and doesn't tell the true outline of this story but this was definitely a thrilling page turner

Holy heck!! I have no words for this book! It was twisted beyond measure! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough!

It was a real rollercoaster... One of the best psychological thrillers l've read this year. I made my mind up many times, only to be proven wrong each time. The last 30 pages had me almost holding my breath.

A massive 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars from me!

I am not to sure about this book. It was unbelievable in parts and to be quite honest I just wanted to get to the end. However, there were some good in parts and is worth 3 stars. The ending and rather abrupt.

With many thanks to Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

First thing to say is that the blurb is misleading and therefore it was not the story I was expecting/hoping to read. Had it said ‘wife of murdered man goes on the run chased by the bad guys who think she has something they need back’ I probably wouldn’t have picked this book. And the Missing Hour? Not quite sure where that was
So to the actual story itself which did have enough for me to continue reading. It was very fast paced and if you suspend all belief quite enjoyable. The characters are good especially the bad guy Mr Clay and Maggie was somebody you could root for. It has some good twists along the way, although the ending felt a bit flat considering Maggie’s beliefs at the beginning.

I really enjoyed reading this, and my thanks to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast-paced & gripping thriller, with plenty of twists & intriguing POV switches to keep you engaged throughout. The characters are varied & well developed, and I loved so many of them - given the wide cast we’re playing with here, Rutherford does an excellent job of giving you reasons to root for each character very quickly. And the writing style itself is very immersive, not only regarding the characters, but in its scene-setting as well.

The story requires an increasing amount of suspension of disbelief as it progresses, in terms of the world-building and character development. I found the ending disappointing, as I feel it undermined the main motivations of the main characters (especially the FMC) from every pivotal decision earlier in the book.

For anyone thinking of reading this, I should also forewarn you that the book synopsis is fairly inaccurate/misleading… I am not going to spoil any plot here, just correct the factually inaccurate info from the book blurb (none of which are plot-twists, just mistakes). The blurb seems to depict a story set within a futuristic “flawless” justice system (when it is actually set in modern day Britain) and with a more complex mystery set-up (murder committed 400 miles away with CCTV, witness & DNA evidence - when it is actually committed 30 miles away & with only DNA evidence) than is actually delivered. The story it does deliver is still very interesting & compelling, just with a different premise than promised in the synopsis. I know that authors don’t always get much say in the synopsis for their books, so this is unlikely to be Robert Rutherford’s doing - but this synopsis feels like it was written by someone who hasn’t actually read any of this book, and it could do with correcting before it’s formally published.

I really enjoyed the 1st vs 3rd person POV switches from one chapter to the next, I think it worked extremely well and added so much depth to both the FMC and the primary antagonist. There were a few instances of 1st person narration suddenly (I think mistakenly) switching to 3rd person halfway through a sentence, though, which sometimes pulled me out of the story as I tried to work out who was being referred to. But I assume that will be polished up before it’s published.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining book, but the ending didn’t fit for me, and I would’ve preferred going into it with more accurate expectations from the synopsis. I still recommend it to any thriller fans who enjoy high-stakes drama in an everyday setting, and aren’t too hung up on moral consistency in their MCs.

Finally, this story involves some subjects that some readers may find difficult, so I am including a list of Content Warnings below. So STOP READING NOW to avoid minor spoilers.

——————

Content Warnings:

- Alcohol use (briefly mentioned, not described in detail) - also brief mention of drugs & dealing
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Bereavement (throughout, including funeral described in detail) - death of a spouse, parent, sibling, and friend
- Hospitalisation
- Paedophilia (the word is mentioned, not part of the plot or anything described)
- Police corruption & brutality, including a suspect’s death/murder during arrest (described in detail)
- Violence, torture, murder & blood (described in detail)

This pacy and thrilling pyschological thriller will keep the reader guessing.

A murder is committed four hundred miles away from where the main suspect was. he was with his wife except for one solitray hour.

All the evidence is stacked against him ..so is he guilty.. OH what a tale this was. I was hooked, confused and eager to find out the facts..

It is a brilliantly plotted read and I highly recommend it