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The Transatlantic Conspiracy
At the dawn of a reimagined 20th century, one girl must become the reluctant symbol of a new world.
The year is 1908. Seventeen-year-old Rosalind Wallace’s blissful stay in England with her best friend, Cecily de Vere, ends abruptly when her father books Rosalind on the maiden voyage of his fabulous Transatlantic Express, the world’s first railroad to travel under the sea. Rosalind is furious. But lucky for her, Cecily and her handsome older brother, Charles, volunteer to accompany her home.
But when Charles disappears and Cecily and her housemaid, Doris, are found stabbed to death in their state room, Rosalind finds herself trapped undersea, in a deadly fight to clear herself of her friend’s murder and to thwart a sinister enemy.
The year is 1908. Seventeen-year-old Rosalind Wallace’s blissful stay in England with her best friend, Cecily de Vere, ends abruptly when her father books Rosalind on the maiden voyage of his fabulous Transatlantic Express, the world’s first railroad to travel under the sea. Rosalind is furious. But lucky for her, Cecily and her handsome older brother, Charles, volunteer to accompany her home.
But when Charles disappears and Cecily and her housemaid, Doris, are found stabbed to death in their state room, Rosalind finds herself trapped undersea, in a deadly fight to clear herself of her friend’s murder and to thwart a sinister enemy.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2016
13 people are currently reading
1031 people want to read
About the author
G.D. Falksen
41 books266 followersG. D. Falksen is the author of "The Secret Life of Kitty Granger" (Carolrhoda Lab, 2021), "Maiden of War" (Audible Originals, 2020), "Doctor Cthulittle" (Insight Studios, 2018), "The Transatlantic Conspiracy" (Soho Teen, 2016), and "The Ouroboros Cycle" series (Wildside Press, 2013 to present), and has been a contributor to the award-winning anthologies "Mine!" and "Cthulhu Fhtagn!". He is also Chairman of the Advisory Board of Writers and Artists Across the Country, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating author visits to underserved schools. Falksen’s "Ouroboros Cycle" series is currently being developed for television.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
December 19, 2023
Oh, I do love a story about bad girls and The Transatlantic Conspiracy is quintessential. Rosalind’s own words best define her when she explains to Alix, “I drive motorcars and I’m a suffragist, so my reputation is already a bit uncertain.” Their mutual friend Cecily not only tinkers with clocks, but has been known to write “strongly worded letters” to express her displeasure or disappointment. Embarking on the maiden voyage of the underwater railway, Alix is quick to confirm that her traveling companions both know “how to give a swift quick and a good stab” (with a hatpin).
Perhaps I should mention that this steampunk story begins on May 25, 1908. My first book from this fantastical, science-fiction subgenre complete with advanced machines and modern technology. It did not disappoint.
Rosalind is quite accustomed to traveling alone, despite being female and seventeen years old. She has every confidence in her father’s perpetually advancing railways, whether it be traveling above water on an impossibly long bridge or seven days underneath, riding a train through the ocean from Germany to New York. She may not cherish her reluctant role as a “pawn in her father’s advertising campaign”, but she has never felt afraid. Until now.
From the beginning, with Cecily and sibling Charles unexpectedly announcing plans to accompany Rosalind to America, to feeling inexplicably unnerved at the station, Rosalind is overcome with unease as she boards. A strange skepticism settles; people seem to smile around secrets tucked safely away. Charles disappears. Two passengers are murdered. It is only the second day.
Fully engaging with twists and turns, sneaky surprises, loyal friendships and levity; The Transatlantic Conspiracy was a fascinating foray into steampunk.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
Perhaps I should mention that this steampunk story begins on May 25, 1908. My first book from this fantastical, science-fiction subgenre complete with advanced machines and modern technology. It did not disappoint.
Rosalind is quite accustomed to traveling alone, despite being female and seventeen years old. She has every confidence in her father’s perpetually advancing railways, whether it be traveling above water on an impossibly long bridge or seven days underneath, riding a train through the ocean from Germany to New York. She may not cherish her reluctant role as a “pawn in her father’s advertising campaign”, but she has never felt afraid. Until now.
From the beginning, with Cecily and sibling Charles unexpectedly announcing plans to accompany Rosalind to America, to feeling inexplicably unnerved at the station, Rosalind is overcome with unease as she boards. A strange skepticism settles; people seem to smile around secrets tucked safely away. Charles disappears. Two passengers are murdered. It is only the second day.
Fully engaging with twists and turns, sneaky surprises, loyal friendships and levity; The Transatlantic Conspiracy was a fascinating foray into steampunk.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
February 8, 2022
There is not a single giant squid in the whole damn book. What a bait-and-switch.
Aside from the underwater train there isn't even any fantastic or sci-fi element -- its just a weak historical mystery with underdeveloped characters. Very disappointing.
Aside from the underwater train there isn't even any fantastic or sci-fi element -- its just a weak historical mystery with underdeveloped characters. Very disappointing.
April 28, 2016
This book started off as a contradiction for me, and continued as such through the whole thing. The voice is middle grade, but the characters are all older teens, which makes this a YA novel. The main character is a feminist who values education and abhors class division, yet is best friends with a fluff-headed girl who exemplifies all Rosalind despises. The majority of the book is spent with the characters discussing the importance of propriety, while behaving improperly a good amount of the time. Rosalind waffles back and forth between using her respected family name and trying to hide it. Secrets were kept when they should have been revealed, and revealed when they should have been kept. The book is a murder mystery, but the murder doesn't happen until after the midpoint of the story, and it feels swept under the rug for a good chunk of the rest of the book. The description of the train itself was wonderful, and the setting quite alive, but the characters themselves were flat and impersonal. In the end, I liked not a single one of them, including Rosalind. And finally, while the first 90% of the book crawled at a snail's pace, the last 10% flew by in a blur of crosses and double crosses and face-offs. All in all, this just didn't connect for me.
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My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
January 19, 2018
What if you were onboard the first ever underwater train, and there was a murderer on board? The year is 1908, and one American entrepreneur has disrupted the scene with a new fantastical machine: A train that can can the Atlantic. The entrepreneur sent his one daughter, Rosalind, to survey this trip, but her time becomes an adventure of love and lies she would never forget. But while on her adventure, the excitement came to a grinding halt: Her closest friend, Cecily, was murdered by another passenger. Everyone seemed to be against her, but Rosalind was determined to unravel the conspiracy. My original idea about this book before reading this was that it was “like Murder on the Orient Express, but underwater. What more could you ask for?”. While both Murder on the Orient Express and The Transatlantic Conspiracy share elements and certainly have the right to be compared as such, the latter is significantly worse and has a drastically different quality to its writing, plot, atmosphere, etc. And while my disappointment is certainly present in the score, this book is overall a mediocre and misleading due to the novel’s poor plot and pacing, mediocre characters, and a misleading setting.
First, the misleading elements of this book. No, it is not a steampunk fantasy adventure. No, it is not a character-filled murder mystery with plot turns and red herrings at every moment. And no, that giant squid-octopus thing in front cover, the one that got me excited to read, it never shows up! NOT ONCE. In fact, the author, who is actually mainly known for writing steampunk and fantasy, barely ever mentions or uses the fact that the train is underwater during the trip.. While the author did insert a small and high quality amount of description in the setting, it does not make up for the lack of proper fantasy in what was supposed to be a steampunk adventure. You’d think that an author with such a background would be able to insert at least a sliver of fun fantasy elements in a murder mystery taking place in the first ever underwater train, but sadly, this is not the case.
The plot takes no time to start being slow. Lets just say it takes roughly a quarter of the book for them to get on the train, and half the book for someone to get murdered. The last 40 pages are reserved for the second murder to occur. However, these last 40 pages are quick, action packed, and overall enjoyable. This inconsistent pacing is an immense problem for what could have been a great book.
Characters are generic, with the main character being a “radical” suffragist, and her noble friends are all imperialists and are subordinate to the politics of Europe. While this is dull, I did like that they focused more on the clear ending of imperialism than just talking about noble to peasant relationships, like many in this genre do. The plot, characters, and pacing are all mediocre or poor, and my score shows that.
From most respects, The Transatlantic Conspiracy is lost potential. What could’ve been a fun steampunk adventure-murder mystery was instead a muddled historical fiction that fails to satisfy. Poor pacing ruins the murder mystery aspects it contains, the poor plot is reflected on the odd lack of quality in the setting, and the characters are somewhat dull This book could have been solid if G.D. Falksen actually introduced steampunk elements and improved the pacing, but instead we get a low-quality historical mystery with little enjoyment involved.
First, the misleading elements of this book. No, it is not a steampunk fantasy adventure. No, it is not a character-filled murder mystery with plot turns and red herrings at every moment. And no, that giant squid-octopus thing in front cover, the one that got me excited to read, it never shows up! NOT ONCE. In fact, the author, who is actually mainly known for writing steampunk and fantasy, barely ever mentions or uses the fact that the train is underwater during the trip.. While the author did insert a small and high quality amount of description in the setting, it does not make up for the lack of proper fantasy in what was supposed to be a steampunk adventure. You’d think that an author with such a background would be able to insert at least a sliver of fun fantasy elements in a murder mystery taking place in the first ever underwater train, but sadly, this is not the case.
The plot takes no time to start being slow. Lets just say it takes roughly a quarter of the book for them to get on the train, and half the book for someone to get murdered. The last 40 pages are reserved for the second murder to occur. However, these last 40 pages are quick, action packed, and overall enjoyable. This inconsistent pacing is an immense problem for what could have been a great book.
Characters are generic, with the main character being a “radical” suffragist, and her noble friends are all imperialists and are subordinate to the politics of Europe. While this is dull, I did like that they focused more on the clear ending of imperialism than just talking about noble to peasant relationships, like many in this genre do. The plot, characters, and pacing are all mediocre or poor, and my score shows that.
From most respects, The Transatlantic Conspiracy is lost potential. What could’ve been a fun steampunk adventure-murder mystery was instead a muddled historical fiction that fails to satisfy. Poor pacing ruins the murder mystery aspects it contains, the poor plot is reflected on the odd lack of quality in the setting, and the characters are somewhat dull This book could have been solid if G.D. Falksen actually introduced steampunk elements and improved the pacing, but instead we get a low-quality historical mystery with little enjoyment involved.
June 1, 2016
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Somewhere in the translation of the concept into the story, an important spark ended up being lost. For although this is by no means a terrible book, it never really coalesced into a solid tale. Part steampunk, part historical, part murder mystery, it both was overwritten and underwritten in the wrong areas. Most problematic, though, is that the story was inert for about 3/4 of the book before finally picking up near the end.Story: American Rosalind is a parvenu - American new money in a London still holding on to old titles. Along with her aristocratic friend Cecily, she boards her father's latest triumph on its maiden voyage - the Transatlantic Express - an underwater train between Germany and the US. As she makes new friends, it is soon obvious that the shifting politics of Europe will greatly affect whether the train - and its passengers - reach US shores safely.
The steampunk here is wondrous and fantastical - exactly what we would want in this genre. But the characters are simplistic, flat, and yes, somewhat cliche'd. Even for a middle grade read, they lack the complexity to keep readers intrigued. And nothing of import truly happens until our heroine *finally* boards the train after endless small talk, parties, and comparing of dresses and reticules. I read a lot of historical fiction and even I was bored by it all - it was just a pedantic examination of gilded age life, complete with suffragette sermonizing.
The friendship between the characters was odd throughout. The reactions of Rosalind and Cecily to each other's actions changed constantly - Rosalind arrogantly dismissing her aristocratic friends for arrogantly dismissing her. Her reactions lacked genuineness and made her look simple. I would have put her age at 12 rather than the older teen and often I kept feeling that this was a man writing about women as a man perhaps sees them - inconsistent and inconstant.
Because the characters and story were so underdeveloped, when the action finally happens, it is very ineffective. We should feel for these characters' deaths (and so should Rosalind) but that just doesn't happen. Certainly, we weren't given much reason to care for them.
The end of the book was supposed to be a whirlwind of betrayals and twists. But they took so long coming and some were so suddenly introduced that it took away any emotion or impetus. It's difficult to explain but the only things really explored in this novel are the set pieces - and I didn't want to read a Steampunk novel about a great underwater train station. I wanted to follow the people IN that great underwater train station.
There are chapter header illustrations but a lot of it is schematics for random electrical parts. There are some sketches of scenes from the book but I only saw rough versions, so I can't attest to how those will look.
In all, this felt like a missed opportunity. A great fantastical steampunk world - and an attempt to throw some characters and a mystery within it. I ended disappointed despite the great premise. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
February 21, 2016
This is a fantastic, page-turning read. It is targeted at a young adult audience (12 and up), and I can say that the character development and intricacy of plot are appropriate for that age range. The story is fast-paced, and the mystery more complicated than I suspected as I was reading. Even as an adult reader, I loved this book. The story is just a good historical murder mystery, and the fact that it takes place on an underwater train progressing under the Atlantic lends a locked-room quality to it.
There is nothing too deep or mature for early teen readers, and not so much history that it subtracts from what is simply a great story, but there is a lot that you can see in it as an adult reader that could be good discussion starters for teaching teens about the pre-World War time period. It's a good picture of class differences at that time - how servants and Old Money and New Money interact. There are also some underlying political and economical issues in the story that point toward the onset of World War I.
The ending and revelations about the characters look like a good set up for a fantastic series. I think the revelations and motivations hint at some weighty issues about social and political ideas and the lengths that people will go to to promote their cause. There are no labels given to anyone's system of social beliefs in the book, and those are far from being the focus of the book, but again, adult readers will see hints at characters with communist leanings or democratic leanings, etc. Toward the end of the story, the reader is presented with the concept that joining forces with a potential enemy against a more immediate common enemy may be the best means to resolve an immediate problem.
Overall, a page-turning read for any lovers of historical fiction. I would recommend it as a quick read for adult fans, and a great read for teens with some really good educational points that can be gleaned as well.
There is nothing too deep or mature for early teen readers, and not so much history that it subtracts from what is simply a great story, but there is a lot that you can see in it as an adult reader that could be good discussion starters for teaching teens about the pre-World War time period. It's a good picture of class differences at that time - how servants and Old Money and New Money interact. There are also some underlying political and economical issues in the story that point toward the onset of World War I.
The ending and revelations about the characters look like a good set up for a fantastic series. I think the revelations and motivations hint at some weighty issues about social and political ideas and the lengths that people will go to to promote their cause. There are no labels given to anyone's system of social beliefs in the book, and those are far from being the focus of the book, but again, adult readers will see hints at characters with communist leanings or democratic leanings, etc. Toward the end of the story, the reader is presented with the concept that joining forces with a potential enemy against a more immediate common enemy may be the best means to resolve an immediate problem.
Overall, a page-turning read for any lovers of historical fiction. I would recommend it as a quick read for adult fans, and a great read for teens with some really good educational points that can be gleaned as well.
June 11, 2016
Oh man, this could've been an awesome steampunk adventure. A transcontinental train, Germany to America, that could travel underwater, fearless, flurry, stylish, modern debutantes, a murderer mystery, all great elements to the story. Plus this is so plainly written, no confounding talks of science and engineering, that its easy to get through.
There's a lack of precedence, inconcistencies, and character depth.
There's a lack of precedence, inconcistencies, and character depth.
June 12, 2017
The cover is the best part with the idea of an underwater train a very close second. There are a lot of flaws with the story and characters which is mentioned in many of the other reviews. I think marketing this as a young adult book is a reach and would recommend it to older children instead of teens.
July 27, 2016
I had under the impression that G.D. Falksen's “The Transatlantic Conspiracy” fell under the category of Steampunk. After reading it – actually, early into it – I realized it was more like historical science fiction (think H.G. Wells or Jules Verne for style). The tale was set in 1908, and other than the main concept of an underwater transatlantic train (with a few underwater stations), it could simply be a pre-World War I historical novel.
OK – so we cannot blame marketing of the product on the author, at least not for a work produced from one of the “traditional” publishing houses. However, the actual contents of the book fall upon the writer's shoulders. Take the supporting character of Cecily – it was never clear to me just WHY our main character Rosalind actually hung out with her! She spent a lot of time talking about her annoying habits and Continental (vs. American) attitudes towards class and caste. Look at the plot device of Cecily and her brother arranging last minute transport on the initial voyage of the transatlantic train – how, if this trip was so in-demand did they manage to secure first class accommodations at the last minute? And, just how did Rosalind manage to make it to her 18th birthday, given how trusting she is of everyone who makes her acquaintance??
I thought I would love this book, based on its description. As it turned out, I liked it – but only barely.
RATING: 3 stars.
DISCLOSURE: I was awarded a free copy of this book in a random draw. No requirement of a review was made, let alone any conditions on the tone / content of a review, however, it was hinted that winners who write and post HONEST reviews have a better chance of being selected to receive future books.
OK – so we cannot blame marketing of the product on the author, at least not for a work produced from one of the “traditional” publishing houses. However, the actual contents of the book fall upon the writer's shoulders. Take the supporting character of Cecily – it was never clear to me just WHY our main character Rosalind actually hung out with her! She spent a lot of time talking about her annoying habits and Continental (vs. American) attitudes towards class and caste. Look at the plot device of Cecily and her brother arranging last minute transport on the initial voyage of the transatlantic train – how, if this trip was so in-demand did they manage to secure first class accommodations at the last minute? And, just how did Rosalind manage to make it to her 18th birthday, given how trusting she is of everyone who makes her acquaintance??
I thought I would love this book, based on its description. As it turned out, I liked it – but only barely.
RATING: 3 stars.
DISCLOSURE: I was awarded a free copy of this book in a random draw. No requirement of a review was made, let alone any conditions on the tone / content of a review, however, it was hinted that winners who write and post HONEST reviews have a better chance of being selected to receive future books.
December 17, 2017
To me it seems that this book tried to do too many things that it ended up doing none of them successfully. It tried to be a murder mystery, but the plot didn't really get going until half way through the book and was ultimately underdeveloped. It tried to be a sci-fi adventure a little bit, but the only real eelement of that was the train. It tried to incorporate spies and espionage in the last 20 or so pages, and to be sort of historical fiction with mention of political and social concepts and issues ofthe time. One positive thing was the setting, he painted a pretty decent picture supplemented by illustrations which was kind of cool. Another issue i had was with tone, his vocabulary choices and the way it was written didn't really seem appropriate for the era, or for a young woman, that one might have just been me though.
January 31, 2022
What would you do if you were trapped on a underwater train, while a murderer was on the loose? This mystery-novel called ¨The Traslatic Express¨ by G.D. Falksen takes place in England, in the year of 1908. Rosalind Wallace is staying with her best friend, Cecily de Vere. All of a sudden Rosalind's father has sent her a letter, informing her that he booked her a ticket back to America on the Transatlantic Express. The Transatlantic Express is an underwater railway that is owned by Rosalind's father. Cecily and her brother Charles decide to accompany Rosalind on her way home. The day of their departure, Charles goes missing, when the girls board the train. As Rosalind starts to become worried about Charles, Cecily reassures her that everything is going to be fine. The girls then run into Alix, an old friend of Cecily. As the girls explore the train, they meet two boys, and become friends. On the night of one of the balls, Cecily and her maid Doris, are found murdered in Cecily's room. Alix and Rosalind try as hard as they can to cope with the feelings of their friend's death. This book is told in a 3rd person perspective. The purpose of this book is to have a reader question themselves on what they would do, and who they think committed the crime. Some recurring themes that are experienced in this book are friendship, trust, and betrayal. This novel goes through many different twists, and turns, with an ending that was very unexpected. Overall I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who loves Sci-Fi mysteries.
December 1, 2019
Very cute book with more substance than other GR reviews give it credit for. However: 1) the antagonistic character of the father was difficult to believe as he lacked presence in the book and 2) the ending seems more like a set-up for a series that didn't take off than a satisfactory note to end on. It definitely could have benefited from more pages!
July 27, 2017
3.5 stars
This was a fun book with a cool concept. I enjoyed that it was a murder mystery. While I love shorter novels, this should have been a hundred more pages long with the second half getting more attention. The climax felt very rushed. Some of the characters deserved better development - especially Cecily. Really liked Rosalind and Alix. Overall fun and enjoyable.
This was a fun book with a cool concept. I enjoyed that it was a murder mystery. While I love shorter novels, this should have been a hundred more pages long with the second half getting more attention. The climax felt very rushed. Some of the characters deserved better development - especially Cecily. Really liked Rosalind and Alix. Overall fun and enjoyable.
February 8, 2022
I was drawn to this book because of the cover. The cover illustration is amazing. I love the art deco-inspired illustration. In my head, I saw the octopus and thought, yes, a Cthulu-esque, early 1900s book about a steampunk train that travels across the ocean between Europe and the US. I was very wrong about the Cthulu part. As I read I thought maybe this will be a fun take on The Orient Express except underwater and with teenagers! Maybe the lead character will be Nancy Drew in the early 1900s! I was also wrong.
The steampunk part of the book, the part of a luxury train with interesting additions, like a pneumatic tube between compartments and the arboretum, and all the luxury of this era (that most people could not afford to view much less partake in) was a fun bit of reading.
But overall the story just fell flat. I know I'm not the target audience. The characters are all teenagers and the voice the book was written in is decidedly young and immature. The main security officer just yells and stomps about. Two of the supporting cast, remember they are teenagers, have super-secret careers that makes no sense.
It was alright, and perhaps I'm being generous with the three stars. I might have enjoyed this book in 6th grade but as an adult who was hoping for some excitement, maybe even a little Agatha Christie/Nancy Drew murder-mystery, I was let down. Ah well.
The steampunk part of the book, the part of a luxury train with interesting additions, like a pneumatic tube between compartments and the arboretum, and all the luxury of this era (that most people could not afford to view much less partake in) was a fun bit of reading.
But overall the story just fell flat. I know I'm not the target audience. The characters are all teenagers and the voice the book was written in is decidedly young and immature. The main security officer just yells and stomps about. Two of the supporting cast, remember they are teenagers, have super-secret careers that makes no sense.
It was alright, and perhaps I'm being generous with the three stars. I might have enjoyed this book in 6th grade but as an adult who was hoping for some excitement, maybe even a little Agatha Christie/Nancy Drew murder-mystery, I was let down. Ah well.
July 24, 2018
Seriously???
I decided to read this book as my friend was reading it one day (and because I love a good mystery), and as I started reading, I noticed some things that really annoyed me.
The plot is set in 1908, about two girls named Rosalind and Cecily. Rosalind's father is a railway-inventor/maker and he has invented the Transatlantic Railway, a railway that goes underneath the ocean. But Cecily and her housemaid, Doris are killed just 2 days into the journey. And Rosalind must confide her feelings in Erich (basically the love interest) and Cecily's old friend Alix.
Okay, the idea is interesting, BUT:
1. This basically is like Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.
2. In multiple parts of the book, the language is nothing like you would use in 1908. Sometimes the language was too modern, and it just didn't comply with the plot overall.
3. The characters were TOTALLY underdeveloped. I felt like the author didn't really give us any backstory on the characters, nothing that would indicate or develop their personalities. It made the characters unlikeable. They were unoriginal and boring and I ended up not liking ANY of them in the end.
4. The voice was too childish. The point-of-view did not seem like it was fitting for a seventeen-year-old young woman in 1908. I felt like she was maybe a modern-day 12 or 13-year-old.
5. The book was too fast. The first 90% of the book was dull and slow, and I found it hard to get through. And, Cecily was killed in the last 10% of the book. After Cecily was killed, it seemed like he got bored with the plot and just rushed it. Really, in the span of 50 pages or less, he managed to unveil the killer. I like twists in my mysteries, twists that make me consider other suspects. But in this book, he just rushed it, and there was maybe one twist, but even that was expected, due to a line earlier in the book, so I don't count it as a 'twist' if you really pay attention to the dialogue between characters. The book didn't keep me guessing like other mysteries I've read, and that's what makes a good mystery. Twist after twist.
6. Am I the only one that is upset that there were no giant squids/octopuses in the book despite the cover? Like, come on, I wanted a giant octopus attack or something just to give it some 'flare' or something. Putting something on the cover of a book that has nothing to do with the storyline itself is really misleading and will leave the readers unsatisfied in the end.
For these reasons, I give the book 2 stars. It was an interesting idea, it was just too much like Murder on the Orient Express for me.
That being said, though, I am not opposed to reading other books by G.D. Falksen, because I'm sure he's a very talented author. Sure, it could be better, but I don't judge an author by one book they've written.
I decided to read this book as my friend was reading it one day (and because I love a good mystery), and as I started reading, I noticed some things that really annoyed me.
The plot is set in 1908, about two girls named Rosalind and Cecily. Rosalind's father is a railway-inventor/maker and he has invented the Transatlantic Railway, a railway that goes underneath the ocean. But Cecily and her housemaid, Doris are killed just 2 days into the journey. And Rosalind must confide her feelings in Erich (basically the love interest) and Cecily's old friend Alix.
Okay, the idea is interesting, BUT:
1. This basically is like Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.
2. In multiple parts of the book, the language is nothing like you would use in 1908. Sometimes the language was too modern, and it just didn't comply with the plot overall.
3. The characters were TOTALLY underdeveloped. I felt like the author didn't really give us any backstory on the characters, nothing that would indicate or develop their personalities. It made the characters unlikeable. They were unoriginal and boring and I ended up not liking ANY of them in the end.
4. The voice was too childish. The point-of-view did not seem like it was fitting for a seventeen-year-old young woman in 1908. I felt like she was maybe a modern-day 12 or 13-year-old.
5. The book was too fast. The first 90% of the book was dull and slow, and I found it hard to get through. And, Cecily was killed in the last 10% of the book. After Cecily was killed, it seemed like he got bored with the plot and just rushed it. Really, in the span of 50 pages or less, he managed to unveil the killer. I like twists in my mysteries, twists that make me consider other suspects. But in this book, he just rushed it, and there was maybe one twist, but even that was expected, due to a line earlier in the book, so I don't count it as a 'twist' if you really pay attention to the dialogue between characters. The book didn't keep me guessing like other mysteries I've read, and that's what makes a good mystery. Twist after twist.
6. Am I the only one that is upset that there were no giant squids/octopuses in the book despite the cover? Like, come on, I wanted a giant octopus attack or something just to give it some 'flare' or something. Putting something on the cover of a book that has nothing to do with the storyline itself is really misleading and will leave the readers unsatisfied in the end.
For these reasons, I give the book 2 stars. It was an interesting idea, it was just too much like Murder on the Orient Express for me.
That being said, though, I am not opposed to reading other books by G.D. Falksen, because I'm sure he's a very talented author. Sure, it could be better, but I don't judge an author by one book they've written.
January 30, 2017
***spoiler alart***Have you ever been stuck in a place with a murderer? The transatlantic conspiracy by G.D Falksen is a murder mystery where the main character, Rosalind Wallace, cannot trust anyone, including her closest friends or even her father. The events of this story take place during the 20th century in London where the first underground train was ever built. The novel explores the themes of betrayal, friendship, trust, and imperialism. The Transatlantic Conspiracy shows how one girl uncovers the secret about her friends and family which will change her life forever.
Rosalind Wallace’s vacation with her best friend Cecily is over when her father, an industrialist who made the first Transatlantic Express, calls her home. Luckily, Cecily and her brother, Charles, decide to accompany Rose. Rose meets Cecily’s school friend, Alix, and they all start spending time together. However, when Cecily is murdered, Rose and Alix could not stop grieving and know the murderer is still on the train. Now, Rose is suspicious that Alix could be the murderer. Will Rose survive on this train?
G.D Falken’s “The Transatlantic Conspiracy” is an easy read. The book is a fast-paced whodunit and is written in colloquial language. I enjoyed the book as the story evokes suspense and is a page turner. The author keeps the novel from becoming boring by making the murder plot very mysterious. The story starts slow and is a bit boring, but becomes interesting as the novel progresses. The novel does not only contain villains but also introduces fun characters and romance to keep the readers entertained.
I will recommend this book to my friends and family as a short, fun read. Throughout the book, G.D Falksen covers the topics of friendship and loss. Readers learn how to be careful about who they should trust. I highly recommend reading this book to all young adults as it will keep you guessing about the identity of the murderer. I would not recommend this book to adult readers as the language is quite simple and it might be easier for them to guess the plot.
The Transatlantic Conspiracy is a captivating story with beautifully sculpted characters. Rosalind is the daughter of an inventor who has designed an underwater train and insists Rosalind take it for its first journey. Trouble is afoot from the beginning when her friend's brother vanishes before they board. A shocking murder will change the course of Rosalind's life, raising many questions that remain unanswered. This book will have readers clinging to every word, hoping to help solve the mystery.
Rosalind Wallace’s vacation with her best friend Cecily is over when her father, an industrialist who made the first Transatlantic Express, calls her home. Luckily, Cecily and her brother, Charles, decide to accompany Rose. Rose meets Cecily’s school friend, Alix, and they all start spending time together. However, when Cecily is murdered, Rose and Alix could not stop grieving and know the murderer is still on the train. Now, Rose is suspicious that Alix could be the murderer. Will Rose survive on this train?
G.D Falken’s “The Transatlantic Conspiracy” is an easy read. The book is a fast-paced whodunit and is written in colloquial language. I enjoyed the book as the story evokes suspense and is a page turner. The author keeps the novel from becoming boring by making the murder plot very mysterious. The story starts slow and is a bit boring, but becomes interesting as the novel progresses. The novel does not only contain villains but also introduces fun characters and romance to keep the readers entertained.
I will recommend this book to my friends and family as a short, fun read. Throughout the book, G.D Falksen covers the topics of friendship and loss. Readers learn how to be careful about who they should trust. I highly recommend reading this book to all young adults as it will keep you guessing about the identity of the murderer. I would not recommend this book to adult readers as the language is quite simple and it might be easier for them to guess the plot.
The Transatlantic Conspiracy is a captivating story with beautifully sculpted characters. Rosalind is the daughter of an inventor who has designed an underwater train and insists Rosalind take it for its first journey. Trouble is afoot from the beginning when her friend's brother vanishes before they board. A shocking murder will change the course of Rosalind's life, raising many questions that remain unanswered. This book will have readers clinging to every word, hoping to help solve the mystery.
March 17, 2017
Words fail when I try to express the depth of disappointment this book caused. I am a fan of G. D. Falksen, and looked forward to this book's release, but the finished product is riddled with amateur flaws.
On the positives: The cover is beautiful. The concept is fine. The text is clean.
The author's grasp on the steampunk genre is clear, but not on the target audience. The mc is a teen, the writing style is middle grade or less, the murder mystery, NA or adult.
I wonder, too, where the editors were in this process. The first 100 plus pages of this 240-page book have little to do with mystery, adventure, or plot. I expected, perhaps, that the dreary details of the social niceties were cleverly concealing clues. Sadly, this was not the case. They bear little import. I thought perhaps those pages would be dedicated to world-building, but there is hardly any difference between historical society and the one presented in this version of London. The biggest difference is the MC's fondness for every unfashionable cause: from suffrage to anti-imperialism, her pontificating made her seem all the more shallow as she never takes action. The plot heats up in the last few chapters. Unfortunately, all the pieces come together in a few lines during a chase scene which completely destroys the tension. The reader hasn't time for any "aha" moments because the storyline is rushing them forward.
The writing consistently tells rather than shows and lacks voice. The most sparkling moments are when the text describes the architecture. The characters are shallow and stereotypical. The heroine's revelation is anti-climactic.
Even the illustrations were lacking. The characters all looked the same and there was an absence of detail which steampunk demands.
This review is harsh, and perhaps would have been less-deserved if my expectations had not been so high. It is with great regret that I cannot recommend this book.
On the positives: The cover is beautiful. The concept is fine. The text is clean.
The author's grasp on the steampunk genre is clear, but not on the target audience. The mc is a teen, the writing style is middle grade or less, the murder mystery, NA or adult.
I wonder, too, where the editors were in this process. The first 100 plus pages of this 240-page book have little to do with mystery, adventure, or plot. I expected, perhaps, that the dreary details of the social niceties were cleverly concealing clues. Sadly, this was not the case. They bear little import. I thought perhaps those pages would be dedicated to world-building, but there is hardly any difference between historical society and the one presented in this version of London. The biggest difference is the MC's fondness for every unfashionable cause: from suffrage to anti-imperialism, her pontificating made her seem all the more shallow as she never takes action. The plot heats up in the last few chapters. Unfortunately, all the pieces come together in a few lines during a chase scene which completely destroys the tension. The reader hasn't time for any "aha" moments because the storyline is rushing them forward.
The writing consistently tells rather than shows and lacks voice. The most sparkling moments are when the text describes the architecture. The characters are shallow and stereotypical. The heroine's revelation is anti-climactic.
Even the illustrations were lacking. The characters all looked the same and there was an absence of detail which steampunk demands.
This review is harsh, and perhaps would have been less-deserved if my expectations had not been so high. It is with great regret that I cannot recommend this book.
October 3, 2019
This started out well enough, but it took almost halfway through the book for any crime to take place, and then all of the solutions were just dumped on the reader within a couple chapters to make room for the action movie ending. (No joke, there were explosions involved.) The book goes from slow burn plot to having way too much going on in the span of just a few pages. Ultimately, there's too many international interests, too much conspiracy, and too little plot or character development for such a short book. Rosalind was absolutely the wrong choice of main character. She's a passive girl who has all the fashionable 21st century political views mixed with early 20th century woes, but takes no action unless she needs to physically save her life, and is *not* an investigator. If Cecily, Charles, or Alix had been the lead, this could have been a fun spy thriller cat-and-mouse game. Sadly, they too were absolutely underdeveloped, to the point that the surprise reveals about them read as unfounded and trite. But even with a different main character, the plot would have needed at least 200 more pages to properly lay the groundwork for the kind of Mission Impossible-esque thriller I think this was supposed to be. Maybe? Even as I'm writing my review I'm starting to doubt what the author even intended the story to be. Murder on the Orient Express spy thriller? Mission Impossible but with steampunk technology? Something else? Either way, I don't recommend it.
October 17, 2016
One of the most well known mysteries of all time is The Murder on the Orient Express. A who-done-it that takes place on a train. Mr Falksen takes on that topic in his new teen novel. This book takes a classic case of murder and gives it a steampunk twist. For they do not travel on an ordinary train, but rather one that connects Germany to America on underwater tracks. The scientist in me wants to know how many of the things in this book can happen, but for the sake of enjoyment, suspend your scientific thought. Rose is the creator's daughter, and is being sent on the inarguable journey as a symbol to everyone, that this new train is safe. That is until people start dying. The mystery part is okay, but very slow. The reader spends 75% of the book on the build up to the end, and then the end passes way too quickly. No enough dead people and not enough information on the purpose of their death. That is why I’m pretty sure that there will be a sequel.
Overall, not a bad read. One annoying thing. I love the book cover. However the interior pictures are too cartoonish and do not look like they were done by the cover illustrator. I think that for the age this book is geared towards, the pics can be left out of the paperback edition, and all future editions.
Overall, not a bad read. One annoying thing. I love the book cover. However the interior pictures are too cartoonish and do not look like they were done by the cover illustrator. I think that for the age this book is geared towards, the pics can be left out of the paperback edition, and all future editions.
May 2, 2016
Note: ARC received via Amazon Vine in exchange for review.
The only conspiracy about The Transatlantic Conspiracy is how this was sent to print in its current state. The first half of the book is overly preoccupied with creating character and inane conversation (for which we're told there's a point very curtly in the second half). The characters feel like sketches along with a plot that feels overly familiar. This seems to be marketed as a young adult steampunk romp but reads more like a juvenile murder mystery in which the mystery isn't all that important so much as moving the characters into place for the next outing. Really, it feels too much like an early draft of an idea that, for whatever reason, is about to become a trilogy when this first book is so bare bones that it should have just been developed into the whole story in the first place. I can't in good conscience recommend The Transatlantic Conspiracy. It lacks conspiracy and intrigue and, well, good writing.
The only conspiracy about The Transatlantic Conspiracy is how this was sent to print in its current state. The first half of the book is overly preoccupied with creating character and inane conversation (for which we're told there's a point very curtly in the second half). The characters feel like sketches along with a plot that feels overly familiar. This seems to be marketed as a young adult steampunk romp but reads more like a juvenile murder mystery in which the mystery isn't all that important so much as moving the characters into place for the next outing. Really, it feels too much like an early draft of an idea that, for whatever reason, is about to become a trilogy when this first book is so bare bones that it should have just been developed into the whole story in the first place. I can't in good conscience recommend The Transatlantic Conspiracy. It lacks conspiracy and intrigue and, well, good writing.
October 25, 2016
This book wasn't what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a murder mystery, and eventually it was, but the story didn't get started until after the halfway mark. The mystery was interesting, but it took too long for that part of the story to get started. Also, I enjoyed the science and the history in this book. I thought that there was going to be some fantasy involved in this story, but there wasn't any, at lest not what I call fantasy, which was quite disappointing. The characters were all right, but I didn't connect with any of them. The setting was interesting, though. I like that the story took place on an underwater train. That was the best thing about this book.
January 2, 2017
I got this murder mystery through Brilliant Books, and I'm really glad they sent it to me. It was a quick read that kept me turning the pages. The book had a "Titanic" feel to it. The noticeable divide of high and low class, a lavish vessel traveling the Atlantic, a main character named Rose, and an adventure too good to be true. The author made great use of language in the early 1900's, and I loved the feisty protagonist's views on women's issues. It had a little bit of romance, a little bit of friendship, and a whole lot of murder. I didn't know who to trust until the last page!
January 24, 2016
A steampunk luxury train underwater with an octopus on the cover? Of course I'm going to love it. I would have liked it a little better if it were longer and written for teens instead of middle grade. The world building takes the whole first half of the book and the murder doesn't happen until after that, which is fine by me. World building is my favorite part.
July 4, 2016
This book is ok, it wasn't near what I had hoped for it. This book had tons of potential , and honestly I don't feel that it was used. It was well over halfway through before anything really happened beyond them riding in a train. The story seemed to naturally flow and the author made it interesting , and I feel that it was well written, just a little anti-climactic.
July 14, 2016
2/3 stars. This is labelled as a YA book, but it reads like middle school fiction. I agree with the other reviewers, this could've been great fun about a daring young woman, but it fell a bit flat with everything and the kitchen sink thrown in as well as a rushed conclusion that sets itself up for a sequel.
September 20, 2022
The first half of this book is a kind of historical fiction with a dash of steam punk. The murder-mystery doesn’t start until the middle and for the last 3 or so chapters it turns into a spy novel. It was a very interesting read, but I get the feeling the author couldn’t decide on a genre. The one constant theme was social issues of the Edwardians.
February 4, 2018
This book was just silly and unbelievable, with no backbone to back up the claims in the plot.
What I liked: The all too brief descriptions of the train, and the underwater environment in which it traveled. All the different cars made me want to be on that train for one trip just to explore. Also, the idea of travelling on a train, underwater, where you would have the ability to look out the window at the ocean just sounds like my idea of a fantastic journey.
What I did not like: Lets star with Rose, Cecily and Alix. Rose is the daughter of the man who built the train. She is a young lady who loves to drive motor cars and seems, in better plot moments, to be a smart girl. She is also a suffragette, which I admired. She does what she likes with little regard for how society views her which I thought was brave. However, she also has the oblivious, whinny streak in her. Cecily is Rose's friend, a wealthy Lady and her and her brother Charles accompany Rose on the trains voyage as chaperones. Cecily, for all of the book that she is alive is more concerned about fashion and gossip and what people are wearing. She is portrayed as extremely flighty, dumb, and only concerned about looks and gossip. Without giving anything away, suddenly at the end of the book we are supposed to believe that this girly, egotistical, silly girl is supposed to be this extremely brilliant young woman. Can you say 'unbelievable' and 'a really dumb plot twist' because that is exactly what I felt when I read it. Alix is a similar case. She is shown in a similar light to Cecily, then suddenly we are meant to just swallow that she is brave and strong and smart.
Charles is a similar case. We see him briefly in the beginning, he disappears for 80% of the book, and reappears again ten pages or so before the end, and we are meant to believe he is the linchpin in this entire story, and he has some grand plan with regards to serving King and country.
This entire book was no well written, not well structured, and frankly, in terms of plot and characterization, stretched to the point of being ridiculous.
What I liked: The all too brief descriptions of the train, and the underwater environment in which it traveled. All the different cars made me want to be on that train for one trip just to explore. Also, the idea of travelling on a train, underwater, where you would have the ability to look out the window at the ocean just sounds like my idea of a fantastic journey.
What I did not like: Lets star with Rose, Cecily and Alix. Rose is the daughter of the man who built the train. She is a young lady who loves to drive motor cars and seems, in better plot moments, to be a smart girl. She is also a suffragette, which I admired. She does what she likes with little regard for how society views her which I thought was brave. However, she also has the oblivious, whinny streak in her. Cecily is Rose's friend, a wealthy Lady and her and her brother Charles accompany Rose on the trains voyage as chaperones. Cecily, for all of the book that she is alive is more concerned about fashion and gossip and what people are wearing. She is portrayed as extremely flighty, dumb, and only concerned about looks and gossip. Without giving anything away, suddenly at the end of the book we are supposed to believe that this girly, egotistical, silly girl is supposed to be this extremely brilliant young woman. Can you say 'unbelievable' and 'a really dumb plot twist' because that is exactly what I felt when I read it. Alix is a similar case. She is shown in a similar light to Cecily, then suddenly we are meant to just swallow that she is brave and strong and smart.
Charles is a similar case. We see him briefly in the beginning, he disappears for 80% of the book, and reappears again ten pages or so before the end, and we are meant to believe he is the linchpin in this entire story, and he has some grand plan with regards to serving King and country.
This entire book was no well written, not well structured, and frankly, in terms of plot and characterization, stretched to the point of being ridiculous.
November 20, 2020
Rosalind is the only daughter of successful American industrialist Mr. Wallace. She was enjoying the season in England with her best friend Cecily de Vere when her father messages that he needs her to be on the inaugural trip of his newest venture, the Transatlantic Express which will go under the Atlantic from Germany to the United States. Rosalind knows the routine, but she is tired of her father using her as a business stunt. Her friend Cecily helps make the trip sting a bit less when she and her brother volunteer to come along. Upon departure Cecily runs into an old friend from finishing school, and Charles is missing. But that isn't the last of the mysterious things to happen on the trip. Halfway to America two people are brutally murdered. But who would do such a thing and why?
This was a different kind of murder on a train mystery. For one thing it has the slight steampunk flavor with the whole underwater train thing. For another, the murder doesn't happen until halfway through the book and by that point you actually know the people quite well and...they are likable. Usually when mystery writers introduce the person before killing them it is to show off how unlikable they are and just how many people might want to murder them. This reads more like a society drama with girls talking about the season, what is in fashion, how some of them are scandalous for their hobbies (motoring and tinkering with mechanics and such), and the men on the train for much of the book until the murder happens. Then things get much more mysterious and the tone takes a turn. It was different, but I liked it. Recommended for those who like reimagined histories, mystery/thrillers, and turn of the 20th century society drama.
Notes on content: About 3 minor American swears, 4 strong British swears (that won't register with US readers). No sexual content beyond a kiss. Three murders with more attempted. The first double murder is a bit bloody.
This was a different kind of murder on a train mystery. For one thing it has the slight steampunk flavor with the whole underwater train thing. For another, the murder doesn't happen until halfway through the book and by that point you actually know the people quite well and...they are likable. Usually when mystery writers introduce the person before killing them it is to show off how unlikable they are and just how many people might want to murder them. This reads more like a society drama with girls talking about the season, what is in fashion, how some of them are scandalous for their hobbies (motoring and tinkering with mechanics and such), and the men on the train for much of the book until the murder happens. Then things get much more mysterious and the tone takes a turn. It was different, but I liked it. Recommended for those who like reimagined histories, mystery/thrillers, and turn of the 20th century society drama.
Notes on content: About 3 minor American swears, 4 strong British swears (that won't register with US readers). No sexual content beyond a kiss. Three murders with more attempted. The first double murder is a bit bloody.
June 11, 2017
This book is definitely marketed and geared for young teens and older children, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. (First the negative, then the positive). What really marks it out for that age group is the fast action-driven pace and the shallowness of most characters. The plot takes a major twist in the very last chapters that is so out of the blue it just seems contrived. Obviously there needed to be a conspiracy involved but what occurred was far larger than I expected and was an obvious setup for a series continuation. But since the twist was introduced so quickly and at the very end of the book, there was no explanation or reasoning for the characters' motivations, which leaves me questioning them, but not enough that I plan to continue with the series. If I had known it was a series I would never have picked it up but that is a personal thing.
Despite these faults it was an engaging page turner and an enjoyable summer read. I thought it was interesting and enjoyed the tone and the underlying political themes it introduces. The book isn't overbearingly educational but you can tell it's goal is to create interest about the political and social theories of the time for young readers. For all that I said about character development, it is not so lacking that all characters are simple plot devices with no flesh of their own, although some are, there is enough there to make them just believable and a younger reader may not even notice. The classic murder-mystery suspense takes predominance and leads the reader pleasantly along to the who-dunnit moment. (Although this is where motivations become unnervingly lacking and contrived unfortunately, presumably to be elaborated in the following book)
Despite these faults it was an engaging page turner and an enjoyable summer read. I thought it was interesting and enjoyed the tone and the underlying political themes it introduces. The book isn't overbearingly educational but you can tell it's goal is to create interest about the political and social theories of the time for young readers. For all that I said about character development, it is not so lacking that all characters are simple plot devices with no flesh of their own, although some are, there is enough there to make them just believable and a younger reader may not even notice. The classic murder-mystery suspense takes predominance and leads the reader pleasantly along to the who-dunnit moment. (Although this is where motivations become unnervingly lacking and contrived unfortunately, presumably to be elaborated in the following book)
April 20, 2018
The only reason this is getting two stars instead of one is because I like the idea of an underwater train. That's it. The rest is tragic.
Rosalind, the main character, is almost completely unlikable. For all she claim to hate elitism, she sure participates in it a whole lot. She's sullen, has incomprehensible emotions that are never explained, and doesn't seem to do anything else but complain about the people who are supposedly her friends.
There's a great deal of pacing issues in this book. For the first half of this book, absolutely nothing happens and I was left waiting to see if I had read the book jacket wrong and if there was going to be a murder at all. Not a whole lot happens after the murder either until the last twenty or so pages, where the author tries to shoehorn in an entirely new plot and make his characters three-dimensional with bizarre motives and newfound skills that have never been hinted at before. There are other strange actions characters take without ever being explained.
There's also the fact that **(SPOILERS)** Rosalind ends up with a man who wasn't there for 150/190 pages of the book, has no personality, and has consistently lied to her and caused the death of a family member with his idiocy. Rosalind had more chemistry with the other two female characters than she did with this guy, god.
Rosalind, the main character, is almost completely unlikable. For all she claim to hate elitism, she sure participates in it a whole lot. She's sullen, has incomprehensible emotions that are never explained, and doesn't seem to do anything else but complain about the people who are supposedly her friends.
There's a great deal of pacing issues in this book. For the first half of this book, absolutely nothing happens and I was left waiting to see if I had read the book jacket wrong and if there was going to be a murder at all. Not a whole lot happens after the murder either until the last twenty or so pages, where the author tries to shoehorn in an entirely new plot and make his characters three-dimensional with bizarre motives and newfound skills that have never been hinted at before. There are other strange actions characters take without ever being explained.
There's also the fact that **(SPOILERS)** Rosalind ends up with a man who wasn't there for 150/190 pages of the book, has no personality, and has consistently lied to her and caused the death of a family member with his idiocy. Rosalind had more chemistry with the other two female characters than she did with this guy, god.
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