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Disaster #4
The Lusitania Murders
On May 7, 1915, the luxury liner Lusitania was struck by a German torpedo. On board was an under-cover journalist using the pen name S.S. Van Dine. And hours before the tragic sinking changed the course of history, there was a mystery-of treason, sabotage, and murder.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
87 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Max Allan Collins
804 books1,321 followersReceived 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 14, 2017
The author introduces this book as being based on a fragment of a manuscript from SS Van Dine – a real life mystery writer. Whether this is a Van Dine memoir or fictional story is never known. Collins weaves around it a fact-based account of the Lusitania and her sinking and a fictional murder and mystery occurring on board.
As with all of his ‘Disaster Series’ books, this is both informative history and well-crafted mystery – and Collins is just a darned good writer. He does a wonderful job describing the ship, in introducing us to the real life people, and in providing the historical and political context. He also does a good job at recognizing the limitations placed on women – especially women detectives! – during this time period. This book is a good read for both knowledge and entertainment – or, you can go a step further and research some of the real people or topics mentioned in the narrative, and learn even more.
My favorite quotes:
“Fortunately the din of dinner conversation all but drowned out the orchestra’s brainlessly lilting aural wallpaper.”
His first impression of Philomena Vance (the detective) “…had sought me out in her wily surreptitious female manner. I was beginning to suspect she was a damn suffragette.”
“I had a plate of dainty deviled-ham sandwiches with their crusts trimmed off – apparently here in first class, the upper crust preferred no competition…”
“Turner’s big blunt-fingered hands lay on the table like fists waiting to happen….”
“Turner was listening, but his eyes had that blankness one sees in a dog monitoring human speech for the word or two he recognizes - ’bone’, ‘outside’.”
As with all of his ‘Disaster Series’ books, this is both informative history and well-crafted mystery – and Collins is just a darned good writer. He does a wonderful job describing the ship, in introducing us to the real life people, and in providing the historical and political context. He also does a good job at recognizing the limitations placed on women – especially women detectives! – during this time period. This book is a good read for both knowledge and entertainment – or, you can go a step further and research some of the real people or topics mentioned in the narrative, and learn even more.
My favorite quotes:
“Fortunately the din of dinner conversation all but drowned out the orchestra’s brainlessly lilting aural wallpaper.”
His first impression of Philomena Vance (the detective) “…had sought me out in her wily surreptitious female manner. I was beginning to suspect she was a damn suffragette.”
“I had a plate of dainty deviled-ham sandwiches with their crusts trimmed off – apparently here in first class, the upper crust preferred no competition…”
“Turner’s big blunt-fingered hands lay on the table like fists waiting to happen….”
“Turner was listening, but his eyes had that blankness one sees in a dog monitoring human speech for the word or two he recognizes - ’bone’, ‘outside’.”
August 29, 2017
The Lusitania Murders is the 4th novel in The Disaster Series. In each book, Max Allan Collins expertly wraps a historical disaster with a fictional murder investigation, sending a famous person scrambling to solve the crime before all hell breaks loose. Previous stories have been aboard the Titanic on its fateful maiden voyage, the Hindenberg before it exploded, and at Pearl Harbor on that day of infamy. The stories do not trivialize the real loss of life in these historical events. Facts are given about the real events, and the fictional investigation is woven in among the true occurrences. Collins' detectives for this series so far have been Jacques Futrelle, Leslie Charteris, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and in this 4th book in the series -- S.S. Van Dine (aka Willard Huntington Wright).
Willard Huntington Wright started his writing career as literary editor for the LA Times. He also wrote short stories, pieces on philosophy, book reviews, and art critiques. In the 1920s, he was quite famous in intellectual circles. Following a downturn in his health and finances later in life, he began writing detective stories. He published these under the S.S. Van Dine pseudonym out of embarrassment at his drop from intellectual writing to pulp fiction. His detective novels featured Philo Vance, a genius New Yorker and a bit of a dandy who uses his ingenuity to solve crimes. From 1926 to 1939, 12 books were published featuring Philo Vance.
In The Lusitania Murders, S.S. Van Dine is a passenger on the fated ship. He meets a female version of his fictional famous detective, Philomena Vance, on board. As a female Pinkerton agent, she is acting as the ship's detective. While on a tour of the ship, 3 German stowaways are discovered. They are locked in the brig so that they can be questioned. Vance suspects they may have been on board to commit sabotage, perhaps hiding pipe bombs to damage the ship. Before much can be gleaned about their plans, the stowaways are murdered. Van Dine and Vance suspect that a member of the crew or perhaps even a passenger may have been the mastermind behind whatever the nefarious plans might have been. They investigate the case, not knowing that the ship is going to be torpedoed by a German U-Boat and sink. Why were the Germans onboard? What was their plan? And who was helping them? The two of them rush to investigate before any planted bombs might explode, not realizing the ship's fate is already sealed.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story by Brilliance Audio. Jeff Cummings narrates. I have partial hearing loss, but had no trouble understanding Cummings. He reads at a good pace and has a pleasant voice. Male narrators sometimes try a bit too hard when voicing female characters, but Cummings did a good job, just slightly changing his pitch when reading Philomena Vance's conversation. All in all, a nice audio experience.
The story started off a bit slow for me, but when the real action started to kick in, I was hooked. I liked Collins' use of a female version of the author's actual detective character as a main character in the story. There was slightly less factual information woven into this tale than in the prior 3 books in this series. Most likely this is because of the controversy, conspiracy theories and doubt that still surround the sinking of the Lusitania even today. For decades, the British government swore that no munitions were aboard the ship and that the Germans sank it without provocation. When the wreck was discovered and investigated, it was proven that the passenger ship was carrying munitions. This was only guessed at previously, as there were reportedly two explosions on board the ship. The first was caused by a German torpedo, followed by a second stronger explosion. Theories pointed at this second explosion as detonation of munitions within the cargo holds. Whatever the cause of the sinking, 1,198 passengers and crew members died.
Collins does a great job once again of combining fact and fiction. This time, he even mixes real people with fictional characters, teaming S.S. Van Dine with a female version of detective Philo Vance. The story also works in the fact that Van Dine was a pen name, and the author had previously been a literary and art critic. Nicely done!
Although not my favorite in the series so far, The Lusitania Murders is an interesting story. Despite a bit of a slow start, the story gained steam and had a nice, steady suspenseful pace til the surprising end. The author ends his tale with a bit of an epilogue, explaining a bit about which characters were real and fictionalized, and about some of the theories on the sinking.
I definitely would like to read the detective novels by S.S. Van Dine now! Because the stories are in the public domain, 11 of the 12 Philo Vance books are available here (in several formats): http://www.fadedpage.com/csearch.php?... The 9th novel, The Garden Murder Case, is available in ebook format at several online booksellers.
Max Allan Collins is an award winning author and has written many books about detectives and criminal investigations including several CSI stories and the Nathan Heller series. For more information about the author and his books, check out his website at: http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/
Willard Huntington Wright started his writing career as literary editor for the LA Times. He also wrote short stories, pieces on philosophy, book reviews, and art critiques. In the 1920s, he was quite famous in intellectual circles. Following a downturn in his health and finances later in life, he began writing detective stories. He published these under the S.S. Van Dine pseudonym out of embarrassment at his drop from intellectual writing to pulp fiction. His detective novels featured Philo Vance, a genius New Yorker and a bit of a dandy who uses his ingenuity to solve crimes. From 1926 to 1939, 12 books were published featuring Philo Vance.
In The Lusitania Murders, S.S. Van Dine is a passenger on the fated ship. He meets a female version of his fictional famous detective, Philomena Vance, on board. As a female Pinkerton agent, she is acting as the ship's detective. While on a tour of the ship, 3 German stowaways are discovered. They are locked in the brig so that they can be questioned. Vance suspects they may have been on board to commit sabotage, perhaps hiding pipe bombs to damage the ship. Before much can be gleaned about their plans, the stowaways are murdered. Van Dine and Vance suspect that a member of the crew or perhaps even a passenger may have been the mastermind behind whatever the nefarious plans might have been. They investigate the case, not knowing that the ship is going to be torpedoed by a German U-Boat and sink. Why were the Germans onboard? What was their plan? And who was helping them? The two of them rush to investigate before any planted bombs might explode, not realizing the ship's fate is already sealed.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story by Brilliance Audio. Jeff Cummings narrates. I have partial hearing loss, but had no trouble understanding Cummings. He reads at a good pace and has a pleasant voice. Male narrators sometimes try a bit too hard when voicing female characters, but Cummings did a good job, just slightly changing his pitch when reading Philomena Vance's conversation. All in all, a nice audio experience.
The story started off a bit slow for me, but when the real action started to kick in, I was hooked. I liked Collins' use of a female version of the author's actual detective character as a main character in the story. There was slightly less factual information woven into this tale than in the prior 3 books in this series. Most likely this is because of the controversy, conspiracy theories and doubt that still surround the sinking of the Lusitania even today. For decades, the British government swore that no munitions were aboard the ship and that the Germans sank it without provocation. When the wreck was discovered and investigated, it was proven that the passenger ship was carrying munitions. This was only guessed at previously, as there were reportedly two explosions on board the ship. The first was caused by a German torpedo, followed by a second stronger explosion. Theories pointed at this second explosion as detonation of munitions within the cargo holds. Whatever the cause of the sinking, 1,198 passengers and crew members died.
Collins does a great job once again of combining fact and fiction. This time, he even mixes real people with fictional characters, teaming S.S. Van Dine with a female version of detective Philo Vance. The story also works in the fact that Van Dine was a pen name, and the author had previously been a literary and art critic. Nicely done!
Although not my favorite in the series so far, The Lusitania Murders is an interesting story. Despite a bit of a slow start, the story gained steam and had a nice, steady suspenseful pace til the surprising end. The author ends his tale with a bit of an epilogue, explaining a bit about which characters were real and fictionalized, and about some of the theories on the sinking.
I definitely would like to read the detective novels by S.S. Van Dine now! Because the stories are in the public domain, 11 of the 12 Philo Vance books are available here (in several formats): http://www.fadedpage.com/csearch.php?... The 9th novel, The Garden Murder Case, is available in ebook format at several online booksellers.
Max Allan Collins is an award winning author and has written many books about detectives and criminal investigations including several CSI stories and the Nathan Heller series. For more information about the author and his books, check out his website at: http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/
March 31, 2019
Excellent reading. It's easier to read then an actual book on the event. The Philip vance info was interesting as well.
December 17, 2019
This is the 4th in Max Collin's Disaster Murder Series. The series combines historical facts mixed with fiction. All done very well. I love what he does with both.
April 11, 2023
The 2nd of Max Allan Collins’ “Disaster Series” that I’ve read…Both have been perfect standalone novels so the order is unimportant…Art/Literature critic Willard Wright, under the pen name S.S. Van Dine, author of the Philo Vance mysteries is aboard the Lusitania on its tragic May of 1915 voyage…There are threats aboard and threats below as the pages spin by…Another fun read from the prolific pen of Collins!
September 25, 2015
Again a tour de force, credibly imagining the last voyage of a formidable ship and placing a mystery which determines its fate.. and 'Van Dine" is an interesting career - not fully engaging sympathy, but definitely evoking interest...
August 21, 2019
Parts of this novel were familiar: Anybody who paid attention in History class has heard of the Lusitania, the ship which was sunk by a German U-boat off the course of Ireland, and (supposedly) was one of the reasons that the USA entered World War I. The name "Philo Vance" was vaguely familiar to me, though I've no idea just why, because I don't recall ever reading a book by his creator, S.S. Van Dine. Mr. Collins does his usual yeoman job of weaving together historical facts and (often obscure) early 20th-century authors to create an intriguing, and plausible, mystery.
(I couldn't find an email address for Mr. Collins, or I would have sent the following to him directly.)
Errors found in Kindle text: Page 11, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 27, Western Union may have had / Western Union MIGHT have had ; 30, Oh well -- this was / Oh, well -- this was ; 34, the dockside sightseers and friends / the dockside, sightseers and friends ; 43, with Madame DePage," I asked / with Madame DePage?" I asked (replace comma with ? ) ; 43, Yes it is / Yes, it is ; 61, obvious Anderson was / obvious THAT Anderson was ; 78, Oh, yes they are / Oh, yes, they are ; 79, Psychic phenomenon, do you mean / Psychic PHENOMENA, do you mean (plural needed) ; 90, No indeed / No, indeed ; 95, the one with revolver / the one with THE revolver ; it was pleasure to meet us / it was A pleasure to meet us ;
Page 107, the stewards' uniform / the STEWARD'S uniform (singular possessive) ; 108, apparel were not for young / apparel were IT not for young ; 111, three 'tourists' may well have / three 'tourists' MIGHT well have ; 131, only person beside myself / only person BESIDES myself ; 136, request Miss Vance / request THAT Miss Vance ; 137, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 143, William said with smile / William said with A smile ; 149, Hell no / Hell, no ; 154, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 162, aware five other / aware THAT five other ; 180, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 197, passengers may have been foolish / passengers MIGHT have been foolish ; 197, I could sense she had / I could sense THAT she had ;
Page 210, Yes it is / Yes, it is ; 217, his purloined stewards' uniform / his purloined STEWARD'S uniform (singular possessive, not plural) ; 222, Grabbing on to Miss Vance's shoulders / Grabbing ONTO Miss Vance's shoulders ; 237, what may seem to some readers' mistakes may be a reflection of the sometimes contradictory source material / (this sentence is awkward; I suggest the following rephrasing, for clarity) what may seem LIKE MISTAKES to some READERS may be a reflection of the sometimes contradictory source material ("readers" is plural, not possessive) ; 241, which is absent from, this novel / which is absent from this novel (omit comma) .
(I couldn't find an email address for Mr. Collins, or I would have sent the following to him directly.)
Errors found in Kindle text: Page 11, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 27, Western Union may have had / Western Union MIGHT have had ; 30, Oh well -- this was / Oh, well -- this was ; 34, the dockside sightseers and friends / the dockside, sightseers and friends ; 43, with Madame DePage," I asked / with Madame DePage?" I asked (replace comma with ? ) ; 43, Yes it is / Yes, it is ; 61, obvious Anderson was / obvious THAT Anderson was ; 78, Oh, yes they are / Oh, yes, they are ; 79, Psychic phenomenon, do you mean / Psychic PHENOMENA, do you mean (plural needed) ; 90, No indeed / No, indeed ; 95, the one with revolver / the one with THE revolver ; it was pleasure to meet us / it was A pleasure to meet us ;
Page 107, the stewards' uniform / the STEWARD'S uniform (singular possessive) ; 108, apparel were not for young / apparel were IT not for young ; 111, three 'tourists' may well have / three 'tourists' MIGHT well have ; 131, only person beside myself / only person BESIDES myself ; 136, request Miss Vance / request THAT Miss Vance ; 137, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 143, William said with smile / William said with A smile ; 149, Hell no / Hell, no ; 154, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 162, aware five other / aware THAT five other ; 180, Oh yes / Oh, yes ; 197, passengers may have been foolish / passengers MIGHT have been foolish ; 197, I could sense she had / I could sense THAT she had ;
Page 210, Yes it is / Yes, it is ; 217, his purloined stewards' uniform / his purloined STEWARD'S uniform (singular possessive, not plural) ; 222, Grabbing on to Miss Vance's shoulders / Grabbing ONTO Miss Vance's shoulders ; 237, what may seem to some readers' mistakes may be a reflection of the sometimes contradictory source material / (this sentence is awkward; I suggest the following rephrasing, for clarity) what may seem LIKE MISTAKES to some READERS may be a reflection of the sometimes contradictory source material ("readers" is plural, not possessive) ; 241, which is absent from, this novel / which is absent from this novel (omit comma) .
September 13, 2025
I sought out Max Allan Collins’s 2002 novel, The Lusitania Murders 🧔♂️🚢👩✉️🔪🌊 not only due to its subject matter, but also because of the author himself.
Collins has written novelisations of many well-known films from the 1990s and 2000s. This is the fourth in his series of fictional murder mysteries 🔎 set around real historic disasters. I’m both fascinated and unsettled by shipwrecks 🚢, so it was a natural reading choice.
Plot-wise, real-life American art critic, Willard Huntington Wright, working as a journalist 📝 named S.S. Van Dine, is investigating a conspiracy aboard RMS Lusitania during its fateful final voyage when he becomes involved in a series of espionage-related murders 🔪.
The novel’s commentary on 1915 society, culture, and politics through its first-person narrator is both insightful and witty, walking a tightrope between a relaxed series of character studies and an intensifying conspiracy thriller set on a luxurious steam liner heading into a war zone 💥. I like that Collins corrects his main character at times, particularly when it comes to describing the technical details of the ship and, having read into the final voyage and some of the passengers who made it, it is nice how he has incorporated historical details into the plot.
The only thing that felt a bit jarring to me was a shipboard romance 👩❤️💋👨 between two first class passengers that seems to be more socially accepted by the surrounding characters than I would have expected for 1915…
Nevertheless and overall, this is an enjoyable and engaging read with mostly quite short chapters, and a sense of balancing the need to be as historically accurate as possible against the need to entertain.
Collins has written novelisations of many well-known films from the 1990s and 2000s. This is the fourth in his series of fictional murder mysteries 🔎 set around real historic disasters. I’m both fascinated and unsettled by shipwrecks 🚢, so it was a natural reading choice.
Plot-wise, real-life American art critic, Willard Huntington Wright, working as a journalist 📝 named S.S. Van Dine, is investigating a conspiracy aboard RMS Lusitania during its fateful final voyage when he becomes involved in a series of espionage-related murders 🔪.
The novel’s commentary on 1915 society, culture, and politics through its first-person narrator is both insightful and witty, walking a tightrope between a relaxed series of character studies and an intensifying conspiracy thriller set on a luxurious steam liner heading into a war zone 💥. I like that Collins corrects his main character at times, particularly when it comes to describing the technical details of the ship and, having read into the final voyage and some of the passengers who made it, it is nice how he has incorporated historical details into the plot.
The only thing that felt a bit jarring to me was a shipboard romance 👩❤️💋👨 between two first class passengers that seems to be more socially accepted by the surrounding characters than I would have expected for 1915…
Nevertheless and overall, this is an enjoyable and engaging read with mostly quite short chapters, and a sense of balancing the need to be as historically accurate as possible against the need to entertain.
January 23, 2024
The Lusitania Murders, Max Allan Collins [Berkley, 2002].
The Lusitania Murders is a historical fiction mystery/espionage novel; a Golden Age detective pastiche reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen. Journalist/critic/public intellectual SS Van Dine, along with Pinkerton detective Philomena Vance, investigate the murder of three German stowaways aboard the doomed ship, the Lusitania. Collins deftly blends fact and fiction, in this fourth installment of his Disaster series.
***
Max Allan Collins is a Mystery Writers of America grandmaster and four time winner of the Shamus Award from Private Eye Writers of America. Collins’s works include The Road to Perdition, the basis of Sam Mendes’s acclaimed film. His most recent Nathan Heller novel Too Many Bullets was published last year by Hard Case Crime.
The Lusitania Murders is a historical fiction mystery/espionage novel; a Golden Age detective pastiche reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Ellery Queen. Journalist/critic/public intellectual SS Van Dine, along with Pinkerton detective Philomena Vance, investigate the murder of three German stowaways aboard the doomed ship, the Lusitania. Collins deftly blends fact and fiction, in this fourth installment of his Disaster series.
***
Max Allan Collins is a Mystery Writers of America grandmaster and four time winner of the Shamus Award from Private Eye Writers of America. Collins’s works include The Road to Perdition, the basis of Sam Mendes’s acclaimed film. His most recent Nathan Heller novel Too Many Bullets was published last year by Hard Case Crime.
April 6, 2019
Another impressive installment in the author’s “disaster” series. As I have come to expect with this series, the book was well-researched, and history comes alive. Very interesting historical figures and a decent bit of espionage/ mystery all combine to make an enjoyable book.
December 26, 2021
Mediocre Mystery
Mediocre, at least compared to some of the author's work (e.g., the Quarry series). Thin characterizations and weak plot. I found myself more interested in the descriptions of the ship than anything else.
Mediocre, at least compared to some of the author's work (e.g., the Quarry series). Thin characterizations and weak plot. I found myself more interested in the descriptions of the ship than anything else.
July 16, 2020
It was good, but I had a hard time getting into this story because the main character was annoying.
July 5, 2022
Easy airplane read!
January 14, 2025
The author uses the sinking of the Lusitania as the vehicle for a murder mystery
February 8, 2015
As expressed previously in reviews of these "Disaster Mysteries" I have a penchant not just for mysteryies in general but most especially for historical mysteries involving real life heroes and villains acting as they might have done, not just as we know they did as in a non-fiction story. This also extends to the "alternate reality" type of historical fiction/fantasy but we'll save that for another review, perhaps of Keyes' "Age of Unreason" series.
This entry in Collins' exquisitie series was just as captivating as all the rest with real life author S. S. Van Dine along for the ride (though like CHarteris in Hindenburg he had preiviously sailed on the big Lucy but wasn't really on the ill fated trip itself). A distaff version of his detective in the form of one Philomina Vance is the sleuth of the piece, something quite improbable for that era but impulsively intriguing nonetheless.
Once again Collins masterfully weaves what is known about this disaster together with what might have been, tosses in a few murders that didn't actually take place and comes up with a page turner to keep even the most jaded mystery fan entertained. I fall into that category I can assure you although I am chagrined to say that I am so far 0 for 4 in penetrating the webs of intrigue he has woven around these disasters. I will say that in each case the actual villain of the piece was on my list of suspects but not at the top.
As in each of the previous three volumes Collin and his staff's research has paid off in meticulously accurated depictions of the decor, surroundings and viands available to the Lucy's passengers. This particular tale involves, stowaway saboteurs, turncoats and out and out thieves as well as the most varied and eclectic cast of characters one could possibly imagine travelng as first class passengers on the world's (at that time at least) most prestigious luxury liner.
Give this serie a try if you like period pieces and in particular period piece mysteries with real life settings. And as I have said in other reviews, the beauty of this "series" is that it is not sequential in any manner. You can pick any book you like to start and go from disaster to to disaster as you please. Myself I'm a little anal and I like to read a series in it's published order where possible. Some series such as McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern or Brooks' Shannara series won't make sense unless you achieve the proper chronological order within the series instead of the published order but this isn't one of those pick one and enjoy!
This entry in Collins' exquisitie series was just as captivating as all the rest with real life author S. S. Van Dine along for the ride (though like CHarteris in Hindenburg he had preiviously sailed on the big Lucy but wasn't really on the ill fated trip itself). A distaff version of his detective in the form of one Philomina Vance is the sleuth of the piece, something quite improbable for that era but impulsively intriguing nonetheless.
Once again Collins masterfully weaves what is known about this disaster together with what might have been, tosses in a few murders that didn't actually take place and comes up with a page turner to keep even the most jaded mystery fan entertained. I fall into that category I can assure you although I am chagrined to say that I am so far 0 for 4 in penetrating the webs of intrigue he has woven around these disasters. I will say that in each case the actual villain of the piece was on my list of suspects but not at the top.
As in each of the previous three volumes Collin and his staff's research has paid off in meticulously accurated depictions of the decor, surroundings and viands available to the Lucy's passengers. This particular tale involves, stowaway saboteurs, turncoats and out and out thieves as well as the most varied and eclectic cast of characters one could possibly imagine travelng as first class passengers on the world's (at that time at least) most prestigious luxury liner.
Give this serie a try if you like period pieces and in particular period piece mysteries with real life settings. And as I have said in other reviews, the beauty of this "series" is that it is not sequential in any manner. You can pick any book you like to start and go from disaster to to disaster as you please. Myself I'm a little anal and I like to read a series in it's published order where possible. Some series such as McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern or Brooks' Shannara series won't make sense unless you achieve the proper chronological order within the series instead of the published order but this isn't one of those pick one and enjoy!
March 16, 2015
The sinking of the Lusitania (one of Cunard's most luxurious ocean liners) is going to be the subject of several books and more novels and documentaries during the 100th anniversary of its demise.
In Max Allan Collins' Disaster Series, he combines a famous disaster with a famous author who also doubles as a sleuth. In this case it is S. S. Van Dine, whose detective, Philo Vance, might have been the most popular mystery character for a period of several years.
Collins gives us a little background on Van Dine and the outbreak of World War I, when America was neutral, but Americans were often very vocal in their support of England or Germany (he ignores, for the most part, the other participants in that conflict). As usual, Collins has his minions provide him with in depth research on the ship, its passengers, and the swirl of notoriety that surrounded them.
The mystery involves the deaths of several "stowaways" who might either be thieves or saboteurs. There is romance in the person of a female Pinkerton agent. The story picks up speed quickly and proceeds at a gallop finishing almost as soon as if I had watched it on the silver screen.
Nothing profound, but highly entertaining.
In Max Allan Collins' Disaster Series, he combines a famous disaster with a famous author who also doubles as a sleuth. In this case it is S. S. Van Dine, whose detective, Philo Vance, might have been the most popular mystery character for a period of several years.
Collins gives us a little background on Van Dine and the outbreak of World War I, when America was neutral, but Americans were often very vocal in their support of England or Germany (he ignores, for the most part, the other participants in that conflict). As usual, Collins has his minions provide him with in depth research on the ship, its passengers, and the swirl of notoriety that surrounded them.
The mystery involves the deaths of several "stowaways" who might either be thieves or saboteurs. There is romance in the person of a female Pinkerton agent. The story picks up speed quickly and proceeds at a gallop finishing almost as soon as if I had watched it on the silver screen.
Nothing profound, but highly entertaining.
May 6, 2012
Interesting murder mystery taking place on the ill-fated Lusitania. Max Allan Collins is great at combining history and a good mystery. I recently read his "True Detective" which takes place during prohibition-era Chicago and would highly recommend it. In this one Collins really makes you feel like you are on the Lusitania in 1915 - he has great descriptions of the ship itself, the passengers, and crew. He uses S.S. Van Dine as the narrator (Van Dine wrote several mystery novels in the 1920s featuring detective Philo Vance). Van Dine's narration really has the feel of the early 20th century. Most of what Collins includes in this book is historically accurate including German saboteurs being on the ship and what happened to historical personages including Alfred Vanderbilt and Elbert Hubbard. Overall I enjoyed this one mainly for the historical background on the Lusitania and its passengers and fate.
August 22, 2015
I picked this book up only because I recently finished Erik Larson's "Dead Wake" about the sinking of the Luisitania. I thought it would be entertaining to read a mystery about the same event while the circumstances surrounding it were relatively fresh in my mind. Additionally, I've read several of S.S. Van Dine's Philo Vance mysteries and one of those characters appears in this story as the lead detective, though as a woman rather than as a man. With all of that pointing me toward this story, I hoped I would enjoy it. It was, in fact, a bit disappointing. The writing isn't bad but it isn't remarkable either. The plot has some clever elements but it isn't memorable. And the characters, several of whom are based on actual people who sailed on the Luisitania, lacked depth. The author's ear for dialogue was, however, pretty decent. If you're looking for a fluffy, short mystery to help you pass a few hours, this title fits the bill. Just don't expect more.
November 4, 2019
The fourth book in the series is better than the third one. Taking place on Lusitania it is again a story that takes place in a closed area which definitely adds to a crime novel. It has a bit of Agatha Christie style and also a bit of Sherlock Holmes, S.S. Van Dine even refers to himself as Watson.
The historical part of the book also makes it more interesting describing to us what life on Lusitania was like and also including some real famous passengers. The plot itself is alright. I started guessing who the murder is before it was revealed but it didn't ruin the book for me.
I especially liked the tone of the book. S.S. Van Dine is being a bit sarcastic through it all. I wonder if this was actually his style in writing. In this case I would like to read his book as well.
The historical part of the book also makes it more interesting describing to us what life on Lusitania was like and also including some real famous passengers. The plot itself is alright. I started guessing who the murder is before it was revealed but it didn't ruin the book for me.
I especially liked the tone of the book. S.S. Van Dine is being a bit sarcastic through it all. I wonder if this was actually his style in writing. In this case I would like to read his book as well.
April 6, 2013
This reminded my of an Agatha Christie murder mystery: a “predictable set of charismatic characters in a closed environment” style whodunit.
I loved the two main characters and their relationship; I really got into it and rooted for them, in fact at times I cared more about them than I did for the mystery. I want a sequel surrounded on their lives!
I was impressed with the author’s description of life aboard the Lusitania; I want to read a non-fiction book about it now.
I read it all in one shot on a flight; it was a great diversion since my media-screen wasn’t working and I could not watch any movies!
I loved the two main characters and their relationship; I really got into it and rooted for them, in fact at times I cared more about them than I did for the mystery. I want a sequel surrounded on their lives!
I was impressed with the author’s description of life aboard the Lusitania; I want to read a non-fiction book about it now.
I read it all in one shot on a flight; it was a great diversion since my media-screen wasn’t working and I could not watch any movies!
October 12, 2014
Another fun and easy read in The Disaster series. I was quite pleased that the previous overuse of commas and run-on sentences was greatly improved in this one. It made the book much more readable than some of the others in the series. While I enjoyed the female Pinkerton agent, it sort of strained credibility given the time period. The other downside was that you didn't get to the sinking until the very last chapter. Granted, I know the sinking was quite fast, but I would have enjoyed the time to be stretched a bit more for the book. I'll definitely read the rest of this series, but I'm still wondering if any of them can top the Hindenburg book.
September 18, 2012
This book was a fun little read...went fairly quickly, and had an interesting premise: several German spies are apprehended on board the Lusitania during her fateful final voyage, and then end up dead. Was it murder?? Suicide?? The intrepid reporter, one S.S. Van Dine, meets a female Pinkerton detective on board and they try to unravel the mystery, even as the Lusitania steams toward her doom. Relatively lightweight as murder mysteries go, but an enjoyable, quick read nontheless.
January 20, 2016
I really like these books not only because of the historical settings but also because the main characters are always famous writers of the time period. In this book S.S. Van Dine takes a writing assignment to profile various travelers on the Lusitania and gets involved in shipboard intrigue. Listened to the audio version which was competently narrated by Jeff Cummings.
June 9, 2015
Throw-away stuff, but a fun way to pass the time and, as always in Collins' fictionalized "real-life disaster mystery" series, and speculate about what really sank the Lusitania.
If I could just escape the perception that he cranks these out on an assembly line.
If I could just escape the perception that he cranks these out on an assembly line.
July 18, 2015
This was not as good as I remembered The Pearl Harbor Murders being when I read it years ago. But it did whet my curiosity about the Lusitania and some of the "real " passengers who were characters. So I looked them up on a Lucy website and read many more details.
July 8, 2011
Decent mystery. Good view of history. I liked this one better than the Hindenberg book. Three and a half stars.
February 25, 2019
I was unfamiliar with the Lusitania, this may end up being my favorite of the Disaster series
August 21, 2012
This is not a Nathan Heller mystery. Still entertaining and based on fact. Nice touch using a woman as a Pinkerton agent.
March 11, 2013
Max Collins has done an excellent job of covering the historical facts, creating a mystery, and writing it all in the voice of a writer he doesn't even like.
June 20, 2013
Fun who-done-it.
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