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Patrick Gallagher #1
Death on the Lusitania
Welcome on board the Lusitania’s final voyage . . .
New York, 1915. RMS Lusitania, one of the world’s most luxurious trans-Atlantic liners, departs for Liverpool and war-torn Europe. Among those on board is Patrick Gallagher, a civil servant in Her Majesty’s government tasked with discreetly escorting a British diplomat back to England in relation to charges of suspected treason.
When a fellow passenger, Jimmy Dowrich, is found shot to death in his cabin, the captain asks Gallagher to investigate. Knowing something of the man’s past, Gallagher realizes that the problem will not be simple; and also, the body was discovered in a locked cabin with the key inside and no gun to be found.
Gallagher believes that one of his fellow passengers is a deadly killer. But many of those on board are harbouring secrets of their own, and his questioning reveals that several had a motive for ending Dowrich’s life. He fears that the killer could strike again to protect their true reasons for being on board and all the while, the ship sails on towards Europe, where deadly submarines patrol the war zone . . .
New York, 1915. RMS Lusitania, one of the world’s most luxurious trans-Atlantic liners, departs for Liverpool and war-torn Europe. Among those on board is Patrick Gallagher, a civil servant in Her Majesty’s government tasked with discreetly escorting a British diplomat back to England in relation to charges of suspected treason.
When a fellow passenger, Jimmy Dowrich, is found shot to death in his cabin, the captain asks Gallagher to investigate. Knowing something of the man’s past, Gallagher realizes that the problem will not be simple; and also, the body was discovered in a locked cabin with the key inside and no gun to be found.
Gallagher believes that one of his fellow passengers is a deadly killer. But many of those on board are harbouring secrets of their own, and his questioning reveals that several had a motive for ending Dowrich’s life. He fears that the killer could strike again to protect their true reasons for being on board and all the while, the ship sails on towards Europe, where deadly submarines patrol the war zone . . .
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2024
98 people are currently reading
1263 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Graham
3 books12 followersR. L. Graham is a husband-and-wife team of historians and writers with a broad range of interests in many periods of history, including the belle époque and the tumultuous years leading up to the First World War and the post-war re-ordering of the world.
They are very much drawn to the shadowy world of crime, espionage and political intrigue. They are particularly fascinated by historical mysteries: things which have happened but have no apparent explanation. Originally from Canada, they moved to a small village in Devon in the year 2000.
Marilyn Livingstone, one half of R. L. Graham, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while this book was being written. She passed away in September 2023.
source: Amazon
They are very much drawn to the shadowy world of crime, espionage and political intrigue. They are particularly fascinated by historical mysteries: things which have happened but have no apparent explanation. Originally from Canada, they moved to a small village in Devon in the year 2000.
Marilyn Livingstone, one half of R. L. Graham, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while this book was being written. She passed away in September 2023.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
January 3, 2024
This probably would have been 3.5 stars if it wasn't for the heinous use of damaging queer stereotypes and tropes. I understand this is supposed to be set in the 1910s and imitating Agatha Christie, but that doesn't give you free rein to write such harmful portrayals of sapphic/queer characters in 2024. Like at least the misogyny from the characters is challenged appropriately and it's clear that it's of the time, but come on????? are you really going to do TWO queer women characters like that?? It felt reminiscent of pulp novels from the 50s, but unironic.
I'm really annoyed because I was enjoying this book up until this started happening, and I can't really give any details without spoiling the plot so I'll come back and update this after the release date.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for this arc in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: war, gore, violence, death, death by drowning, misogyny, homophobia, rape
I'm really annoyed because I was enjoying this book up until this started happening, and I can't really give any details without spoiling the plot so I'll come back and update this after the release date.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for this arc in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: war, gore, violence, death, death by drowning, misogyny, homophobia, rape
January 14, 2024
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mcs
Galley provided by publisher
Death on the Lusitania was a perfectly alright mystery, if quite dry and, really, the only thing that compelled me was finding out just what the solution to the mystery would be.
The story takes place, as you would expect, on the Lusitania. Now, if you have any knowledge of history around WWI, you might know what happened with the Lusitania. Of course, our characters don’t, so you have this strange situation where the authors are trying to play on your knowledge that the Lusitania is going to go down at the end of this, even as the characters don’t. Thus, you would expect this would create a certain amount of tension on top of that surrounding the actual murder mystery.
Only, guess what, it doesn’t!
Somehow, through all this, the book manages to be so incredibly dry that reading it was a slog. Even with the multiple POVs, each of them adding different dimensions to the crime, it was a slog. Mostly, though, this only serves to slow the narrative and, ultimately, it became a bit too unwieldy in the end. In an attempt to give everyone a plausible motive, the storyline became complex and the resolution equally so. Maybe I’m partly saying this because it came to such an unmemorable denouement for me. So many different players, trying to incorporate so many different aspects of world history, and, in the end, a forgettable conclusion.
This was, obviously, compounded by how forgettable the individual characters were too. There was the potential there for something interesting, of course, but with the blandness of the writing it never went anywhere. And that, really, is probably my main complaint here: it was bland. It was boring. It was unmemorable. Even the worldbuilding, thoroughly researched as it was, was dry.
So, while I did manage to get myself through this book (mainly to see how it was going to wrap up), it was with effort.
Rep: lesbian mcs
Galley provided by publisher
Death on the Lusitania was a perfectly alright mystery, if quite dry and, really, the only thing that compelled me was finding out just what the solution to the mystery would be.
The story takes place, as you would expect, on the Lusitania. Now, if you have any knowledge of history around WWI, you might know what happened with the Lusitania. Of course, our characters don’t, so you have this strange situation where the authors are trying to play on your knowledge that the Lusitania is going to go down at the end of this, even as the characters don’t. Thus, you would expect this would create a certain amount of tension on top of that surrounding the actual murder mystery.
Only, guess what, it doesn’t!
Somehow, through all this, the book manages to be so incredibly dry that reading it was a slog. Even with the multiple POVs, each of them adding different dimensions to the crime, it was a slog. Mostly, though, this only serves to slow the narrative and, ultimately, it became a bit too unwieldy in the end. In an attempt to give everyone a plausible motive, the storyline became complex and the resolution equally so. Maybe I’m partly saying this because it came to such an unmemorable denouement for me. So many different players, trying to incorporate so many different aspects of world history, and, in the end, a forgettable conclusion.
This was, obviously, compounded by how forgettable the individual characters were too. There was the potential there for something interesting, of course, but with the blandness of the writing it never went anywhere. And that, really, is probably my main complaint here: it was bland. It was boring. It was unmemorable. Even the worldbuilding, thoroughly researched as it was, was dry.
So, while I did manage to get myself through this book (mainly to see how it was going to wrap up), it was with effort.
January 5, 2024
Agatha Christie meets The Titanic (ok not the Titanic, but The Lusitania - which in actual fact was also a real-life cruise ship that sank in 1915 losing 1199 passengers and crew).
This fascinating novel combines a murder mystery style thriller, with the actual historical tragedy of the ship's sinking. I'm sorry to admit I'd never heard of the Lusitania before reading this book, and i avoided googling it until after I'd finished it becauae i didn't want to spoilt what may or may not be coming in the story. After I'd finished though, I couldn't get enough and needed to research what had happened. The author stays quite loyal to the truth (minus the murder mystery) and it was fascinating reading about it afterwards.
The story follows Mr. Patrick Gallagher - a UK civil servant tasked with bringing a disgraced British Diplomat back from The US to the UK on board the ship during its final crossing. Whilst on board, a suspicious death occurs which arouses Mr. Gallgher's suspicions enough to agree with the Captain to investigate. Very similar in style to Death on the Nile/Murder on The Orient Express - a finite amount of characters; a locked room impossiblity and an ever unfurling series of secrets uncovered.
The ship is due to enter a 'war-zone' stretch of waters as it nears the coast of Ireland, and the passengers on board are terrified that The Germans will attack it due to a confusion about whether or not it is in breach of war regulations. The story is annotated by date, with a countdown to the entry to these waters so it feels like a constant race against the clock. Will Pat Gallgher solve the murder(s?) in time? Will R. L Graham stay true to the events and will the ship be sank? This one will keep you guessing until the end!
This fascinating novel combines a murder mystery style thriller, with the actual historical tragedy of the ship's sinking. I'm sorry to admit I'd never heard of the Lusitania before reading this book, and i avoided googling it until after I'd finished it becauae i didn't want to spoilt what may or may not be coming in the story. After I'd finished though, I couldn't get enough and needed to research what had happened. The author stays quite loyal to the truth (minus the murder mystery) and it was fascinating reading about it afterwards.
The story follows Mr. Patrick Gallagher - a UK civil servant tasked with bringing a disgraced British Diplomat back from The US to the UK on board the ship during its final crossing. Whilst on board, a suspicious death occurs which arouses Mr. Gallgher's suspicions enough to agree with the Captain to investigate. Very similar in style to Death on the Nile/Murder on The Orient Express - a finite amount of characters; a locked room impossiblity and an ever unfurling series of secrets uncovered.
The ship is due to enter a 'war-zone' stretch of waters as it nears the coast of Ireland, and the passengers on board are terrified that The Germans will attack it due to a confusion about whether or not it is in breach of war regulations. The story is annotated by date, with a countdown to the entry to these waters so it feels like a constant race against the clock. Will Pat Gallgher solve the murder(s?) in time? Will R. L Graham stay true to the events and will the ship be sank? This one will keep you guessing until the end!
March 28, 2024
I found this book to be slow paced and difficult to get invested in. There was a clear lack of tension throughout the book, even as events were unfolding, I didn't find myself, or the characters feeling any sense of urgency. The plot was slow and often complicated, and with the amount of characters involved, it was sometimes hard to keep track of what was happening. I wish there had been more personality shown by the main character, Pat Gallagher, but he remained bland and without depth while he interacted with characters and tried to solve the mystery, The setting was nice, and the background knowledge of the war made the story more interesting, but I wish the actual story we were following had a bit more excitement and life to it.
September 12, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
My first murder mystery book. The setting was interesting but because it’s a murder mystery the plot introduces every suspect very early and with rapid tempo. That made it a bit confusing as there were a lot of names you have to remember and connect with personalities.
After the murders were solved the story went on for a bit but also lost my interest a bit. It felt like titanic with war spies. I would have liked it more if there was more focus on the murders and let the war stuff be for what it was.
My first murder mystery book. The setting was interesting but because it’s a murder mystery the plot introduces every suspect very early and with rapid tempo. That made it a bit confusing as there were a lot of names you have to remember and connect with personalities.
After the murders were solved the story went on for a bit but also lost my interest a bit. It felt like titanic with war spies. I would have liked it more if there was more focus on the murders and let the war stuff be for what it was.
June 25, 2024
In the beginning, the story dragged on too much. I was also confused by the sheer amount of names (especially bcs of the use of surnames) in the first few chapters. This led to me being confused about who was who and who belonged where until the very end.
Despite that, the last 100 pages or so got interesting. Not the best I’ve ever read but also not the worst
Despite that, the last 100 pages or so got interesting. Not the best I’ve ever read but also not the worst
October 23, 2024
I actually DNF'd this at 40%. I just found it so boring!
February 9, 2025
DNF (20%). I’m a sucker for anything relating to early 20th century cruise liners, and stories set on them tend to capture me hook, line, and, uh, sinker (no pun intended given the fate of the Lusitania). History, fiction, horror - I’m there for all of it. So, imagine my surprise when I tried to read this and felt compelled to quit almost as soon as I started. Nothing. Happens. If there’s a plot, you’d need a microscope to find it. If you are into dull conversations that take place around a dining table for about ten pages that go nowhere and do not service the story in any meaningful way, you might have found your next favourite book. I love a slow burn and I’m fine with long yet meaningful sections of context and tension building, but this book has none of that. I feel guilty being so scathing about this given the tragedy of one of the co-authors dying while this was being written, but on its own merits - and according to my subjective opinion - the book is just dull. And, in some ways, that’s more damning than it being shit.
October 20, 2024
I felt it took a while for this book to get started but once it did, I really enjoyed all the different strands and the historical elements.
December 27, 2025
1915 sees civil servant, Patrick Gallagher, onboard the RMS Lusitania sailing from New York to Liverpool via Queenstown, Ireland. WWI is raging & passengers were warned of the possibility that a German u-boat could sink them which makes the mood of the journey somewhat subdued. Gallagher is returning to the UK with Chalfont, a British diplomat working in America who has been detained on suspicion of spying for the Germans. When a previous acquaintance, Jimmy Dowrich, says he needs to talk to Gallagher as he has information on some of their fellow passengers, Gallagher is intrigued but before they can speak, Dowrich is found shot to death in his cabin. As Gallagher starts to investigate the killing, he realises that several of the passengers had a motive for wanting Dowrich dead & that they may not be finished yet. All the while, the ship gets closer & closer to the war zone & outside danger.
I'd heard of the Lusitania but never really looked into what happened. Even though there was a great loss of life on both, it seems to be overshadowed by the sinking of the Titanic which took place just under 3 years earlier. I thought that the setting was good - an investigation with a confirmed expiry date is usually tense - & I found the historical information about politics of that time (i.e. the Germans trying to use the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) to foment a war between Mexico & the United States to keep the States out of WWI, etc) really interesting. Unfortunately the investigation itself was a little lacklustre & the pace was rather slow, but it held my attention enough that I was happy to continue to the conclusion & reveal. 3.5 stars (rounded down)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
I'd heard of the Lusitania but never really looked into what happened. Even though there was a great loss of life on both, it seems to be overshadowed by the sinking of the Titanic which took place just under 3 years earlier. I thought that the setting was good - an investigation with a confirmed expiry date is usually tense - & I found the historical information about politics of that time (i.e. the Germans trying to use the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) to foment a war between Mexico & the United States to keep the States out of WWI, etc) really interesting. Unfortunately the investigation itself was a little lacklustre & the pace was rather slow, but it held my attention enough that I was happy to continue to the conclusion & reveal. 3.5 stars (rounded down)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
March 27, 2025
I thought this was a pretty entertaining book. I liked how the author took a real life event, the sinking of the Lusitania, and wove a mystery into it. There were apparently a few things about the sinking which were never fully explained, so the author created a possible scenario that was quite interesting and believable. I really didn’t know too much about this ship and so I enjoyed learning more about it while also having a fun mystery to solve.
August 18, 2024
A good premise but a bit long winded, too many characters to keep track of.
December 12, 2023
Patrick Gallagher is escorting a British diplomat back to England to make sure he’s brought in to be investigated on charges of treason.
Meanwhile the First World War is happening and there was a troubling article in the paper before departure, Germany warning travelers sailing in the war zone on a ship of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.
But I’m sure everything will be fine…
When a passenger is find dead Gallagher is asked to investigate and find the killer before they reach land. Turns out everyone on board has secrets.
Love the era and setting, and genre so this really should have been my cup of tea but nope.
It was too slow paced for me and I never really got into it. I ended up googling when it was torpedoed and was looking forward to the Germans arriving.
Getting some Conrad Allen/Edward Marston vibes so if you like his books this one should be interesting.
Multiple POV’s
2,5 rounding up. This was not for me...
Meanwhile the First World War is happening and there was a troubling article in the paper before departure, Germany warning travelers sailing in the war zone on a ship of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.
But I’m sure everything will be fine…
When a passenger is find dead Gallagher is asked to investigate and find the killer before they reach land. Turns out everyone on board has secrets.
Love the era and setting, and genre so this really should have been my cup of tea but nope.
It was too slow paced for me and I never really got into it. I ended up googling when it was torpedoed and was looking forward to the Germans arriving.
Getting some Conrad Allen/Edward Marston vibes so if you like his books this one should be interesting.
Multiple POV’s
2,5 rounding up. This was not for me...
March 16, 2025
I really hate giving this book a 1 star review due to the authors' personal tragedy, but I cannot in good conscience rate it higher. I did not enjoy it at all, and by God, did I try to.
The cover is beautiful. Unfortunately that is where my praise ends.
The writing is boring. There are interminable dinner scenes which add virtually nothing to the plot. The characters feel interchangeable and for about 60% of the book I had to keep checking the glossary to make sure I knew who was who.
The murder actually plays very little into the plot, which is a major disappointment when it comes to a murder mystery book. I genuinely think it was a disservice to add a murder to the plot- if this had been reimagined as a Lusitania's last voyage book, it would've been great.
Alas, we are left with a pretty poor 2nd and 3rd act, and possibly the most unsatisfactory ending I've read in quite a long time.
The cover is beautiful. Unfortunately that is where my praise ends.
The writing is boring. There are interminable dinner scenes which add virtually nothing to the plot. The characters feel interchangeable and for about 60% of the book I had to keep checking the glossary to make sure I knew who was who.
The murder actually plays very little into the plot, which is a major disappointment when it comes to a murder mystery book. I genuinely think it was a disservice to add a murder to the plot- if this had been reimagined as a Lusitania's last voyage book, it would've been great.
Alas, we are left with a pretty poor 2nd and 3rd act, and possibly the most unsatisfactory ending I've read in quite a long time.
June 10, 2025
A mystery set aboard a ship which is reminiscent of Agatha Christie and drew me in from the beginning. I love an isolated setting for a murder mystery and a ship sailing between America and Britain doesn't get much more isolated.
I was intrigued by this also being a locked door mystery and the need to work out how the crime could have happened in addition to who the perpetrator could be. Add in the backdrop of World War I and an espionage storyline and I was hooked.
This is a slow burn and definitely more mystery than thriller which could impact enjoyment if going in with the wrong expectation. I loved the twists and turns of this story and the different threads woven together to get us to the eventual ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I was intrigued by this also being a locked door mystery and the need to work out how the crime could have happened in addition to who the perpetrator could be. Add in the backdrop of World War I and an espionage storyline and I was hooked.
This is a slow burn and definitely more mystery than thriller which could impact enjoyment if going in with the wrong expectation. I loved the twists and turns of this story and the different threads woven together to get us to the eventual ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 2, 2024
Last Halloween I finally watched Halloween Party (aka A Haunting in Venice) and wondered how it took me so long to get into Agatha Christie (as a self-professed crime-thriller fan). *cue watching all Agatha Christie films and starting on her novels*
Turn-of-the-century-historical-fiction with an Agatha Christie-esque feel is how I'd describe reading Death on the Lusitania. Set on an ill-fated ocean liner (think, Titanic vibes but espionage), we follow Her Majesty's civil servant Patrick Gallagher who is escorting a British diplomat (hopefully) safely back to England. BUT they have to cross into German-patrolled waters and MIGHT be targeted by German U-Boots. When a passenger is found dead inside a locked cabin, of presumably a self-inflicted gunshot, things take a more sinister turn.
I enjoyed the pacing, first and foremost. As a self-professed history fan, and yes, also of ill-fated voyages, this read kept me trying to figure out the culprit until the end. (I SORT OF GUESSED TOO!) And the setting of a luxury liner (Death on the Nile, anyone?) and early 1900s characters made the book even more enjoyable to read. If you're looking for a rich and immersive mystery, look no further.
Turn-of-the-century-historical-fiction with an Agatha Christie-esque feel is how I'd describe reading Death on the Lusitania. Set on an ill-fated ocean liner (think, Titanic vibes but espionage), we follow Her Majesty's civil servant Patrick Gallagher who is escorting a British diplomat (hopefully) safely back to England. BUT they have to cross into German-patrolled waters and MIGHT be targeted by German U-Boots. When a passenger is found dead inside a locked cabin, of presumably a self-inflicted gunshot, things take a more sinister turn.
I enjoyed the pacing, first and foremost. As a self-professed history fan, and yes, also of ill-fated voyages, this read kept me trying to figure out the culprit until the end. (I SORT OF GUESSED TOO!) And the setting of a luxury liner (Death on the Nile, anyone?) and early 1900s characters made the book even more enjoyable to read. If you're looking for a rich and immersive mystery, look no further.
August 13, 2024
3.5 stars ⭐️
This was a rather good Historical Murder Mystery in the 1910s!
I didn’t love it, it was slow at times but I enjoyed the plot and the majority of the characters.
Can’t really say anything about it, because this is one of those books that everything you say can be a spoiler, so what I can say is that there is an enthralling mystery and well written characters.
There is Queer characters and it can be an unpopular opinion, but I thought they were well written for the 1910s setting.
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and I didn’t love it but it still delivered a well searched and written Historical Murder Mystery story.
This was a rather good Historical Murder Mystery in the 1910s!
I didn’t love it, it was slow at times but I enjoyed the plot and the majority of the characters.
Can’t really say anything about it, because this is one of those books that everything you say can be a spoiler, so what I can say is that there is an enthralling mystery and well written characters.
There is Queer characters and it can be an unpopular opinion, but I thought they were well written for the 1910s setting.
This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and I didn’t love it but it still delivered a well searched and written Historical Murder Mystery story.
February 7, 2024
Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
2024 52 Book Challenge - 8) Features The Ocean
This is such a dry book. I requested it because I love the Lusitania, and it really wasn't worth it. The plot was a slog, the writing was dry, the characters were not in the slightest bit memorable, the "era appropriate" stereotypes were dreadful and the author trying to inject tension by way of the audience knowing the historical events concerning the Lusitania while the characters were unaware was weirdly jarring.
2024 52 Book Challenge - 8) Features The Ocean
This is such a dry book. I requested it because I love the Lusitania, and it really wasn't worth it. The plot was a slog, the writing was dry, the characters were not in the slightest bit memorable, the "era appropriate" stereotypes were dreadful and the author trying to inject tension by way of the audience knowing the historical events concerning the Lusitania while the characters were unaware was weirdly jarring.
March 26, 2024
Being Irish, I've always had an interest in the sinking of the Lusitania, so this novel piqued my interest from the off.
This review will be brief, but suffice it to say I really enjoyed this novel! I loved the natural tension-builiding of timing the chapters and the breaks in the narrative, taking the ship closer and closer to its fateful moment. I also enjoyed our sleuth, Pat Gallagher, and the host of eccentric characters. The authors wrap up a few historical events in this narrative, which is also impressive!
Would I recommend this novel? Yes, I certainly would!
This review will be brief, but suffice it to say I really enjoyed this novel! I loved the natural tension-builiding of timing the chapters and the breaks in the narrative, taking the ship closer and closer to its fateful moment. I also enjoyed our sleuth, Pat Gallagher, and the host of eccentric characters. The authors wrap up a few historical events in this narrative, which is also impressive!
Would I recommend this novel? Yes, I certainly would!
February 2, 2025
CAWPILE 6.86
3.5 STARS
Spotted this beautiful copy on the shelves at the library and couldn't not bring it home.
I really loved the setting, the ship and it's staff, the guests, the intrigue- our main character was an interesting one.
I thought this ended really well and I'm thrilled to find out that there will be a sequel.
RIP Mary Livingstone- half the author duo who wrote this amazing book who lost her life to cancer before it was published.
3.5 STARS
Spotted this beautiful copy on the shelves at the library and couldn't not bring it home.
I really loved the setting, the ship and it's staff, the guests, the intrigue- our main character was an interesting one.
I thought this ended really well and I'm thrilled to find out that there will be a sequel.
RIP Mary Livingstone- half the author duo who wrote this amazing book who lost her life to cancer before it was published.
Read
March 2, 2024Dnf at page 250
Unfortunately I just had this major disconnect that crept in pretty early on and I wasnt committed enough to trek through to find the source of where it started.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
Unfortunately I just had this major disconnect that crept in pretty early on and I wasnt committed enough to trek through to find the source of where it started.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
April 5, 2024
Highly enjoyable!
4.5*
4.5*
May 23, 2024
3.5 Stars.
In May 1915 RMS Lusitania left New York to sail to Liverpool. She was torpedoed but German U-boat on the 7th May and sank off the coast of Ireland. She was only hit by one torpedo but survivors reported a second large explosion that damaged the hill of the ship which led to her sinking so much faster. The cause of the second explosion has always remained a mystery. In Death on the Lusitania R.L. Graham recreates that final voyage of the Lusitania and takes the mystery of that second explosion as the starting point for the re-envisaging of the story of that last sailing.
On board the Lusitania is the central character of Patrick Gallagher, a UK civil servant who is bringing a disgraced British Diplomat back from The US to the UK. On their first evening on board the reader is introduced to the main characters with them all sharing a table for dinner. Following that meal one of the party is found dead in his cabin and the captain of the ship, William Turner, asks Patrick to investigate.
There was thousands of people on board the vessel and thousands of stories playing out that May during World War 1 so I found it an interesting idea to focus on just one small group of people and highlight their stories. Although Patrick is the main character throughout the author uses the other characters points of view to help the story along and to allow the reader to relate more to them.
From the description I was expecting this to be more of a murder mystery story in the style of Agatha Christie, but it is not that. While there is a murder and an investigation into who is the killer this book is far more involved with espionage, arms dealing, and gun running and they are themes I am much less interested in. The pace of the book was initially very slow going with the author matching the building suspense of the journey as the ship edges closer to the designated war zone and anxiety and fears would have risen on board.
The characters were an interesting bunch, well developed, all of them with their own fears and hopes and non of them particularly likeable. I enjoyed the writing style and was interested in the depiction of Captain Turner and how the author reflected his real characteristics (Captain Turner being the only character in the book who was not imagined). I though this an enjoyable read with a good ending (despite knowing that the ship would be sunk) and a really engaging explanation to potentially explain that 2nd on board explosion.
In May 1915 RMS Lusitania left New York to sail to Liverpool. She was torpedoed but German U-boat on the 7th May and sank off the coast of Ireland. She was only hit by one torpedo but survivors reported a second large explosion that damaged the hill of the ship which led to her sinking so much faster. The cause of the second explosion has always remained a mystery. In Death on the Lusitania R.L. Graham recreates that final voyage of the Lusitania and takes the mystery of that second explosion as the starting point for the re-envisaging of the story of that last sailing.
On board the Lusitania is the central character of Patrick Gallagher, a UK civil servant who is bringing a disgraced British Diplomat back from The US to the UK. On their first evening on board the reader is introduced to the main characters with them all sharing a table for dinner. Following that meal one of the party is found dead in his cabin and the captain of the ship, William Turner, asks Patrick to investigate.
There was thousands of people on board the vessel and thousands of stories playing out that May during World War 1 so I found it an interesting idea to focus on just one small group of people and highlight their stories. Although Patrick is the main character throughout the author uses the other characters points of view to help the story along and to allow the reader to relate more to them.
From the description I was expecting this to be more of a murder mystery story in the style of Agatha Christie, but it is not that. While there is a murder and an investigation into who is the killer this book is far more involved with espionage, arms dealing, and gun running and they are themes I am much less interested in. The pace of the book was initially very slow going with the author matching the building suspense of the journey as the ship edges closer to the designated war zone and anxiety and fears would have risen on board.
The characters were an interesting bunch, well developed, all of them with their own fears and hopes and non of them particularly likeable. I enjoyed the writing style and was interested in the depiction of Captain Turner and how the author reflected his real characteristics (Captain Turner being the only character in the book who was not imagined). I though this an enjoyable read with a good ending (despite knowing that the ship would be sunk) and a really engaging explanation to potentially explain that 2nd on board explosion.
January 5, 2024
New York 1915, and Patrick Gallagher boards the Lusitania to escort a man back to Britain on treason charges. When a fellow passenger is found murdered, the Captain tasks Gallagher with solving the case. Can he do so before anyone else dies?
An interesting premise, setting a murder mystery on a ship that the reader already knows will be sunk before her arrival in Ireland. I spent the book wondering which characters would survive the torpedo attack, and who would die! I felt there were far too many characters introduced at once, and I couldn't keep track for a fair amount of the book. Once I got them straight, I felt it was obvious who the protagonists were, but enjoyed Gallagher coming to the same conclusions.
Clearly left open for another book involving Gallagher, I'd read it just to hear more about his background that was constantly hinted at during this book. Overall, an OK read, the information overload at points was a bit off putting.
An interesting premise, setting a murder mystery on a ship that the reader already knows will be sunk before her arrival in Ireland. I spent the book wondering which characters would survive the torpedo attack, and who would die! I felt there were far too many characters introduced at once, and I couldn't keep track for a fair amount of the book. Once I got them straight, I felt it was obvious who the protagonists were, but enjoyed Gallagher coming to the same conclusions.
Clearly left open for another book involving Gallagher, I'd read it just to hear more about his background that was constantly hinted at during this book. Overall, an OK read, the information overload at points was a bit off putting.
March 8, 2024
Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this book.
The final voyage of the RMS Lusitania and there's murder, espionage and crime on board. Patrick Gallagher finds himself caught up in figuring out who is betraying their country, who the murderer might be and everyone seems to be telling lies but what is the truth.
This does have some very Agatha Christie vibes throughout the story. The ship of course was real but much of the rest is false yet i found myself hoping she wouldn't have the ending we all knew was coming. The plot itself is interesting but at times it did drag a little. There are many characters and we don't learn enough about them to truly understand their motives. The ending was expected but I did enjoy how Gallagher finally figured it out. The ending of course is bittersweet and the author appeared to have done some good research on the actual history. An interesting read but the characters didnt pull me in as much as i would have liked.
The final voyage of the RMS Lusitania and there's murder, espionage and crime on board. Patrick Gallagher finds himself caught up in figuring out who is betraying their country, who the murderer might be and everyone seems to be telling lies but what is the truth.
This does have some very Agatha Christie vibes throughout the story. The ship of course was real but much of the rest is false yet i found myself hoping she wouldn't have the ending we all knew was coming. The plot itself is interesting but at times it did drag a little. There are many characters and we don't learn enough about them to truly understand their motives. The ending was expected but I did enjoy how Gallagher finally figured it out. The ending of course is bittersweet and the author appeared to have done some good research on the actual history. An interesting read but the characters didnt pull me in as much as i would have liked.
February 10, 2024
New York, 1915, The Lusitania unwittingly sets off on its final voyage.
I knew a little about the final sailing of the Lusitania before reading this book and was surprised at the links to the truth of the actual sinking of the ship. While the main characters and storyline are clearly fictional, the book does use some historical figures with accuracy.
What I couldn’t get to grips with easily was the actual plot. Too many names and intertwined stories to keep track of, unlikeable characters for the most part and some of it just too implausible.
I found it clever however how the author explained the fate of the Lusitania within the story.
3 stars for a book that I really wanted to dive into and enjoy but unfortunately just sank a bit too soon.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
I knew a little about the final sailing of the Lusitania before reading this book and was surprised at the links to the truth of the actual sinking of the ship. While the main characters and storyline are clearly fictional, the book does use some historical figures with accuracy.
What I couldn’t get to grips with easily was the actual plot. Too many names and intertwined stories to keep track of, unlikeable characters for the most part and some of it just too implausible.
I found it clever however how the author explained the fate of the Lusitania within the story.
3 stars for a book that I really wanted to dive into and enjoy but unfortunately just sank a bit too soon.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
February 1, 2024
I had never heard of the Luthisana before, so I was immediately intrigued and really enjoyed the start of the book, especially the scenes around the dinner tables and the different characters.
The murder mystery aspect held my interest for a while, but the pace, unfortunately was a bit slow for me.
The murder mystery aspect held my interest for a while, but the pace, unfortunately was a bit slow for me.
April 3, 2024
3⭐️
Death on the Lusitania was an opulent read, with atmospheric descriptions of the grandeur of the ship, that were later, completely at odds with the war. There were a lot of characters to keep track off, which was difficult at times and I must admit that a lot of the political and socioeconomic themes were unfamiliar to me.
Death on the Lusitania was an opulent read, with atmospheric descriptions of the grandeur of the ship, that were later, completely at odds with the war. There were a lot of characters to keep track off, which was difficult at times and I must admit that a lot of the political and socioeconomic themes were unfamiliar to me.
April 11, 2025
The pace was too slow and the theme didn’t interest me at all..
January 12, 2026
Hard to put my thoughts into words. This sounded like a classic period mystery; the impossible murder, the wartime tensions, the varied cast, all with an extra dash of secret services.
It wasn't that. Strap in?
Early complaints: flat prose, all the suspects on a 2000(?) person ship are sat at the same neat little table, very poor pacing, and lot of loose threads that Im not sure how they'll tie together...
And they don't tie together.
Edit: also the author refused to start dialogue on new lines half the time. Gallagher would look around a room then at the end of the description, someone who wasn't even mentioned in that paragraph starts talking! there was one paragraph that went like this:
"Blah Blah, blah blah," said character A with inflection or whatever. it came across like this, with A doing an action. then B nods and says "Is that so, Character A?"
Where were your editors??????
There's actually two plots here: who killed Dowrich (and then who killed Billie), and who are the German spies and what are they doing? These two plots aren't really linked except by a throwaway line in the last few pages of the book about how the Murder Victim (Dowrich) was blackmailing people so he could go into arms dealing. Protagonist Gallagher sends off a few telegrams then promptly goes chasing up ten wrong trees and telling everyone not to worry about the suspects who are doing dodgy things. When he finally has the answer handed to him (towards the end of the book and in a span of thirty pages) everything falls into place somehow in a move that is both painfully telegraphed and also largely out of nowhere at once. He feels nothing but sympathy for our poor murderer, and suggests sadly that she deserves a second chance despite the fact that she is, at her own admission, an absolute monster in what she did for work and fun back in NY (TW:Sexual abuse, predator behaviour, coercion of minors, lesbian stereotyping that felt straight out of the 60s [do we support women's wrong? yes but not these]) and the fact that she only left because she didn't want to share. second murder was handled better, even though the deductive reasoning was still a little bland, but overall just lacklustre.
And then the German spies! It was Schurz! The man of German origin (who would have thought!) with a German name, who was known to frequent German sympathisers, who was openly being dodgy and sniffing about the ship. Not that our man Gallagher thought so, no, he's just a weirdo but he harmless, will people please stop worrying about him. Schurz's reasoning? Well he just got a contract with the British ministry and the Germans said if the British found out he hung out with Germans (which they already knew) then he would lose it, so he had to sabotage this British ship instead! It's so ridiculous even the book pokes fun at it but, unfortunately, a lampshade is still a lampshade, and stupid reasoming is still stupid.
Then a German U-Boat fires on them! this wasn't part of the German plan to get the British into trouble for weapon smuggling off the coast of Ireland, igniting the American anger and bringing them into the war! but oh well, now it's sinking. A lifeboat takes out second murderer Franklin (in his POV, which is so far up his ass it's nauseating, well done) in what is meant to be horrific but I found strangely, hilariously absurd (derogatory). Murderess Dolly (The Monster) capsizes into the water, floats on a bench then sees her chance and stabs her ex boss/lover (Also a Monster) before a wave slaps her in the face and she gets caught up in the new corpse she just made and drowns in record time. Most of the cast die except for the elderly couple who sabotaged the ship (and had caused thousands to die in Mexico because of other things going on [no time]) but make a plea about how they just sabotaged things! they're not responsible when the people who told them to sabotage things in specific ways then use their sabotage to kill thousands! And Gallagher's like gee gosh I just feel bad for the old pair, how much damage do you think they can even do?!?
......a lot based on the literally 1.4k(?) that just drowned.
Long story short (too late) this was going to just be a lacklustre 2.5 stars, then all the resolutions started happening, the ending came along, the whole Chalfont-spy-? is resolved, then unresolved, then hindsight makes stupid and I honestly can't justify any higher than 1 because what was that? Genuinely, what was any of that?
Also the dead love interest felt like a dead Manic Pixie Dream Girl and maaaan I haven't seen that in a hot minute. If I had a YouTube channel, this would be a three hour rant.
It wasn't that. Strap in?
Early complaints: flat prose, all the suspects on a 2000(?) person ship are sat at the same neat little table, very poor pacing, and lot of loose threads that Im not sure how they'll tie together...
And they don't tie together.
Edit: also the author refused to start dialogue on new lines half the time. Gallagher would look around a room then at the end of the description, someone who wasn't even mentioned in that paragraph starts talking! there was one paragraph that went like this:
"Blah Blah, blah blah," said character A with inflection or whatever. it came across like this, with A doing an action. then B nods and says "Is that so, Character A?"
Where were your editors??????
There's actually two plots here: who killed Dowrich (and then who killed Billie), and who are the German spies and what are they doing? These two plots aren't really linked except by a throwaway line in the last few pages of the book about how the Murder Victim (Dowrich) was blackmailing people so he could go into arms dealing. Protagonist Gallagher sends off a few telegrams then promptly goes chasing up ten wrong trees and telling everyone not to worry about the suspects who are doing dodgy things. When he finally has the answer handed to him (towards the end of the book and in a span of thirty pages) everything falls into place somehow in a move that is both painfully telegraphed and also largely out of nowhere at once. He feels nothing but sympathy for our poor murderer, and suggests sadly that she deserves a second chance despite the fact that she is, at her own admission, an absolute monster in what she did for work and fun back in NY (TW:Sexual abuse, predator behaviour, coercion of minors, lesbian stereotyping that felt straight out of the 60s [do we support women's wrong? yes but not these]) and the fact that she only left because she didn't want to share. second murder was handled better, even though the deductive reasoning was still a little bland, but overall just lacklustre.
And then the German spies! It was Schurz! The man of German origin (who would have thought!) with a German name, who was known to frequent German sympathisers, who was openly being dodgy and sniffing about the ship. Not that our man Gallagher thought so, no, he's just a weirdo but he harmless, will people please stop worrying about him. Schurz's reasoning? Well he just got a contract with the British ministry and the Germans said if the British found out he hung out with Germans (which they already knew) then he would lose it, so he had to sabotage this British ship instead! It's so ridiculous even the book pokes fun at it but, unfortunately, a lampshade is still a lampshade, and stupid reasoming is still stupid.
Then a German U-Boat fires on them! this wasn't part of the German plan to get the British into trouble for weapon smuggling off the coast of Ireland, igniting the American anger and bringing them into the war! but oh well, now it's sinking. A lifeboat takes out second murderer Franklin (in his POV, which is so far up his ass it's nauseating, well done) in what is meant to be horrific but I found strangely, hilariously absurd (derogatory). Murderess Dolly (The Monster) capsizes into the water, floats on a bench then sees her chance and stabs her ex boss/lover (Also a Monster) before a wave slaps her in the face and she gets caught up in the new corpse she just made and drowns in record time. Most of the cast die except for the elderly couple who sabotaged the ship (and had caused thousands to die in Mexico because of other things going on [no time]) but make a plea about how they just sabotaged things! they're not responsible when the people who told them to sabotage things in specific ways then use their sabotage to kill thousands! And Gallagher's like gee gosh I just feel bad for the old pair, how much damage do you think they can even do?!?
......a lot based on the literally 1.4k(?) that just drowned.
Long story short (too late) this was going to just be a lacklustre 2.5 stars, then all the resolutions started happening, the ending came along, the whole Chalfont-spy-? is resolved, then unresolved, then hindsight makes stupid and I honestly can't justify any higher than 1 because what was that? Genuinely, what was any of that?
Also the dead love interest felt like a dead Manic Pixie Dream Girl and maaaan I haven't seen that in a hot minute. If I had a YouTube channel, this would be a three hour rant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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