The Titanic Murders

Disaster #1

by Max Allan Collins

Jacques Futrelle was among the many famous passengers who boarded the R.M.S. Titanic on April 10 , 1912. one of the most celebrated American mystery writers of his time, Futrelle was the creator of an ingenious detective known as the "Thinking Machine" -- and was an inspiration to the legendary Agatha Christie.

He was also one of over 1,500 people who did not survive the sinking of the Titanic.

Were Futrelle's crime-solving talents engaged in an onboard investigation? This intriguing question has now sparked one of the greatest mysteries of the Titanic.

Our story begins with two deaths that may have occurred before the great ship went down.

Two murders that became the mystery writer's final challenge. . . .

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Historical Mystery, Historical, Audiobook

258 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child and then as a teenager I had a complete obsession with the Titanic, so I was a bit apprehensive about reading this! I knew all the details inside and out and didn't think this book would be that good!

I WAS WRONG!

Murder, mystery, blackmail, séances it's all here and all aboard the fated ship! Mixing real people with fiction (or is it!) the author had me hooked I couldn't stop reading this book!

A great way to spend a Saturday in Lockdown 👍

[Harold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read. Collins is amazingly prolific when it comes to rolling out these mysteries that blend historic situations and characters into a fictional novel. I like that genre and read it as much for minutiae as the plot. For me that is what makes Dan Brown's work palatable. In this case a mystery is satisfactorily solved prior to the Titanic's encounter with fate. One thing I really appreciated (those of you who want no foreknowledge of this book should read no further)was that Collins ended the narrative just prior to the Titanic hitting the iceberg.

Good move!

At this stage of the game I've seen and read enough of the sinking than to want to see it rehashed yet again.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Max Collins has given his readers an interesting mystery: what if a murder had been committed on the Titanic before it struck the iceberg? On board in this work of fiction are the people who really were on board, including mystery writer and journalist Jacques Futrelle. When a body is discovered, likely murdered and not deceased through natural causes, Futrelle is pressed into service to find the guilty party. To complicate matters, the dead man was a blackmailer who had several “clients” on the ship. The novel is a quick and entertaining read, dealing with life on the ship and folllows Futrelle as he chases down clues. It’s a good mystery that doesn’t dwell on the actual sinking.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who isn’t interested in the Titanic? Well, that’s okay, I forgive you. I'll try not to judge; we all have our iffy bits.

This book is mystery set upon the famous ship before it sinks. It’s true that the mystery and it’s solution aren’t of a nail biting sort. The historical detail, however, is wonderful. It is a plausible story based heavily on historical detail. There are more guest shots than in Cameron’s Titanic movie. Not only the famous Maggie (Molly) Brown, but the father escaping with his children, even the nanny has historical basis.

It also is nice to read a book where a married couple is actually truly happy and fond of each other. Reminds me of the Tommy and Tuppence characters.


Crossposted at Booklikes.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a quick read. Barely a day while taking it easy. The Titanic Murders is part of Collins' Disaster Series. In this series (of which I have reviewed several) Collins pairs a famous writer (engaged as a detective) with a famous calamity. This works better in some cases than others.

Jacques Futrelle was a famous writer of his time, though his name (unlike his contemporary) Arthur Conan Doyle has receded into semi-obscurity as time goes on. He was one of the most celebrated American mystery writers of his time, creator of an ingenious detective known as the "Thinking Machine". He died while assuring his wife's rescue as the Titanic sank in 1912.

Collins contrives to have Futrelle engaged as an investigator on the Titanic. He is to look into a mysterious death that, in reality, could have occurred on the ship. The story is replete with Collins' usual fine research and we learn all about the elegant ship and the "Smart Set" that were passengers on it. Guggenheim, Astor, Brown, Ismay, Millet, Stern, Gibson, Harris, etc. were placed by fate on this voyage.

It is too bad, given this material, that Collins could not come up with something more compelling. This was his first attempt at the Disaster format. If I had read them in order, I might have stopped after this one. (They do get better.)

[Laura Grable · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up solely because of my interest in the Titanic. It is an interesting concept, a fictional murder mystery onboard the Titanic before it sinks (spoiler alert, lol). The problem though, is that the constraints of characters based on real people and real events left little room for a gripping mystery. Also, the mystery could not even begin to rival the epic tragedy of the Titanic. For these reasons, I found this audio book enjoyable, but found the mystery a little weak.

The strength of this book, for me, definitely lay in the research and detailed descriptions of the passengers and infamous ship. I have read a lot about the Titanic, but I still learned some things that I didn't know before. It made me wish this was a non-fiction book that just went in depth about the passengers, whom provided plenty of their own intrigue as they sail toward tragedy. I think I will try one of those next time around.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4. This was an enjoyable book, although it did take a while to get going as the feel for being on the Titanic was developed. As the book went on though it did fully engage me and I enjoyed the writing style. Not surprised the first person who was killed was murdered, I think that I might have been tempted as well. Lol! The author did an excellent job of mixing fact and fiction and it just makes you wonder! The book felt quite sad towards the end as you knew what was coming and you had grown attached to the characters by then. It was quite a quick read, and this was a very slight weakness as it left you wanting some more depth in the book. I definitely think I'll read other books by this author.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unquestionably fantastic use of imagination... Mr Collins effortlessly evokes the luxurious world of the Titanic and also throws in an engaging mystery, skillfully making use of the prominent people on board, even as the the unsinkable ship sails towards its destiny....

[PDC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun (except for the sinking)

An interesting, imaginative telling of supposed murders aboard the doomed ship. A true whodunit, craftily told with loose ends neatly tied up. I will definitely read another of his mysteries.

[Eva Müller · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review can also be found on my blog

If we ignore for a moment that this book is set on a not exactly unknown ship (and features a real person as sleuth) and just focus on the mystery…I am already not very impressed.

It starts incredibly slow. Partly thanks to the’manuscript in the attic’ opening. You know how Holmes pastiches often start with the narrator telling you about that manuscript he found in his attic and then he did some research and discovered his grandfather served together with Watson and that’s how they got involved into this case together? And he goes on and on about it, while you’re just sitting there going “I know Holmes wasn’t a real person. I know you made this all up. Just spare me and get on with the actual story.” Here, it’s not a manuscript but a midnightly mysterious phone call that leads to some further investigation and many descriptions of things nobody cares about before the story finally starts.

At least it sort of does. Because The Titanic Murders is one of those mysteries where rather obvious who is going to be the victim. One can tell pretty much as soon as the character appears that he won’t have to worry about getting a spot on one of the lifeboats. And that itself is not a bad thing. In some of the most enjoyable mysteries, it takes just a few pages till you can guess who will be killed. But the thing about those is: the person then does get offed pretty quickly. In this eight hour audiobook, it takes more than three till the murder finally happens; and that’s simply too long. Nobody wants to wait almost half a book for something obvious to happen.

At least, once the murder has happened Futrelle can start his sleuthing. And what a brilliant sleuth he is. He just goes from one person to the next and tells them “Hey, there’s this guy who has tried to blackmail me. Has he, by any chance, also tried to blackmail you?” And this sledgehammer approach obviously…works? Because who wouldn’t be inclined to answer such a question? Especially since Futrelle is pretty much a stranger to most of them. (Of course, any story featuring an amateur sleuth will require some suspension of disbelief because normally, people don’t welcome randoms strangers who ask personal questions with open arms but there’s suspension of disbelief and there’s whatever this is – overstretching of disbelief possibly).

And now for the elephant (iceberg?) in the room. This book is set on the Titanic. Now I like dramatic irony as much as the next person and I’m also not averse to some dark humour but this book really overdid it:

- When the first class passengers learn that Captain Smith intents to retire after the crossing, they tell him that the White Star line should still let him on the ships as passenger so he can be a good luck charm (you see, it’s funny because Smith will have incredibly bad luck, the ship will sink and over a thousand people will die)
- When Futrelle is asked to investigate the murder on the ship they ask him to keep it quiet and he says that he understands that they don’t want the Titanic to be associated with death forever (you see, it’s funny because the ship will sink and over a thousand people will die and it will be associated with death forever)
- A passenger tells a story that is supposed to doom everybody who hears it. He explains that he doesn’t believe in such nonsense and laughs that if he did, he would have just doomed the whole ship (you see it’s funny because the ship is doomed. It will sink and over a thousand people will die)
- Futrelle is reading The Wreck of the Titan while on board so of course, he jokes that the Titanic will be fine as long as there’s no iceberg (you see, it’s funny because there will be an iceberg, the ship will sink and over a thousand people will die)

There’s more but you get the gist. While it does take a certain kind of person to go “A murder mystery set on the Titanic? Yes please.” and I am obviously one of those people since I picked up the book in the first place this kind of sledgehammer approach gets exhausting very quickly. And is really not that funny…just like it isn’t funny that he used the names of real Titanic passengers for all characters. The blackmailing murder victim has the name of a real Titanic passenger. His accomplice as well. And, of course, the murderer, too. Why is that necessary? Why not make up some names? With some minor tweaks to the story, it would have worked just as well without accusing real people who only died in the last century of blackmail and murder.

In my teenage years I was very obsessed with certain US procedurals and Collins wrote tie-in novels for the CSIs and Criminal Minds which I read and quite enjoyed. His plots were engaging and I appreciated his sense of humour, which is why I did have some hopes for this book and was even mildly curious about the Disaster series. But now I really doubt that I will continue.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. So realistic, I love a good piece of historical fiction and this did not disappoint.

[Stefan B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Y'know, sometimes, you just want to kick back and sink into a pulpy, cheeky, vaguely trashy 'whodunit' murder mystery novel. Turn off the thinking brain, tap into the pleasure principle, and dive deep into a map of clues, one liners and investigations. Of course, it's no mystery that the best mystery was always written by Agatha Christie, and nobody did Agatha Christie quite like Agatha Christie, so that automatically takes points off, but this particular book has one glaring benefit that not a lot of other novels have the privilege of boasting about:

It's a murder mystery on the fucking Titanic!

That's right, a good ol' detective story about a wise-cracking, inevitably handsome, extremely intelligent and near invincible investigator/fiction writer (adorable how writers of this kind love to self-insert and imbue themselves with delusionary fantasies) on the deck of the legendary, ill-fated ship just a day or two before the most famous iceberg in history makes its presence known - now how could you resist that? Even better if you are, like me, a near fanatic into all things Titanic.

However, the ship itself and its fate play a far lesser role than I'd like, which tears the score down quite a bit. No heart-stopping acts on the ship's deck while it's sinking; no gut-wrenching descriptions of panic, mortal fear and looking death in the eye while the hunk of metal loudly makes its way into the waves below, and no panic-induced moral issues in who goes on the tragically under-numbered lifeboats here - just the murder mystery and investigations on the deck of the world's most famous ship.

Nothing wrong with that if you're looking for that sort of thing, but I personally see it as quite a bit of a wasted opportunity. However, this book is a definite pageturner, and has all the tools and techniques of a quick and enjoyable detective novel, and so if you want to immerse an afternoon into this type of fiction while finding yourself on the Titanic while it's still safely making its way across the Atlantic, I would recommend grabbing it and giving it a go.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing blend of fact and fiction, The Titanic Murders takes the reader aboard the R.M.S. Titanic for its doomed maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912. Based on information from an anonymous source that there were two deaths aboard the ship before it sank, Collins weaves an imaginative tale of murder and mystery. The story is populated by a colorful cast of real-life passengers on the Titanic that includes millionaires John Jacob Astor, Ben Guggenheim, and Isidor Straus, as well as the colorful Maggie Brown.

Not long into the voyage, a dead body is discovered in a stateroom. The circumstances look suspicious. The chairman of the White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay, who is aboard for the maiden voyage, is dismayed at the thought that word of the possible crime will get out and tarnish the Titanic's reputation. So he asks passenger Jacques Futrelle, a famous American mystery writer, to employ his knowledge of criminology to investigate the death. Futrelle agrees and enlists his wife May to help, but soon a second body turns up. The Titanic's voyage seems to be cursed by death.

Readers know, of course, that the voyage is indeed doomed and that over 1,500 people will die. This irony makes the story all the more compelling, as Futrelle seeks to uncover the killer and prevent possible additional deaths, even as the clock is ticking for so many of his fellow passengers — and even for Futrelle himself.

The Titanic Murders is very well researched. Collins incorporates many historical details into the story that make both the characters and the ship itself come alive in the reader's imagination. Collins is a good storyteller and a master of the historical fiction genre. I enjoyed the book very much and look forward to reading more of Collins's Disaster Series books and other mysteries.

[Harold Shaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Allan Collins is perhaps the master of modern forensic science based mysteries as witnessed by his superb CSI and CSI Miami series with characters based on those two phenomenally successful TV shows. He is no stranger to historical crime novels either as in his excellent Nathan Heller series in which Heller interacts with major personalities of the past to solve some of the great enigmas of the twentieth century. Now in this first volume of a new historical mystery series he takes more amazing and mysterious events of the past, thoroughly researches them and using two personalities who were involved in them and attempts to tell what realistically may have occurred.

In The Titanic Murders, Collins use real life American mystery writer Jacques Futrelle and his wife May to resolve, in a manner consistent with all known details, the mysterious deaths of two of that ship's First Class passengers.

His extensive research, including using historical accounts from survivors as well as from the official investigations into the tragedy allow him to give us such a vivid account of that fateful voyage you will almost believe you were there yourself. I was thoroughly impressed and fully intend to read all of the offerings in this remarkable series. And unlike most series it doesn't matter what order they are read as each is totally unique and stands by itself.

[LookPla · Rating 2 out of 5]

เล่มไม่ได้หนาเลยค่ะ แต่อ่านอยู่หลายเพลามาก
ส่วนใหญ่บอกเล่ากิจกรรมและบรรยากาศบนเรือซะมากกว่า
กว่าจะคดีฆาตกรรมจะเกิดก็ล่อเข้าไปจะครึ่งเล่มแล้ว
แล้วบทคดีจะคลี่คลายก็ปุบปับเลย
เนื้อเรื่องไม่มีอะไรดึงดูด แถมตัวละครก็เยอะ จนบางทีอ่านแล้วมึน
แต่เค้าว่าทุกคนมีตัวตนจริงๆ บนเรือหมด แม้แต่ตัวคนที่ถูกฆาตกรรม
ซึ่งด้วยวิธีการเขียนที่เปิดเหมือนมีคนส่งข่าวให้นักเขียนเรื่องนี้ทราบ
ว่าจากการขุดค้นของพวกนักค้นคว้ามันมีการพบศพบนเรือที่ถูกห่อไว้ 2 ศพ
เลยเป็นชนวนให้ผู้เขียนไปสืบถามเอากับลูกสาวของฟูเตรลล์ นักเขียนรหัสคีดที่อยู่บนเรือ
และนั่นก็กลายเป็นเรื่องราวที่เกิดขึ้นในหนังสือเล่มนี้
ไม่รู้ว่าในความเป็นจริงมันมีเหตุฆาตกรรมจริงหรือไม่
แต่อ่านแล้วก็แอบชวนให้เชื่อนิดๆ อยู่บ้างเหมือนกัน
บทส่งท้ายของเรื่องบอกเล่าเรื่องราวของตัวละครที่ปรากฏในเรื่องแต่ละคน
ว่าเกิดอะไรขึ้นในเวลาที่เรือล่ม และชีวิตที่ยังเหลืออยู่หลังจากเรือล่มไป

โดยสรุป เรื่องเดินไปแบบเรื่อยๆ เอื่อยๆ ไม่ได้มีอะไรให้ตื่นเต้นเท่าไหร่
ไม่ได้จบแบบดราม่าเรียกน้ำตากับฉากเรือล่ม
แถมด้วยสำนวนแปลที่อ่านแล้วไม่ลื่นไหล วกวนในบางช่วง กลิ่นนมเนยคละคลุ้ง
คำที่ใช้บางคำก็ชวนให้สงสัยว่าทำไมเลือกใช้แบบนี้ เช่น สังสรรค์ เป็น สังสันทน์
นิยายเล่มไม่หนานักเรื่องนี้เลยทำให้กินเวลาในการอ่านไปพอควรค่ะ

[AndrewP · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this book Collins had a lot more leeway with the characters and the plot then he did in 'The Hindenberg Murders' from the same series. The Titanic had a very large number of passengers to play with, but he manages to keep the story revolving around the high profile first class passengers, of whom quite a bit is known.

Of course, the story itself is made up and there is no historical evidence that the murder mystery events in the book actually took place. But, all the characters and the background are as factual as possible given that there and conflicting accounts of the sinking of the ship. In all, it seems well researched and had a nice nostalgic, and tragic. feel to it. Not quite as good as 'The Hindenberg Murders', but still well worth reading.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent blend of history and fiction, purporting to describe murders that occurred aboard the Titanic during her fateful maiden voyage. The idea of a locked door murder on the world's most famous luxury liner is compelling and fascinating. It works because it's well-researched--actual passengers from the Titanic are the characters in the book. One of those real-life passengers happened to be mystery writer Jacques Futrelle, who conceivably could have been pressed into investigating. The detail is intense, even weaving in the speed of the ship, and wrapping up the mystery perfectly before ending just as the iceberg is hit. Well-written and a quick read, the endless fascination with the doomed Titanic makes this book work.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed things about Titanic, whether it be documentaries, TV shows/movies, or fictional stories though I haven't read too many. This was just the right amount of mystery interwoven with the feel of what it was like to be a passenger on this ship. This book does take a while to get to the mystery aspect of the story, but I didn't mind that.

All the figures I was familiar with were present in the story, as well as some that were new to me. The Epilogue and Author's Notes at the end were very interesting and enlightening. I really enjoyed this book and though the following installments in this series have nothing to do with Titanic, I am interested to learn about the different settings the author has chosen for the following stories.

[Nancy Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like a 3.75, but I definitely enjoyed the book.

It's a murder mystery set on the Titanic voyage using the actual people on that fateful trip. It sounded intriguing but I wasn't sure how it would be pulled off? Would it seem disrespectful? Morbid? Sensationalized? Thankfully, it was none of that. I was immersed in the story while still maintaining the reality that it was pure fiction. The writing was great, the story interesting, and the setting amazing. I had never read this author before -- though be warned other reviewers said that was not "typical" Max Allan Collins -- but I think I will be looking for the next book in the Disaster Series.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting take on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. It is a murder mystery story that teases and pleases the reader. Many of the characters are real, and the author has a great deal of fun with them. I enjoyed the tongue in cheek reference to the main character reading the book Futility while on the ship. For those that don't know, Futility tells the story of a luxury liner striking an iceberg much like the Titanic. It has even been postulated that the author had some kind of foreknowledge as he named his ship the Titan. Anyway, it made this book very special indeed to me.

[Ken Bickley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Allan Collins is at his best when writing about actual historic events and people while spinning detective yarns around them. There are no fictional characters in this one, but obviously nobody knows how these real people spent their last few days on Earth. This is a real "can't put it down" thriller, with real mystery writer Jack Futrelle, who went down with RMS Titanic, as the detective. Good clean fun, too. I think I've read it before, but it had been awhile, and if I had, then I liked it again/still.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent very entertaining

This is one of the best mystery books I have read in a long time. The characters are real people and the descriptions of the ship were excellent. I wish there was a map of some sort that showed the layout of the ship. The different decks and promenades were hard to picture in your mind

[Mary Davidsaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I had fun. Can't believe the amount of research Collins must have done to get the copious amounts of details on everything from the ship's interior to the clothing on the people. He set a sumptuous stage for his closed-room mystery and salute to a favorite author, Jacques Futrelle.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I read this book while I was on a cruise ship!

This was much better than I expected. I loved the descriptions of the Titanic and its famous passengers. The actual disaster itself is saved for the epilogue.

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Titanic long ago moved from a mere ocean liner and historical artifact to a piece of popular culture. It did so even before James Cameron’s 1997 film launched a new wave of interest in the disaster, though many found either inspiration or sought to capitalize upon it. Among them was the prolific mystery and thriller author Max Allan Collins, who put his own spin on the people and voyage that led to that “night to remember” on the north Atlantic. The result was 1999’s The Titanic Murders.

Uniquely among the pieces of Titanic fiction that I’ve encountered over nearly thirty years, The Titanic Murders has almost nothing to say about the sinking. Instead, Collins mines a particular historical nugget that the famed for his time American mystery author Jacques “Jack” Futrelle and his wife May were onboard the ship’s first and last voyage, mingling with the rich and well to do of the day. As such, and with the exception of some full-on fictionalizations of people otherwise lost to history, Collins uses exclusively real people to tell a story set in the days leading up to the disaster.

That story being a murder mystery, of course. Futrelle was by all accounts a master of the lock room mystery and, after encountering a number of the ship’s passengers and crew including a professional blackmailer, gets drawn into such a mystery when said blackmailer turns up dead. With a suspect’s list that includes a who’s who list of first class passengers, Futrelle and his wife tread carefully among them. At least until a second body turns up to complicate matters. It’s a compelling idea, one that offers (with the reader knowing there’s an iceberg looming in the Titanic’s path) a ticking clock atop a solid mystery.

By choosing to steer away from the synonymous disaster, Collins gives himself and Futrelle room to maneuver. Time to not only take in the sights and sounds of the liner’s Edwardian splendor but also to meet and interview the historical passengers. It’s here that the author’s research shines through, both in the ship itself (minus a single detail added no doubt for dramatic reasons but which a less knowledgeable reader would be entirely forgiving of) and in creating entirely plausible versions of each of them and to what a blackmailer might try to use against them. There are limits to that research, however, and Collins did fall afoul of a piece of Titanic mythmaking reported as fact (and presented as such through the 1990s) that rather undermines his eventual solution. Even so, Collins presents a largely historically grounded version of the (in)famous liner and those who sailed upon her.

And the result remains both a solid mystery (one that apparently launched a range with authors solving mysteries centered around other historical events) and a unique read about Titanic fiction. Either one makes it more than worth a read. One might even go so far as to call it a “mystery to remember.”

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if there had been a murder on board the Titanic during its disastrous maiden voyage in 1912? Not only one murder....but two.

Famous American detective novelist Jack Futrelle is on board with his wife Mae. They are enjoying a second honeymoon after being gifted First Class accommodations by White Star Line Executive Bruce Ismay. When a passenger who has been attempting to blackmail others on board is found dead in his stateroom, Captain Smith asks Futrelle to investigate.

Which passenger is a murderer? And, can the case be solved without damaging the reputation of the stellar First Class passengers, or the White Star Line? Futrelle puts his detective skills to the test, determined to identify the killer before the ship docks in New York.

Little does he know.....the ship will never reach New York.

I listened to the audiobook version of The Titanic Murders. What an interesting story! The plot was a an intriguing mix of historical fact and fiction. Jack (known as Jacques) Futrelle wrote detective stories featuring The Thinking Machine....a detective that was compared to Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. And he died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The plot of the story enfolds the real life Futrelle, adding a fictional murder mystery to his final days.

The mystery was believable and engaging, with plenty of suspects and suspense. The ending was well done. All in all, an enjoyable mystery! The book did not make light of the disaster, rather using it as a backdrop for the detective and giving historical facts about the passengers, the voyage and the ship. The book is tastefully done and well-written.

The Titanic Murders is the first book in the 6-book Disaster Mystery series. Each book in the series features a different main character, ranging from famous detective novelist Agatha Christie to Walter Gibson, creator of The Shadow.

I will definitely be reading more of this series! The Titanic Murders was well written, and a great homage to Futrelle.

Max Allan Collins is the author of many detective and crime novels. To learn more about the author and his writing, check out his website: http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/

[Aspiring Scribbler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this, in spite of what I'm about to write. Actually, thinking more about it, the things that I found niggling mostly affected me because of my familiarity with the subject matter, both as a Titanic buff and an avid reader of murder mysteries.

First, the story was a bit predictable. I don't just mean that being based on historical fact, I knew how the book was going to end. The fictional additions (the murders) weren't that difficult to solve. That doesn't mean I didn't like it, I'm just saying don't expect to be surprised.

I found that there was sometimes more detail than I personally needed about historic and technical details of the ship, the wreck, and the expeditions to the wreck site years later, but I also found no faults in those details, or at least very few...

I should also say that having listened to this as an audio-book, I did sometimes find it hard to get past some of the 'voices' of the characters. The variety of accents put on by the narrator did help keep track of who was speaking, but sometimes they didn't match my own impression of the characters, almost all of whom are very notable historical figures (okay, they're notable because they were on the Titanic, but that still counts). It was a little jarring, and for that reason, I might have been better off with a print version.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many others, I have always been fascinated by the Titanic but as a true book lover, I became initially interested when I learned that Jacques Futrelle, a real-life mystery writer, was one of the ill-fated passengers on the ship.

As it was learned along with the knowledge about Collins book, I did a deep dive and purchased a Futrelle book of short stories featuring the Thinking Machine, Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen. While I was not all the impressed by the stories — unfortunately, I think that Futrelle never quite explains how his amateur detective comes up with the solutions — I'd like to try more of the stories.

And then there was Collins' book, which I had purchased at the same time. Would I like, appreciate, his work. I was a bit skeptical. I've seen too many books where the connection to a real life event feels contrived. But I have to admit, this was not true in this case.

Every character we were introduced to in this book was real — I know because I often interrupted my reading to look them up! And it read logically — the language was pretty good, the descriptions fantastic and the actions totally or nearly believable. It feels accurate and I'm pretty sure it is other than the murders that supposedly occurred on the ship; I'm pretty sure that will remain the topic of speculation and urban myth, but they make a helleva a good mystery.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional account of some “murders” that occurred on the RMS Titanic’s fateful maiden and final voyage. The author incorporates a murder mystery scenario into this voyage. The tricky part for the author is that every character in the book was an actual, real-life person on that voyage. There are no fictional characters used to facilitate the story. So, the author must mix in real events and real situations that occurred with his fictional mystery. As such, all the real people, such as John Jacob Astor IV and the ship’s Captain Smith could not be taken too far out of their actual characteristics and personalities and still keep the story realistic. The hardship this creates for the author results in a very slow first half of the book as the real people must be defined and placed into the fictional plot. Once the initial crime occurs, the story picks up speed and becomes rather interesting as the “murders” are solved prior to the ship going down. It was amazing how the author weaved real life events into a fictional murder mystery involving the ship’s crew, first class, second class and steerage passengers. If you check with Encyclopedia-Titanic on-line, you’ll see most events that occur in this fictional account actually occurred on that voyage and the fictional parts are entirely plausible based upon those actual events and people.

[Emma Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly Immersive!

*** Contains little spoilers ***
This is such a good book, definitely recommended to those who love mysteries.
I listened to this story via audio book rather than reading it, and I have to say, it was seriously good listening material.
The narrator plays a big part in making this story so good.

Whether the murders were true or not, the clever intro that we are provided with before the actual story begins makes you believe it was very real.

We are also treated to a round-up of the sort of endings that the characters met with after the sinking... obviously being those who survived and those many, many people who sadly didn't.

My favourite part of this story was when I realised that the hero, Jack, was going to do the one thing that hardly ever happens in stories, and that is, that he saw justice was done for the real victim of the crimes...which definitely wasn't the murdered guys.

History facts were delicately mingled in amongst the body of the story and I found that fascinating.

I'm definitely going to look out for other books by this author.