The Apollo Murders
Chris Hadfield
An exceptional debut thriller and “exciting journey” into the dark heart of the Cold War and the space race from New York Times bestselling author and astronaut Chris Hadfield (Andy Weir, author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary). 1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny spaceship, a quarter million miles from home. more
480 pages, Hardcover
First published Mulholland Books
3.93
Rating
15088
Ratings
1893
Reviews
Chris Hadfield
32 books 1393 followers
Chris Hadfield is one of the most seasoned and accomplished astronauts in the world. The top graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1988 and U.S. Navy test pilot of the year in 1991, Hadfield was selected by the Canadian Space Agency to be an astronaut in 1992. He was CAPCOM for 25 Shuttle launches and served as Director of NASA Operations in Star City, Russia from 2001-2003, Chief of Robotics at the Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2003-2006, and Chief of International Space Station Operations from 2006-2008. Hadfield most recently served as Commander of the International Space Station where, while conducting a record-setting number of scientific experiments and overseeing an emergency spacewalk, he gained worldwide acclaim for his breathtaking photographs and educational videos about life in space. His music video, a zero-gravity version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," received over 10 million views in its first three days online.Community reviews
Imagine if there had been an Apollo 18 mission. Hailed as the last of its kind, it would be fraught with peril and steeped in secrecy. Set during the Cold War era, three astronauts must make the journey for the good of country and science. But when things start to go wrong, who can they really trust a quarter million miles from home. Yep, say no more. more
(2. 5) This isn't a bad book but "military, US vs Russia, spy books" are not for me. more
This was an exciting, thrill-packed Cold War thriller. Its author, Chris Hadfield, imparts his extraordinary knowledge and experience, bringing atmosphere, authenticity, and credibility to the plot. The gripping, action-packed story is infused with science, technology, politics, espionage, space history, murder, and intrigue with vividly drawn, believable characters. Author, Chris Hadfield, is a much-decorated Canadian astronaut, a former fighter pilot, engineer, spacewalker, served in both the American and Russian space programs, and Commander of the International Space Station. Readers who have not followed the history of the Apollo space program and the space stations may recognize Hatfield may recognize him from the video where he played guitar and sang David Bowie's Space Oddity while floating in 0 Gravity in the ISS. more
This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www. mysteryandsuspense. com/th. more
3. 0 StarsAs a huge fan of Chris Hadfield, I was very excited to read his historical science fiction thriller. The best aspect of this one was the inclusion of the technical and historical details surrounding astronaut life. Unfortunately, the murder mystery and characters fell flat so I struggled to keep my immersion in the story. I think the narrative would have been more engaging if it involved more humour. more
In reality, the last manned mission to the moon was America’s Apollo 17, but the jumping off point for this story is that there was actually an Apollo 18 done as a secret military operation. How do you keep a space mission involving thousands of people a secret. Look, if you’re gonna read this book, you need to stop asking questions like that. Kaz Zemickis was a test pilot who was also training to be an astronaut when an unfortunate collision between his plane and a seagull leaves him with one eye. Now Kaz is working as a liaison between Washington and the Apollo 18 mission. more
Exploring the Cold War through a new and exhilarating lens, this novel by former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has all the ingredients of a superior thriller. Examining the tensions of two superpowers, the space race is a poignant backdrop during the tense 1970s. When the Americans learn of a Soviet space satellite, they are less than calm. It will have to be destroyed before too many secrets can be conveyed behind the Iron Curtain. Doing so will require not only stealth, but also precise planning. more
All flying machines were essentially the same; you just had to figure out how to get them started and how they wanted to kill you. …If there was a battle on the Moon, he would win. The Apollo Murders takes place in an alternate history version of 1973, in which the US is preparing to launch Apollo 18 (in reality, Apollo 17 was the last one). The crew will be made up of all military members, and the mission evolves into some good ol’ Cold War spy stuff involving a recently launched Soviet space station and a Soviet moon rover. Written by a former astronaut, The Apollo Murders has a realistic feel to it whenever technicals details—how mission training works, the feel of being strapped to a rocket blasting into space, moving around a confined ship in zero gravity, reentering Earth’s orbit and splashing down in the ocean—are being described. more
“The Apollo Murders” by former Commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield, is a cracking debut Cold War thriller, that quite literally blew my mind into orbit. With his unrivalled universe expertise and talent of conveying fact into entertaining fiction through the written word, this book was one of the few that will stay in my thoughts for a very long time. - 1973, a final top secret mission to the moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module. 250 million miles from home. more
3. 5 stars. Let me preface this review by saying that thrillers are really not my genre. This novel is well written and Chris Hadfield has proven himself to be a very well rounded guy, more creative than I would expect given his military and astronaut background. During the early pages of this novel, I found myself checking Wikipedia in order to determine Hadfield‘s age. more
I knew going in that this is one of those books that relies on the author's name recognition to sell copies, but even with my low expectations, this wasn't good. It's a silly story, told poorly, with not much else going for it. Is it 1-star bad. Probably not. There were a few sections that were quite fun if taken in isolation. more
Surely one of my most anticipated books of the year. My liking for Chris Hadfield knows no limits since he tweeted at me from SPACE. I was also fortunate enough to meet him at a book signing in Oxford. His knowledge and first-hand experience of being an astronaut (in space, in the US and in Russia), a space-walker and a jet pilot fills this Cold War thriller, which is set during the golden days of space exploration. There is a great story in here and it is pumped full of atmosphere and authenticity. more
I received a DRC of this book. I loved this book, everything about it; the science, the tech, the murder and intrigue and the history. Hadfield's writing feels so personal that at times I even felt as if I were reading a memoir. His knowledge, experience and skill set makes the Apollo Murders credible and authentic. His writing is incredible, his characters are so believable and well-developed in their strengths, flaws and humanity and his dialogue is true to the characters. more
Only someone with first hand experience could write a novel as rich in detail as this one, from the characters to the technology, The Apollo Murders is, in many ways, a masterpiece. Set during the Cold War, a space race still on, politics and intrigue sit at the heart of this story, a compelling and twisty mystery which has a brilliantly effective prose and excellent historical context. My one slight issue was the overly technical explanations that peppered the plot sometimes to the extent I skimmed past it-however for those who are really into outer space and all that goes with it this would definitely be a plus so a subjective downside. Overall excellent. Should be a huge hit. more
I tried, I really did. Despite reading almost 60% of the book it just seemed to get bogged down with way too much technical jargon, outlandish plot lines & backstory. The premise seemed intriguing and who better to write such a book than a well-respected astronaut and scientist. I did like the fact he used real characters and places through the book to add some authenticity to this, but I just wonder if 100 pages or so less would have kept my interest. more
In Chris Hadfield thriller page turner a Apollo mission is launched set during the Cold war but things go wrong in the heart of space where American and Russian race for a hidden bounty. I couldn't stop reading The details of the space were awesome from an author who knows his stuff. . more
The cover reminds me of the opening of the 2001: A Space Odyssey movie. The top of the letters in the title are blurred on the cover makes it look sloppy. An interesting what if story, the plot twists do help the make the book more exciting. The granular details about spaceflight in the story comes from one who knows. more
I’m sorry, I’m in the minority here, but this book is just boring. It’s like For All Mankind but without the ability to make you care about the characters. And the narrator was dry as toast, with only the trace of emotion in dialogue (and good luck telling anyone’s voices apart, he does Man and Woman with accents as needed). Not that the text gave him much to work with. “I am going to walk on the Moon. more
I feel like I learned quite a bit, but I can't quite say I was entertained. This book was an interesting mix of extremely detailed and specific technical jargon and science beside a whole lot of action that doesn't just need suspension of disbelief, but rather abandonment of it. Have you ever read a book where it feels like the author thinks they may only get one and only chance, so they throw absolutely everything they have at the one book. That's the impression I get here. Probably 200 pages of absolutely unnecessary detail and side story could (and I'd argue should) have been cut out and the true thriller meat of the story would not have been affected at all. more
The Apollo Murders - an alternative historical thriller about the launch of Apollo 18. (For non-history buffs like myself, the Apollo 18 was never launched in real life, due to budgetary constraints and the cold war. )What I loved: ✦ The author, Chris Hadfield, is an actual astronaut. So this book is as close to reality as you can get, for a fictional story on account of moon-landing that is. ✦ The ending was completely bad-ass. more
A fun thriller that satisfied me scientifically. Non-science nerds are going to complain about the info-dumps, whereas I was thinking, “tell me more about the combustion process”. The pacing was great, it felt like a decent thriller. I had issues with some characters and their motivations. Leaving it there because of spoilers. more
3. 5 Stars. I’m a huge fan of Chris Hadfield. He’s awesome. He’s one of our own. more
A Cold War thriller set in space… written by someone who’s actually been there. I’ve followed Col. Hadfield on his socials since he covered David Bowie’s Space Oddity aboard the International Space Station, a viral video which has garnered over 50 million views since being uploaded almost a decade ago. Now retired, he has turned his hand to fiction, and the resulting The Apollo Murders is a riveting speculative historical fiction thriller set in the early 70's, imagining a further escalation of the Space Race sparked by the deployment of a Soviet spy satellite and an Apollo 18 mission with a hidden reconnaissance and sabotage agenda. The historical and scientific accuracy didn’t disappoint: Given that this was written by a former Commander of the ISS, the descriptions of things such as zero gravity, G-forces, and the peculiar claustrophobia of being trapped in a space capsule, all things he’s actually experienced, had me glued to the page. more
This book is 463 pages and should have been at least half that in length. I don’t blame the astronaut who wrote it for including minutiae only a fellow space traveler might appreciate. However, I do blame the editor of this book. How could someone think the reader would want or need to know about every single bolt in the spaceship and how to empty the condom pee bag (worn by male astronauts) into the vacuum where urine is stored. I only slogged through it due to hints at a surprise ending, which didn’t exist. more
There are a few books I’m wildly excited about this year and this is one of them. So excited to read. more
3. 5 stars. Chris Hadfield's An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth was definitely one of the more interesting and compelling memoir of sorts that I've read - or rather listened to. Narrated by Hadfield himself in a very welcoming and approachable manner, it was thoroughly insightful and had more life lessons that I found relevant compared to a lot of self-help books out there. When I saw that Hadfield had written a debut mystery/thriller novel involving astronauts and a mission to the Moon, I was naturally intrigued given his firsthand knowledge. more
No. I love myself too much to finish reading this book. (And for all you readers out there who moan about folks rating books they didn't read: Sit down. Stop telling people what to do. It's rude. more
I really wanted to love this. It had everything going for it, but in the end I think the what had me excited about it (an action book in space written by an ACTUAL astronaut. )Chris obviously had the right background when it comes to the science here, I wouldn't argue that there is anything unrealistic here. All that is spot on, and he goes into great detail. However, I was very very close to dropping this after 100 pages. more
This is a very Chris Hadfieldy book, packed with tons of technical detail. By page 100 I felt confident in flying at least three different types of aircraft. After reading An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, I believe that the antagonist in this book is probably Hadfield’s idea of the worst type of person. So disgustingly egotistical. What a tjop. more
This book took awhile for me to get in to. Quite technical but in the end there was a fast paced finish that I really did enjoy. I agree with all the people saying that if you enjoyed The Martian by Andy Weir, you will enjoy this read. I did also enjoy The Martian. Great for anyone interested in flight and space travel. more