The Apollo Murders was one of the first things that I put on my 2021 Geekmas list - how could I not want to read an alternate history space program murder mystery suspense novel written by an ex-astronaut and set against the backdrop of a final Moon landing made by Apollo 18, not 17?
That being said, I'm sorry to say that I didn't completely love Chris Hadfield's first foray into fiction, although I also have to say that it's not bad, I simply had extremely high hopes for this book that it didn't manage to achieve. It's certainly competently written, Hadfield obviously knows how to put words on paper - I particularly liked the first-person prologue in which the protagonist, Kaz Zemeckis, loses his eye in a flying accident - but for me it didn't quite succeed as a suspense novel.
As you would expect, the technical aspects of preparing and launching a mission to the Moon are impeccably detailed and accurate, to the
point where I have to wonder if less dedicated fans of the space program
might lose interest.* There's a strong flavour of Tom Clancy in the late Cold War period storyline - not quite with the same degree of conflict that Clancy brought to his novels, but plausibly dramatic in its motivations and machinations.
Much of the action in the second half of the novel involves the villain of the story, and whereas I appreciate the importance of what's going on during that part of the book, I wish that Hadfield had found a way to better combine that action with the hero of the piece. Zemeckis, the one-eyed guitar-playing ex-pilot turned slightly reluctant government operative, just isn't on the centre stage as much as I wanted him to be, and I would also have liked to have seen him more involved in the process of discovering the identity of the traitor in the astronaut program. Zemeckis does make some deductions on his own, but overall the path from suspicion to suspect is more circumstantial than definitive.
I don't for a moment want to suggest that Hadfield should abandon his new niche as a writer of astronaut suspense novels, given his undeniable writing skills and his uniquely comprehensive and personal knowledge of the hardware and processes involved. I view The Apollo Murders as an acceptable and well-executed freshman piece, and I have no doubt that the Commander will only improve as he continues his new career.
With the possibility of a second novel on the table, I have a modest suggestion for Mr. Hadfield. NASA has announced that the International Space Station is going to be retired in 2030 by having it leave orbit and make a fiery descent into the Pacific Ocean, far from land. Chris, in the unlikely event that you're reading this, how about setting a climactic struggle in the abandoned ISS as it begins its return to Earth? I suspect that NASA has thoroughly modelled the phases of the space station's destruction as it plunges toward the ocean, and with that information I think it's safe to say that you have the required amount of insider knowledge to make the scene work, and for the hero to make a plausible escape at the last possible minute. Now all we need is a reason for them being there - which I am happy to leave in Hadfield's capable and creative hands.
- Sid
* On the other hand, if you're not a fan of the space program, why are you reading something called The Apollo Murders written by an ex-astronaut?
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