A fabulous debut, with Agatha Christie feels!
I loved how it all unfolded & all the twists along the way.

This was an average mystery. I liked the setting and the atmosphere. The characters seemed very under developed. The ending was a disappointment

This book wanted to be soooo badly like a mix of Sherlock and A Christie's books, but it failed for me. Sadly, it did not work for me.
I liked the premise and the setting, but it failed to grip me.maybe because I did not like much either of the main characters... i found them both way too cold and remote

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I flew through this book and binged it all in one day. It was a really easy read and I’m glad I read it all in a short space of time. While I didn’t feel that the reveals blew me away massively, it was still a really fun time and easy to get through.

This book started well but lacked pace in the middle, after which it never picked back up. It reminded me very much of an Agatha Christie but in need of more editing. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this so I could do an honest review after reading it.

"The Fatal Crossing" by Tom Hindle is a historical mystery novel that takes place on a transatlantic cruise liner in 1924. The story centers around the rain-soaked mysterious death of a man on board at the foot of a stairway, and the subsequent investigation to uncover the truth. Overall, I found the novel to be an enjoyable and engaging read.

The characters were well shaped and almost visible in your imagination in the formal stiff and heavy dress of the time, and now doubt very wet and windy weather they faced on the journey. From the gruff Captain who is about to retire after this journey to the dogged and irascible Scotland Yard detective who is on board for no apparent reason and yet investigates impatiently, to officer Tim Birch who patiently shadows the detective in a kind of Watson to Sherlock role.

One of the strengths of the novel is depiction of the time period and the luxurious world of transatlantic travel in in 1st Class vs the sparse quarters in 3rd class.. Hindle does an excellent job of immersing the reader in the world of the cruise liner which you imagine as not being too dissimilar from say Titanic (without the iceberg) The attention to detail and historical accuracy adds depth and richness to the story, making the setting a character in its own right.

I did find that the rather formal narrative that reflected this period slowed the story rather, particularly in the middle of the book, as the investigation stalls and characters repeat information. At times I found myself losing concentration as we went over old ground so that Birch could make sense of what was happening. It does follow along the lines of an Agatha Christie thriller but maybe less than thrilling at times.

Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable and engaging debut novel that appeals as historical mystery and detective fiction. While it has its flaws, particularly in pacing and dialogue, the strong setting, well-drawn characters, and captivating plot make it a worthwhile read. I look forward to seeing what Tom Hindle will write next.

A 1920's murder on the high seas. I love Agatha Christie and this was definitely in the same vein; I really enjoyed the story line, characters and the 'locked room' mystery where all suspects are confined together making everyone a suspect. A really gripping and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

If you enjoy Historical fiction, with a mystery, with plenty of twists and turns then give this one a go. It’s 1924, the cruise Liner Endeavour is sailing from Southampton to New York. There are 2000 passengers on the Liner, from all classes.

The story opens with a dead body of an elderly man, initially it is thought that he has fallen, and it was a tragic accident. Captain McCrory doesn’t want anything to Marr this voyage, as it is his last one he is due to retire after this. So he is less than happy when Detective Inspector James Temple from Scotland Yard makes it clear he believes that the death is not an accident but a murder. The Captain will only let Temple investigate if he allows ship’s officer Timothy Birch to follow the investigation. Temple is not impressed that he has to have a shadow following him. But they only have 4 days in which to solve the crime. Because once they land in New York all passengers will disembark and there will be no way of catching the murderer.

Birch has his own demons to battle, with trauma and a gunshot wound from the war, on top of that his daughter has been missing for 2 years, and his marriage is falling apart. Birch is not popular with the rest of the crew, except for one member Wilson who is the only one to talk to him.
Birch is on his way to New York to see a friend who he believes may be able to help find his daughter, he clings on to a piece of yellow ribbon. I wasn’t sure about Detective Temple as he keeps his cards close to his chest, I found myself wondering if he was hiding something.

As the investigation begins the two men find themselves interviewing a group of people who are all sailing to New York for an Art Fair. With a valuable piece of art being missing could this be a link as to why the old man was murdered.

The passengers aren’t always forthcoming with the truth, plenty of lies,and secrets, who can be trusted and who can’t. There are plenty of suspects to pick from, can you get it right?

Alright. So personally, I hated this. None of the characters are likeable, the plotting is heavy-handed, I just didn't enjoy it. But I know for a fact that thousands of readers will love it. Just because it wasn't for me personally doesn't mean that i won't be selling it to hundreds of our customers who are fans of Agatha Christie.

This gave me total Agatha Christie vibes crossed with a bit of an Inspector Calls, maybe it was the era.

Loved the setting of the book its almost like a locked room mystery but not quite because people can move about the ship.

Captain McCrory is taking the ship back to New York on his final crossing before retiring. Ship's officer Timothy Birch has his own demons so when a dead body turns up, it throws them both of kilter. Fortunately Scotland Yard Inspector James Temple is on board...

There are a wide variety of suspects and the reader is drawn in to what their motives may by and as is often the case in a whodunnit, there is the twist. This was no exception. I thought I'd worked it out, but the clues where there.

A must for any whodunnit fans.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this is my honest opinion.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail to New York with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board...

When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the foot of a staircase, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare it a tragic accident. But James Temple, a strong-minded Scotland Yard inspector, is certain there is more to this misfortune than meets the eye.

I loved this! I wasn't too sure at first but persevered with it, and I'm glad I did. Timothy Birch, our protagonist, is a likeable character with some secrets that you find out along the way. None of the other characters were particularly likeable, in contrast, but that was definitely intended ; James Temple is by far the worst of them all.

The book has a good mixture of suspense, atmosphere and action. I'd recommend.

The story:
The year is 1924, and all is not well on the passenger ship Endeavour’s voyage across the Atlantic. Among the ship’s 2000 passengers and crew, someone is plotting murder…

When an elderly passenger is found dead at the foot of a flight of steps between the second- and third-class decks, Captain McCrory, eager for his final voyage before retirement to be a peaceful one, declares it an accident. But someone onboard isn’t so sure… Scotland Yard detective James Temple is certain a crime has been committed.

Tasked with accompanying Temple on his investigation, ship’s officer Timothy Birch has his own demons to deal with. But will the pair be able to solve the mystery as the deaths mount up, and before the ship reaches New York?

My thoughts:
As a big fan of detective stories in general, and golden age mysteries in particular, this debut novel by Tom Hindle called out to me, and I wasn’t disappointed!

Despite the 2000-odd population of the Endeavour, this is essentially a classic country-house murder scenario; a group of suspects confined together, and amongst them, a murderer. Temple and Birch form the classic detective/assistant duo, but are at the same time refreshingly different — Temple is pretty unpleasant most of the time, and Birch more complex than your average Watson.

The cast of characters gives you everything you’d want from a classic murder mystery — some likeable, but most not! But it’s the plotting that made this book such a good read for me. To say the conclusion surprised me would be an understatement, and suddenly parts of the story that hadn’t quite made sense (one of which I’d foolishly put down simply to the author’s desire to end a chapter on a cliffhanger!) all fell into place when the character with murder in their heart was finally revealed. The author plays entirely fair with the reader, in classic golden age style, and all the clues are there if you have the skill to piece them together...

Overall, this is a tightly plotted story that both pays tribute to the classic detective story and turns your expectations on their head; I would highly recommend "A Fatal Crossing" to all mystery fans!

The story takes place on a cruise liner in 1924, from London to New York, with approximately 2,000 people on board. These people are from all walks of life - millionaires, brawlers, art dealers… and murderers?

A man is killed on board, and it appears to be an accident, until Sergeant Temple if Scotland Yard get involved and starts to investigate. Officer Timothy Birch is assigned to keep an eye on Sergeant Temple, due to his belligerent nature, and the men start trying to discover if there is a killer on board or if the art dealers deal was indeed an accident. Birch finds it difficult to act as a sidekick to Temple, who clearly distrusts him from the outset and would prefer to work alone. As the ship is destined for New York and will arrive in time for the prestigious art fair, lots of people on the ship have connections that aren’t obvious initially, and there are lots of reasons for thefts to occur. The journey also lends a ticking clock element to the mystery - if it not solved before the ship docks, the potential murder will simply depart the ship and lose themselves in the throngs of New York City. As time passes, it starts to feel like everyone has a secret, but how many would be willing to kill to preserve their own?

I found this story entertaining and enjoyed the plot. I did feel that some aspects of the backstory, particularly for Timothy Birch could have been fleshed out more - his family essentially felt like shadowy figures but this may well have been a deliberate storytelling choice. There were plenty of interesting characters to keep the story ticking along and I do enjoy a locked-room mystery, which this was - just on a slightly larger scale! The time-period was described well - I thought that the setting was brought to life within the story and enjoyed the almost-claustrophobic setting, where no one can escape until the ship docks.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good mystery!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for a proof copy to review.

An elderly art dealer is found dead at the bottom of some stairs, there just happens to be a detective from Scotland Yard on board who asks to investigate the crime, he is accompanied by an officer whose life has been shattered by a disappearance. This modern take on the golden age of crime reads quite nicely, there is a large nod to Christie from beginning to end. However, this doesn't quite have Dame Agatha's flair and I must admit to not really caring for the characters, especially the 2 main leads. As a holiday read this works and many who have never read Christie will enjoy the twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC of this book.

The first 90% of this book reads like a very standard and derivative Golden Age crime novel in the vein of Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, where a slightly hapless person follows a detective trying to solve a crime in a fixed location. In this case, an art dealer has been killed on board a transatlantic ship voyage from England to America in the 1920s and his murder is investigated by a policeman from Scotland Yard followed around by a ship’s officer.

Despite feeling derivative, it’s very readable, familiar and comfortable . The last 10% has a very modern twist, which I was not completely convinced by. It’s probably necessary in order for the book to not solely be Golden Age pastiche, but I found the ending a little frustrating because it does not completely resolve whether the actions which happen in the twist were effective in what the character involved was trying to achieve.

All in all, it’s an easy, fun read but doesn’t really have anything to raise it above any of the other 1920s murder mysteries out there

Struggled to get into this at first, but enjoyable once i'd settled in, I enjoy stories set in the past, in the golden age of crime so to speak, and this was no different, definitely one for fans of Agatha Christie etc.m Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read

When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the foot of a staircase the captain of the Endeavour is sure it's a tragic accident. But a passenger, James Temple, is convinced that there's foul play involved. Temple just happens to be a Scotland Yard detective so the captain grudgingly agrees to him investigating with the provision he doesn't panic or disturb the passengers. To ensure this he insists one of his officers, Timothy Birch accompanies Temple. But soon Birch realises Temple is right. Murder, fraud and theft are abound but a ship full of passengers sail on unaware the killer is in their midst.

I love a good old fashioned mystery. You know the types. Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers etc. But I exhausted those a long time ago. So this book was frankly a gift. It has that classic feel to it and is a really enjoyable read. Is it as good as those legends of mystery? Well of course not. But as a debut it's very promising.

‘When amateurs are involved... mistakes are made,’ says the detective. It is 1924 when a suspicious death occurs on board a transatlantic liner bound for New York with 2000 passengers. ‘A Fatal Crossing’ by Tom Hindle is set up as a classic closed room murder mystery. The detective has four days to find the murderer before the ship docks in New York.
Key elements are mixed together. An elderly gentleman travelling under a false name is found dead, a key witness disappears, a painting is stolen, the captain wants an easy final voyage before retirement, while a Scotland Yard detective James Temple won’t say why he’s travelling to America. The captain, who is desperate to believe the death was accidental, permits Temple to investigate the crime only if accompanied by ship’s officer Timothy Birch. They are a mis-matched pair. Grumpy Temple is irritated by Birch’s interference. Birch, whose unspecified grief makes him an outsider amongst the crew, is intimidated by Temple. They begin to interview witnesses. Soon, Birch receives a death threat.
The story is told through the first-person narrative of Birch which is limiting and repetitive. It is a feature of crime novels to use more telling – not showing – than other genres, but here the options were reviewed again and again. I struggled to trust either Birch or Temple, but trust is a major theme of the book... trust tested under duress and grief, loyalty to someone hardly known, debts owed, and the sifting of truth from lies. The classic closed room setting of a ship should add to the tension but the nautical setting was under-used in terms of adding atmosphere, claustrophobia and the countdown of days as time runs out. As the story unfolds, we realise that information is being hidden by everyone and there are two mysteries to be solved. I started to long for a second voice as an alternative to Birch, to add perspective on the mysteries and bring a change of tone.
This is a novel featuring a soul-searching protagonist that also involves a crime, rather than a fast-paced crime novel with a single focus. Neither Birch nor Temple seems to be telling the truth. When a huge twist is revealed at the end, I was left not knowing what to believe.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

I enjoyed this book set during an ocean voyage.
Lots of good solid characters and a good sense of time and place.
Setting on a boat adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere.