A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle Book Review

Synopsis

November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail from Southampton carrying 2,000 passengers and crew on a week-long voyage to New York.

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.

Birch agrees to investigate, and the trail quickly leads to the theft of a priceless painting. Its very existence is known only to its owner . . . and the dead man.

With just days remaining until they reach New York, and even Temple's purpose on board the Endeavour proving increasingly suspicious, Birch's search for the culprit is fraught with danger.

And all the while, the passengers continue to roam the ship with a killer in their midst . . .

My Thoughts

When the body of an elderly man is found at the bottom of a flight of stairs, Timothy Birch, ship's officer on the Endeavour sailing from Southampton to New York, becomes the sleuthing partner of James Temple, a Scotland Yard Detective. Temple is adamant that the death is a murder, but the ship's captain is reluctant to view it as anything but an accident. However, Temple prevails and the captain agrees to an investigation – but only if it is kept secret and that Birch accompany Temple as he interviews passengers and crew.

Birch and Temple's relationship is acrimonious from the start. Temple sees Birch as a hindrance, inserting himself into the investigation where he is not needed. In return, Birch doesn't trust Temple, mainly due to his evasive answers as to his purpose in sailing to New York and his reaction when he meets one of the steerage passengers.

While a diligent officer, Birch is considered a recluse. His behaviour since returning from leave has alienated him from the other officers. The reason, we learn, is that he is haunted by the disappearance of his young daughter, missing for over two years, for which he blames himself, and the subsequent breakdown of his marriage. A piece of yellow ribbon he continually plays with is the only connection to the daughter he may never see again. His inability to move on from self-blame is seen as a weakness, but sheds light on what motivates him, his purpose in heading to New York and what awaits him there.

Temple underestimates Birch's ability and while not the cleverest at analysing the clues, Birch does uncover Temple's past. They eventually discover the identity of the dead man and link him to a priceless painting stolen from a fellow passenger. As many of the passengers are travelling to New York for an art sale, have a personal or professional history or are linked to the world of art in some way, the task of eliminating suspects seems overwhelming, especially as the captain has stipulated that their investigation must be completed before the ship docks in New York, only four days away.

Although compelling, the story did seem to flag at one stage – or perhaps it was just my impatience at not being able to read fast enough to discover who was the guilty party. Skimming was not an option as I feared missing a vital piece of information. There was much to digest along the way, especially keeping track of the main suspects and their relationships to one another.

I like a mystery where I have no idea who the guilty party could be. Like Birch, as each piece of information was revealed, I just stumbled from one suspect to another, although he did have some moments of brilliance which helped solve the case. His actions at the end of the novel came as a total surprise - what a twist that was - but left me with many questions that I'm unable to discuss for fear of spoilers.

So, if you like a mystery with lots of red herrings, brilliant descriptions of life onboard a 1920s passenger liner, the main protagonists with secrets and an exciting denouement, then give this debut novel a try. I'm looking forward to Tom Hindle's next book, which I hope is another historical mystery.