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

#TheMissingHour #NetGalley
Highly recommended.
The Missing Hour is a chilling and thought-provoking psychological thriller that challenges the very nature of justice and the trust we place in our legal systems. It delves into a nightmare scenario where evidence points directly to the guilt of a loved one — except for a single, crucial gap in time that could change everything. The story begins with a seemingly straightforward case: A man, Alex, is accused of murder. All the evidence is stacked against him: witness statements, CCTV footage, and even DNA. The case is airtight. But there’s a twist — Alex was with his wife, Emma, four hundred miles away at the time of the murder. The one detail that doesn’t match up is a single, missing hour, a period of time during which Alex’s whereabouts are unaccounted for. As Emma struggles to reconcile her unwavering belief in her husband’s innocence with the overwhelming evidence of his guilt, she’s thrust into a quest for the truth. The more she digs into the missing hour, the more she realizes that the world of perfect justice she once believed in might be far more flawed and dangerous than she ever imagined.The Missing Hour is a compelling and fast-paced psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end. Robert Rutherford delivers a gripping tale about the fragility of truth, the limits of the justice system, and the lengths one woman will go to uncover what really happened during that crucial, missing hour. The novel is perfect for fans of legal thrillers and psychological mysteries who enjoy complex characters and morally ambiguous situations.
A tense and thought-provoking read that challenges our assumptions about justice and guilt. A must-read for thriller lovers who enjoy intricate plots and high-stakes drama.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Stoughton for giving me an advance copy.