What do you think?
Rate this book
The Seventh Passenger: A Titanic Murder Mystery
When the Titanic sinks it takes with it the crime scene, the witnesses and possibly the murderer.
The Titanic’s last stop is at Queenstown, Ireland, where seven first-class passengers disembark.
Soon after continuing its voyage, the body of a man linked to the doomed liner is fished from the water – murdered.
With the crime scene now at the bottom of the ocean, District Inspector Lorcan O’Dowd’s only clue to the identity of the killer is through the seven passengers.
He follows their trail to London and China, slowly piecing together the life of the dead man. A woman is charged with murder, but O’Dowd isn’t convinced. He’s determined to find the real killer.
The Titanic’s last stop is at Queenstown, Ireland, where seven first-class passengers disembark.
Soon after continuing its voyage, the body of a man linked to the doomed liner is fished from the water – murdered.
With the crime scene now at the bottom of the ocean, District Inspector Lorcan O’Dowd’s only clue to the identity of the killer is through the seven passengers.
He follows their trail to London and China, slowly piecing together the life of the dead man. A woman is charged with murder, but O’Dowd isn’t convinced. He’s determined to find the real killer.
450 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 2023
8 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 2, 2023
I very much enjoyed this story. It had very strong and believable characters.
Addionally, it was a very clever concept for a mystery. It focused on the Titanic and a crime that occurred prior to its famous journey.
I highly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Addionally, it was a very clever concept for a mystery. It focused on the Titanic and a crime that occurred prior to its famous journey.
I highly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 11, 2023
The Seventh Passenger by Angie Rowe published July 5th with Poolbeg Press. Being from Cork I knew I would have an immediate connection with this debut but what I hadn’t expected was to be transported to the far reaches of China during a very tumultuous time in its history.
Queenstown in Cork, known today as Cobh, is forever synonymous with the Titanic, being the last port of call for the ill-fated liner. April 12th, 1912, a body is washed up down the harbour from Cobh in the seaside town of Youghal. DI Lorcan O’Dowd is immediately called to the scene and, on initial examination, suspects the victim to have been a passenger on board the Titanic. But with no identification on the body, it’s clear that the investigation will be a challenging one. When news of the tragic sinking of the Titanic is relayed to O’Dowd, he is immediately aware that this case is going to require some imaginative work and he suggests to his superior a trip to London, where he feels he can make more determined inquiries, based on his immediate findings. This trip to London, although primarily a work one, will also give O’Dowd the opportunity to catch up with his half-brother Michael.
O’Dowd has always had a unwelcome feeling when based in Cork. Most of the locals want nothing to do with a member of the RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) and, with his mixed English and Irish rearing, he finds himself alone more often than not. Married to the job, his time is mainly spent in solitude or at a dinner party hosted by the local gentry and business people. With Ireland in a state of flux, his kind do not receive too warm a welcome. He does garner a level of respect but there is always that uncomfortable awareness that he must manage to live with on a daily basis. His brother Michael walks the beat in London and during O’Dowd’s time there they make a good team. O’Dowd unexpectedly enjoys these weeks with his brother, meeting Michael’s wife and children, but he knows not to get too cosy there, as his life, as it is, is in Ireland.
As part of the investigation, it is noted that seven first class passengers alighted the liner in Queenstown and these are the first leads in the case. Who were they? Did they recognise the victim? Were they suspicious and perhaps guilty of murder?
As the identity of the victim eventually reveals itself, O’Dowd finds himself chasing an illusive individual with connections to England and China. As the chapters turn the reader is transported to the Far East at the turn of the 20th century with descriptions of events that both shock and horrify. Angie Rowe explores society at that time in China with eye-opening scenes and frightening depictions. The brutality of the early 20th century society is intricately woven around a tale of courage, grief and terrible pain. As ever I ended up down a rabbit hole of research and was quite in awe of the attention to detail portrayed throughout.
The Seventh Passenger is a complex tale of deception and lies, of raw heartache and sorrow. Angie Rowe has written a novel that explores a very challenging and discomforting period, taking the reader on an extraordinary adventure back in time. One of the first things to capture my attention when I opened the book was the font used and the delicate artwork depicted at the beginning of every chapter. It felt very appropriate to the time, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the story.
The Seventh Passenger is a complicated and sophisticated mystery with an incredible cast of characters led by the inquisitorial DI Lorcan O’Dowd. This is not just a story about the Titanic. It is an intricate and excellently woven mystery that will keep any reader guessing right to the end.
* I was gifted an advance copy and my quote is on the cover. This is my honest review
Queenstown in Cork, known today as Cobh, is forever synonymous with the Titanic, being the last port of call for the ill-fated liner. April 12th, 1912, a body is washed up down the harbour from Cobh in the seaside town of Youghal. DI Lorcan O’Dowd is immediately called to the scene and, on initial examination, suspects the victim to have been a passenger on board the Titanic. But with no identification on the body, it’s clear that the investigation will be a challenging one. When news of the tragic sinking of the Titanic is relayed to O’Dowd, he is immediately aware that this case is going to require some imaginative work and he suggests to his superior a trip to London, where he feels he can make more determined inquiries, based on his immediate findings. This trip to London, although primarily a work one, will also give O’Dowd the opportunity to catch up with his half-brother Michael.
O’Dowd has always had a unwelcome feeling when based in Cork. Most of the locals want nothing to do with a member of the RIC (Royal Irish Constabulary) and, with his mixed English and Irish rearing, he finds himself alone more often than not. Married to the job, his time is mainly spent in solitude or at a dinner party hosted by the local gentry and business people. With Ireland in a state of flux, his kind do not receive too warm a welcome. He does garner a level of respect but there is always that uncomfortable awareness that he must manage to live with on a daily basis. His brother Michael walks the beat in London and during O’Dowd’s time there they make a good team. O’Dowd unexpectedly enjoys these weeks with his brother, meeting Michael’s wife and children, but he knows not to get too cosy there, as his life, as it is, is in Ireland.
As part of the investigation, it is noted that seven first class passengers alighted the liner in Queenstown and these are the first leads in the case. Who were they? Did they recognise the victim? Were they suspicious and perhaps guilty of murder?
As the identity of the victim eventually reveals itself, O’Dowd finds himself chasing an illusive individual with connections to England and China. As the chapters turn the reader is transported to the Far East at the turn of the 20th century with descriptions of events that both shock and horrify. Angie Rowe explores society at that time in China with eye-opening scenes and frightening depictions. The brutality of the early 20th century society is intricately woven around a tale of courage, grief and terrible pain. As ever I ended up down a rabbit hole of research and was quite in awe of the attention to detail portrayed throughout.
The Seventh Passenger is a complex tale of deception and lies, of raw heartache and sorrow. Angie Rowe has written a novel that explores a very challenging and discomforting period, taking the reader on an extraordinary adventure back in time. One of the first things to capture my attention when I opened the book was the font used and the delicate artwork depicted at the beginning of every chapter. It felt very appropriate to the time, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the story.
The Seventh Passenger is a complicated and sophisticated mystery with an incredible cast of characters led by the inquisitorial DI Lorcan O’Dowd. This is not just a story about the Titanic. It is an intricate and excellently woven mystery that will keep any reader guessing right to the end.
* I was gifted an advance copy and my quote is on the cover. This is my honest review
June 23, 2023
The Seventh Passenger by Angie Rowe is a historical Chinese fiction book that takes place during 1912. At the Titanic’s last stop in Queenstown, Ireland seven passengers from first class disembark to continue their journey. As the Titanic continues its course a mysterious body is found in the water that brings to terms there might of be an unknown under on the Titanic. District Inspector O’Dowd is tasked with figuring out what has happen, however with the crime scene at the bottom of the ocean he turns to the seven passengers. While hunting down the passengers, he finds himself in London and China, beginning to figure out the causes of the mysterious man’s death.
The characters in The Seventh Passenger by Angie Rowe had well developed characters which made them more relatable as a reader. In addition to this, she also included how many of the characters were related to each other as well as their relationships with each other. This helped to give the novel a more authentic feeling as it showed the relations and real life aspects that these characters going through. While reading Rowes’ novel, it reminded me of Monk and Phych as it wasn’t too overly complex but also had me guess and trying to figure out the mystery along with O’Dowd. Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was how she was able to create a story that revolved around a true event. In addition to this she also took the time, to let her readers know what was true and fiction at the end of the book. In regards to the writing the book was divided into three sections. The first one revolved around O’Dowd and him tracking down the passengers and trying to figure out what happen aboard the Titanic. While the second part is what actually happened during the passengers time on the ship leading the reader to the third which takes the reader through the trial.
As a result, I would give this book 4 stars and would recommend The Seventh Passenger for anyone who is in the mood for a simple easy mystery. I would like to thank Angie Rowe as well as BookSirens for an advanced reader copy of The Seventh Passenger. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The characters in The Seventh Passenger by Angie Rowe had well developed characters which made them more relatable as a reader. In addition to this, she also included how many of the characters were related to each other as well as their relationships with each other. This helped to give the novel a more authentic feeling as it showed the relations and real life aspects that these characters going through. While reading Rowes’ novel, it reminded me of Monk and Phych as it wasn’t too overly complex but also had me guess and trying to figure out the mystery along with O’Dowd. Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was how she was able to create a story that revolved around a true event. In addition to this she also took the time, to let her readers know what was true and fiction at the end of the book. In regards to the writing the book was divided into three sections. The first one revolved around O’Dowd and him tracking down the passengers and trying to figure out what happen aboard the Titanic. While the second part is what actually happened during the passengers time on the ship leading the reader to the third which takes the reader through the trial.
As a result, I would give this book 4 stars and would recommend The Seventh Passenger for anyone who is in the mood for a simple easy mystery. I would like to thank Angie Rowe as well as BookSirens for an advanced reader copy of The Seventh Passenger. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 31, 2023
Full disclosure, I was provided a copy of this book by the author or their authorized representative, however I have voluntarily chosen to provide a review. All opinions are my own.
Murder on the Ship of Dreams
When the Titanic makes her last stop at Queenstown and seven passengers disembark, she takes on a load of mail and resumes her maiden and final voyage across the Atlantic. Shortly after, the body of a man is recovered by Irish fishermen. With no identification and only a small trinket to go on, District Inspector Lorcan O’Dowd is sure this man came from the ship. As he begins his inspection he focuses on tracking down the seven people who left the ship via a more traditional means. As he interviews the individuals his attention turns to the mysterious woman in black who was also on the tender. As he follows his leads all evidence points to Amelia Nelson as the mysterious woman in black. But why would a widow be cavorting with the deceased? Lorcan is not convinced as he begins to follow a winding trail of clues and hints leading back years into the victim’s history, his travels through China and schemes and secrets once thought long buried. When the true killer is unmasked, will Lorcan be able to prevent an ultimate injustice from being done?
As a person who has been obsessed with Titanic history and lore from a very young age the second I saw this book I knew I had to read it. Rowe has taken a well-known event in time and has crafted an intricate mystery that uses Titanic as the setting of a murder decades in the making. This is a brilliant concept. How can you review the crime scene for clues when it is no longer accessible? The flashbacks Rowe uses to Titanic with various passengers and survivors were vivid and really spurred my imagination. The brief scenes of the survivors on the Carpathia also helped to further the mystery and intrigue. In The Seventh Passenger, Rowe has created an intricate murder mystery that spans decades, through the Boxer Rebellion and culminating on Titanic. At times I wondered how it all fit together, but when the ties were all joined, the true murderer was revealed, and the picture came into full focus I was blown away by the intricacies of the plot. Rowe has imagined a complete timeline including a back story for the main character that opens the door for more Lorcan O’Dowd mysteries in the future.
If you are a fan of Titanic, mysteries, books with historical aspects, and intricate plots that will have you scratching your head trying to figure out who the culprit is The Seventh Passenger will be a good read for you. After reading, I am looking forward to more cases involving DI Lorcan O’ Dowd in the future.
Murder on the Ship of Dreams
When the Titanic makes her last stop at Queenstown and seven passengers disembark, she takes on a load of mail and resumes her maiden and final voyage across the Atlantic. Shortly after, the body of a man is recovered by Irish fishermen. With no identification and only a small trinket to go on, District Inspector Lorcan O’Dowd is sure this man came from the ship. As he begins his inspection he focuses on tracking down the seven people who left the ship via a more traditional means. As he interviews the individuals his attention turns to the mysterious woman in black who was also on the tender. As he follows his leads all evidence points to Amelia Nelson as the mysterious woman in black. But why would a widow be cavorting with the deceased? Lorcan is not convinced as he begins to follow a winding trail of clues and hints leading back years into the victim’s history, his travels through China and schemes and secrets once thought long buried. When the true killer is unmasked, will Lorcan be able to prevent an ultimate injustice from being done?
As a person who has been obsessed with Titanic history and lore from a very young age the second I saw this book I knew I had to read it. Rowe has taken a well-known event in time and has crafted an intricate mystery that uses Titanic as the setting of a murder decades in the making. This is a brilliant concept. How can you review the crime scene for clues when it is no longer accessible? The flashbacks Rowe uses to Titanic with various passengers and survivors were vivid and really spurred my imagination. The brief scenes of the survivors on the Carpathia also helped to further the mystery and intrigue. In The Seventh Passenger, Rowe has created an intricate murder mystery that spans decades, through the Boxer Rebellion and culminating on Titanic. At times I wondered how it all fit together, but when the ties were all joined, the true murderer was revealed, and the picture came into full focus I was blown away by the intricacies of the plot. Rowe has imagined a complete timeline including a back story for the main character that opens the door for more Lorcan O’Dowd mysteries in the future.
If you are a fan of Titanic, mysteries, books with historical aspects, and intricate plots that will have you scratching your head trying to figure out who the culprit is The Seventh Passenger will be a good read for you. After reading, I am looking forward to more cases involving DI Lorcan O’ Dowd in the future.
July 1, 2023
Seven passengers on the Titanic disembark at Queenstown. One body washes on shore. Who could have done it?
An intriguing mystery that spans two continents and tragic real life events, the sinking of the Titanic (although the death takes place before the fateful journey), and the Boxer revolt in China. I easily figured who had done it quite early on in the book, but the story was well done and involved some real life events, one of which I was not aware of. Lorcan O’Dowd is the detective caught up in the case of finding out who killed Terrance Bennett and why. Amelia, a widow, is suspected in the murder of Terrance, and eventually put on trial and of course like many suspects, is very secretive. Then there is Sadie Bradshaw, a young, naive, girl who has gone to China to be a missionary, and is caught in the Boxer revolt. All their stories intertwine to make a good mystery.
I liked the characters, the mystery, and the the historical aspect of this book. I only gave it four stars though because it dragged a bit at the beginning for me, and I totally figured it out from the time a certain character was introduced.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
An intriguing mystery that spans two continents and tragic real life events, the sinking of the Titanic (although the death takes place before the fateful journey), and the Boxer revolt in China. I easily figured who had done it quite early on in the book, but the story was well done and involved some real life events, one of which I was not aware of. Lorcan O’Dowd is the detective caught up in the case of finding out who killed Terrance Bennett and why. Amelia, a widow, is suspected in the murder of Terrance, and eventually put on trial and of course like many suspects, is very secretive. Then there is Sadie Bradshaw, a young, naive, girl who has gone to China to be a missionary, and is caught in the Boxer revolt. All their stories intertwine to make a good mystery.
I liked the characters, the mystery, and the the historical aspect of this book. I only gave it four stars though because it dragged a bit at the beginning for me, and I totally figured it out from the time a certain character was introduced.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 18, 2023
I give this book 4/5 stars. That’s due to being able to guess the culprit and some consistency with spelling of names and grammatical errors throughout the book. They’re scattered, but not too much that I had to DNF, which I’ve done before with other books. Though I was able to guess the culprit, it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. This book jumps between different timelines and POV, but it’s fairly easy to keep up with. The timeline with Sadie and her time with the missionaries was sad and touching. I really felt for her throughout the book. The emotion felt while reading this book makes me look forward to reading other work from Angie Rowe. I very much enjoy the way she pulls and keeps you in the story and the way that she wrote a fictional story intertwined with a true event. She even went so far as to clarify what was true and what was false.
Wonderful job.
I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Wonderful job.
I was lucky enough to receive an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
This book ended up being something different to what I thought it would be - and not in a good way! There wasn’t that much actually about the Titanic or the 7 people who got off the ship in Ireland which was a shame as this for me was the biggest draw to read it.
The mystery of the seventh person was well concealed throughout the book and kept me guessing to the end as did what actually happened to the victim.
My biggest problem with this book, was when the detective ran out of ideas, so apparently did the author. Over a third of the book was given over to a bunch of Christian missionaries in China and an uprising that occurred. This did link to one of the characters but so much of the story wasn’t needed. Small flash backs would have worked so much better as the outcome of the uprising was summarised near the end anyway. For me it threw off the story and it lost what it was originally meant to be about.
This book ended up being something different to what I thought it would be - and not in a good way! There wasn’t that much actually about the Titanic or the 7 people who got off the ship in Ireland which was a shame as this for me was the biggest draw to read it.
The mystery of the seventh person was well concealed throughout the book and kept me guessing to the end as did what actually happened to the victim.
My biggest problem with this book, was when the detective ran out of ideas, so apparently did the author. Over a third of the book was given over to a bunch of Christian missionaries in China and an uprising that occurred. This did link to one of the characters but so much of the story wasn’t needed. Small flash backs would have worked so much better as the outcome of the uprising was summarised near the end anyway. For me it threw off the story and it lost what it was originally meant to be about.
July 1, 2023
I was so lucky to get an advanced read for this book. I was totally engrossed with the story line of two women bound and determined to be missionaries. One Chinese, one Irish and their plan was to go to China.this was at the turn of the century and these misguided missionaries chose to ignore the rich culture of China and try and force Their perception of Christianity. Not realizing that God supposedly loves ALL his children. Each is equal in his or her eyes. This gives rise to the merciless, murderous Boxers and thus the Boxer rebellion..
But wait, that’s Part 2. Part one starts with the drowning of a man from the Titanic, before she leaves to America. What? He was murdered? Poisoned? As you delve into his life before his trip, we meet the two women missionaries before their trip.
Very interesting, part one sets the scenes, part two continues to the tumultuous ending.
But wait, that’s Part 2. Part one starts with the drowning of a man from the Titanic, before she leaves to America. What? He was murdered? Poisoned? As you delve into his life before his trip, we meet the two women missionaries before their trip.
Very interesting, part one sets the scenes, part two continues to the tumultuous ending.
June 23, 2023
I decided to read this story, as it had the words "Titanic Murder Mystery" in the title. I love all things Titanic!
This was a very deep mystery about some people who boarded the ship for the first leg of the cruise which was only 2 or 3 days long. A body floats up in Queenstown, Ireland and is soon identified. The mystery comes about in a very convoluted way and there are definitely some red herrings....
There are some pretty gruesome events in the book that turned out to be true in real life, and they are disturbing indeed.
The end of the story was quite a twist as the murderer was revealed.
This was an excellent story. I loved it.
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my review voluntarily.
This was a very deep mystery about some people who boarded the ship for the first leg of the cruise which was only 2 or 3 days long. A body floats up in Queenstown, Ireland and is soon identified. The mystery comes about in a very convoluted way and there are definitely some red herrings....
There are some pretty gruesome events in the book that turned out to be true in real life, and they are disturbing indeed.
The end of the story was quite a twist as the murderer was revealed.
This was an excellent story. I loved it.
I received an ARC of this book and am leaving my review voluntarily.
June 27, 2023
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but I did end up being pulled into the China part of the story far more than expected. I was very confused throughout the first part though, and I think a lot of my reading had to do with needing to understand how parts one and two went together. Also, I felt the storyline between O’Dowd and his brother could have been built out a little more at the end, or maybe not have been as big of a thing in part one. Overall, I did enjoy the story, and would recommend it to others. Also, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 13, 2023
This book is like a tapestry. A lot of different colour threads coming together in an absolute wonderful gripping story.
True stories and characters combined with fictional characters that make you want to know more about the actual history behind it.
Gripping scenes that you don’t want to picture in your mind, knowing that they did really happen.
Thank you for telling their story!
Looking forward to your next historical fictional / fictional historical eye opener!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
True stories and characters combined with fictional characters that make you want to know more about the actual history behind it.
Gripping scenes that you don’t want to picture in your mind, knowing that they did really happen.
Thank you for telling their story!
Looking forward to your next historical fictional / fictional historical eye opener!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 17, 2023
The Seventh Passenger is a Titanic Murder Mystery by Angie Rowe. I thought that it was clever to have a murder on the Titanic before the ship sank. How do you investigate à murder when everything is at the bottom of the sea. Seven passengers got off of the ship at Queenstown, Ireland and the mystery gets complex. I enjoyed the story and the characters are interesting. I thought that The Seventh Passenger was a very good mystery. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
January 1, 2024
So anxious to read this one. Great disappointment. On page 158, the book slipped into a flashback which last 125 pages. Left me cold. Too many characters, plot too Byzantine.
July 18, 2024
A wonderful blend of a fictional crime woven in among true events.
I do enjoy historical crime fiction and this story kept me hooked. I'll have to keep an aye out gor other novels by Angie Rowe
I do enjoy historical crime fiction and this story kept me hooked. I'll have to keep an aye out gor other novels by Angie Rowe
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews