THE EIGHTH MASTER

In this debut mystery, a construction project in progress is the site of murder, theft, and the occasional betrayal.

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.