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Disaster #2
The Hindenburg Murders
How the Hindenburg went from luxury airship to gargantuan fireball wasn’t the only mystery surrounding the zeppelin’s fatal flight. First came the murder.
When a passenger vanishes during the Hindenburg’s trans-Atlantic voyage from Frankfurt to New Jersey, mystery writer Leslie Charteris is asked to use his knowledge of the criminal mind to quietly pinpoint the killer. Charteris is famous for his fictional detective, the Saint, who extracts riches as well as vengeance from evildoers in true Robin Hood fashion. But in this case, the villain turns out to be the murder victim himself—a Nazi spy. And the list of passengers who might want him dead is long. Suspecting that sabotaging the German airship is the killer’s true aim, Charteris must solve the murder before innocent lives are engulfed in flames.
Reconstructing the zeppelin’s fatal flight on the eve of World War II, The Hindenburg Murders proves that Max Allan Collins is the master of hard-boiled historical fiction.
When a passenger vanishes during the Hindenburg’s trans-Atlantic voyage from Frankfurt to New Jersey, mystery writer Leslie Charteris is asked to use his knowledge of the criminal mind to quietly pinpoint the killer. Charteris is famous for his fictional detective, the Saint, who extracts riches as well as vengeance from evildoers in true Robin Hood fashion. But in this case, the villain turns out to be the murder victim himself—a Nazi spy. And the list of passengers who might want him dead is long. Suspecting that sabotaging the German airship is the killer’s true aim, Charteris must solve the murder before innocent lives are engulfed in flames.
Reconstructing the zeppelin’s fatal flight on the eve of World War II, The Hindenburg Murders proves that Max Allan Collins is the master of hard-boiled historical fiction.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2000
55 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Max Allan Collins
806 books1,322 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 56 reviews
April 11, 2023
Max Allan Collins is a master of the historical mystery/Roman a clef genre…He’s masterful in inserting real characters and settings into his mysteries…Many of his historical series interweave great research into these stories, making them so much fun to read…In “The Hindenburg Murders,” we have author Leslie Charteris, creator of “The Saint” series, on the final tragic flight of the Hindenburg, and a race to find saboteurs that are threatening the flight…Good stuff!!!
September 1, 2021
This is the second of Max Allan Collins’s Disaster Series mysteries that I’ve read, the other being The Titanic Murders. Like that one, The Hindenburg Murders is a very creative blend of historical fact and imaginative fiction. Collins takes readers aboard the ill-fated final flight of the Hindenburg airship in May 1937 and tracks the voyage day by day from Frankfurt, Germany, to Lakehurst, New Jersey.
Almost everyone knows that the Hindenburg burst into flames just before landing in Lakehurst, but the cause of the fire has been the subject of debate ever since. One widely accepted hypothesis is that gas leaking from one of the hydrogen cells was ignited by static electricity in the stormy air. Sabotage has also been suspected but has never been proved. The Hindenburg was a high-profile symbol of Nazi Germany. With large swastikas prominently displayed on its tail fins, the Nazis had used it as a propaganda tool when they were consolidating their power. So the threat of sabotage to embarrass the Nazis was certainly realistic. In this book, Collins has created a scenario that involves both sabotage and a gas leak.
The protagonist in the story is a fictionalized version of Leslie Charteris, the well-known author of the popular mystery thrillers starring Simon Templar, aka the Saint. Charteris was not in fact a passenger on the Hindenburg’s last voyage, but he had been a passenger on its maiden voyage the previous year, so Collins took the liberty of adding him to the passenger list this second time.
By virtue of this inspired choice, Collins has a main character who is more familiar with the airship than the other passengers and knows and is trusted by some of the officers of the crew. Moreover, he is a mystery writer with some knowledge of criminal investigations. So when there’s a murder during the flight, it is quite natural for the officers to ask Charteris to help them conduct a low-key investigation.
The identity of the murder victim makes it probable that the murder is linked to a sabotage plot. This setup gives Collins the opportunity to have Charteris and other characters make observations and express opinions about what is happening in Germany in 1937. Although this is fiction, it’s an insightful look at what people, both Germans and others, were thinking about the Nazis at that time.
Charteris himself is quite outspoken, making frequent irreverent and sarcastic comments about Hitler and the Nazis. When one of the officers tells him that the Gestapo has “‘an increasingly challenging task to protect our passengers from enemies of the Reich,’” Charteris replies, “‘I should think.… After all, there are so many enemies to choose from, when so many nations are alienated, so many people of various racial, political and religious backgrounds are persecuted.’” One character, an American Jew, laments the worsening treatment of Jews in Germany but maintains that the German people as individuals aren’t bad, it’s their leaders. To this, Charteris responds that the people are only as good as their leaders. Another character cheerfully tells Charteris that although he isn’t a Nazi, he joined the party “for business reasons.”
I have only slight familiarity with The Saint, primarily from seeing a few episodes of the 1960s British TV show starring Roger Moore. According to Collins’s notes at the end of the book, he is a big fan of Charteris’s books, and The Hindenburg Murders includes numerous references to one of his stories, The Saint and the Sizzling Saboteur, for those in the know. (At one point, he even describes one character as a “sizzling saboteur.” You’ll have to read the book for the context.)
A total of 36 people were killed in the Hindenburg disaster: 13 of the 36 passengers, 22 of the 61 crew members, and one member of the ground crew at Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Collins is accurate about the fates of the real people who appear as characters in the book. The last surviving passenger, Werner Doerner, who was eight years old at the time and is mentioned in Collins’s book, died in 2019. (The last surviving passenger on any of the Hindenburg’s flights, Anne Springs Close, who traveled aboard the airship in 1936, died on August 20, 2021, only a few days before I began reading this book.)
I enjoyed The Hindenburg Murders very much. Collins is an excellent writer who hits all the marks with great characters, an engaging plot, and interesting settings and descriptions. I recommend the book to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially mystery fiction. You may also enjoy it you prefer straight-up historical nonfiction. The story is very well researched, and quite a bit of actual history makes its way into the pages—although, as Collins makes clear, he also takes many liberties with the facts for purposes of his story.
Almost everyone knows that the Hindenburg burst into flames just before landing in Lakehurst, but the cause of the fire has been the subject of debate ever since. One widely accepted hypothesis is that gas leaking from one of the hydrogen cells was ignited by static electricity in the stormy air. Sabotage has also been suspected but has never been proved. The Hindenburg was a high-profile symbol of Nazi Germany. With large swastikas prominently displayed on its tail fins, the Nazis had used it as a propaganda tool when they were consolidating their power. So the threat of sabotage to embarrass the Nazis was certainly realistic. In this book, Collins has created a scenario that involves both sabotage and a gas leak.
The protagonist in the story is a fictionalized version of Leslie Charteris, the well-known author of the popular mystery thrillers starring Simon Templar, aka the Saint. Charteris was not in fact a passenger on the Hindenburg’s last voyage, but he had been a passenger on its maiden voyage the previous year, so Collins took the liberty of adding him to the passenger list this second time.
By virtue of this inspired choice, Collins has a main character who is more familiar with the airship than the other passengers and knows and is trusted by some of the officers of the crew. Moreover, he is a mystery writer with some knowledge of criminal investigations. So when there’s a murder during the flight, it is quite natural for the officers to ask Charteris to help them conduct a low-key investigation.
The identity of the murder victim makes it probable that the murder is linked to a sabotage plot. This setup gives Collins the opportunity to have Charteris and other characters make observations and express opinions about what is happening in Germany in 1937. Although this is fiction, it’s an insightful look at what people, both Germans and others, were thinking about the Nazis at that time.
Charteris himself is quite outspoken, making frequent irreverent and sarcastic comments about Hitler and the Nazis. When one of the officers tells him that the Gestapo has “‘an increasingly challenging task to protect our passengers from enemies of the Reich,’” Charteris replies, “‘I should think.… After all, there are so many enemies to choose from, when so many nations are alienated, so many people of various racial, political and religious backgrounds are persecuted.’” One character, an American Jew, laments the worsening treatment of Jews in Germany but maintains that the German people as individuals aren’t bad, it’s their leaders. To this, Charteris responds that the people are only as good as their leaders. Another character cheerfully tells Charteris that although he isn’t a Nazi, he joined the party “for business reasons.”
I have only slight familiarity with The Saint, primarily from seeing a few episodes of the 1960s British TV show starring Roger Moore. According to Collins’s notes at the end of the book, he is a big fan of Charteris’s books, and The Hindenburg Murders includes numerous references to one of his stories, The Saint and the Sizzling Saboteur, for those in the know. (At one point, he even describes one character as a “sizzling saboteur.” You’ll have to read the book for the context.)
A total of 36 people were killed in the Hindenburg disaster: 13 of the 36 passengers, 22 of the 61 crew members, and one member of the ground crew at Lakehurst Naval Air Station. Collins is accurate about the fates of the real people who appear as characters in the book. The last surviving passenger, Werner Doerner, who was eight years old at the time and is mentioned in Collins’s book, died in 2019. (The last surviving passenger on any of the Hindenburg’s flights, Anne Springs Close, who traveled aboard the airship in 1936, died on August 20, 2021, only a few days before I began reading this book.)
I enjoyed The Hindenburg Murders very much. Collins is an excellent writer who hits all the marks with great characters, an engaging plot, and interesting settings and descriptions. I recommend the book to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially mystery fiction. You may also enjoy it you prefer straight-up historical nonfiction. The story is very well researched, and quite a bit of actual history makes its way into the pages—although, as Collins makes clear, he also takes many liberties with the facts for purposes of his story.
July 22, 2017
On May 6th, 1937, a German passenger airship, The Hindenburg, burst into flames as its crew attempted to dock at Naval Airstation Lakehurst in New Jersey. 36 people died in the disaster: 13 passengers, 22 crewmen, and 1 mooring worker on the ground. Many theories about the cause of the disaster have been put forth over the years -- sabotage, static electricity, lightning, engine problems, leaking hydrogen, etc. But no definitive cause has ever been pinpointed. The disaster changed public opinion about the safety of airship travel and marked a rather abrupt end to that mode of transportation.
The Hindenburg Murders takes the sabotage angle, and formulates a fictional mystery around the disaster. The plot does not make light of the historical disaster, or the deaths it caused, in any way. It merely poses a fictional account of what happened on the ship leading up to the disaster. Famous Author Leslie Charteris (author of mystery novels featuring a mysterious sleuth, The Saint) is a passenger on the Hindenburg. Charteris enjoyed passage on the Hindenburg's maiden voyage the year before, and is happy to be travelling on the airship once again. Although he does notice immediately that security on the airship has been heightened to almost ridiculous levels by the Nazis. Once the voyage has begun, Charteris is warned that his cabinmate is actually an undercover state police agent onboard to ferret out any anti-Nazi sentiments or behavior among the passengers. Soon after, his cabinmate disappears. All that is left is a bit of the man's tie stuck in one of the airship's windows. One of the passengers or crew is a murderer. The Nazi crew expresses fears of sabotage or a possible time bomb on board the airship as well, asking Charteris to aid in their investigation of the killing.
Not only does the story give some awesome details about the airship itself, but the mystery portion of the plot has some awesome and suspenseful twists and turns. I had no idea about the murderer's identity, or the exact reasons why, until the moment of reveal. The other passengers are interesting and well-developed, not merely caricatures of stereotypical political/social issues of the period before WWII. They discuss politics, fear of the state police and the Nazi regime, relations between their countries and other topics that would have concerned people of the era in a believable way, adding depth and intrigue to the plot.
The Hindenburg Murders is the second book in the Disaster Mystery Series. There are six books in all. Each one is a separate, stand-alone story, woven around actual historical events and featuring a different famous writer or actor as the main character. Max Allan Collins uses real historical events as a setting for these stories, mixing fact with fiction. The disasters are portrayed respectfully and not in a light manner. The books are well-written and excellent mysteries, adding in background, information and real details of the actual disasters. I'm definitely going to read the rest of the books in this series!
I listened to the audiobook version of The Hindenburg Murders, narrated by Simon Vance. The quality is outstanding. Vance's voice and reading style is excellent. Very enjoyable audiobook!
Max Allan Collins is the author of several books, including CSI novelizations and the Reeder & Rogers Secret Service books. For more information on the author, the disaster series and his other books, check out his website: http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/
Leslie Charteris wrote his novels featuring Simon Templar, The Saint, from 1928-1963. Saint stories after 1963 were ghost written by other writers. The Saint was also adapted into radio drama, movies and television shows. Charteris is listed as a passenger on the maiden voyage of The Hindenburg May 6-9, 1936. It was not the first flight for the airship, but rather its first trip to North America. On the day of the disaster in 1937, there were 36 passengers on board (the ship's maximum capacity was 72 passengers). Charteris was not on board The Hindenburg on the day of the disaster. The airship, once it caught fire, took only seconds to crash to the ground. News crews were on site to document the landing of the airship in America, so the disaster was well documented. Herbert Morrison's radio coverage of the event for Chicago radio station WLS is probably the most famous eyewitness accounts of the disaster.
The Hindenburg Murders takes the sabotage angle, and formulates a fictional mystery around the disaster. The plot does not make light of the historical disaster, or the deaths it caused, in any way. It merely poses a fictional account of what happened on the ship leading up to the disaster. Famous Author Leslie Charteris (author of mystery novels featuring a mysterious sleuth, The Saint) is a passenger on the Hindenburg. Charteris enjoyed passage on the Hindenburg's maiden voyage the year before, and is happy to be travelling on the airship once again. Although he does notice immediately that security on the airship has been heightened to almost ridiculous levels by the Nazis. Once the voyage has begun, Charteris is warned that his cabinmate is actually an undercover state police agent onboard to ferret out any anti-Nazi sentiments or behavior among the passengers. Soon after, his cabinmate disappears. All that is left is a bit of the man's tie stuck in one of the airship's windows. One of the passengers or crew is a murderer. The Nazi crew expresses fears of sabotage or a possible time bomb on board the airship as well, asking Charteris to aid in their investigation of the killing.
Not only does the story give some awesome details about the airship itself, but the mystery portion of the plot has some awesome and suspenseful twists and turns. I had no idea about the murderer's identity, or the exact reasons why, until the moment of reveal. The other passengers are interesting and well-developed, not merely caricatures of stereotypical political/social issues of the period before WWII. They discuss politics, fear of the state police and the Nazi regime, relations between their countries and other topics that would have concerned people of the era in a believable way, adding depth and intrigue to the plot.
The Hindenburg Murders is the second book in the Disaster Mystery Series. There are six books in all. Each one is a separate, stand-alone story, woven around actual historical events and featuring a different famous writer or actor as the main character. Max Allan Collins uses real historical events as a setting for these stories, mixing fact with fiction. The disasters are portrayed respectfully and not in a light manner. The books are well-written and excellent mysteries, adding in background, information and real details of the actual disasters. I'm definitely going to read the rest of the books in this series!
I listened to the audiobook version of The Hindenburg Murders, narrated by Simon Vance. The quality is outstanding. Vance's voice and reading style is excellent. Very enjoyable audiobook!
Max Allan Collins is the author of several books, including CSI novelizations and the Reeder & Rogers Secret Service books. For more information on the author, the disaster series and his other books, check out his website: http://www.maxallancollins.com/blog/
Leslie Charteris wrote his novels featuring Simon Templar, The Saint, from 1928-1963. Saint stories after 1963 were ghost written by other writers. The Saint was also adapted into radio drama, movies and television shows. Charteris is listed as a passenger on the maiden voyage of The Hindenburg May 6-9, 1936. It was not the first flight for the airship, but rather its first trip to North America. On the day of the disaster in 1937, there were 36 passengers on board (the ship's maximum capacity was 72 passengers). Charteris was not on board The Hindenburg on the day of the disaster. The airship, once it caught fire, took only seconds to crash to the ground. News crews were on site to document the landing of the airship in America, so the disaster was well documented. Herbert Morrison's radio coverage of the event for Chicago radio station WLS is probably the most famous eyewitness accounts of the disaster.
October 17, 2017
Pretty good mystery that takes on the final flight of the Hindenburg. Good women characters, plausible plot, and a solution that makes sense. Is it the deepest book in the world? No. Is it a fun read? Yes.
Chapter titles were a hoot too.
Chapter titles were a hoot too.
July 7, 2020
Discovering Max Allan Collins' Disaster series books has been a nice find. Though fictional, the six books are based on real-life events. As I finish each book, I find myself wanting to learn more about these historical events (London blitz, the "famous" War of the Worlds radio broadcast, the Titanic's sinking, the Lusitania's sinking, the Hindenburg air disaster, and the Pearl Harbor murder).
February 10, 2018
A really good book, the 2nd in the disaster murder series. A mix of murder with a different writer as the person trying to solve the crime. Mr. Collins is an excellent author. Looking forward to reading more of his books.
Read
May 18, 2018very enjoyable
September 4, 2015
The history mysteries (pardon the jarring sonority there) of Max Alan Collins are historical fiction in some of the best sense. The research is superb and the deliberate insertion of non-canonical elements is creative. Naturally, The Hindenburg Murders is set on that last fateful voyage. Naturally, there is/are a/some murder/murders on board that do not reflect actual historical circumstances. Yet, even though you know much of this didn’t happen, you find yourself pushing toward the fiery finale that you know must happen. Ah, but as with any reconstruction of a conspiracy theory (and this novel has that), you find yourself turning pages to figure out which theory and how a masterful author is going to weave it into what we actually know of the situation.
Unlike Collins, I was never a particular fan of The Saint in any media.
The notes included by Collins in his afterword suggests that Leslie Charteris was not a fan of the way The Saint was portrayed in any of the vast media in which his creation appeared. But, since he actually did fly on the maiden voyage of The Hindenburg and since he actually was a police constable (among many other things) prior to his writing career, he is an inspired choice. Plus his affectation for appearances, for fashion, enabled Collins to sprinkle plenty of fashion references into the story and enable one to see the glamor (in silver screen fashion) in the mind’s eye. It works.
The “reveal” isn’t tremendously shocking. The rationale behind the “reveal” was unsuspected. The result is worth waiting for and the denouement clarifies anything that may have been missing from the final events. One wouldn’t expect The Hindenburg Murders to end up as a happy ending, so if that’s what one is looking for, it isn’t so ahistorical as that.
My favorite lines in this volume are tied to one conversation about politics (quite relevant in the period being covered by this story and even more relevant in today’s polarized political scene). The female lead, Hilda, asks: “Are you political, Leslie?” To which the dapper protagonist responds, “Heavens no! The idea of accepting any prefabricated platform is to me the antithesis of sound thinking.” (pp. 86-7) My other favorite was tied to a marvelous description of Hilda herself, “…that wonderful kiss of a smile.” (p. 140)
Of course, my bias toward historical mysteries is evident when I rate this as highly as I do. Some will think the murder mystery is too thin and the approach taken with regard to the rumored conspiracy too transparent. Some will think the pace is to leisurely as Collins takes us on a luxurious journey where no one is in a real hurry. But I found it just right in spite of the lack of surprises on the initial “reveal.”
Unlike Collins, I was never a particular fan of The Saint in any media.
The notes included by Collins in his afterword suggests that Leslie Charteris was not a fan of the way The Saint was portrayed in any of the vast media in which his creation appeared. But, since he actually did fly on the maiden voyage of The Hindenburg and since he actually was a police constable (among many other things) prior to his writing career, he is an inspired choice. Plus his affectation for appearances, for fashion, enabled Collins to sprinkle plenty of fashion references into the story and enable one to see the glamor (in silver screen fashion) in the mind’s eye. It works.
The “reveal” isn’t tremendously shocking. The rationale behind the “reveal” was unsuspected. The result is worth waiting for and the denouement clarifies anything that may have been missing from the final events. One wouldn’t expect The Hindenburg Murders to end up as a happy ending, so if that’s what one is looking for, it isn’t so ahistorical as that.
My favorite lines in this volume are tied to one conversation about politics (quite relevant in the period being covered by this story and even more relevant in today’s polarized political scene). The female lead, Hilda, asks: “Are you political, Leslie?” To which the dapper protagonist responds, “Heavens no! The idea of accepting any prefabricated platform is to me the antithesis of sound thinking.” (pp. 86-7) My other favorite was tied to a marvelous description of Hilda herself, “…that wonderful kiss of a smile.” (p. 140)
Of course, my bias toward historical mysteries is evident when I rate this as highly as I do. Some will think the murder mystery is too thin and the approach taken with regard to the rumored conspiracy too transparent. Some will think the pace is to leisurely as Collins takes us on a luxurious journey where no one is in a real hurry. But I found it just right in spite of the lack of surprises on the initial “reveal.”
July 4, 2013
The Hindenburg has always had some weird fascination for me and I have researched quite a bit about the zeppelin and her final demise. After I read the synopsis of this book I just had to read it.
Max Allan Collins has taken the known facts about the zeppelin's final voyage, including the passengers and crew and worked them into a murder mystery. His protagonist is the author Leslie Charteris of 'The Saint' fame,(who actually flew on the Hindenberg's maiden voyage). I thought this was a very unique idea, and one that worked very well.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's written in the typical murder mystery style of the 1930's. The story progresses and at the end there is the big reveal where the hero goes over all the clues given in the book. How many did I spot? Not many I'm afraid, but they are all there if you were paying real close attention. Collins also brings up some moral issues in the story and does a good job of showing that not all Germans were Nazis.
The author has obviously done a lot of research and acknowledges his sources all in the afterword. Interestingly, one of the websites he used is the one where I got most of my information. http://www.airships.net/hindenburg This site has a lot of information and old photographs from the Hindenburg so I would recommend taking a look before reading this book. The photographs of the interior are great references to get a feel of the environment while reading.
Max Allan Collins has taken the known facts about the zeppelin's final voyage, including the passengers and crew and worked them into a murder mystery. His protagonist is the author Leslie Charteris of 'The Saint' fame,(who actually flew on the Hindenberg's maiden voyage). I thought this was a very unique idea, and one that worked very well.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's written in the typical murder mystery style of the 1930's. The story progresses and at the end there is the big reveal where the hero goes over all the clues given in the book. How many did I spot? Not many I'm afraid, but they are all there if you were paying real close attention. Collins also brings up some moral issues in the story and does a good job of showing that not all Germans were Nazis.
The author has obviously done a lot of research and acknowledges his sources all in the afterword. Interestingly, one of the websites he used is the one where I got most of my information. http://www.airships.net/hindenburg This site has a lot of information and old photographs from the Hindenburg so I would recommend taking a look before reading this book. The photographs of the interior are great references to get a feel of the environment while reading.
February 5, 2015
In the second of his "Disaster" series Max Allan Collins tackles the mysterious destruction of the Hindenburg on that fateful day in April 1937. The "guest" criminologist this time around is novelist Leslie Charteris, the creator of fiction detective Simon Templar aka the Saint. Charteris actually was a passenger, along with his then wife Pauline, on the Hindenburg's maiden voyage to America in 1936 which is why Collins chose him to be the sleuth-on-board this time around.
Without any spoilers involved Charteris manages to solve two murders, uncover a nest of saboteurs and almost, but not quite prevent the disaster. Relying once again on detailed research into the incident including the findings of both the German and American inquiries Collins comes up with a very plausible solution to the explosion that downed the immense airship and virtually spelled the end of commercial lighter-than-air passenger craft.
What can I say, in addition to the great fiction mysteries that abound and of which i can never get enough, I love these historical mysteries that have no real answer but for which, with enough research and a lot of writer's insight, a reasonable conclusion can be drawn. Mr. Collins has shown himself to be a master of this sort of book, first with his Nathan Heller series and now he's taking on the greatest of histories mysteries, first it was The Titanic Murders and now the destruction of the Hindenburg. Next on the list is "The Pearl Harbor Murders", I can't wait, no really I can't, I will be starting it right after I post this review.
Without any spoilers involved Charteris manages to solve two murders, uncover a nest of saboteurs and almost, but not quite prevent the disaster. Relying once again on detailed research into the incident including the findings of both the German and American inquiries Collins comes up with a very plausible solution to the explosion that downed the immense airship and virtually spelled the end of commercial lighter-than-air passenger craft.
What can I say, in addition to the great fiction mysteries that abound and of which i can never get enough, I love these historical mysteries that have no real answer but for which, with enough research and a lot of writer's insight, a reasonable conclusion can be drawn. Mr. Collins has shown himself to be a master of this sort of book, first with his Nathan Heller series and now he's taking on the greatest of histories mysteries, first it was The Titanic Murders and now the destruction of the Hindenburg. Next on the list is "The Pearl Harbor Murders", I can't wait, no really I can't, I will be starting it right after I post this review.
January 21, 2019
Why did the Hindenburg go up in flames? Was it an accident, or was it sabatoge? This question has certainly been discussed and debated in earlier works, both fiction and non-fiction. BUT, author Max Allan Collins treats it as a secondary issue in his book “The Hindenburg Murders”. The main issue – who killed the undercover German secret police agent who was on board the Hindenburg at the launch, but who hadn't been seen after the first evening and appears may have been thrown overboard?
Mr. Collins chose author Leslie Charters as his protagonist. The mystery writer best known for his “Saint” creation had flown on the Hindenburg and certainly had some background in mysteries. As one might expect, much of the book centers on the politics of the age – we are, after all, on a Nazi airship flying over Europe towards a landing in America. The author also provides us with several interesting characters among passengers and crew to learn about, and perhaps to suspect … and, of course, we all know it is a matter of history what will happen when the zeppelin reaches New Jersey! Will this incident be connected to the murder (or rather, murders by that point – hey, it's in the title, this isn't exactly a spoiler!), or will it be an unrelated event that simply provides a time limit on the investigation?
I've now read – or rather, listened to, as I've been privileged to enjoy the audio version of the books – 3 of the books in this 6 book series, and have found myself enjoying each. The concept of a murder mystery tied to a historic event – a well researched historic event – provides a unique backdrop to the mystery genre.
RATING: 5 stars. The book kept my attention throughout, and successfully tied historic events to fictitious ones.
November 12, 2018
Unlike Titanic I knew nothing about Hindenburg, but this didn't prevent me from liking the book maybe it even added as I was finding out things without knowing them before. It is written in the same style as the first book but my worry that the outcome will be similar luckily didn't come true. I didn't figure out who the murderer was. I did figure out one thing though, which I don't want to spoil. But it was the fact that some other characters would be involved only I didn't figure out their role in it.
The book is once again very well researched as when I read the end notes I found out that most of the people in the book were on Hindenburg. Including the amateur detective in this story, Leslie Charteris, only he was on a different flight. This makes me love this series, I sure will end the rest of it as well. Sad for Ulla not being saved (this isn't a real spoiler) but this is a sad reality of what would happen to a dog in a disaster.
The book is once again very well researched as when I read the end notes I found out that most of the people in the book were on Hindenburg. Including the amateur detective in this story, Leslie Charteris, only he was on a different flight. This makes me love this series, I sure will end the rest of it as well. Sad for Ulla not being saved (this isn't a real spoiler) but this is a sad reality of what would happen to a dog in a disaster.
June 19, 2020
Given that murder mysteries are not my preferred genre, I found this to be an quick and enjoyable read. It was well edited, and I don’t recall encountering a single typographical error. There was an awful lot of attention to detail, particularly with regard to the layout of the ship - on occasion, possibly too much, which suited me as I was reading this book primarily for research, but may grate a little otherwise.
In common with some other of historical novels I’ve read, the moral position of the protagonist did seem rather coloured by the sentiments of the present, and that tended to pull me out of the story a little. I’m not sure anyone from the time would have been quite so outspoken on a German airship surrounded by potential Nazis.
In summary, worth reading especially if you gave an interest in the subject matter. I would certainly read more of Max Collins’ work.
In common with some other of historical novels I’ve read, the moral position of the protagonist did seem rather coloured by the sentiments of the present, and that tended to pull me out of the story a little. I’m not sure anyone from the time would have been quite so outspoken on a German airship surrounded by potential Nazis.
In summary, worth reading especially if you gave an interest in the subject matter. I would certainly read more of Max Collins’ work.
May 31, 2020
The story of the Hindenburg Disaster is well known. MAC provides another possible cause for this famous disaster. His main character , is the real life author of the Saint novels, Leslie Charteris. The historical record does show Charteris on the maiden voyage, and not the final voyage , of the Hindenburg. But, MAC needed a lead detective for this story and Charteris is a good choice. It is a well written and quick paced story.
April 9, 2019
Wish I could give it more stars. A "murder mystery" surrounding the Hindenburg disaster. Again, I like the historical aspect about it as well as the book being set up as being told from a third party "author," but it just wasn't a successful attempt. I'm at the point where I'm not sure I want to read any of the other books in the series because the first two haven't kept my attention well.
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April 4, 2023Oh dear, these books in the "Disaster Series" really isn't for me. I found this better than the first, but that really doesn't say much, because I thought that one was awfully bad.
January 13, 2019
I found only one word in this book that I would classify as an error. When describing the size of the Hindenburg, the author uses the word "enormity." "Vastness" might have been a better choice, as "enormity" is a synonym for "wickedness."
April 6, 2024
The famous mystery author Leslie Charteris takes passage on the tragic flight of the zeppelin Hindenburg in 1937 and finds a great deal more than he bargained for. I found this book very well done, extremely interesting and exciting. I really liked it, 4 stars.
May 10, 2017
Very interesting plot. I had trouble putting it down.
July 12, 2017
I love the way this author pulls you in
April 30, 2019
This is the first of the "disaster books" of his that I have read, but I'll definately read more. I love Nathan Heller and Quarry.
July 16, 2020
Great fun story.
February 2, 2021
Interesting take on a historical event. With an interesting ending. Collins is well worth the time to read.
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July 15, 2023
A thriller set during the last voyage of the blimp HINDENBERG, with author Leslie Charteris as the detective.
March 29, 2025
Collins inserts a murder mystery and an espionage into the Hindenburg disaster
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January 17, 2016The Hindenburg Murders by Max Allan Collins
#2 in the Disasters Series
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description (From Max Allan Collins' Website)
How the Hindenburg went from luxury airship to gargantuan fireball wasn’t the only mystery surrounding the zeppelin’s fatal flight. First came the murder.
When a passenger vanishes during the Hindenburg’s trans-Atlantic voyage from Frankfurt to New Jersey, mystery writer Leslie Charteris is asked to use his knowledge of the criminal mind to quietly pinpoint the killer. Charteris is famous for his fictional detective, the Saint, who extracts riches as well as vengeance from evildoers in true Robin Hood fashion. But in this case, the villain turns out to be the murder victim himself—a Nazi spy. And the list of passengers who might want him dead is long. Suspecting that sabotaging the German airship is the killer’s true aim, Charteris must solve the murder before innocent lives are engulfed in flames.
Reconstructing the zeppelin’s fatal flight on the eve of World War II, The Hindenburg Murders proves that Max Allan Collins is the master of hard-boiled historical fiction.
My View
An enjoyable read but must admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book in the series (The Titanic Murders). It is clever how the author constructs a murder mystery story around the disaster., giving this as a convincing reason why the disaster happened in this case. As with the last book it was a well known author (Leslie Charteris - author of The Saint) who is on board the Hindenburg and sets about investigating a murder. There were a few good twists towards the end of the story which I enjoyed and did surprise me. For some reason though I just didn't buy into the main character or the other characters in the story in the same way as I did in the first book. Having said that they are good light entertaining reads and I am sure I will come back to the series at some point, but it won't be top of my agenda.
#2 in the Disasters Series
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description (From Max Allan Collins' Website)
How the Hindenburg went from luxury airship to gargantuan fireball wasn’t the only mystery surrounding the zeppelin’s fatal flight. First came the murder.
When a passenger vanishes during the Hindenburg’s trans-Atlantic voyage from Frankfurt to New Jersey, mystery writer Leslie Charteris is asked to use his knowledge of the criminal mind to quietly pinpoint the killer. Charteris is famous for his fictional detective, the Saint, who extracts riches as well as vengeance from evildoers in true Robin Hood fashion. But in this case, the villain turns out to be the murder victim himself—a Nazi spy. And the list of passengers who might want him dead is long. Suspecting that sabotaging the German airship is the killer’s true aim, Charteris must solve the murder before innocent lives are engulfed in flames.
Reconstructing the zeppelin’s fatal flight on the eve of World War II, The Hindenburg Murders proves that Max Allan Collins is the master of hard-boiled historical fiction.
My View
An enjoyable read but must admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book in the series (The Titanic Murders). It is clever how the author constructs a murder mystery story around the disaster., giving this as a convincing reason why the disaster happened in this case. As with the last book it was a well known author (Leslie Charteris - author of The Saint) who is on board the Hindenburg and sets about investigating a murder. There were a few good twists towards the end of the story which I enjoyed and did surprise me. For some reason though I just didn't buy into the main character or the other characters in the story in the same way as I did in the first book. Having said that they are good light entertaining reads and I am sure I will come back to the series at some point, but it won't be top of my agenda.
March 8, 2013
Probably not quite a 4, but definitely more than a 3.
I enjoy the premise of Max Collins' Disaster Series (this being #2; #1 was the Titanic Murders) and using real people to tell a fictionalized story. He doesn't trivialize the horrific nature of the disasters but instead uses them as a backdrop to tell an extremely enjoyable mystery story. The plots are not overly complicated, but there are enough twists and turns to keep them interesting -- even if not exactly hard to figure out.
The story is filled with anti-Nazi sentiment and political discussion, which is to be expected given the timeframe of the disaster; you couldn't write a book about the Hindenburg -- or anything else from that era -- without politics being involved. It is anti-Nazi without being anti-German, which is an important distinction that could easily have been ignored in this type of fiction. Even though it is fiction, since it is based on real-life, there is enough historical information to peak my interest in the subjects.
I especially like the Epilogue where the author talks about the research material he consulted, as well as telling what happened in real life to the people he uses in the book. I knew more about the Titanic disaster than I did the Hindenburg, but now I have some great material in order to find out even more.
I enjoy the premise of Max Collins' Disaster Series (this being #2; #1 was the Titanic Murders) and using real people to tell a fictionalized story. He doesn't trivialize the horrific nature of the disasters but instead uses them as a backdrop to tell an extremely enjoyable mystery story. The plots are not overly complicated, but there are enough twists and turns to keep them interesting -- even if not exactly hard to figure out.
The story is filled with anti-Nazi sentiment and political discussion, which is to be expected given the timeframe of the disaster; you couldn't write a book about the Hindenburg -- or anything else from that era -- without politics being involved. It is anti-Nazi without being anti-German, which is an important distinction that could easily have been ignored in this type of fiction. Even though it is fiction, since it is based on real-life, there is enough historical information to peak my interest in the subjects.
I especially like the Epilogue where the author talks about the research material he consulted, as well as telling what happened in real life to the people he uses in the book. I knew more about the Titanic disaster than I did the Hindenburg, but now I have some great material in order to find out even more.
January 19, 2014
Another great read in the Max Allan Collins' disaster series. If zeppelin travel was really as it's described in the book, I truly wish we could have zeppelins for luxury travel (with helium, not hydrogen, of course!). Collins made it sound quite amazing and peaceful - with all the amenities of cruising without the choppy seas. The mystery itself was quite intriguing too and made me want to go buy the History Channel documentary that Collins used as one of his sources. This book didn't quite make it to 5 stars since the mystery and characters did get a bit overly intertwined and convoluted towards the end. But, I definitely enjoyed the book enough to keep reading the rest of the books in the series.
April 26, 2015
The time: May 1937
The place: Nazi Germany
The luxury airship Hindenberg takes off on what will be its last voyage. Acts of resistance sabotage are rumored. The Hindenberg is part of the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei's group of Zeppelin airships. It is the largest and most luxurious. Collins imagines the details of the trip and puts Leslie Charteris (the author of The Saint series of thrillers) aboard.
I have found these "Disaster Series" novels more idiosyncratic than some of Collins' other series. This is not for lack of fascinating details about the Hindenberg and speculation about how it came to explode as it was docking in Lakehurst, New Jersey. A fast read; it was entertaining but not compelling.
The place: Nazi Germany
The luxury airship Hindenberg takes off on what will be its last voyage. Acts of resistance sabotage are rumored. The Hindenberg is part of the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei's group of Zeppelin airships. It is the largest and most luxurious. Collins imagines the details of the trip and puts Leslie Charteris (the author of The Saint series of thrillers) aboard.
I have found these "Disaster Series" novels more idiosyncratic than some of Collins' other series. This is not for lack of fascinating details about the Hindenberg and speculation about how it came to explode as it was docking in Lakehurst, New Jersey. A fast read; it was entertaining but not compelling.
December 9, 2013
I was attracted to this by the Saint connection and probably wouldn't read another in the series. The first couple of chapters were incredibly expository and I struggled a bit. After the murder things picked up, and this became a slight but enjoyable whodunnit greatly enlivened by having author Leslie Charteris stand in for his creation the Saint. Some of the political points were a bit heavy-handed, and I doubt a 1930s German meal would involve 'biscuits' in the US sense, but I did enjoy the little details of life on board the Hindenburg.
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