The Apollo Murders: 1

Product Information

Commander Hadfield takes us on an exciting journey into an alternate past. And who better to write about astronauts than an astronaut himself!" - Andy Weir, New York Times bestselling author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary Is it 1-star bad? Probably not. There were a few sections that were quite fun if taken in isolation. A couple of plot points were also interesting, like what the Russians found on the moon and the constant one-upmanship between the 2 nations. Other than that, though, it was an unfocused mess.

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? I also question that NOBODY in this story ever brings up a legal, political, or ethical concern that the US is essentially going into space to sabotage Soviet property. Since this is the Nixon administration making this call, I’m not saying that they wouldn’t try it, but it seems odd that absolutely nobody ever brings up that we’re essentially using a ultra-expensive Apollo mission that the world still knows about to commit an act of war. But even as Kaz races to keep the NASA crew one step ahead of their Russian rivals, a deadly accident reveals that not everyone involved is quite who they were thought to be. With political stakes stretched to the breaking point, the White House and the Kremlin can only watch as their astronauts collide on the lunar surface, far beyond the reach of law or rescue. The fact that the author himself admits that many of the characters are real life people and much of what happened in the book is true, this made it all feel so much more genuine and believable than a run of the mill thriller, no matter how well written. At the end, there is a section on who were the actual real characters, events and machinery etc and I felt the people I was learning about, I had come to know personally already.

Book Reviews

All eyes and ears are on the transmissions of Apollo 18 and its crew, as they seek to find needed answers swiftly and concisely. Holding their collective breaths, Washington and Moscow await news, putting aside their differences for a moment, but refusing to melt the chill in the air! A stellar piece of writing that pushes the Cold War to new limits! When things go horribly wrong out in space, thing turn from a covert mission into one focussed on rescue. New protocols will need to be created and a loose ‘friendly coolness’ develops between the Americans and Soviets. Working together will be the only way to ensure the body count is minimal, while keeping the general public out of the know of any major mishap. Kaz and many others will have to rely on transmissions and limited capabilities of the astronauts while heading for the Moon, the still somewhat under-explored part of near space. Our Museum Executive Director, Michael Hall, had the pleasure of giving a tour to the book’s prestigious author, Colonel Chris Hadfield. Hadfield, a multiple New York Times bestselling author, is one of the most accomplished astronauts in modern times. In addition to his vast contribution to space missions and military defense, he has enriched audiences of all ages with his educational video series, lectures, photographs, out-of-this-world music videos, and books. What would you do if you were tasked to go to space in 1972? What challenges do you think you would encounter? What would you do if you saw your enemy in a spaceship next to yours? These questions are among the many posed in this month’s book review choice, The Apollo Murders.

Hadfield uses his expertise and experience to guide the reader through unfortunate circumstances and triumphs. He spares no technical or scientific detail yet skillfully writes in a manner that keeps the reader’s attention. His descriptions are so rich that one feels they’re onboard the Pursuit. This blend of plausible history reflects our greatest fears in the Cold War and places them in the great expanse of outer space. He pulls from different perspectives as he highlights characters from both sides of the Cold War, which gives the reader a look into the systemic differences that between the two superpowers. From arming the spacecraft to political espionage, we are fortunate that such a story never came to fruition.

Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest

An exceptional Cold War thriller from the dark heart of the Space Race, by astronaut and New York Times bestselling author Chris Hadfield Hadfield uses his space experience to good purpose in this thriller, a superb blend of fact and fiction set in the midst of the Cold War. 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. Hadfield draws on his expertise as an astronaut to add authenticity and realism to his debut thriller. Fans of Clive Cussler and Andy Weir will enjoy this genre-bender combining military fiction, the detective novel, and techno-thriller." - Library Journal (starred review)

Clearly, Hadfield has extensive knowledge of equipment and operations employed during the Apollo era, which he employs to give absolute credibility to the story and make the reader feel all is actually true. As a tale about space adventure, this is a story beyond compare—for both the truth and the fiction. During rehearsals for the Apollo 18 mission there's a deadly incident that results in a change in the crew, and the subsequent investigation - while the astronauts are in space - leads to suspicion of murder.

And this has all the bones of a great thriller. The premise is fantastic, the setting atmospheric, and who doesn't love a deadly cat-and-mouse game playing out in space? Since this is fiction weaved into real history, I recognized a lot of the people and events of the space program, and it adds to the authenticity of the whole thing. It was also interesting to contemplate how the Cold War mentality of suspicion and secrecy would play out should the U.S. and Russia actually cross paths during the space race.