A Fatal Crossing: Agatha Christie meets Titanic in this unputdownable mystery

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Fatal Crossing is a good slow burn mystery and was inspired by the true story of an American serial killer who stalked and photographed his victims before killing them. That said, I’d whole-heartedly recommend this lively and entertaining mystery. The twists are suitably twisty and the denouement genuinely surprising. The setting is vivid and the characters are well-drawn, even if you do love to hate them at times! It’s November 1924, when the ship Endeavour sets sail from Southampton for New York, with a total of 2000 passengers and crew. I was drawn to A Fatal Crossing first by the cover, then when I saw that it was a Golden Age-style mystery novel set at sea in the 1920s, I was even more interested!

I was first drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover, it’s very in keeping with the story. Nora Sand is a Danish journalist living in London writing articles for a Danish weekly paper. In an antique shop, she buys an old suitcase containing photos related to an old case in Denmark, where more than twenty years ago, two young girls from a youth home disappeared without a trace on their way to England. Sand travels to Copenhagen and tries to find a trail. She encounters many inconsistencies. She can convince her editor that behind these photos is certainly an exciting story for their newspaper. 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.

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The two detectives are interesting characters in their own rights. Birch is struggling with the tragic events of his own life which slowly and painfully come to the surface in the story. Temple is abrasive, rude and really quite arrogant – until events conspire to change his approach. Together, they are an unusual and stormy partnership – something that is intriguing to follow.

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. The girls on the England" boat was an interesting detective story, I came to like Nora Sands, an experienced journalist who accidentally stumble across a photo that will affect her life considerably. I always like to read books in which a person begins to unravel the disappearance of several years before and this book was no exception. However, I found that although the book interesting was it not exactly exciting to read. I felt like it was missing something to really catch my interest.

Retailers:

The owner of Hamlet Hall has organised a murder mystery evening with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play.