Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Century (2022), 464 pages
Description
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...
User reviews
LibraryThing member nicx27
A Fatal Crossing is a locked-room mystery with a difference: it's set aboard the Endeavour, an ocean liner bound for New York with 2,000 passengers, amongst them a potential killer.
It's no spoiler to say an unexpected death occurs at the beginning of the story. An elderly man is found at the foot
Birch and Temple make for an interesting investigating duo. It's fair to say Temple is the lead and he's more maverick in his techniques than the quite strait-laced Birch, but their back-stories make them particularly intriguing. Birch is the narrator and we follow him as he travels around the ship with Temple. I enjoyed the descriptions of each section of the boat, from the extravagance of first class to the pleasant but smaller areas in second class, and then to the cramped conditions of third class.
I must admit to getting a bit befuddled at times as to who was who on the ship but not to the point that I couldn't follow what was going on. Many of the passengers are travelling to an art fair in New York and so there's quite a bit of crossover between them, and it seems that all roads lead back to a very special painting. It's a very engaging story that kept me hooked all the way through and which really kept me guessing in more ways than one.
Set in 1924, A Fatal Crossing is in the golden age style of crime writing and it has a definite nod to Agatha Christie's work. It goes along at a fine pace with a clever ending that I loved. I thought it was an excellent historical crime mystery.
It's no spoiler to say an unexpected death occurs at the beginning of the story. An elderly man is found at the foot
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of a flight of steps. One of the ship's officers, Timothy Birch, is tasked with dealing with what seems to be a tragic accident but when a Scotland Yard policeman, James Temple, who is also on board, takes an interest it appears that there might be a more sinister reason for the death.Birch and Temple make for an interesting investigating duo. It's fair to say Temple is the lead and he's more maverick in his techniques than the quite strait-laced Birch, but their back-stories make them particularly intriguing. Birch is the narrator and we follow him as he travels around the ship with Temple. I enjoyed the descriptions of each section of the boat, from the extravagance of first class to the pleasant but smaller areas in second class, and then to the cramped conditions of third class.
I must admit to getting a bit befuddled at times as to who was who on the ship but not to the point that I couldn't follow what was going on. Many of the passengers are travelling to an art fair in New York and so there's quite a bit of crossover between them, and it seems that all roads lead back to a very special painting. It's a very engaging story that kept me hooked all the way through and which really kept me guessing in more ways than one.
Set in 1924, A Fatal Crossing is in the golden age style of crime writing and it has a definite nod to Agatha Christie's work. It goes along at a fine pace with a clever ending that I loved. I thought it was an excellent historical crime mystery.
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LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
It's a darkish whodunit murder mystery story set on a British transatlantic liner in 1924. A ship's officer and a dodgy Scotland Yard detective investigate the suspicious death of an elderly art dealer. There's plenty of intrigue over missing art with several red herrings. The plot gets confused by
Recommended reading.
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the addition of a secondary storyline that acts as a motivating force for the ship's officer, but unfortunately it is never resolved. (Is there a sequel in the works to deal with this?). The shipboard setting and a cast of dodgy passengers add depth to a busy trope-filled story. There's a surprising twist at the end to bring the story to a bittersweet conclusion.Recommended reading.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022
Physical description
464 p.; 9.45 inches
ISBN
1529135699 / 9781529135695
Local notes
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.
Goldsboro exclusive, signed by the author with ships stencilled on the page edges, #415 of 500 copies.
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.
Goldsboro exclusive, signed by the author with ships stencilled on the page edges, #415 of 500 copies.