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zane_black8's review against another edition
4.5
A brilliant historical/science-fiction with a compelling storyline, great technical detail, and high stakes with numerous turns and twists. I really enjoyed this book, very well done throughout.
dawn_m's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
neodem's review against another edition
4.0
As a spacenerd I quite liked this book. I think it was even better because it was written by an actual astronaut.
knittingdoc's review against another edition
5.0
I just finished reading/listening. I'm still thinking about motives behind the pre-mission death, as well as the ending. Very complex. Thoroughly enjoyable.
addierr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
noisydeadlines's review against another edition
It's advertised as a thriller but honestly, I got bored with it. I wasn’t engaged enough with the characters and the plot, I really didn’t care about any of the characters and the plot was not interesting enough for me.
kelly_e's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Title: The Apollo Murders
Author: Chris Hadfield
Series: Apollo Murders #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: October 21, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Realistic • Cinematic • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module, a quarter of a million miles from home. A quarter of a million miles from help.
As Russian and American crews sprint for a secret bounty hidden away on the lunar surface, old rivalries blossom and the political stakes are stretched to breaking point back on Earth. Houston flight controller Kazimieras ‘Kaz’ Zemeckis must do all he can to keep the NASA crew together, while staying one step ahead of his Soviet rivals. But not everyone on board Apollo 18 is quite who they appear to be.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'd previously enjoyed Chris Hadfield's non-fiction account, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, so when I needed a book to fulfil the prompt 'takes place in space', The Apollo Murders seemed like the prefect place to land. Who better to write a space-centric thriller than a real astronaut, right?
I'll start out by saying, Hadfield delivers an incredibly creative, entertaining, and well-written space adventure. Using his lived experience as an astronaut, there is no one better qualified to write such a story. Yet, it's quite possible he is over qualified. The pacing is on the slower side, and at times, the technical detail overwhelmed the plot. Often reading more like non fiction, I found myself getting distracted wanting to know which aspects were real and which weren't. This reality often lead to my focus drifting off and I struggled to grasp all of the technological jargon. It could have easily been pared down, with more of a focus on the thrill and less on the historical accuracy and technological details of flying.
One thing I really did appreciate, was getting a first hand account of the loneliness of space. Given the author's history, it's easy to believe this as the lived experience of those travelling into the ether. It's something I have never really thought about and I imagine has a great psychological impact on space travelers.
Overall, The Apollo Murders was an interesting and entertaining account. I enjoyed the meat of the story, yet it could have easily been significantly shorter and been just as enjoyable. It's possible it would have landed differently if I had picked it up at a more suitable point in time. I think it likely a case of it just not being what my mood was craving. I will likely continue with book two at some point, but there's no urgency.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• space exploration
• history of space travel
⚠️ CW: violence, gun violence, murder, death, death of parent, medical trauma, blood, injury/injury detail, vomit, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, racism, confinement, cursing, war, suicide, excrement
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Until you have suffered much in your heart, you cannot learn humility."
Author: Chris Hadfield
Series: Apollo Murders #1
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: October 21, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Realistic • Cinematic • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module, a quarter of a million miles from home. A quarter of a million miles from help.
As Russian and American crews sprint for a secret bounty hidden away on the lunar surface, old rivalries blossom and the political stakes are stretched to breaking point back on Earth. Houston flight controller Kazimieras ‘Kaz’ Zemeckis must do all he can to keep the NASA crew together, while staying one step ahead of his Soviet rivals. But not everyone on board Apollo 18 is quite who they appear to be.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I'd previously enjoyed Chris Hadfield's non-fiction account, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, so when I needed a book to fulfil the prompt 'takes place in space', The Apollo Murders seemed like the prefect place to land. Who better to write a space-centric thriller than a real astronaut, right?
I'll start out by saying, Hadfield delivers an incredibly creative, entertaining, and well-written space adventure. Using his lived experience as an astronaut, there is no one better qualified to write such a story. Yet, it's quite possible he is over qualified. The pacing is on the slower side, and at times, the technical detail overwhelmed the plot. Often reading more like non fiction, I found myself getting distracted wanting to know which aspects were real and which weren't. This reality often lead to my focus drifting off and I struggled to grasp all of the technological jargon. It could have easily been pared down, with more of a focus on the thrill and less on the historical accuracy and technological details of flying.
One thing I really did appreciate, was getting a first hand account of the loneliness of space. Given the author's history, it's easy to believe this as the lived experience of those travelling into the ether. It's something I have never really thought about and I imagine has a great psychological impact on space travelers.
Overall, The Apollo Murders was an interesting and entertaining account. I enjoyed the meat of the story, yet it could have easily been significantly shorter and been just as enjoyable. It's possible it would have landed differently if I had picked it up at a more suitable point in time. I think it likely a case of it just not being what my mood was craving. I will likely continue with book two at some point, but there's no urgency.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• space exploration
• history of space travel
⚠️ CW: violence, gun violence, murder, death, death of parent, medical trauma, blood, injury/injury detail, vomit, misogyny, sexism, gaslighting, racism, confinement, cursing, war, suicide, excrement
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Until you have suffered much in your heart, you cannot learn humility."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Vomit, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Confinement
Minor: Sexism, War, Racism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Cursing, Suicide, and Excrement
0ddball's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rmartin18's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5