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A Fatal Crossing
Gripping crime fiction set on board a cruise liner sailing from Southampton to New York in the 1920s. This fresh take on the classic locked-room mystery will appeal to fans of Anthony Horowitz, Sophie Hannah and Richard Osman
November 1924 The Endeavour sets sail for New York, with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board.
When a body is found on deck, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare the death a tragic accident. But Scotland Yard inspector James Temple is certain there's more to this misfortune than meets the eye. Mounting an investigation, the pair uncover the theft of a priceless painting, and encounter a string of suspects with secrets to hide. Now, with just days remaining until the Endeavour reaches New York, their search for the culprit is fraught with danger.
And all the while, the passengers roam the ship with a killer in their midst...
November 1924 The Endeavour sets sail for New York, with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board.
When a body is found on deck, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare the death a tragic accident. But Scotland Yard inspector James Temple is certain there's more to this misfortune than meets the eye. Mounting an investigation, the pair uncover the theft of a priceless painting, and encounter a string of suspects with secrets to hide. Now, with just days remaining until the Endeavour reaches New York, their search for the culprit is fraught with danger.
And all the while, the passengers roam the ship with a killer in their midst...
449 pages, Paperback
First published January 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 985 reviews
October 28, 2021
It’s quite clear that on a ship you’re a captive audience, but imagine being on said ship with a killer on board!
It’s November 1924, when the ship Endeavour sets sail from Southampton for New York, with a total of 2000 passengers and crew.
Timothy Birch, an officer on The Endeavour, carries a great burden with him. His daughter Amelia has been missing for two years, and he feels responsible, as he was away at sea at the time. His wife Kate had pleaded with him not to go, worrying that should something happen, she wouldn’t have anyone to turn to, and then of course it did. Kate has since left him, and he’s completely distraught.
When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, Tim believes it to be a terrible accident, but James Temple, a surly Scotland Yard detective, is suspicious right from the start, and he’s determined to investigate. The ship’s Captain isn’t happy about this, it wouldn’t do to have the passengers believing there’s a killer on board, but he allows Temple to proceed as long as Tim shadows him as he carries out his interviews. With Tim’s personal problems though, he’s possibly not strong enough mentally, to deal with the proceedings.
Their is something of the Agatha Christie about this one, and it’s just as intriguing. We’re taken to various areas of the ship, from the sumptuous first class deck, to the mess hall, the descriptions of which add much interest.
The storyline ensures that the reader is kept entertained and towards the end, there was a scenario that seemed to present itself to me as a possible twist, however, I was completely wrong - there certainly was a twist, an almighty twist at that, but not the one I was expecting!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
It’s November 1924, when the ship Endeavour sets sail from Southampton for New York, with a total of 2000 passengers and crew.
Timothy Birch, an officer on The Endeavour, carries a great burden with him. His daughter Amelia has been missing for two years, and he feels responsible, as he was away at sea at the time. His wife Kate had pleaded with him not to go, worrying that should something happen, she wouldn’t have anyone to turn to, and then of course it did. Kate has since left him, and he’s completely distraught.
When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, Tim believes it to be a terrible accident, but James Temple, a surly Scotland Yard detective, is suspicious right from the start, and he’s determined to investigate. The ship’s Captain isn’t happy about this, it wouldn’t do to have the passengers believing there’s a killer on board, but he allows Temple to proceed as long as Tim shadows him as he carries out his interviews. With Tim’s personal problems though, he’s possibly not strong enough mentally, to deal with the proceedings.
Their is something of the Agatha Christie about this one, and it’s just as intriguing. We’re taken to various areas of the ship, from the sumptuous first class deck, to the mess hall, the descriptions of which add much interest.
The storyline ensures that the reader is kept entertained and towards the end, there was a scenario that seemed to present itself to me as a possible twist, however, I was completely wrong - there certainly was a twist, an almighty twist at that, but not the one I was expecting!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
November 24, 2021
This is Tom Hindle's historical fiction debut, styled in the classic tradition of crime mysteries, set in 1924 on a transatlantic cruise liner, The Endeavour, travelling to New York from Southampton with 2000 passengers. It opens with a death of an elderly man, apparently falling down the stairs during a storm. Captain McCrory is on his final journey before retirement, intent for nothing to upset the apple cart, he is all too keen to accept the death as a accident, and his priority is that none of the passengers should worry. So when Detective Inspector James Temple of Scotland Yard voices his suspicions that this might be a murder that he wants to investigate, McCrory is not a happy man. He eventually agrees, but that Temple can only proceed if he is accompanied at all times by the ship's officer, Timothy Birch.
Temple is furious that he has to put up with Birch, and so begins their acrimonious partnership in which the pair have 4 days to find a killer, after which the liner arrives in New York, the passengers disembark, and there will be no chance of resolving the case. Birch is a traumatised man who served in the war, left with a bullet wound in his shoulder. His daughter, Amelia, has been missing for 2 years, and his marriage to Kate has fallen apart. He blames himself, he is a shadow of the man he used to be, putting his hopes in finding Amelia on the only person he has any faith in, American Raymond, clinging to a yellow ribbon belonging to Amelia as if his life depended on it. Virtually all the crew, with the exception of Wilson avoid Birch, he is incapable of maintaining any relationship. Temple is a man with his own demons and secrets, he refuses to divulge what police business has him travelling on the liner.
The two of them find themselves looking into a group of passengers, most of whom know each other, intent on attending the NYC Art Fair, in an inquiry that revolves around a valuable stolen artwork, having to sift through the deceptions, secrets and lies, whilst facing numerous obstacles, such as a powerful, ruthless and dangerous criminal gang. This is an engaging crime read which took a little time for me to become immersed in, with many red herrings, and twists and turns galore, although the final twist really stretches credulity to the limit and requires a big suspension of disbelief from the reader. Readers who like a blend of historical fiction with an intriguing mystery are likely to enjoy this. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Temple is furious that he has to put up with Birch, and so begins their acrimonious partnership in which the pair have 4 days to find a killer, after which the liner arrives in New York, the passengers disembark, and there will be no chance of resolving the case. Birch is a traumatised man who served in the war, left with a bullet wound in his shoulder. His daughter, Amelia, has been missing for 2 years, and his marriage to Kate has fallen apart. He blames himself, he is a shadow of the man he used to be, putting his hopes in finding Amelia on the only person he has any faith in, American Raymond, clinging to a yellow ribbon belonging to Amelia as if his life depended on it. Virtually all the crew, with the exception of Wilson avoid Birch, he is incapable of maintaining any relationship. Temple is a man with his own demons and secrets, he refuses to divulge what police business has him travelling on the liner.
The two of them find themselves looking into a group of passengers, most of whom know each other, intent on attending the NYC Art Fair, in an inquiry that revolves around a valuable stolen artwork, having to sift through the deceptions, secrets and lies, whilst facing numerous obstacles, such as a powerful, ruthless and dangerous criminal gang. This is an engaging crime read which took a little time for me to become immersed in, with many red herrings, and twists and turns galore, although the final twist really stretches credulity to the limit and requires a big suspension of disbelief from the reader. Readers who like a blend of historical fiction with an intriguing mystery are likely to enjoy this. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
March 27, 2023
I initially rated this three stars but I decided that a book that made me let out a groan [frustrated, not sexual] loud enough to shake awake my co-workers at our late shift at the psych ward deserves two stars max.
The premise of this sounded sooo good, I’ll always be a slut for closed-circle murder mysteries and this one promised a ton of entertainment given that it’s also historical fiction, set on a Titanic-like passenger ship bound to travel from England to New York. Set in 1924 (love the post-WW1 anxiety vibes), Timothy Birch is an officer on board the Endeavour. When an elderly gentleman is found dead, the ship’s captain asks Birch to work together with Scotland Yard inspector James Temple, who is travelling on important business matters to New York and who immediately suspects foul play. They quickly realise that if the man has indeed been murdered, the killer must still be on the ship, and they have no way to escape them should the murderer choose to strike again.
The very first thing I noticed about this book was the author’s writing style. Calling it juvenile might go a bit too far but it was definitely too tame for my taste. Bland and boring, it was immediately forgettable and repetitive. It’s always “the ship stretches the best part of…” or “the best part of fifty thousand tons” or “the restaurant’s capacity to seat the best part of five hundred diners” or “the best part of an hour/minute”…
The same goes for the characters, especially Temple, the SY inspector, who is ALWAYS either scowling, snapping, or growling. The character is basically angry 24/7 and we never ever learn why. It just became a silly shtick and Temple ended up as incredibly 2-dimensional and flat. Ohhhh, tiny detective angry, much frightened.
But at least, that made him have something in common with the other characters because they were just as flat. When I say flat, I mean Ewan-McGregor-in-Trainspotting-flat (physically speaking!!). Birch is supposed to be more interesting because the reader learns early on that SOMETHING tragic happened in this past that he is still not over yet. All we know is that it’s a familial tragedy that makes him alienated from the rest of the crew, boohoo.
Whatever happened, it’s a mystery that is supposed to keep readers guessing and hopefully continue reading which I did! I ate this up and I can’t even say why!! This may be a closed-circle mystery, but it wasn’t suspenseful even though they were all trapped on one ship. Birch and Temple spend their days interviewing other passengers, potential suspects and witnesses, going from one cabin to the next while the only thing Temple does is be angry and shout at people and Birch always calms everyone down.
I guess I just wanted to know who the murderer was but guess what, it’s only been three weeks since I finished the book and I have already forgotten, lmao.
What took the cake though was the ending. My initial review said that I gasped out loud – I did!!!!! – but upon reflection, I think it’s an utterly underserved plot twist meant to do nothing but that: induce gasps. I don’t want to compare it with GOTs “Red Wedding” because different things happen, but it was about as unexpected. I usually LOVE unexpected plot twists, I live for them in my murder mysteries, but this one was so out of the blue, so far-fetched, ungracious and ungrateful to everything that came prior that it felt wrong and unearned. It’s super hard to talk about it without spoiling anything but it’s basically meant to turn the whole novel on its head and make you see it in a different light. I just thought it was lazy writing to make an otherwise super dull plot and average novel more exciting. I mean, I’m 100% pro-choice, I just wish the author had chosen a different ending for this book.
If you’re looking for a historical fiction murder mystery, maybe just pick up anything Agatha Christie instead of bothering with this.
The premise of this sounded sooo good, I’ll always be a slut for closed-circle murder mysteries and this one promised a ton of entertainment given that it’s also historical fiction, set on a Titanic-like passenger ship bound to travel from England to New York. Set in 1924 (love the post-WW1 anxiety vibes), Timothy Birch is an officer on board the Endeavour. When an elderly gentleman is found dead, the ship’s captain asks Birch to work together with Scotland Yard inspector James Temple, who is travelling on important business matters to New York and who immediately suspects foul play. They quickly realise that if the man has indeed been murdered, the killer must still be on the ship, and they have no way to escape them should the murderer choose to strike again.
The very first thing I noticed about this book was the author’s writing style. Calling it juvenile might go a bit too far but it was definitely too tame for my taste. Bland and boring, it was immediately forgettable and repetitive. It’s always “the ship stretches the best part of…” or “the best part of fifty thousand tons” or “the restaurant’s capacity to seat the best part of five hundred diners” or “the best part of an hour/minute”…
The same goes for the characters, especially Temple, the SY inspector, who is ALWAYS either scowling, snapping, or growling. The character is basically angry 24/7 and we never ever learn why. It just became a silly shtick and Temple ended up as incredibly 2-dimensional and flat. Ohhhh, tiny detective angry, much frightened.
But at least, that made him have something in common with the other characters because they were just as flat. When I say flat, I mean Ewan-McGregor-in-Trainspotting-flat (physically speaking!!). Birch is supposed to be more interesting because the reader learns early on that SOMETHING tragic happened in this past that he is still not over yet. All we know is that it’s a familial tragedy that makes him alienated from the rest of the crew, boohoo.
Whatever happened, it’s a mystery that is supposed to keep readers guessing and hopefully continue reading which I did! I ate this up and I can’t even say why!! This may be a closed-circle mystery, but it wasn’t suspenseful even though they were all trapped on one ship. Birch and Temple spend their days interviewing other passengers, potential suspects and witnesses, going from one cabin to the next while the only thing Temple does is be angry and shout at people and Birch always calms everyone down.
I guess I just wanted to know who the murderer was but guess what, it’s only been three weeks since I finished the book and I have already forgotten, lmao.
What took the cake though was the ending. My initial review said that I gasped out loud – I did!!!!! – but upon reflection, I think it’s an utterly underserved plot twist meant to do nothing but that: induce gasps. I don’t want to compare it with GOTs “Red Wedding” because different things happen, but it was about as unexpected. I usually LOVE unexpected plot twists, I live for them in my murder mysteries, but this one was so out of the blue, so far-fetched, ungracious and ungrateful to everything that came prior that it felt wrong and unearned. It’s super hard to talk about it without spoiling anything but it’s basically meant to turn the whole novel on its head and make you see it in a different light. I just thought it was lazy writing to make an otherwise super dull plot and average novel more exciting. I mean, I’m 100% pro-choice, I just wish the author had chosen a different ending for this book.
If you’re looking for a historical fiction murder mystery, maybe just pick up anything Agatha Christie instead of bothering with this.
March 5, 2023
It's November 1924, and Great War wounded ship's officer Tim Birch working on the Endeavour passenger ship four days away from its New York destination, is called into his Captain's office to assist Scotland Yard detective Jim Temple with a suspected murder of an elderly passenger. Two detectives, one murder, two thousands people on the boat. four days 'till they land at New York, tick tock.
Despite all the raving reviews of this one, it lacked passion for me, for want of a better word. Most of the widely applauded twists and turns were all meh for me. What did grab my attention was the relationship between the investigating officers, which is really the core of this read. Temple's lack of any real respect or recognition of his 'civilian' partner was quite interesting. A work of crime fiction with shades of Agatha Christie that may well be enjoyed by many, but only gets a Two Star, 5 out of 12 from me.
2023 read
Despite all the raving reviews of this one, it lacked passion for me, for want of a better word. Most of the widely applauded twists and turns were all meh for me. What did grab my attention was the relationship between the investigating officers, which is really the core of this read. Temple's lack of any real respect or recognition of his 'civilian' partner was quite interesting. A work of crime fiction with shades of Agatha Christie that may well be enjoyed by many, but only gets a Two Star, 5 out of 12 from me.
2023 read
November 23, 2021
When I first came across this book, it seemed like something I would absolutely love. Set in 1924, aboard a transatlantic liner travelling from Southampton to New York, this seemed to have the period flavour I love and a great setting. The Endeavour, with two thousand on board, is a wonderfully self-contained world, which seems ideal for a mystery.
Thomas Birch is the ships officer, with a difficult past, who becomes involved in an investigation into the death of an elderly man, found crumpled at the bottom of a set of steps. The question was, why was he out on deck on a wet and windy November night. Scotland Yard Detective, James Temple, is on board and he insists on not accepting the death as an accident, even though the captain – on the verge of retirement – would rather not peer too deeply into what happened or risk upsetting the passengers.
Birch’s daughter, Amelia, has been missing for two years, which has led to the breakdown of his marriage and a rather irritating habit (well, for the reader perhaps) of constantly touching a piece of yellow ribbon that she wore. I know it was meant to be touching, but I would have thought it rather risky on a ship’s deck in November and it did seem to happen more and more, until the word yellow led me to skip over the sentence. Perhaps I am just cynical and uncaring, but it drove me a little crazy. Of course, he clashes with the taciturn Temple, who dislikes being shadowed but, on their travels, we get to really explore the ship, which is fun.
The actual crime involves art theft, which is something a little different. It did drag a little for me, but the ending had a great twist and overall, I enjoyed this, and it had promise. Not quite a five-star read for me, but it did lift from a 3 to a 4-star rating as I liked the end and the setting, even if I failed to empathise with the characters or really become invested with the plot. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Thomas Birch is the ships officer, with a difficult past, who becomes involved in an investigation into the death of an elderly man, found crumpled at the bottom of a set of steps. The question was, why was he out on deck on a wet and windy November night. Scotland Yard Detective, James Temple, is on board and he insists on not accepting the death as an accident, even though the captain – on the verge of retirement – would rather not peer too deeply into what happened or risk upsetting the passengers.
Birch’s daughter, Amelia, has been missing for two years, which has led to the breakdown of his marriage and a rather irritating habit (well, for the reader perhaps) of constantly touching a piece of yellow ribbon that she wore. I know it was meant to be touching, but I would have thought it rather risky on a ship’s deck in November and it did seem to happen more and more, until the word yellow led me to skip over the sentence. Perhaps I am just cynical and uncaring, but it drove me a little crazy. Of course, he clashes with the taciturn Temple, who dislikes being shadowed but, on their travels, we get to really explore the ship, which is fun.
The actual crime involves art theft, which is something a little different. It did drag a little for me, but the ending had a great twist and overall, I enjoyed this, and it had promise. Not quite a five-star read for me, but it did lift from a 3 to a 4-star rating as I liked the end and the setting, even if I failed to empathise with the characters or really become invested with the plot. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
August 3, 2022
Literally the worst thing I have ever read. I only finished it because it was chosen by my book club. It felt like I was reading a year 11’s GCSE coursework for creative writing, the descriptions were so poor and repetitive. How many times can character’s nostrils flare? They were also so one dimensional. The ending was also disappointing and felt unfinished. I appreciated a few twists, but all felt rushed and put together at the end as if the author was deliberately leaving it unfinished to try and get a sequel out of it.
I do feel for the author, you could tell this was a debut and if they had a better editor perhaps something better could have come out of it. The basic bones of the story were fine and could have been turned into something better with more imagination. Also so many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.. had it even been checked for editing at all?
My advice is don’t waste your money on this. But maybe I’m wrong and you will love it? 🤔
I had better be careful or the author will get Parker’s people after me with this review…
I do feel for the author, you could tell this was a debut and if they had a better editor perhaps something better could have come out of it. The basic bones of the story were fine and could have been turned into something better with more imagination. Also so many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.. had it even been checked for editing at all?
My advice is don’t waste your money on this. But maybe I’m wrong and you will love it? 🤔
I had better be careful or the author will get Parker’s people after me with this review…
March 11, 2022
Set almost 100 years ago (1924), A Fatal Crossing deftly combines a sense of its period setting with the plot structure and dramatic devices that readers expect a century later.
The book opens dramatically, with the discovery by a third-class passenger and her son early one morning of a body, crumpled and rain-soaked, at the foot of a companionway (deck stairs) on the steamship Endeavour. The ship is moving through the North Atlantic, heading towards New York, where she's expected to arrive in four days' time.
News of the death of a passenger travels rapidly among the passengers, raising speculation as to the elderly man's identity and cause of death. The Endeavour's Captain, McCrory, is on his retirement voyage and is keen for the matter to be cleared up with the minimum of fuss and inconvenience to himself and his passengers. However, one passenger demands an audience with the Captain, identifying himself as a Scotland Yard detective James Temple, en route to New York on "police business", the nature of which he refuses to divulge. He raises certain suspicious anomalies that indicate that the passenger's death may not be as simple as the accident that the Captain is so keen to assume. While adamant that the passengers must not be unduly disturbed, Captain McCrory reluctantly accedes to Temple's insistence upon undertaking preliminary investigations, but only on the basis that ship's officer Timothy Birch accompany him at all times.
Birch is an intriguing character. He's reeling from a recent family trauma, the details of which emerge over the course of the narrative, and his resulting taciturn introversion ostracises him from the majority of his fellow officers and crewmen aboard Endeavour. Nevertheless, he makes an intuitive and increasingly engaged associate for the acerbic Temple as together they view the body, search a cabin and interview several passengers who may have known the victim.
Temple and Birch quickly discover the dead man's true identity, and a number of potential motives amongst his fellow first- and second-class passengers for wishing him dead. Temple also identifies a third-class passenger as a known London gang-affiliated criminal, his presence on Endeavour potentially linked to the detective's shadowy purpose for traveling to America himself. A second death, this one more obviously murder, galvanises the detective and his sidekick's determination to solve the crime before the ship docks in New York and the culprit can slip away.
While most of A Fatal Crossing conforms with a traditional "whodunnit" mystery format in the traditional style, the dramatic ending comprises a shift into thriller territory, with a great twist that I certainly didn't see coming!
A Fatal Crossing is an entertaining, engrossing and rewarding read, all the more impressive for the fact that it's author Tom Hindle's debut. At 464 pages, it's more epic voyage than party cruise, but I felt it was well worth the commitment, with the additional length enabling more comprehensive character development than may otherwise have been possible within the context of the plot structure.
I'd highly recommend A Fatal Crossing to any reader who enjoy complex and thought-provoking mystery reads in the traditional mould.
The book opens dramatically, with the discovery by a third-class passenger and her son early one morning of a body, crumpled and rain-soaked, at the foot of a companionway (deck stairs) on the steamship Endeavour. The ship is moving through the North Atlantic, heading towards New York, where she's expected to arrive in four days' time.
News of the death of a passenger travels rapidly among the passengers, raising speculation as to the elderly man's identity and cause of death. The Endeavour's Captain, McCrory, is on his retirement voyage and is keen for the matter to be cleared up with the minimum of fuss and inconvenience to himself and his passengers. However, one passenger demands an audience with the Captain, identifying himself as a Scotland Yard detective James Temple, en route to New York on "police business", the nature of which he refuses to divulge. He raises certain suspicious anomalies that indicate that the passenger's death may not be as simple as the accident that the Captain is so keen to assume. While adamant that the passengers must not be unduly disturbed, Captain McCrory reluctantly accedes to Temple's insistence upon undertaking preliminary investigations, but only on the basis that ship's officer Timothy Birch accompany him at all times.
Birch is an intriguing character. He's reeling from a recent family trauma, the details of which emerge over the course of the narrative, and his resulting taciturn introversion ostracises him from the majority of his fellow officers and crewmen aboard Endeavour. Nevertheless, he makes an intuitive and increasingly engaged associate for the acerbic Temple as together they view the body, search a cabin and interview several passengers who may have known the victim.
Temple and Birch quickly discover the dead man's true identity, and a number of potential motives amongst his fellow first- and second-class passengers for wishing him dead. Temple also identifies a third-class passenger as a known London gang-affiliated criminal, his presence on Endeavour potentially linked to the detective's shadowy purpose for traveling to America himself. A second death, this one more obviously murder, galvanises the detective and his sidekick's determination to solve the crime before the ship docks in New York and the culprit can slip away.
While most of A Fatal Crossing conforms with a traditional "whodunnit" mystery format in the traditional style, the dramatic ending comprises a shift into thriller territory, with a great twist that I certainly didn't see coming!
A Fatal Crossing is an entertaining, engrossing and rewarding read, all the more impressive for the fact that it's author Tom Hindle's debut. At 464 pages, it's more epic voyage than party cruise, but I felt it was well worth the commitment, with the additional length enabling more comprehensive character development than may otherwise have been possible within the context of the plot structure.
I'd highly recommend A Fatal Crossing to any reader who enjoy complex and thought-provoking mystery reads in the traditional mould.
November 14, 2022
I'm not going to lie, this book really was a slog to read, I found it too long and also the plot just didn't flow right.
I really wanted to love it, but I just couldn't.
I didn't get the feel of the story being set in the 1920's either.
Sorry just an average Golden Age wannabe for me :(
I really wanted to love it, but I just couldn't.
I didn't get the feel of the story being set in the 1920's either.
Sorry just an average Golden Age wannabe for me :(
February 26, 2022
Headlines:
High seas mystery
Crew, toffs, mob and conmen
This historical murder mystery set on an atlantic crossing in the 1920s is unlike my usual reading choices but it turned out to be a good choice nonetheless. This was a story that started out with what seemed to be a reasonably easy to fathom death that may or may not be a crime. All this evolved into an incredibly knotted web of shenanigans. I was hooked from the first chapter.
The story brought two key characters in Birch, the ship's officer and Temple, the policeman who happened to be on the boat; don't ever believe in coincidences. Birch really had my heartstrings with his rather tragic past and depressed nature. I liked him a lot and felt him to be the intergrity compass of the piece. Temple seemed shady from the start with a slice of maybe he's okay.
Side entrance to some stolen artwork, a lot of entitled toffs, a few characters from third class and a the crew being encouraged to hide what was happening to 2000 passengers. I read avidly, there was a bit of a lull after midway but then it picked up again.
There were some incredible twists to the plot, none more than the final twist. I would never have seen that coming and I really didn't sense any foreshadowing even on reflection. Raymond maybe had me wondering at something but I wasn't sure what.
This was a great debut, a great whodunnit that was really well crafted and written.
Thank you to Sarah Harwood PR and Century Books for the early review copy.
Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.
High seas mystery
Crew, toffs, mob and conmen
This historical murder mystery set on an atlantic crossing in the 1920s is unlike my usual reading choices but it turned out to be a good choice nonetheless. This was a story that started out with what seemed to be a reasonably easy to fathom death that may or may not be a crime. All this evolved into an incredibly knotted web of shenanigans. I was hooked from the first chapter.
The story brought two key characters in Birch, the ship's officer and Temple, the policeman who happened to be on the boat; don't ever believe in coincidences. Birch really had my heartstrings with his rather tragic past and depressed nature. I liked him a lot and felt him to be the intergrity compass of the piece. Temple seemed shady from the start with a slice of maybe he's okay.
Side entrance to some stolen artwork, a lot of entitled toffs, a few characters from third class and a the crew being encouraged to hide what was happening to 2000 passengers. I read avidly, there was a bit of a lull after midway but then it picked up again.
There were some incredible twists to the plot, none more than the final twist. I would never have seen that coming and I really didn't sense any foreshadowing even on reflection. Raymond maybe had me wondering at something but I wasn't sure what.
This was a great debut, a great whodunnit that was really well crafted and written.
Thank you to Sarah Harwood PR and Century Books for the early review copy.
Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.
April 13, 2022
Welcome on board The Endeavour. A luxury ship set sail for New York.
I was first drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover, it’s very in keeping with the story.
Set in 1924 over a week long crossing from Southampton to New York, Tim Birch, the Ship’s Officer, finds himself assisting a Scotland Yard Detective in investigating the death of an elderly man on board. It’s generally believed to be an accident, but the detective thinks otherwise. They have four days to complete their investigations.
I thought I would really enjoy this book, as the quote on the cover claims fans of Agatha Christie will like it.
Unfortunately, I found I was bored for most of the book. The characters were so flat it was confusing trying to keep track of who was who. I didn’t have much idea of whodunnit as there wasn’t enough insight into the characters.
Even Tim’s character didn’t have much to him at all.
I felt the story really dragged on at times and it could have been condensed a bit.
The setting of the ship had such potential for a real air of mystery and suspense but I didn’t get a sense of this at all.
The ending was OK and tied up the loose ends, but overall I found this book a real slog.
I appreciate this is the author’s debut novel and I liked the idea of the mystery on board the ship, but the story didn’t draw me in at all.
I was first drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover, it’s very in keeping with the story.
Set in 1924 over a week long crossing from Southampton to New York, Tim Birch, the Ship’s Officer, finds himself assisting a Scotland Yard Detective in investigating the death of an elderly man on board. It’s generally believed to be an accident, but the detective thinks otherwise. They have four days to complete their investigations.
I thought I would really enjoy this book, as the quote on the cover claims fans of Agatha Christie will like it.
Unfortunately, I found I was bored for most of the book. The characters were so flat it was confusing trying to keep track of who was who. I didn’t have much idea of whodunnit as there wasn’t enough insight into the characters.
Even Tim’s character didn’t have much to him at all.
I felt the story really dragged on at times and it could have been condensed a bit.
The setting of the ship had such potential for a real air of mystery and suspense but I didn’t get a sense of this at all.
The ending was OK and tied up the loose ends, but overall I found this book a real slog.
I appreciate this is the author’s debut novel and I liked the idea of the mystery on board the ship, but the story didn’t draw me in at all.
May 12, 2024
As a keen reader of Golden Age detective stories, I was tempted to read this bestselling modern novel set in that era. However, despite enjoying the writing style and the luxury cruise ship setting, I was left disappointed overall.
The set-up, a hunt for a killer aboard a ship travelling from Britain to America, mixed up with art thefts, feels very reminiscent of the Golden Age. After a strong beginning, though, it becomes too slow and gets bogged down in the middle, with too many characters to keep track of easily. Maybe it's just too long for a story of this type, at more than 400 pages in paperback.
The story is told in the first person by one of the two detectives, Timothy Birch, a ship's officer and war veteran with a tortured past. He is forced to work together with James Temple, a surly police detective travelling to New York on unspecified "police business". Birch has a back story about his young daughter disappearing which he constantly thinks back to. This whole plot element didn't convince me and made the story slower. I also had other major gripes about the plot which I'll put behind spoiler tags. I would try another book by this author but would look at reviews first to check if the plot is likely to be better.
The set-up, a hunt for a killer aboard a ship travelling from Britain to America, mixed up with art thefts, feels very reminiscent of the Golden Age. After a strong beginning, though, it becomes too slow and gets bogged down in the middle, with too many characters to keep track of easily. Maybe it's just too long for a story of this type, at more than 400 pages in paperback.
The story is told in the first person by one of the two detectives, Timothy Birch, a ship's officer and war veteran with a tortured past. He is forced to work together with James Temple, a surly police detective travelling to New York on unspecified "police business". Birch has a back story about his young daughter disappearing which he constantly thinks back to. This whole plot element didn't convince me and made the story slower. I also had other major gripes about the plot which I'll put behind spoiler tags. I would try another book by this author but would look at reviews first to check if the plot is likely to be better.
October 28, 2022
This has the ingredients of an excellent whodunnit in the style of Agatha Christie but falls just short of hitting those levels. Partly, it's due to the execution, the book feels about 50-75 pages too long, a lot of the action feels a bit repetitive (there's a lot of questioning people in cabins about the same things) and the writing style falls a little flat, with characters never fully fleshed out or memorable enough. There's a good twist at the end, but one that I didn't particularly like. A good effort, but not as good as it perhaps could have been.
September 12, 2022
Still mad that I spent actual time reading this. On holiday, no less. Less cosy crime, more lazy crime. No fun, too confusing to follow, and a twist at the end which makes no sense and isn’t even interesting, let alone satisfying.
I’m sorry I sent it to people in good faith.
I’m sorry I sent it to people in good faith.
May 27, 2023
The promising premise, maritime setting and attractive cover design drew me to this book.
I thought it was a good story overall, comfortably 4 stars. The helpful list of characters at the beginning also deserves a mention, as there were a number of secondary characters that were not fleshed out and therefore not terribly memorable. Unfortunately, the execution of the novel itself was, in my view, lacking in several respects.
1. The writing style, whilst clear and straightforward, came across as somehow juvenile. It took me a while to identify why, but I think the main issue is that it is riddled with cliché: The wind is "icy" and "buffets" the ship; panic "ensues;" clouds (and thoughts) are "dark;" crowds of people are "rowdy" or "thronging" and the people "jostled and strained their necks to see;" pain "throbs" and requires teeth to be "gritted;" the police officer's arguments are "compelling;" and the ship's hold is likened to the belly of an enormous beast. Whilst I was not expecting Hemingway's level of prose, I was left with the impression of a schoolchild who, having been advised to insert some descriptive language, accompanies each idea with the first word that comes to mind which, whilst not wrong, is fairly dull and, over the course of 400+ pages, quickly begins to grate.
2. The protagonist and first-person narrator, Birch, is exceptionally irritating. I presume he is intended as a bumbling, Watson/Hastings-esque sidekick to the very competent police officer, Temple. However, his stupidity and some of his reactions are just too over-the-top - and are spelled out far too obviously and repeatedly. His personal problems and back-story do not excuse his general behaviour in relation to Temple and the investigation generally. He also at times behaves very inappropriately for a ship's officer, arguing in front of passengers and barging past people. I would not have thought that would be acceptable on a luxury cruise liner, either in 1924 or now.
3. Whilst the plot was generally well structured, it felt too slow - the whole story takes place over just four days, but the narrative made it feel like several weeks. Fewer clichéd descriptions and less outrage on Birch's part would have gone some way towards remedying this, but the whole book would have benefited from more stringent editing and refinement.
For the above reasons, whilst I genuinely did enjoy the story and wanted to know how it ended, I do not think I would have persevered to the end had I not felt obliged to leave an informed review.
Thank you to the publisher for the arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am sorry in this case is not more positive.
I thought it was a good story overall, comfortably 4 stars. The helpful list of characters at the beginning also deserves a mention, as there were a number of secondary characters that were not fleshed out and therefore not terribly memorable. Unfortunately, the execution of the novel itself was, in my view, lacking in several respects.
1. The writing style, whilst clear and straightforward, came across as somehow juvenile. It took me a while to identify why, but I think the main issue is that it is riddled with cliché: The wind is "icy" and "buffets" the ship; panic "ensues;" clouds (and thoughts) are "dark;" crowds of people are "rowdy" or "thronging" and the people "jostled and strained their necks to see;" pain "throbs" and requires teeth to be "gritted;" the police officer's arguments are "compelling;" and the ship's hold is likened to the belly of an enormous beast. Whilst I was not expecting Hemingway's level of prose, I was left with the impression of a schoolchild who, having been advised to insert some descriptive language, accompanies each idea with the first word that comes to mind which, whilst not wrong, is fairly dull and, over the course of 400+ pages, quickly begins to grate.
2. The protagonist and first-person narrator, Birch, is exceptionally irritating. I presume he is intended as a bumbling, Watson/Hastings-esque sidekick to the very competent police officer, Temple. However, his stupidity and some of his reactions are just too over-the-top - and are spelled out far too obviously and repeatedly. His personal problems and back-story do not excuse his general behaviour in relation to Temple and the investigation generally. He also at times behaves very inappropriately for a ship's officer, arguing in front of passengers and barging past people. I would not have thought that would be acceptable on a luxury cruise liner, either in 1924 or now.
3. Whilst the plot was generally well structured, it felt too slow - the whole story takes place over just four days, but the narrative made it feel like several weeks. Fewer clichéd descriptions and less outrage on Birch's part would have gone some way towards remedying this, but the whole book would have benefited from more stringent editing and refinement.
For the above reasons, whilst I genuinely did enjoy the story and wanted to know how it ended, I do not think I would have persevered to the end had I not felt obliged to leave an informed review.
Thank you to the publisher for the arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am sorry in this case is not more positive.
February 2, 2022
Right at the start of this wonderful novel we’re faced with a murder on a cruise ship, and ship officer Timothy Birch chalks it up as a tragic accident, but James Temple, a Scotland Yard detective that’s onboard the ship, doesn’t think it’s an accident at all. He pushes the ship’s Captain to conduct an investigation into the death so sooner Timothy and James are partnered up to find out exactly what has happened.
You know when you find a book that keeps you guessing right up until the very end and then you just can’t believe you never figured it out? Yeah, that was me with this one. This was an absolute page turner that kept me gripped until the final reveal. This may be my first book from Hindle, but it most certainly won’t be my last.
If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, murder mysteries, crimes at sea or being driven wild by endless suspects then this is one you definitely want to read. Thank you so much to Century books for sending me a proof to review. I absolutely LOVED IT.
You know when you find a book that keeps you guessing right up until the very end and then you just can’t believe you never figured it out? Yeah, that was me with this one. This was an absolute page turner that kept me gripped until the final reveal. This may be my first book from Hindle, but it most certainly won’t be my last.
If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie, murder mysteries, crimes at sea or being driven wild by endless suspects then this is one you definitely want to read. Thank you so much to Century books for sending me a proof to review. I absolutely LOVED IT.
December 4, 2022
A book set in my era. In my location. On my transport. An Agatha Christie like plot. A myriad of interesting characters and plot twists.
All in all a home run/slam dunk right?
Wrong.
Utter pap. The two main characters were wooden and lifeless and parodies of whatever it was the author thought those characters should be.
No one in this book was likeable or interesting. The plot was just ramming in character after character all of whom could be the killer so like 'Mystery' all of whom by the way were pointless pastiches too. Then ram in a few careening (and utterly pointless) 'plot twists' to make the reader oooo and aaaaah.
Nope. Sorry Tom. Whats the day job?
All in all a home run/slam dunk right?
Wrong.
Utter pap. The two main characters were wooden and lifeless and parodies of whatever it was the author thought those characters should be.
No one in this book was likeable or interesting. The plot was just ramming in character after character all of whom could be the killer so like 'Mystery' all of whom by the way were pointless pastiches too. Then ram in a few careening (and utterly pointless) 'plot twists' to make the reader oooo and aaaaah.
Nope. Sorry Tom. Whats the day job?
October 2, 2022
A great story that was an overall well executed achievement. Although I got myself confused with the number of people involved and found a lot of the scenes dragged on unreasonably I did really enjoy the plot and there was a good twist at the end. Promising debut novel.
February 8, 2023
3.5 stars - buckle up I'm pissed
I was so excited to read this book, a locked room mystery (they're all on a ship), a stolen painting, multiple bodies, etc.... but this book quickly became boring and just when I thought I would just chalk this book up to being a not so great, boring debut - all hell broke loose (and not in a good way).
The two main characters, a detective thats on board the ship and a ship's officer, are forced into an unlikely partnership when one of the ship's passengers dies. The Scotland Yard detective is horribly unlikable and rude to everyone - passengers, the crew, and the officer he is partnered with. He has the same brusk, borderline rageful attitude throughout the whole book and it doesnt get explained until the last 50 pages. The officer on the other hand is weak and kinda a doormat. He is too easily shocked by the detectives behavior and spends too much time feeling sorry for himself about something that happened in the past that he had no way of controlling. Again, we as the audience don't find out what happened in his past until like 30% in.
The mystery itself was slow-going. The majority of the book was spent on passenger interviews and shouting matches and because the two investigators hate each other and don't share any information, you are treated to clue reveals in sporadic and chaotic fashion. When the killer(s) are revealed, there is no light-bulb or "aha" moment because we weren't privy to any of the investigation or the clues. The next Agatha Christie it is not.
And don't even get me started on the ending. The book ends in a chaotic balls-to-the-wall twist that HAD ME BOILING WITH RAGE. It came out of left field and completly destroyed any positive feelings I had for the book at all. The explanation behind is slipshod and the book ends in an open-ended fashion. I was left completely unsatisfied and very angry.
Tom Hindle has another book that is coming out this year and I will read it as A Fatal Crossing was his debut. I sincerely hope that his next one is better.
I was so excited to read this book, a locked room mystery (they're all on a ship), a stolen painting, multiple bodies, etc.... but this book quickly became boring and just when I thought I would just chalk this book up to being a not so great, boring debut - all hell broke loose (and not in a good way).
The two main characters, a detective thats on board the ship and a ship's officer, are forced into an unlikely partnership when one of the ship's passengers dies. The Scotland Yard detective is horribly unlikable and rude to everyone - passengers, the crew, and the officer he is partnered with. He has the same brusk, borderline rageful attitude throughout the whole book and it doesnt get explained until the last 50 pages. The officer on the other hand is weak and kinda a doormat. He is too easily shocked by the detectives behavior and spends too much time feeling sorry for himself about something that happened in the past that he had no way of controlling. Again, we as the audience don't find out what happened in his past until like 30% in.
The mystery itself was slow-going. The majority of the book was spent on passenger interviews and shouting matches and because the two investigators hate each other and don't share any information, you are treated to clue reveals in sporadic and chaotic fashion. When the killer(s) are revealed, there is no light-bulb or "aha" moment because we weren't privy to any of the investigation or the clues. The next Agatha Christie it is not.
And don't even get me started on the ending. The book ends in a chaotic balls-to-the-wall twist that HAD ME BOILING WITH RAGE. It came out of left field and completly destroyed any positive feelings I had for the book at all. The explanation behind is slipshod and the book ends in an open-ended fashion. I was left completely unsatisfied and very angry.
Tom Hindle has another book that is coming out this year and I will read it as A Fatal Crossing was his debut. I sincerely hope that his next one is better.
November 23, 2022
I was really disappointed to not be able to give this more stars. I wanted to enjoy the book as it sounded right up my street - Agatha Christie meets Titanic? Yes please! Unfortunately I found myself not getting on well at all. I disliked all of the characters, to me they all had the same voice and a warm one it was not. There seemed to be a lot of repetition (someone thinks something then says the exact same thing), there are a lot of characters to keep track of and there isn’t really enough detail on any of them to buy into them.
*SPOILER ALERT* the protagonist’s daughter has gone missing, which is an underlying theme within the story. For something which apparently drives the protagonist and is the reason for his journey, there is no information given on HOW she goes missing. It’s his fault? But HOW? He was on a ship when it happened - where was her mother?! It just makes no sense.
I never like to leave negative reviews because I’m sure I’d be shockingly bad at writing a novel if I ever tried, but after all the hype I saw on Twitter, which inspired my purchase, I am very disappointed and glad it’s over.
*SPOILER ALERT* the protagonist’s daughter has gone missing, which is an underlying theme within the story. For something which apparently drives the protagonist and is the reason for his journey, there is no information given on HOW she goes missing. It’s his fault? But HOW? He was on a ship when it happened - where was her mother?! It just makes no sense.
I never like to leave negative reviews because I’m sure I’d be shockingly bad at writing a novel if I ever tried, but after all the hype I saw on Twitter, which inspired my purchase, I am very disappointed and glad it’s over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2022
Excruciating 😣
August 25, 2022
First of all, this book deserves a higher rating based on the cover art alone. I mean, hello? It's absolutely fantastic and it's one of the reasons why I picked it up in the first place.
But it's not just the cover, it's the story as well. The writing was fast paced and highly enjoyable. The plot of the book was intriguing enough, but the story had a grip on me from the first page on and I found it very hard to put this book down. I mean... I finished it fairly quickly, so that's proof enough that I enjoyed it, right?
It's a murder mystery set on a passenger vessel, cruising from Southampton to New York City. When the ship's been underway for only two days, an older gentleman suddenly dies and the circumstances are pretty dubious. Luckily, there's a Scotland Yard inspector on board whose mind is set on solving the mystery and finding the killer. Captain McCrory isn't convinced the man was murdered, but agrees to let detective James Temple investigate - but only if ship's officer Timothy Birch can assist thim. At first, Temple doesn't want to play by these rules, but eventually he turns around and the two of them start their investigation. This leads them to robberies, creepy dudes in third class, death treaths and more.
Both men have somewhat of a complicated past and they're not sharing their secrets. It's a highly enjoyable, fast-paced, locked room and time sensitive murder mystery set in the 1920s. Tom Hindle's writing style is good and it fits the time the story has been set in. There's quite a big cast of different characters, so that means all sorts of suspects. I usually have some kind of feeling of how a story like this is going to end - but... this one? Oh no. That MASSIVE plottwist at the end? I did NOT see it coming. Sure, I thought something had to happen because there were still a couple of chapters left, but that? Oh no, that never crossed my mind.
So, you see, THAT plottwist alone is a good enough reason to read this book already. It's really good, you'll enjoy it. And again: take a look at that cover. Isn't it gorgeous?
Also, I'm really looking forward to the next book Hindle writes; a locked room murder mystery! Count me in.
But it's not just the cover, it's the story as well. The writing was fast paced and highly enjoyable. The plot of the book was intriguing enough, but the story had a grip on me from the first page on and I found it very hard to put this book down. I mean... I finished it fairly quickly, so that's proof enough that I enjoyed it, right?
It's a murder mystery set on a passenger vessel, cruising from Southampton to New York City. When the ship's been underway for only two days, an older gentleman suddenly dies and the circumstances are pretty dubious. Luckily, there's a Scotland Yard inspector on board whose mind is set on solving the mystery and finding the killer. Captain McCrory isn't convinced the man was murdered, but agrees to let detective James Temple investigate - but only if ship's officer Timothy Birch can assist thim. At first, Temple doesn't want to play by these rules, but eventually he turns around and the two of them start their investigation. This leads them to robberies, creepy dudes in third class, death treaths and more.
Both men have somewhat of a complicated past and they're not sharing their secrets. It's a highly enjoyable, fast-paced, locked room and time sensitive murder mystery set in the 1920s. Tom Hindle's writing style is good and it fits the time the story has been set in. There's quite a big cast of different characters, so that means all sorts of suspects. I usually have some kind of feeling of how a story like this is going to end - but... this one? Oh no. That MASSIVE plottwist at the end? I did NOT see it coming. Sure, I thought something had to happen because there were still a couple of chapters left, but that? Oh no, that never crossed my mind.
So, you see, THAT plottwist alone is a good enough reason to read this book already. It's really good, you'll enjoy it. And again: take a look at that cover. Isn't it gorgeous?
Also, I'm really looking forward to the next book Hindle writes; a locked room murder mystery! Count me in.
December 14, 2023
Between 3 and 4 stars.
This turned out more interesting than I expected. I did not see that ending coming. The reveals are well timed and no I'm not telling you what they are.
In the end though I don't think Timothy's effords will get him what he wants the most, but given his personal situation he was never likely to see that. So in this case it is a sad ending rather than a happy one. I suspect he'll have to live with regrets for his own actions on top of the tragedy that happened to him.
So in that case this is not a standard who dunnit. This is a very open ended mystery.
This turned out more interesting than I expected. I did not see that ending coming. The reveals are well timed and no I'm not telling you what they are.
In the end though I don't think Timothy's effords will get him what he wants the most, but given his personal situation he was never likely to see that. So in this case it is a sad ending rather than a happy one. I suspect he'll have to live with regrets for his own actions on top of the tragedy that happened to him.
So in that case this is not a standard who dunnit. This is a very open ended mystery.
dnf
November 26, 2021I really struggled to connect to this one. The characters were a bit flat and while the premise seemed interesting, I couldn't bring myself to read on. I really wish I had liked this one, it sounded exciting!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #AFatalCrossing. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #AFatalCrossing. All opinions are my own.
May 23, 2023
An okay whodunnit set on a ship in the 1920’s or after WW2, I forget. The ending was a bit of an unsatisfactory surprise, but at least it tied up the ends.
December 28, 2021
I was drawn to A Fatal Crossing first by the cover, then when I saw that it was a Golden Age-style mystery novel set at sea in the 1920s, I was even more interested!
The whole story takes place over a four day period in November 1924 as the cruise liner Endeavour approaches New York from Southampton with two thousand passengers and crew on board. When an elderly man is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, the ship’s captain assumes – and hopes – that it’s an accident. However, James Temple, a Scotland Yard inspector, happens to be one of the passengers on the voyage and, after examining the body, he is convinced that the old man has been murdered. The captain gives Temple permission to investigate the crime, but only if he agrees to be accompanied by one of the ship’s officers, Timothy Birch.
Birch has no experience as a detective but follows Temple around the ship as he looks for clues, speaks to suspects and establishes alibis. They quickly discover a link between the dead man and a priceless painting stolen from another passenger, but the mystery deepens when more deaths occur and Temple and Birch find themselves racing against time to uncover the truth before the ship reaches its destination.
This is a complex and engaging mystery novel, with plenty of suspects, lots of red herrings and a strong sense of time and place. Although I felt that there were times when the plot was starting to become quite convoluted and I was struggling to keep track of who was who and who did what, I kept going and was rewarded by some spectacular plot twists near the end which I thought I had worked out in advance, but most definitely hadn’t!
Temple and Birch make an interesting partnership, particularly as it’s a very reluctant one! As an intelligent, competent and experienced detective, Temple is not at all happy about having an inept and bumbling ship’s officer shadowing his every move, saying the wrong things and interfering with the investigation. Birch is our narrator, and as we only see things from his point of view, Temple comes across as bad-tempered, rude and hostile, but there are hints that there’s more to each character than meets the eye. While Temple’s past and his reasons for boarding the Endeavour are shrouded in mystery, we learn that Birch is haunted by the disappearance of his young daughter Amelia and the breakdown of his marriage.
As well as the unusual detecting duo and that unexpected ending, I also loved the setting and the atmosphere. A ship on a long sea voyage is the ideal location for a murder mystery, as all of the suspects are confined in one place with nobody able to arrive or depart until the destination is reached. There’s some wonderful attention to detail as the action moves around the ship from the elegant first class decks to the less luxurious third class areas and the officer’s quarters.
A Fatal Crossing is Tom Hindle’s first novel; having enjoyed it so much, I’m already looking forward to his next one!
The whole story takes place over a four day period in November 1924 as the cruise liner Endeavour approaches New York from Southampton with two thousand passengers and crew on board. When an elderly man is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, the ship’s captain assumes – and hopes – that it’s an accident. However, James Temple, a Scotland Yard inspector, happens to be one of the passengers on the voyage and, after examining the body, he is convinced that the old man has been murdered. The captain gives Temple permission to investigate the crime, but only if he agrees to be accompanied by one of the ship’s officers, Timothy Birch.
Birch has no experience as a detective but follows Temple around the ship as he looks for clues, speaks to suspects and establishes alibis. They quickly discover a link between the dead man and a priceless painting stolen from another passenger, but the mystery deepens when more deaths occur and Temple and Birch find themselves racing against time to uncover the truth before the ship reaches its destination.
This is a complex and engaging mystery novel, with plenty of suspects, lots of red herrings and a strong sense of time and place. Although I felt that there were times when the plot was starting to become quite convoluted and I was struggling to keep track of who was who and who did what, I kept going and was rewarded by some spectacular plot twists near the end which I thought I had worked out in advance, but most definitely hadn’t!
Temple and Birch make an interesting partnership, particularly as it’s a very reluctant one! As an intelligent, competent and experienced detective, Temple is not at all happy about having an inept and bumbling ship’s officer shadowing his every move, saying the wrong things and interfering with the investigation. Birch is our narrator, and as we only see things from his point of view, Temple comes across as bad-tempered, rude and hostile, but there are hints that there’s more to each character than meets the eye. While Temple’s past and his reasons for boarding the Endeavour are shrouded in mystery, we learn that Birch is haunted by the disappearance of his young daughter Amelia and the breakdown of his marriage.
As well as the unusual detecting duo and that unexpected ending, I also loved the setting and the atmosphere. A ship on a long sea voyage is the ideal location for a murder mystery, as all of the suspects are confined in one place with nobody able to arrive or depart until the destination is reached. There’s some wonderful attention to detail as the action moves around the ship from the elegant first class decks to the less luxurious third class areas and the officer’s quarters.
A Fatal Crossing is Tom Hindle’s first novel; having enjoyed it so much, I’m already looking forward to his next one!
September 21, 2022
Am I just unlucky with the books I'm picking, or is it me? Am I being moody and impossible to please?
Anyway, another miss for me, sadly.
The characters were not fleshed out, so I didn't get to care about them or their stories.
The murder mystery never really captured my interest - maybe because, again, I didn't really care 'whodunnit'.
I found it quite unrealistic in terms of how superficially everyone was handling the situation and investigation.
The twist... I didn't quite see it coming, but I was also not surprised? I have to say, though, I just don't like it when writers do this!
Anyway, 2.5 stars for me.
Anyway, another miss for me, sadly.
The characters were not fleshed out, so I didn't get to care about them or their stories.
The murder mystery never really captured my interest - maybe because, again, I didn't really care 'whodunnit'.
I found it quite unrealistic in terms of how superficially everyone was handling the situation and investigation.
The twist... I didn't quite see it coming, but I was also not surprised? I have to say, though, I just don't like it when writers do this!
Anyway, 2.5 stars for me.
January 24, 2023
I really enjoyed this debut whodunit from Tom Hindle. I'm a fan of the genre, and this one had suspects a-plenty, lots of twists and intrigue and a clever wrap-up.
I would describe it as more noir than cosy in feel and, although not an authentic golden age mystery, it evoked the setting well.
Recommended for any mystery fans out there.
I would describe it as more noir than cosy in feel and, although not an authentic golden age mystery, it evoked the setting well.
Recommended for any mystery fans out there.
September 7, 2022
unfortunately this book didn’t grip me until the final 80 or so pages.. none of the characters had a personality and it didn’t wrap up in a satisfying way? the only way to make this book redeemable is to write a sequel to find out what happens after birch docked for new york…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2022
The real crime is that this was even published.
August 24, 2023
He’s dragged himself back kicking and screaming onto the reading bandwagon after an exam-induced hiatus where the most I could bring myself to do other than study was pursue my career on Pro Cycling Manager 2022.
I’m limited in what I can say about this book without spoiling it because even comments on some of the techniques used would reveal too much. Let’s just say that I struggled to get into this at first and was afraid that it was too much of a “murder mystery template” but that it ultimately proved me wrong, to my delight. I particularly enjoyed how at the end I thought to myself “the ending would be cooler if this happened” and then, to some extent, it did - although the impact was even more so.
Overall nothing insanely groundbreaking but definitely in parts unique and original and thus very enjoyable for fans of the genre (me).
I’m limited in what I can say about this book without spoiling it because even comments on some of the techniques used would reveal too much. Let’s just say that I struggled to get into this at first and was afraid that it was too much of a “murder mystery template” but that it ultimately proved me wrong, to my delight. I particularly enjoyed how at the end I thought to myself “the ending would be cooler if this happened” and then, to some extent, it did - although the impact was even more so.
Overall nothing insanely groundbreaking but definitely in parts unique and original and thus very enjoyable for fans of the genre (me).
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