The Missing Hour by Robert Rutherford is the story of husband Grant and wife Maggie, they are both newspaper journalists. Grant however is the more serious investigative journalist of the two. Grant is suddenly arrested and charged with murder but Grant and Maggie were together that night, other than an hour after midnight. Grant dies in custody and Maggie is determined to find out what has happened and what Grant was investigating before he died that may have some significance on his death. With the help of an internet stalker who was working with Grant before his death, they are able to uncover a conspiracy with the misuse of DNA and identity fraud. They have to find the evidence that Grant had been able to uncover before he died which shows how the conspiracy was discovered and without this evidence lives will be at risk including their own. An interesting look at DNA and identity and how it can be misused in the wrong hands. Highly recommended.

I couldn't put this down. Smart, shocking, intense and full of action, I couldn't guess where things were going to end up. So many twists and turns! I was totally gripped throughout. Would 100% recommend, and can't wait to see what he writes next.

Thank you to Robert and his publishers for this early review copy, absolutely delighted to receive it. I have been a fan of Robert's work since his first book (writing under Robert Scragg) and a certain character in Seven Days may have really made me smile - so I always think the next book arriving is risky,,, will it live up to my high expectations? The verdict - So pleased to report that it definitely reached the required standard. I was utterly gripped from the first page! Great pace and tension throughout. Maggie Brewer was a fabulous character! Actually loved all the characters. The plot was completely believable. This book deserves to be another Sunday Times Top 10! Totally recommended! (Robert will be in Waterstones Durham Saturday 5th April chatting and signing from 10am)

Following on from the acclaimed and Sunday Times best seller Seven Days, Robert Rutherford returns with the adrenaline fuelled The Missing Hour. This is a read which hits the ground running at 100 mile an hour and doesn’t let go right until the dramatic finale. A thriller where the stakes couldn’t be higher, where fighting for your own survival is top of the agenda. Robert Rutherford shows why he one of todays top thriller writers, cliche’s can often be bandied around, but this book is unputdownable, the chapters are constructed in such a way that you need to turn the page to carry on reading, relentlessly paced, a read which had me gripped and on the edge of my seat throughout. Buckle in and enjoy the ride The opening chapter perfectly embodies and encapsulates everything required to grab the readers attention, the frightening reality, daring in the way it poses the question, what is to follow? I found the plotting to be inventive, the premise of the book intrigued in a way that you want to know more, then it leaves you needing to know the truth what and who is actually behind the story. It poses many question regarding technology and it uses especially around bringing criminals to justice, it also shows how that power and greed can corrupt as the lines betwen right and wrong become blurred, it’s a frightening concept. As a read it pulls no punches, the characters are the type to kill first not bother with a question and then move on, there is a certain sadistic nature to them where they appear to take great pleasure in extracting pain, interestingly some of the hardest hitting scenes are those where the author doesn’t describe the horror being perpetrated but lets your imagination run riot and fill in the blanks All that being said you can have the hardest hitting thrillers but that is nothing without characters, here the author excels at bringing a mixed bag of believable and for some everyday characters. I loved the way Maggie is written the gamut of emotions she runs through, at her weakest moments she find the strength to see justice done. One of the strengths of the book is the use of family and it is interesting how this plays out within the story. On the opposite side you have Clay who seems to have no emotions at all where inflicting pain seems to be his best friend I particularly like the way action scenes are written, you can feel the characters taking the punches, there is a certain intensity in their construct, they leave you wondering as to how they will play out. To say the book is slickly written is an understatement, you are soaked in the suspense and tension, it moves faster than a roller coaster but with the same level of twists, every page builds the drama as the body count rises you wonder where it will end. For all that is a griping action filled thriller, it is more than that, the story has an abundance of human emotion running through it, combined with real quality and depth to the storytelling I’ve been reading crime and thrillers for over 50 years I know what i’m talking about, Robert Rurtherford is the real deal in the high concept stakes thriller I cannot recommend this book highly enough, just leave yourself plenty of time and have coffee on drip. A definite reading highlight of the year