Talk about your locked room murder mystery. I mean, not only does the death occur in a room that is blocked from the inside, but which is also an airship floating somewhere over the arctic circle. Assuming this is something darker than a simple accident, which is fairly safe given the fact the nature of this novel, the list of potential suspects in Tom Hindle's latest thriller is short. That doesn't mean that they aren't lacking in motives, but the whole situation is clouded by the fact that foul play isn't guaranteed, and there is a potential that the victim wasn't who it was meant to be either. Mystery packed upon mystery, above several thousand miles of packed in ice. Chilling - in more ways than one.

I really enjoy Tom Hindle's novels. They are classic crime in the kind of style you might find in a vintage Christie, only in a far more modern setting. Yes - an airship may seem a little dated, but this resurrection of vintage transport as a greener alternative to conventional air travel has an air of modern authenticity about it. That race to be the first company to launch a green travel option that allows the rich and shameless to pursue exploration of relatively untouched lands, in a way that needs the least amount of training and effort, and all whilst basking in relative luxury ... sounds kind of familiar doesn't it? Well that is the premise that sees this strange array of characters joining up to travel over the polar ice caps towards the North Pole.

The story is told from varying points of view, allowing us to understand all of the motives as to what each of the characters have gone on this fateful trip. It also helps to build the tension as it is clear where all the various sources of tension are. Certain backstories are slowly fed to us as readers, allowing the suspense to be maintained whilst still feeding the mystery. It does take a while to get to the actual murder of this murder mystery, but setting the scene for this particular mystery is crucial, as is creating a sense of place and that feeling of isolation and conflict that is crucial to the execution of what comes to pass. I love how the author has played on the various character's history together, and used the last minute insertion of aspiring writer, Chloe, to create and unexpected twist in the story.

I really liked Chloe and liked how Tom Hindle has used her insecurity and trepidation to feed into the tension of the story itself. The more nervous she becomes, the more she questions what is going on around her, the more the tingling sensation of apprehension built within me as a reader. I knew we were building up to something, but as to what it wasn't clear. As a newcomer to the group, and as someone who had no reason to be anything other than honest, I felt comfortable in her presence in a way that wasn't quite possible with most of the other passengers, and as a pivotal part of the story, the author couldn't have picked a better personality to guide us to the truth. I could probably have guessed the future victim, but not necessarily the identity of the killer as the author introduces a lot of conflicting behaviour which could point to any number of suspects.

The tension builds towards the end of the book, when the final reveal is near, and so does the sense of threat. In an almost Miss Marple like reveal, Chloe unmasks the killer to all, although the precise circumstances of their comeuppance would definitely not have happened in St Mary Mead ... Made me chuckle given I do love this particular 'arbiter' of justice. A sticky end indeed.

Another brilliant golden age style mystery, with a surprisingly old fashioned, yet undoubtedly modern day twist. Loved it.

I’m a big fan of Tom Hindle after reading his previous novels and this one certainly did not disappoint. His writing is great and the storyline hooked me in from the start with the whole book being a brilliant whodunnit.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

To continue his father’s legacy after he died in a tragic accident on an Arctic expedition, Ezra (along with his uncle Hector) have actualised one his dream to create an airship holiday business. Ezra invites friends, investors, influencers and journalists to be the very first guests on the airship, which will hopefully generate more publicity for the venture. However, it is not smooth sailing and flying as someone is clearly sabotaging with the systems leading to a death in the sky!

I enjoyed the variety of characters in the book and how there were clear clues as to how they might fit as the murderer which kept me guessing and guessing! It is a bit hard to keep track of them, especially when you”re given little descriptions each time. My biggest gripe with the book was that the death happens around 48% (of the kindle ebook) and I think this is far too long a time to wait. On one wand the extra team gives an opportunity to create more tension and ramp up the pressure but sadly this was one on of those books. It was a chore to get that point let me tell you!

Overall, I found it mildly interesting. The plot and setting was really good - reminded me of Christie’s Death in the Sky. But it didn’t;t have the same hold on me as other books of his had.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book. In exchange for a honest review,

I really liked Tom Hindle's first book, wasn't so keen on the next two so wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but on the whole I enjoyed it.

Ezra and his business partner Howard are launching a luxury airship company, the maiden flight consists of 8 guests specially invited, and the crew. The guests range from old school friends of Ezra's, bloggers, a travel journalist and the ubiquitous 'influencer'

The company was launched in memory of Ezra's father Isaac who was an old friend of Howard, they always used to talk about launching an airship and once Ezra graduated he was determined to keep his father's dream alive.

I found the book very atmospheric and was more than ready to try and find an airship! it certainly sounded very luxurious.

I think it was fairly obvious who the killer was and why, a little bit predictable in that respect.

It was an entertaining read

Tom Hindle has been a reliable new face in crime mysteries and “Death in the Arctic” is his latest offering. Think Murder on the Orientation Express except aboard a fantastic new luxury airship floating over the Arctic. In effect a locked room mystery.
Fledgling travel writer, Chloe is sent a last minute assignment to prove herself worthy as a travel journalist. An all expenses trip on the Osprey Airship, a superb new destination.
Conceived by Ezra and his partner Howard in memory of Ezra’s late father this is a project of a lifetime to launch their new airship adventure company.
However when a murder occurs and things start to go wrong on board, Chloe does not know who to trust. Trying to solve the mystery she puts her own life in danger too.
This is another fairly usual sort of crime novel- a group of people stranded somewhere, one of them must be the killer but who is it?
I don’t know what it was about this book but it didn’t grab me quite as much as the author’s previous novels. Maybe the characters were slightly two dimensional and the plot slightly too thin. It didn’t take much to work out who the culprit was. It was an enjoyable and entertaining read, it just wasn’t the author’s best.
Having said that I’d still be happy to read further books by Tom Hindle and look forward to doing so.

The cover of Death in the Arctic gives you that fantastic 20s feel of dirigibles and Miss Marple. And so it should, since the author acknowledges his Christie influence, and a modern airship is the heart of the story.

We start with the sort of character listings that Christie would approve of. Most of the cast get a full blown physical description (I realise that I don’t find these at all helpful), which sadly is not matched by the depth of characterisation, except for Chloe, who gets to take the protagonist role eventually.

It takes a long time to get to the body. I have already considered abandoning the book at least twice by then, partly due to the lack of research on arctic daylight in September. I even turn to the reviews on Netgalley, which do at least encourage me to keep going. I’m not sure why anyone would describe it as a page-turner, though. Maybe I’m just too used to better crafted murder mysteries with sounder scientific bases. Mind you, I suppose getting the science into a right muddle is one way of parcelling a red herring, but it just made me cross.

If you like your locked room mysteries on the old-fashioned side, you’ll enjoy this one. I’m afraid Mr Hindle does not go onto my list of authors to follow, though he describes his settings well. I think it might make a better film, though.

A good story that keeps you guessing as to what is going on as there is so much potential. The early stages of the book do take some time to get going but is worth persevering.

Great for fans of cosy crime.

A little slow at the beginning when setting the scene.

I prefer darker crime but still an enjoyable read.

Having read Tom’s previous books, I was really excied to be given an advanced copy by Netgally and it didn’t disappoint. Tom is becoming one of my favourite authors with his unusual narrative settings, mixed with the traditional ‘whodunit’ writing. If you fancy a modern take on an Agatha then I would definitely rexommend.

A fab cozy read I didn’t want to put down! I felt this was different from the authors other books but I really enjoyed it! It was an addictive and quick read with twists and turns!

A trip to the North Pole on a luxury airship sounds like an offer that is too good to be true. And it turns all too swiftly from being a dream assignment for newbie travel journalist Chloe Campbell to an extremely dangerous and unpredictable situation for all concerned - aside from the villain, obviously.

After one of their number is found dead, suspicion begins to spin around in all directions and Chloe does not know who she can trust. Travelling through a frozen landscape also means that their rescue options are limited.

This is a murder mystery that is great fun, cleverly conceived, and also has a distinctly golden age feel about it. It should be a big hit with range of readers.

A unique murder mystery set in a helium aircraft setting sail on its maiden test voyage. This latest novel by Tom Hindle is another great book written by the author in the genre of the old fashioned mystery greats like Agatha Christie, with a good cast of characters, lots of plot and intrigue surrounding each of them and a healthy dose of red herrings thrown into the mix.

Well written and a good quick read, I enjoyed this and would happily recommend it to others who enjoy this genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A luxury airship on its maiden voyage. Soon things start to unravel. It’s like Murder on the Orient Express with everybody a potential suspect. Great writing with a twist at the end. Only a 3 night journey but a lot happens and you find yourself turning the pages, wondering what else will happen.

This is a locked room/cosy mystery read with quite a different setting — no country mansion, grand hotel or even moving train, but an airship travelling slowly over the Artic. Ezra Day has worked his socks off to get the company going based on an idea that his dead father and partner, Howard, had on their final trip together before Isaac's misadventure. The plan is to fly 'environmentally friendly' airship cruises over the North Pole from a base in Norway. This gives the author a chance to give us some unusual and interesting descriptions of places inside the Artic Circle.
On board the airship is Chloe Campbell, an aspiring travel writer, who has been assigned this mission at the last minute and she needs to prove herself. Also on board are the crew and cabin staff and a handful of handpicked guests mostly from Ezra's past.
After a death occurs in suspicious circumstances several of those on board turn amateur sleuth, and as they each contribute a further information we are able to play detective ourselves. The characters are all interesting and are well described, each with their own reason to be there — although in my opinion they should have been vetted a little more thoroughly in several cases.
The setting is wonderful, and certainly steals the show, but the concept of the air ship and the first class voyages is great one too. A good read and good story telling makes this an easy and enjoyable read.
With thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Locked Room Mystery Twist..
In another twist on a classic locked room mystery, the reader travels to the frozen arctic on a luxury airship alongside travel writer Chloe Campbell - who is firmly under the impression that she has been bestowed the opportunity of her lifetime. Once aboard, however, it is not too long before death rears its unwelcome head. An accident or something more sinister? With a small group of passengers and therefore suspects, on this airship there is nowhere to hide and certainly nowhere to run. Is there a killer lurking in the sky? Wholly enjoyable whodunit with a cast of well drawn characters, a nicely crafted plot and a rather unique setting.

Not enough murder haha. This had so many good points, the setting was superb, so different. The characters were all well written and the back story was juicy. I just felt the death element took too long to get going.

I would absolutely read more from this author as he definitely has mystery writing skills

Death in the Arctic Tom Hindle

4 stars

An interesting plot set in the Frozen North.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book, a unique situation based on airships being the new mode of travel over far-flung places.

Many years before, two friends, Howard Barnes and Isaac Day, whilst exploring in the Arctic had come up with the concept of setting up a company to run trips from the air, not in an aeroplane but a giant airship propelled by helium.

When Isaac had died tragically on the trip, his son Ezra made it his ambition in life to fulfil his father's dream and finally in 2025 joined Howard on the maiden voyage a 2 day trip to the North Pole.

There are 8 passengers and 8 crew members on the trip. All of whom have their own histories and reasons for being on this trip. Chloe Campbell has spent 3 years trying to make a living out of her travel writing and when she is drafted in as a late replacement she is desperate to write a brilliant piece that will lead to further jobs.

However things start to go wrong very quickly not only with problems with the ship itself but when a body is found asphyxiated by a helium leak,something that should not be possible, she soon realises that her dream is not going to be fulfilled. All that will happen is a lot of bad publicity. Then another person dies of an allergy and Chloe realises that these events are being deliberately orchestrated but by who?

Chloe becomes an amateur detective and manages to piece together what has happened and more importantly why and how it is linked to the past.

I must admit that I did suspect the killer and the motive long before the end but it was an enjoyable read. One criticism that I would make however was that I found the characters were not very rounded, I had to keep checking who was who amongst both the staff and the passengers from time to time.

I would recommend this book as an interesting read in particular because I thought the plot was an interesting concept.



Karen Deborah
NetGalley

Death in the Arctic is a 'locked room' style murder mystery and is a fun and very entertaining read.

The setting is the maiden voyage (or rather test flight) of the helium airship "Osprey" to the North Pole with a small group of selected guests including a travel writer, photographer and an eco-blogger. Things begin to go wrong almost immediately, seemingly a result of some serious and dangerous teething problems - but are they deliberate sabotage? A death during the first night causes the crew and passengers to become fearful and wary of each other. Was it an accident, suicide or murder?

A big clue is given on the front cover - revenge is a dish best served cold - so it's not too difficult to work out who is causing all the problems, but I didn't get the 'why' until the reveal near the end.

The story was well-crafted and the cast of 9 passengers, including the 2 company owners plus 8 crew (or 6 if you discount the 2 pilots who play almost no part) are just right to keep track of, and there is also a handy list at the beginning of the book with all the names. The hero is Chloe - aspiring journalist and amateur detective, who is observant, feisty and clever. She and photographer Ben were my favourite characters. The descriptions of the airship, arctic scenery and the ship itself were excellent. My only minor criticism of the writing is a slight tendency to over-explain on occasion, but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the book.

I would definitely recommend this book.

“Isolated Group” and “Locked Room” are two varieties of whodunnit. The first can contain the second but the second can’t contain the first. On the maiden test flight of a new airship, supported by a Helium filled canopy, eight guests have been invited by the owners, Ezra and Howard. The idea for a recreational travel company using an airship apparently came to Howard and Issac – Ezra’s father, and Howard’s old friend, and constant travel companion – during a trip to the Arctic. Issac died during the trip, but Howard started developing the idea and Ezra joined the company after he graduated. Some of the guests are old school friends of Ezra, the rest are there to provide publicity material. One is a ‘Green’ influencer, one is a photographer for a travel magazine and one is a young blogger, Chloe, drafted in as replacement for the actual magazine reporter, who has had a family emergency. There are also eight crew. Although we see events from various viewpoints, Chloe is the main character and will become the main sleuth when one of the others dies, apparently in a locked room.
The overall structure is good and the writing is fine, albeit a bit stilted and far too repetitive. However, good structure doesn’t mean great plot. It is not at all difficult to spot the killer and the motive. Nor is it difficult to see past the various little subplots, designed to distract. The various characters are thinly drawn (the crew are virtual ciphers), all have, mostly secret, problems, none are very likeable, or relatable. However, my main problem with the story is that the author clearly knows nothing about Helium, because if he did he would not have devised this plot, because it is impossible. I can’t explain why here, of course. Overall its not a bad book but, with these issues I can’t give it more than 2.5, which will round to 3.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Delightful (cozy) crime, perfect for the winter! The setting was breathtaking, I loved the idea of zeppelins becoming re-introduced in our quest for climate friendly travel (while also hinting at the real problem behind it: reach people playing with more money they could ever spent). The murder victim was pretty clear from the beginning, also who it was - it was more a question of how they'd done it than anything else. I do think there might have been a hint of a continuation of the main two people as sleuths-against-their-will. And the cover design is beautiful! I wish German cover designers would let themselves be inspired by their UK counterparts a bit more.