This is an enjoyable country house murder mystery, except that the country house is an airship on a maiden luxury voyage to the North Pole. It's also set in contemporary times with references to Instagram and other modernities.

The plot is enjoyable though I did guess the culprit a bit too early. The story is executed well and it's an easy read, though there's a lot of switching back and forth between characters. A light but enjoyable read.

Nice update on a locked room mystery, with such a well described setting you can see and smell it. Great cast of characters, with a couple of grotesquely self centred ones. Up to date references to the damage being done to the environment too. An enthralling read, making Tom Hindle a must read author if you like a good whodunnit.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

This is my second time reading a Tom Hindle novel, and after reading the summary of the book I was excited to read it.

A great twist on the locked-room mystery: the story is based around the maiden voyage of a helium airship. When one of the members of the group is found dead, tension builds as the rest of the group try to understand whether it was a tragic accident, or something more sinister.

I liked that there was good background on each character to explain how they found themselves to be on the airship in the first place. There were lots of small mysteries along the way which kept the book engaging. I found the story wasn't so much about the "who" of the mystery, rather on the "how", with the airship setting making it a very interesting concept.

All in all a very enjoyable read, with great characters and no unanswered questions, I would recommend.

A delightfully chilling artic thriller, a new spin on the locked room mystery.

We follow a cast of characters, many keeping secrets, all flying in an airship to the most isolated place on earth: the North Pole. When one of the party drops dead and all is not as it seems.

This is my second Tom Hindle book, I had a much better time with this one!

The premise is uniquely fun. Though a classic locked room mystery at its heart. The setting on a luxury airship flying towards the Arctic is completely immersive and engaging.

The mystery itself took some surprising turns and clues developed through different characters pov's, creating a puzzle that can be put together if you're paying attention! There was nothing too shocking or twisty, but I kept turning the page, wanting to know what would happen next!

I do struggle slightly with Tom Hindles' writing style. At times, I find his prose repetitive, though it was less of a problem for me in this novel.

A solidly immersive and exciting murder mystery, perfect for a winter read.

The story:
Skyline Voyages has been set up to offer the last word in luxury, sustainable travel. Inviting some of his oldest friends, along with some influential guests, on a test voyage ahead of the official launch, Chief Operating Officer Ezra Day is determined to take them on a trip they’ll never forget.

Floating high above the beautiful, frozen Arctic in the giant, helium-filled airship the Osprey, it looks like he’s achieved his dream. But when one of their number dies, the passengers are forced to wonder… Was this really a tragic accident? Or is there a saboteur on board?

My thoughts:
“Death in the Arctic” is the third book I’ve read by author Tom Hindle (after “A Fatal Crossing” and “The Murder Game”), and once again I really enjoyed the golden age vibes he evokes while taking advantage of a contemporary setting.

This time crime takes to the air, with a group of mismatched (and in some cases, quite unpleasant!) guests joining a test flight of an airship, along with its owners and newly hired crew. The Osprey is the passion project of Ezra Day and Howard Barnes, and is an idea dreamt up by Howard and Ezra’s father Isaac on a trip to the Arctic – a trip Isaac tragically never returned from.

Ezra has made it his life’s mission to make the dream a reality, and has invited a group of friends on board to help promote the airship’s luxury and environmentally friendly offerings. Those invited include old school friends, a travel blogger, and an environmental influencer; in other words, people whose endorsement will carry weight.

While Ezra is full of enthusiasm, his business partner, and company founder, Howard seems a lot more reluctant for the trip to take place, and is clearly very worried about something…

When a death occurs in midair, by helium poisoning no less, the passengers and crew alike begin to question exactly how safe the Osprey is. Could this have happened by accident, and if so, are more passengers at risk, floating miles from anyway above the frozen Arctic below? But if it wasn’t an accident, could there be a murderer of board?

I really enjoyed this well-plotted mystery, with the story jumping from character to character to give us different points of view and different insights into what has gone on. It’s certainly an original spin on the classic murder in an isolated location, and while we know one of the passengers of the Osprey must be a murderer, there are several possible options to what could have happened prior to the final, tense reveal. A great addition from an author who’s becoming a go-to read for me!

A classic murder mystery with a good cast of characters and lots of red herrings to keep you guessing whodunnit. I enjoyed the writing style which kept me turning the pages, and the airship setting was interesting. If you love Agatha Christie, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s the first book I’ve read by Tom Hindle and it’s encouraged me to read his others.

Aspiring travel writer Chloe gets the chance to write her first piece when she is offered a place on a luxury airship travelling across the North Pole. It soon becomes clear that things are not going to plan when a fellow passenger’s body is found in their room. Trapped aboard the ship, the group soon begin to suspect one another.

I loved the premise of this one and the setting of the old airship gave it a unique spin on the usual locked room mystery. I also found the cover intriguing and having enjoyed previous books by this author, I knew I had to give it a go. I ended up enjoying the majority of this story. The atmosphere is described very well and you really feel the coldness and isolation.

The reader is introduced to quite a few characters at once and it took me a while to distinguish them all, however once I did it flowed nicely and I could really picture each individual personality. I enjoyed the mystery within the story, however feel it took a long time for the actual mystery to begin. I also enjoyed hearing the different voices and trying to decipher the clues and red herrings to work out who the culprit was. I did find I
that I correctly guessed some parts.

I would sum the book up as a well written, cosy crime story, with an interesting concept and setting. I would definitely be interested to see what the author comes up with next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Absolutely fantastic. Gripped me from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. Easy to read and follow. 5+ stars. Highly recommend.

This story could have been fascinating but it was obvious who the murderer was from the start. It also felt very repetitive with things being repeated in case you didn’t catch them first time.

I wanted to love it because I was intrigued by the concept but it was a huge disappointment. I’ve not read any other books by this author but I’ve heard great things about him - so I hope his other books are better

Chloe Campbell, a wannabe travel writer is given an opportunity of a lifetime by an exclusive travel magazine to review a trip to the North Pole aboard an Airship! She accepts thinking it is a brilliant chance of becoming a travel writer for this magazine. Little does she know that plans are a foot that will keep her asking questions about events onboard! A locked room mystery set on an Airship!! It's a tense and taut storyline with plenty of twists and turns with moments of nail biting and page turning subplots that lead to a dramatic ending!

I really enjoyed Death in the Arctic and it was fun to read about airships and how they could have a place in travel in the future. The location of the book sounded amazing and definitely makes me want to travel to the North Pole. This is a closed room murder with a on isolated group so it was a case of who can and can’t be trusted!

The plot follows Chloe who is desperate to become a travel writer. She gets her ‘big break’ by chance and is offered a place on the maiden flight of the Osprey Airship. It’s a slow burner but once it gets going I couldn’t put it down.

This is my second Tim Hindle book and I did enjoy it more than Murder in Lake Garda.

Thank you to Century books for my copy of this book from a competition win and also to NetGalley for the digital c

This book offers an unusual setting for a series of murders - an airship. As the author says, the last time any of us thought about an airship was seeing the shocking images of the Hindenburg in flames, but in this story a man has decided to resurrect this supposedly 'green' form of transport and arrange flights to exotic destinations in the utmost luxury. The first flight is over the North Pole, and he has invited some reporters, travel bloggers and green warriors to enjoy the experience and spread the word. It has become a race, as another company also wants to be first to have a successful flight.

However, the trip does not go to plan and one of the joint owners dies, as well as various equipment malfunctioning, which raises concerns about the trip's viability. The guests become more and more disturbed as events conspire to spoil their luxurious trip. The result is quite clever, and I enjoyed finding out who was ultimately responsible for the events, but found some fparts of the book to be a little slow and ponderous. Once the novelty of being on an airship wears off, it felt like any other, rather cramped, hotel.

Overall its an interesting concept and I enjoyed the book. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting concept but nothing of note happens until half way through and then after the ‘event’ the same conversations and summations keep happening, making the reading tedious and dull.
It was almost slapstick in nature, one minor issue happening after the other.
The characters were enjoyable if a little cliched.
I feel like this could have been a better short story.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a beautifully written book filled with great characters and amazing locations that many of us will never experience for ourselves aside from via fiction or social media.
This was quite a sedate read which for me was perfect as it matched so well with the method of transport that is so prevalent in this tale. It held my attention well and I have to admit that I did notice the hint at what was happening and why and was a little proud of myself to have noticed it and considered it's importance carefully. The journey that we are taken on through this book was a very interesting one with plenty of misdirection and subterfuge to keep the reader guessing. Even though I had guessed the final reveal I found myself second guessing due to the reveals that came at me as they were well thought out and would have made for great motives and opportunities in another story!
This is a book that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and would recommend it to everyone!

A locked room mystery set on an air ship high above the North Pole. I liked the premise, setting and the characters. However, the story took too long to get to the first murder and I felt the last quarter was a little rushed. I was absorbed in the novel and loved the imagery of the Arctic wastes and the air ship.

Chloe is given the opportunity of a lifetime to be a passenger on the press flight over the North Pole on a state of the art, luxury helium airship. This flight is to generate some much needed publicity ahead of the start of commercial operation of this new form of low carbon sustainable tourism. The stakes are high with a competitor also about to launch a similar service, and the race is on for who is going to be first to market.

On board are the companies founder, Howard, and chief operating officer, Ezra, plus an eclectic mix of passengers and crew including old friends, a journalist, a blogger and environmentalists. Each with their own agenda and motives for being on this flight. The remote arctic landscape is described in pleasing detail as is the design and operation of the airship. As the ship travels further into the remote arctic so the undercurrents and tensions between those on board start to surface along with questions over the true environmental credentials of the project.

The suspense is masterfully crafted with a storm, a series of mishaps, death and a growing sense of isolation as the ship travels further into the arctic. This book was hard to put down and I highly recommend it.

Second Tom Hindle book I have read and the first book on air ships I have read or with an Arctic setting to my knowledge. A few pointers, I always feel that when an author choses a setting that I don't know I want to learn about the setting which I did not with the Arctic. I agree with some other reviewers that the plot was slow being played out and feel that the storyline was a little thin. Read some Jeffrey Archer and Peter James to discover the skills of content in a thriller. In true Agatha Christie style, someone Tom is compared to and who I am a big fan, having identified a series of characters that could have committed the crime we the reader are left to determine who actually is guilty with many plausible culprits. With all this taken into account I have gone for a 4* review which I think is fair. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

I’ve read all of Tom’s books, and I’m a big fan anyway, but this one - my absolute favourite. This is standout for me. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of airships, maybe it’s the arctic? Maybe the plot is just blumming brilliant?!

I mean, what do you do when you’re floating in a luxury slow moving airship above the arctic when someone dies? Where do you go? What do you do?!!!!

Blumming brilliant- thanks Tom!

My thanks to be Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tom Hindle’s books are must-reads for fans of a classic murder mystery novel. Whilst I think the plot of Death in the Arctic isn’t quite as strong as his previous books, the worldbuilding and scene setting is amongst the best I’ve ever seen from him. Regardless of the modern setting, the spirit of Agatha Christie is strong within Tom Hindle’s writing.

Much of the story of Death in the Arctic takes place aboard an airship voyaging above the arctic wasteland, as a trial-run for a new floating cruise experience to the north pole. Much like Murder on Lake Garda, the setting is ripe for exploration and opens the door for plenty of engrossing worldbuilding. The result personally is the best setting in Hindle’s books so far, with the luxury of the airship balanced against the cold expanse below, adding to the sense of isolation. The remote airship also provided a very natural reason to delay police intervention.

The plot of Death in the Arctic naturally felt quite reminiscent of A Fatal Crossing, though not quite as polished in my opinion. The pacing felt a little off, with the scene setting and build-up to the murder taking a surprising chunk of the book, leaving the resolution feeling a little rushed. Several characters also felt like caricatures of ‘suspects in a murder mystery book’ and not particularly original in their own right. That being said, the story felt well plotted (if a little rushed), with the usual multitude of overlapping motives and the marker of suspicion swinging several ways over the course of the book. No spoilers for the end, though I appreciate the fact it’s a mystery you could definitely solve using the clues provided, assuming you’re better at detective work than myself.

'Death in the Arctic' by Tom Hindle.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I'm a big fan of this author and this book was just as good as his others. A murder mystery set on a modern day airship.
I figured out the 'who' quite early on but I didn't guess the 'why'. If you're a fan of cozy crime and Agatha Christie give this book a read.
Thanks to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read a copy in return for an honest review.

A frozen wilderness.
A killer in the skies.
When aspiring travel writer Chloé Campbell is invited aboard a luxury airship flying to the North Pole, she thinks she’s bagged the opportunity of a lifetime.
But she hasn’t had long to admire the dazzling icy views before a fellow passenger is found dead in their cabin.
Trapped at the top of the world, the group agrees a tragic accident has occurred. But as the hours tick by, fear turns to doubt.
It seems everyone’s a suspect.
And it isn’t long before the passengers begin to turn on each other . .