Booklife by Publishers Weekly - selected The Eighth Master as an “Editor’s Pick”! Read the review:

“Rutherford’s enticing mystery revolves around an unlucky architect and an infamous art piece that leads to a gruesome murder. Neil is a local architect struggling to pay his bills when he receives the commission of a lifetime: building a 17th-century style French chateau for David Johnsson, a Wall-Street businessman with a legendary fortune. But when Detective Sean Andrews finds Johnsson’s body in the basement of the unfinished chateau, Neil becomes a suspect. Rutherford’s plot turns on poisonings, cryptocurrencies, threatening messages, and a fortune invested in art. As betrayals get exposed, one stolen artwork in particular will reveal who precisely Johnsson was–and who murdered him.

Rutherford gives each character a colorful past and loyalties that could make anyone the culprit, building The Eighth Master into an engrossing whodunit that will keep readers guessing. This clever mystery’s occasional focus on architecture might hinder some readers’ interest, though, especially Neil’s occasional lectures. Despite Rutherford’s love of the subject, the architectural detail that slows down the first 50 pages ultimately doesn’t factor much into the investigation, as the mystery hinges on what’s inside the chateau rather than the chateau itself.

Nevertheless, Rutherford has crafted a lengthy but captivating mystery that checks off all the boxes for the genre, offering a relentless investigation and exciting twists and turns. Like a boulder rolling down the hill faster and faster, the storytelling becomes more urgent and exciting as the investigation continues. The revelations are both surprising and fulfilling, as Rutherford demonstrates mastery of the genre with clues that play fair, a couple of legitimate shocks, and a satisfying ending that clears up all the essential questions. Murder mystery fans, especially the architectural enthusiasts and art lovers among them, will enjoy how The Eighth Master touches on all these subjects to expose the excesses of humanity’s Icarus-like greed.

Takeaway: This memorable whodunit, fascinated with art and architecture, will dazzle fans of the genre.” — BookLife

From Kirkus Reviews:

“Billionaire David Johnsson has been planning a winery at his massive California estate. But as he fired his architect and has been butting heads with the contractor, the project remains incomplete. He turns to architect Neil Thornton for help. It’s a hefty job that Neil willingly takes, though he’s unprepared when an individual knocks him down on David’s estate—possibly the same culprit who ransacks his car and his office and pilfers his project drawings. Meanwhile, local police detective Sean Andrews, working a missing person case, ultimately discovers a body on David’s property. And there’s more: David is an avid art collector, and eight paintings are gone from his unfinished vault. Over in New York, art dealer Jennifer Singh contacts FBI Agent Marcus Little. Evidently, an attorney representing an anonymous collector sold an auction house a painting that’s likely stolen. This opens an investigation that soon intersects with the case on the West Coast and involves numerous people, such as David’s brother, Keith, with criminal pasts. It seems only a matter of time before a killer’s surprising identity comes to light. Rutherford’s extensive novel includes copious architectural details. But as they appear intermittently, they never derail the sound murder mystery unfolding throughout. Neil’s entanglement in the homicide case is believable, especially since someone at one point considers him a suspect. In addition, there’s a double-crossing or two as well as unnerving moments, like Neil’s potential new client Karl Stroughmann’s making the architect wary. Although Neil is meek but likable, the most memorable characters are of the delightfully shady variety, from Keith to David’s ex-wife, Georgia. Rather than one big reveal, answers come gradually in the latter half, and the killer may not be easy for readers to unmask.

A lengthy but smart and diverting whodunit.” — Kirkus Reviews