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Journal of the Supernova
"Decadent apocalyptic cruise sails into a thrilling mystery" -Booklife
The nearby star Betelgeuse is about to explode, an event whose consequences for life on Earth are uncertain. Hugo Evans, an American art historian living in London, receives an invitation from a man he has never met, reclusive artist Rothesay Ambrose Urquhart, to an "end-of-the-world" Mediterranean cruise aboard the meticulously restored prewar motor yacht Mulvane. There are twelve guests in total, all strangers to one another, and also to their host.
Early in the voyage, one of them is lost overboard. It is not clear if this was an accident, a suicide, or a murder. Another passenger, sharp-witted lawyer Oriana Welles, recruits Evans to help her investigate.
Author website & first two chapters at www.robertbraceauthor.com
The nearby star Betelgeuse is about to explode, an event whose consequences for life on Earth are uncertain. Hugo Evans, an American art historian living in London, receives an invitation from a man he has never met, reclusive artist Rothesay Ambrose Urquhart, to an "end-of-the-world" Mediterranean cruise aboard the meticulously restored prewar motor yacht Mulvane. There are twelve guests in total, all strangers to one another, and also to their host.
Early in the voyage, one of them is lost overboard. It is not clear if this was an accident, a suicide, or a murder. Another passenger, sharp-witted lawyer Oriana Welles, recruits Evans to help her investigate.
Author website & first two chapters at www.robertbraceauthor.com
342 pages, Hardcover
Published October 14, 2025
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 8, 2025
Thank you Reedsy and Robert Brace for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Stop me if you have heard this one before: 12 strangers come together after receiving an invitation from an elusive host. The setting - a place with no means of escape; a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean. The characters, suspicious, with one boisterous persona that stands out from the rest. One day, a murder occurs and surprise, surprise: It is our loud-mouthed and heavily disliked character. Because we are in the middle of the ocean with no help from the authorities, one of the guest is recruited by a very observant and clever character to help solve the murder. The clues are there, laid out matter-of-factly - and then in a grand final reveal, the clues suddenly form a complete mosaic now that all the additional contexts are given. The game, as I’ve heard they say, is afoot?
So you may be asking, why did I pick this book then if the genre is stale? For one simple reason: Betelgeuse is about to explode and go supernova. When I saw the blurb for this book, I was HOOKED! You have a standard Holmesian/Christiesque murder mystery that is coupled with a ticking timebomb in the form of a cosmic event? I was completely sold! The problem is that ultimately, the author, gifted with such a gem of a premise, failed to use it to his advantage. Betelgeuse exploded and nothing happened! The entire purpose of the cruise is to watch the Betelgeuse supernova and most of the characters are asleep at that time. The only significant event that occurred was the murder, and even then, it felt lacklustre. All through the story, we are told that this supernova might signal the end of life as we know it, so the stakes are high - but the characters seem to not care about it? The murder happened off screen, and the tie to the supernova event was just there to provide the time of murder. It felt like such a missed opportunity! I would have thought that the author would use the event to cause a temporary electronic failure on the yacht to provide a moment of blackout to create a mystery of the murder - but no, it all happened off screen and while most of the characters are sleeping. This is why it felt disappointing.
The author also made some very strange choices with this book too. For one, there are way too many chapters: 53 chapters including epilogue for a 340-paged book. The chapters are short, and they felt aimless. There is no take away that we are expected to conclude at the end of each chapter - they sort of meander as we read along? I understand that it is meant to be presented like a journal through a series of streams of consciousness, but I don’t think the format worked very well. I would have loved the author use the chapters more intentionally to draw our attention to the clues that might point to the suspects of the murder.
Because of this too, the plot seemed directionless. I kept struggling to remember why these characters are invited to the yacht in the first place, and time and time again, I had to flip back to remind myself. There is also a strange side plot where the characters go to all these exotic locations and get dressed up for photoshoots; for the purpose of which I’m struggling to remember. It was all so bizarre.
It’s less of a murder mystery, more of the author trying to flex his knowledge of all this location in a self-aggrandizing travelogue. Because of this too, the characters seemed to lack very distinct personalities. I wonder about the author’s inclusion of so many characters in the first place if he ultimately fails to provide them with their own voices and backstories. Half the time, I don’t recall who the characters are and what their relationships to each other are. For example, looking at the guest list (helpful addition), there is apparently a Mr Jack Shotter and I can’t remember who he was or what his role in the book is.
I believe it is hard to have a fresh take on a genre that has been tackled so much in the past and I applaud the author’s attempt to do it in his own voice. He definitely has a strong writing style that is hampered by a weak plot, and I think given a different take, I’m sure he is capable of writing a winning story with his style; unfortunately this is just not it.
Stop me if you have heard this one before: 12 strangers come together after receiving an invitation from an elusive host. The setting - a place with no means of escape; a luxury yacht in the middle of the ocean. The characters, suspicious, with one boisterous persona that stands out from the rest. One day, a murder occurs and surprise, surprise: It is our loud-mouthed and heavily disliked character. Because we are in the middle of the ocean with no help from the authorities, one of the guest is recruited by a very observant and clever character to help solve the murder. The clues are there, laid out matter-of-factly - and then in a grand final reveal, the clues suddenly form a complete mosaic now that all the additional contexts are given. The game, as I’ve heard they say, is afoot?
So you may be asking, why did I pick this book then if the genre is stale? For one simple reason: Betelgeuse is about to explode and go supernova. When I saw the blurb for this book, I was HOOKED! You have a standard Holmesian/Christiesque murder mystery that is coupled with a ticking timebomb in the form of a cosmic event? I was completely sold! The problem is that ultimately, the author, gifted with such a gem of a premise, failed to use it to his advantage. Betelgeuse exploded and nothing happened! The entire purpose of the cruise is to watch the Betelgeuse supernova and most of the characters are asleep at that time. The only significant event that occurred was the murder, and even then, it felt lacklustre. All through the story, we are told that this supernova might signal the end of life as we know it, so the stakes are high - but the characters seem to not care about it? The murder happened off screen, and the tie to the supernova event was just there to provide the time of murder. It felt like such a missed opportunity! I would have thought that the author would use the event to cause a temporary electronic failure on the yacht to provide a moment of blackout to create a mystery of the murder - but no, it all happened off screen and while most of the characters are sleeping. This is why it felt disappointing.
The author also made some very strange choices with this book too. For one, there are way too many chapters: 53 chapters including epilogue for a 340-paged book. The chapters are short, and they felt aimless. There is no take away that we are expected to conclude at the end of each chapter - they sort of meander as we read along? I understand that it is meant to be presented like a journal through a series of streams of consciousness, but I don’t think the format worked very well. I would have loved the author use the chapters more intentionally to draw our attention to the clues that might point to the suspects of the murder.
Because of this too, the plot seemed directionless. I kept struggling to remember why these characters are invited to the yacht in the first place, and time and time again, I had to flip back to remind myself. There is also a strange side plot where the characters go to all these exotic locations and get dressed up for photoshoots; for the purpose of which I’m struggling to remember. It was all so bizarre.
It’s less of a murder mystery, more of the author trying to flex his knowledge of all this location in a self-aggrandizing travelogue. Because of this too, the characters seemed to lack very distinct personalities. I wonder about the author’s inclusion of so many characters in the first place if he ultimately fails to provide them with their own voices and backstories. Half the time, I don’t recall who the characters are and what their relationships to each other are. For example, looking at the guest list (helpful addition), there is apparently a Mr Jack Shotter and I can’t remember who he was or what his role in the book is.
I believe it is hard to have a fresh take on a genre that has been tackled so much in the past and I applaud the author’s attempt to do it in his own voice. He definitely has a strong writing style that is hampered by a weak plot, and I think given a different take, I’m sure he is capable of writing a winning story with his style; unfortunately this is just not it.
October 22, 2025
Outstanding mystery, highly recommended.
I bought this book based on the positive editorial reviews on Amazon, and for once they weren't wrong. The novel is set up as a journal written during the advent of a supernova, and this framework really works well as a backdrop. The writing style is intimate and worldly: an intelligent friend recounting an intriguing tale. The characters are engaging and they feel genuine, people who you get to know as you read through the book. The settings are great: Mediterranean decadence, as one critic put it. But it's the story that makes it, an intricate, multi-layered mystery, and by the end you wish that it would just continue. The solution was pretty astonishing but it made perfect sense, to the point where you wonder why you didn't see it for yourself. The epilogue was welcome, recounting what became of the passengers.
Hope there will be more from this author, and more with the same characters. Meanwhile, I've found my default Christmas present for this year.
I bought this book based on the positive editorial reviews on Amazon, and for once they weren't wrong. The novel is set up as a journal written during the advent of a supernova, and this framework really works well as a backdrop. The writing style is intimate and worldly: an intelligent friend recounting an intriguing tale. The characters are engaging and they feel genuine, people who you get to know as you read through the book. The settings are great: Mediterranean decadence, as one critic put it. But it's the story that makes it, an intricate, multi-layered mystery, and by the end you wish that it would just continue. The solution was pretty astonishing but it made perfect sense, to the point where you wonder why you didn't see it for yourself. The epilogue was welcome, recounting what became of the passengers.
Hope there will be more from this author, and more with the same characters. Meanwhile, I've found my default Christmas present for this year.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews