The beautifully designed cover is what first drew me to pick up A Fatal Crossing.

The setting of a 1920’s cruise liner with a murder mystery plot captured my attention and I couldn’t wait to begin.

Although I enjoyed the main plot line of the story I did find it hard to mesh with the narrator which did somewhat limit my enjoyment.

A bit of a Christie-exque read this one. Who killed the man on the ship in the middle of the ocean? I love a mystery where it's like a locked room style of crime. You know the killer is on the ship but it's such good finding out who and why . I have always wanted to go on a cruise to NY but now am not so sure. This one was fantastic though!

Set in 1924, the events of this crime novel take place aboard a transatlantic passenger liner. There are 2 mysteries to be solved, firstly the two murders that take place during the voyage and secondly the disappearance, two years previously, of the narrators daughter. Whilst the author has clearly researched life on a transatlantic liner very thoroughly and provided a credible setting for his debut novel, and the murders are reasonably well plotted, I felt that the content could have been delivered in half the length and I found the lack of solution to the second mystery deeply unsatisfying. Perhaps the author is planning a sequel, but I think don't think I' ll be reading it

Classic golden age style detective story with a contemporary edge; I very much enjoyed A Fatal Crossing. Satisfyingly all the revelations are convincing, don’t leave the reader feeling like a mug but also provide a genuine surprise- which is really what I’m looking for (the clues have to be there, I’m quite happy for it to fall into place later).
Will want to read more from Tom Hindle.

The promising premise, maritime setting and attractive cover design drew me to this book.

I thought it was a great story, comfortably 4.5 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-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.

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!

I liked the premise of the book but found the pace a bit slow and difficult. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Agatha Christie meets Titanic - that tag line sold me and I had to read it! I enjoyed the banter between the cop and the ship worker. That was the highlight of the book to me.

An interesting novel, with flavours of classic crime. Some of the characters don’t feel particularly fleshed out, and some of the plot is quite unoriginal, but the twist at the end makes up for it.

A fine detective story, with some nice period detail.

It's November 1924 and the cruise ship Endeavour sets sail for New York. It's not long before an old man is found dead and a Scotland Yard detective announces it's a murder which must be solved before the ship docks. The soon-to-be-retired Captain reluctantly agrees, so long as one of his officers oversees the investigation.

The detective is James Temple, a surly Scotland Yard inspector, the officer Tom Birch, both with backgrounds which are slowly revealed as the story progresses. They definitely aren't a cosy Holmes and Watson though. They soon discover that a priceless painting has lies at the centre of the mystery, and that several suspects could be responsible.

And so we launch into a tale which is bound to be compared to an Agatha Christie novel, which I think is unfair. The story certainly moves along, at a pace, and we have the usual Christie-like cast of characters. And while they all have their secrets and hidden motives, there isn't the same "whodunnit" feel, somehow. This is an homage, which also contains some twenty-first century styling.

The suspects include a female artist, a mysterious married couple and an art dealer, all of whom seem to be connected to the painting and the murder. All are fairly well drawn, but none are particularly three dimensional, and while their various motives are slowly revealed, I wasn't completely invested in any of their fates. There are red-herrings a-plenty, and the story unfolds nicely, and no-one is quite what they seem.

There are some lovely descriptions of the liner, with its luxurious first-class section, and its less fancy third class areas. You do get some feel for life aboard a luxury liner during the 20's, where everyone dresses for dinner, and sips champers.

There is a twist at the end, which I suspect not many readers will have seen coming, and it's debatable as to whether the author expects the reader to have done so, nevertheless, its quite clever. Overall, I did enjoy the book.

This was a NetGally ARC, which I enjoyed enough to probably purchase the book when it comes out (especially as it sports a lovely cover).

A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle is a mystery set on the Endeavour, a cruise liner travelling to New York in the winter of 1924. This piece of historical fiction grips us from the very start when Timothy Birch, the ships officer, is lead to deal with a the death of an elderly gentleman. When detective James Temple demands an investigation, the ship’s captain insists Birch accompany Temple throughout.

This novel is incredibly reminiscent of Sherlock & Watson and does well to keep the mystery alive. This dynamic is depicted as unsympathetic and slowly unravels the story of our two main characters. The appeal that there is more than meets the eye is pleasant to piece together. Misdirection is a central piece of Hindle’s writing and this experience as a smooth and notable journey of mishaps that Hindle uses to get such a reaction from us. The novel was an intriguing mystery as Hindle always found a way to through us off the scent and by the time the ending came around, I was shook which is something that is hard to do in a novel that is full of surprises.

This was an echo of detective work and hard-boiled appeasement that took a while to get started but had me guessing until the very end. Hindle has crafted a novel full of modern-day mystery responding to past detective stories that I would happily read more of.

A Fatal Crossing (2021) by Tom Hindle

Today’s read has an eye-catching cover, which certainly persuaded me to pause whilst scrolling through Netgalley and take a closer look at it. It transpired to be a ship-bound mystery set in the 1920s and it has been a while since I have read a murder at sea, so decided to give it a go.

Synopsis
‘November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail from Southampton carrying 2,000 passengers and crew on a week-long voyage to New York. 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. Birch agrees to investigate, and the trail quickly leads to the theft of a priceless painting. Its very existence is known only to its owner . . . and the dead man. With just days remaining until they reach New York, and even Temple's purpose on board the Endeavour proving increasingly suspicious, Birch's search for the culprit is fraught with danger. And all the while, the passengers continue to roam the ship with a killer in their midst . . .’

Overall Thoughts

The rhythm of the opening and its structure reminded me of song ‘It's Oh So Quiet’ by Björk. It is a chilly November morning and one woman, and her child are braving the wet weather, after being confined in less than ideal third-class accommodation on the ship. Things are grey and drizzly, but to some degree quiet and peaceful, when suddenly the little boy’s screams punctuates the silence. Naturally it is he who finds the first body.

Tom Hindle writes this section well as I thought it was good that this initial discovery of the body contains humour, yet also the initial clues and questions that the reader might not want to consider. For example, he writes: ‘Another joked loudly that it seemed the toffs in first-and-second-class didn't even have the decency to die in their own sections of the ship. He was greeted with a small chorus of gruff laughter from the rowdiest of his companions, but it was perhaps a more astute observation than he realised. The gentleman lying on the deck was the only one wearing anything resembling a suit.’

However, after the first chapter the tale is narrated solely by Tom Birch, an officer from the ship, who goes on to be a “Watson” of sorts to the police detective, James Temple, who decides the death must be investigated properly. I have to admit that I did not click with Birch. I found our introduction to him quite maudlin, his emotional baggage falling into well-worn grooves. Perhaps because his personal woes are thrust upon us in the first paragraphs of our introduction to him, I got put off, finding them forced and trite. Maybe I am the sort of reader who wants to build up to a character’s personal problems.

James Temple, the other key protagonist, was also a character I struggled to engage with, although for different reasons. Initially, I quite liked his combative verbal sparring with the ship’s captain, who is reluctant to let Temple investigate. Here’s is an excerpt of their interview:
‘“Even if I did give my consent, we dock on Sunday. What kind of investigation do you plan to conduct in the space of just four days?”
“If you're correct and this fellow's death was truly an accident, a short one.”
“And if I'm wrong? [...] If there is a crime to be pursued, what sort of investigation do you suppose you'll conduct then?” [...]
“An efficient one.”’

Moreover, once the captain says he can investigate, but must let Birch accompany him, we see a comic cop show trope of two characters forced together who don’t get along, although I would say the animosity originates from Temple: ‘Temple twisted round to inspect me and our eyes locked. They were like shards of ice; with not even the slightest attempt to hide his utter contempt for the captain's decision.’ However, this relationship dynamic is not played for laughs. Temple is depicted as a very unsympathetic figure and whilst the narrative does go on to reveal his backstory, (which wasn’t all that surprising), I didn’t find this greater understanding of him made him any more appealing as a character. Furthermore, his relationship with Birch only becomes more toxic and deeply unpleasant to watch. Reading this book at times made me feel like I was stuck in a room with two people having a blazing row, but not being able to leave. It was strange to feel awkward in that way. At one stage Birch thinks ‘that there was something very wrong with this detective,’ yet as the story unfolds, I would say the reader starts thinking there is something very wrong with Birch too. Birch is not verbally unkind like Temple is, but his guilty feelings and self-absorbed pain became repellent.

Despite my issues with the central duo, and the fact their bumpy start slows the pace of the book, Temple does then quickly turn up a lot of information which suggests that the death at the start of the story was not an accident, but murder. I felt this information made the case feel more tangible and concrete. The reader feels like they have something to work with and puzzle over. Hindle also provides some good end of chapter reveals. One which stuck in my mind was an interview of Arthur Blake. During the interview the narrative draws our attention to the fact a vest is covering something up on his desk, but it is only at the end of the chapter that we find out what it is. The timing was effective here. Misdirection and the fallible nature of some of the clues were also pleasing elements to see in the text from time to time.

As I was reading this book it began to feel like a quest of sorts. There is a definite sense of a journey, pitted with obstacles, as well as in-team squabbling and acrimony. However, our detective and his sidekick are far from heroic, with their anti-hero qualities coming to the fore as the novel progresses. The detective as a hero is not a portrayal you will find in this story. Temple is something of a riddle, exuding danger and being perceived as a threat, although notes of vulnerability creep in.

This was a story that started well but it took me a long time to warm up to it. By the 75% mark I had begun to be a bit more invested in what the ending might reveal. But given that the story takes place over just four days, it feels like we take a long time getting there and unfortunately when we do reach the concluding chapters of the novel, the plot sharply goes in another direction. I imagine it is intended to be a high impact ending, but I found myself recoiling from it. Consequently, I finished the mystery deflated and in a low mood. This is not something I experience very often when reading. I like to understand why I have negative emotional reactions to a book, and I hope it is useful to unpick it in the review so readers can see if that sounds like a problem they may or may not have. The emotional reaction by itself is perhaps less helpful. I think the crux of the problem was the failure to engage with either of the two protagonists, as that made the middle of the story drag and then affected my response to the denouement.

I am not sure this is a novel that knows what sort of mystery it wants to be. The surface level details and tropes situate it more as a modern novel making nods towards Golden Age detective fiction. It begins with a list of notable passengers for instance and the WW1 experiences of one of the main characters, provides echoes of other modern day written, but 1920s-set mysteries, such as the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. However, the tone of the book, the dysfunctionality and unpleasantness of the characters, and the way they approach detective work, place the narrative more into the hard-boiled camp. Those seeking the former “Maisie Dobb” style may struggle with the central duo and might dislike the ending, whilst those who love the latter style may find the denouement more appealing with its Patricia Highsmith vibes but might not relish the long time the narrative takes to arrive at its destination.

Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Review Copy (Netgalley)

I absolutely love the cover of this book: It looks like murder x the Great Gatsby. The description of the book also intrigued me and I’m always up for anything Christie-esque…

I enjoyed the setting, the style of the writing and the fact that the crimes needed to be solved quickly, given there was a finite time on the ship.

In all honesty, as a huge Christie fan, I didn’t see the similarities. I also didn’t warm to either of the main characters. Where Poirot can be maddening, he always has a certain charm that reels in the reader. Neither of these characters possessed charm or warmth. The plot twist in the final 5% of the book was interesting but should have been brought forward so the reader could appreciate it, rather than leaving it as a bizarre hammer blow at the end.

Overall, a solid first novel and I’d be excited to read more by this author because I do like the writing style.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A FATAL CROSSING by Tom Hindle is a debut novel, which is 464 pages of twists and turns of vintage writing with wonderful ''conversational dialogue'' which kept me intrigued and hooked!

November 1924, on board the Endeavour bound for New York, a week long voyage of stories within stories.
I loved this novel which reminded me of writing style of Arthur Conon Doyle, Agatha Christie and Anthony Horowitz.

I give a 4 star rating

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

Set in the 1920's, this book takes place on a cruise ship taking passengers from Southampton to New York in the days when a crossing took weeks! This gives time for a rare adventure of death and its resulting intrigue. The style of writing is reminisant of Agatha Cristie with a rather 'old fashioned' way of phrasing and delivery. However this lends itself well to the overall feeling of that period, bring a rather clever atmosphere to the novel.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to finish it and would happily given it 5 stars but I didn't like the ending, hence the 4 stars. It pushed the plot further into the implausible. Although the main characters were not particularly likeable, I had hoped there might be a sequel. Although the basic plot - a murder on an ocean liner - seemed standard fayre, but there is much more to the plot. I look forward to reading more from Tom Hindle.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

It's 1924 and a ship is sailing across the Atlantic ocean when one of the passengers is found dead. It is assumed that the man has died accidentally until a detective looks into the case. Inspector Temple and a ship's captain, Birch, investigate. Can they work out who the killer is before they get to New York? Can they prevent more deaths?

A Fatal Crossing is great. It is easy to see why it has been described as Agatha Christie on the Titanic. The story starts at breakneck speed, and continues this pace throughout. I was desperate to find out who the killer was, and there was one truly gasp-out-loud moment. Tom Hindle has a future in this, he really does. I can't wait to read whatever he writes next!

Thanks to Tom Hindle, NetGalley, and RandomHouse for this copy..

An intriguing murder mystery. Ship's officer Tim Birch and Detective James Temple get involved with solving a murder aboard a cross-Atlantic liner in the 1920s. Then there's the matter of some valuable artwork, due to be auctioned in New York. You can just imagine the glamorous first class passengers in all their finery and the Captain's determination that the murder be kept from them. Shocking ending! Glad I'm not going on a cruise for a while!

A Fatal Crossing’ is set on a cruise liner, The Endeavour, travelling to New York in the winter of 1924. This is my favourite time period for historical fiction and I have always wished I could have made a journey like this - in first class of course! When I saw the description of the book I was hooked from the get-go.
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The man character is ship officer Timothy Birch and it falls to him to deal with a set of circumstances which deals with the death of an elderly man who was found at the bottom of a stairwell after a night of heavy rain. There is much chatter from the passengers about what happened but it seems to have been a tragic accident. However, when detective James Temple demands to start an investigation the ship's captain asks Birch to accompany Temple to make sure Temple doesn't upset the passengers.
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When they start to look into events surrounding the death it soon leads to a priceless stolen painting, a messy set of friends and business relationships, a troubled past of the Temple and a look into the anguish of a father who has lost a child. I adored all the Christie vibes in this book, the back and forth of questions, red herrings etc. The setting was pitch-perfect as the action roamed through all the classes on the ship, from the music recitals in 1st class to the crowded 3rd class mess hall and cargo area! I loved how one character was painted to be the bad guy when it definitely wasn't the case and that revelation at the end - I was shook! I shouldn't have been surprised really since Christie seems to have been a big influence but still. I do wonder if this will be the start of a series as there are still so many unanswered questions. I would love if that was to be the case as I adored this book!
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Consider that this is a debut novel its plotting, characters and writing was superb. It managed to ooze an atmosphere of golden era crime on every page and it entranced me from the start. The fact that I could feel myself getting angry after the conclusion of the book showed that I was rooting for the characters and completely hooked! It is a brilliant example of a crime novel set in this period. I just want more from this author.

A transatlantic crossing like no other. Bodies, clues and crime solving lead a Scotland Yard detective and a ship's officer on a rollercoaster.. with a very unexpected ending.