WARNING -- POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD
It's 1973 and Apollo 18 is headed to the moon ... but first a secret mission to destroy a Russian spy satellite that is in earth orbit. That mission doesn't quite go as planned and the continuing mission on to the moon (which also has a hidden agenda) is now compromised. But all involved must maintain a 'business as usual' attitude for everyone following the mission back on Earth. Dangers await not only at the Russian spy satellite, but on the moon and even in the Lunar Module and Space Capsule and back on Earth upon their return.

One of the really great things about this book is the authenticity. Astronaut and author Chris Hadfield certainly knows the inner workings of NASA, and although the book takes place in the Apollo era and Hadfield was a Shuttle/ISS astronaut, he captures the time and the people (as well as the Cold War tensions) quite well.

What feels most real here are those on ground. It's a bit surprising that we do not get the sense of claustrophobia or cramped-ness inside the command module on the trip to the moon. Those Apollo flights were in very small capsules and especially with the addition of a fourth body it would seem that we should absolutely feel or understand how this nearly doesn't work. There's a very simple line included noting that the folks at Mission Control have made the decision that the three bodies in the Lunar Capsule landing on the moon are within acceptable range.

It's hard not to give some things away when talking about this book, so NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD!!

The Americans on Apollo 18 pick up a female cosmonaut in the course of destroying the spy satellite. They are able to bring her aboard because one of the astronauts is killed in the process.

On the moon, the American astronaut is on a mission to see to the destruction of a Russian moon rover. The cosmonaut's new mission is to prevent that rover's destruction AND to recover a special rock that the rover discovered. All of this, of course, away from the eyes of the public camera for television broadcast.

The cat and mouse game on the moon, between our astronaut and the cosmonaut, has some good tension and really is the first climactic moment of the book. Neither cosmonaut nor astronaut trust the other, but they need each other for survival on the moon and for the return to Earth.

The second climax (a false dénouement) comes when the crew arrives back on Earth. This brief section is more "Tom Clancy" thriller than the rest of the book.

And while I enjoyed the read overall, this is my one issue with the book... the engrossing, thriller action is all bundled up in the last quarter of the book with a little bit of action about half way through, and the rest of the book is all prelude and character set-up for that little bit. While this is probably not that different than a lot of 'thrillers' this book does not have a cohesive feel to it. The last portion of the book is very different than the first portion.

News that would seem to be pretty important about one of the astronauts doesn't come out until late in the book (to give me intrigue and interest in the cat and mouse game) and I never felt it was as well developed or resolved and in fact didn't need to be included at all, but it potentially offered a bit of a red-herring.

I loved following Hadfield during his days on ISS and I really looked forward to this book. It isn't a bad book, but it's night as 'tight' as I would expect from any other author.

Looking for a good book? The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield is a mystery/thriller that packs all the mystery into one section of the book and all the thriller into another and doesn't really keep us on the edge of our seats the way we hope a thriller will.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I am a huge fan of anything space related. So when I saw that Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut, wrote a thriller novel about a moon expedition, I was all in. However, as unfortunate as it is, this book fell short for me. Because of Hadfield’s background, all of the technical details were accurate which added a layer of authenticity to this fiction book. But what really took away from my enjoyment was that I felt that it was very long and dragged out. Every little action and detail was thoroughly explained and most of it was unnecessary and I found my attention drifting elsewhere. It had a great premise but just wasn’t completely for me.

Thank you @mulhollandbooks for sharing a copy of this Cold War era spy thriller set mostly in Space, available now.

First I do have to mention that you will find a ton of misogyny and racism in this book. It is set during the Apollo years, and features US and Russian characters, so lots of tension between the two. Also, one of the Russian cosmonauts is a woman and there is a lot of jokes about making her clean, etc. I’m sure it is all typical of what you would find amongst US military men at the time, but if that isn’t something you can look past, maybe skip this one.

Once you get past that, the detail of the space journey, the spaceships at the time, the training, all of the knowledge you would expect when an astronaut writes about a trip to the moon, is there. I really love all things NASA and astronomy so that was a real bonus and why I picked this one up. The spy storyline was interesting as well and I thought it was well developed and wrapped up in a realistic as possible way.

The author is an astronaut and although this is not about his space program; it is an alternate fiction of the Apollo space program. Having literally grown up with the actual factual space program, I found this book hard to read at first. Once I was able to suspend my imagination into this book, it is excellent fiction.( it also makes you wonder a bit how much was divulged during the actual space programs.) The author has great perspective and knowledge that bring just enough of the technical and scientific to bring the story to life.It is an excellent read!

The Apollo Murders is a great tale of speculative history, exploring the question of what would have happened if the tensions of the Cold War had become deeply intertwined with the later Apollo missions? It posits an 18th Apollo mission that isn't just heading to the lunar surface but has astronauts planning to land and investigate a Russian lunar rover. And on the way, why not check out a suspicious new Russian floating spy satellite too? Through a series of orbital mishaps, the crew inside Apollo 18 ends up being American astronauts Michael and Chad, along with taciturn Russian cosmonaut Svetlana. The team on the moon just changed up, which means the mission has changed too. But what are the larger implications, and how will the powers that be on Earth respond?

Former astronaut turned author Chris Hadfield has delivered another great space thriller, a combination of two themes I really enjoy. How can I not love this title? To be candid, though, the ending is weak, but you'll have had such a good time getting to that point that you won't care a bit. Now I need to add the rest of his novels to my queue. "The Apollo Murders" is definitely recommended!

As a rule, I’m what you might call an omnivorous reader. My choices aren’t usually constrained by genre – I’ll read pretty much anything. That said, I do have certain types of book that I generally don’t pick up.

For instance, I don’t often get into jargon-heavy thrillers – the Tom Clancys and Clive Cusslers of the world. Just not my scene. I also tend to steer clear of fiction written by famous people who are not famous for being writers – I’ve been burned by too many vanity novels.

So the idea of a book that COMBINES those two things should be a hard no, right? Maybe so – but every rule has its exceptions.

“The Apollo Murders” is the fiction debut of decorated astronaut Chris Hadfield. It’s an alternate history of sorts, a reimagining of the Apollo 18 mission that is packed full of mystery and Cold War intrigue. It’s a new wrinkle to the space race in a world where it’s no longer about getting to space, but rather about controlling it.

Hadfield taps into his own experiences and vast knowledge base to craft a story that is absolutely overflowing with period-accurate detail while also offering up enough twists and turns to make for an engaging thriller. He blends real-life individuals with fictional creations to tell a tale rendered all the more compelling for its general plausibility.

The year is 1973. NASA is gearing up for another Apollo mission – Apollo 18. The three-man crew is scheduled to make a trip to the Moon. But while the world believes this to be yet another scientific expedition, the truth is something far more complex.

Flight director Kazimieras Zemeckis – known to most as Kaz – has been brought in to run the show for this latest mission. He’s a former astronaut, one who was poised to make a trip to space before a freak accident cost him an eye. His intellect and passion for space was undeterred however, leading him on a journey that led him to a PhD and stints serving with assorted U.S. intelligence and defense agencies. That unique skill set makes him an ideal fit to run this mission.

This military mission.

It has been determined that the Russians have made some impressive and heretofore secret advances. They’ve landed an unmanned rover on the lunar surface, where they have discovered … something. Something they’re very interested in. But even worse, they’ve put a spy satellite in orbit, a satellite that, when properly manned, will be able to gain incredibly damaging intelligence on their American adversaries.

And so, shrouded in secrecy, Kaz must help this trio of military men-turned-astronauts prepare for the most dangerous mission of their lives, a mission that will take them hundreds of thousands of miles from home. Out into the void, into the harshest possible environment, a place where the smallest technical error can result in instant, horrible death, all to maintain their country’s tenuous lead in the space race.

But as the date of the mission approaches, it turns out that there are far more factors at play than anyone could have expected. And when you’re in the blackness of space, with your life in the hands of others … what if you don’t really know what those others are truly capable of?

“The Apollo Murders” is a fun read. While I generally eschew these sorts of spec-loaded books, I am happy to make exceptions when the circumstances warrant. And in case you were wondering – when the guy laying out the vintage space jargon is an actual astronaut, the circumstances warrant.

Space nerds are going to be enthralled; Hadfield goes deep on the various and sundry details of early ‘70s space technology – on BOTH sides. It can admittedly feel like a bit much; very few stones are left unturned with regard to the equipment being utilized. Occasionally, the narrative loses some steam in the face of the wave of tech specs, but only occasionally.

Most of the time, Hadfield’s solid storytelling sense keeps things moving. The plot features its fair share of twists, developing taut thrills as it goes. The historical accuracy is also a huge factor, serving as a sort of shorthand that elevates the stakes; we move from Houston to Moscow to space throughout, with every stop offering another piece of the puzzle. Plus, Hadfield does a good job of making sure that characters both real and fictional are given genuine development and thoughtful motivations. All of that comes together to create an engaging and entertaining picture.

Now, there are some issues here as well. As mentioned before, the book can get bogged down in minutiae. There’s a romantic subplot of sorts that feels a bit shoehorned in and a couple of developments that read as a touch far-fetched, particularly when so much of the book feels so grounded in reality. And the book’s climax and conclusion come extremely fast – perhaps a bit too fast to land with fully realized impact. Still – all relatively minor concerns with what is overall a delightful read.

“The Apollo Murders” is great fun. Sure, it’s a jargon-riddled thriller by a famous person, but it’s an incredibly good example of that – good enough to help me get over myself and my admitted snobbery. If you’re someone with an interest in space history or someone who digs thrillers or someone who just digs a straight-up adventure, strap in – Chris Hadfield is going to take you to the Moon and back.

I received this book free from Mulholland Books in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and hope a sequel is on the way.

Chris Hadfield is truly a many-talented person, demonstrating his abilities as an author in this historically-based mystery. The Apollo launch series is familiar to all of us who were of that generation, and the theoretical idea that there could be secret activity carried out on behalf of the military - well, that's intriguing. After all, Russia was the adversary then, and the Cold War was pretty hot.

Russia has placed a space station in orbit with possible offensive and defensive capabilities. In other words, it can use weapons against other space vehicles, as well as defend itself from attack. What else might it be able to do? The American military wants to have a close-up look at the Russian station, and if possible, send an astronaut on a spacewalk to disable it. Even if it doesn't use its weapons, the close-up observation (spying to some) of American activities in space and on the ground constitutes a risk.

The mission is launched, though preparation hits a bump when the commander is killed in a helicopter crash. That's suspicious, but it takes time to comb through wreckage and find anomalies. Meanwhile the show must go on, and the man selected as the new commander is not necessarily the best choice. When the American spaceship arrives at the Russian station, one crewman goes out on a spacewalk carrying a camera and bolt cutters for use on an opportunistic spot. As the fly-by occurs, it becomes apparent that the Russian station is NOT empty as had been thought.

Two cosmonauts are outside on their own spacewalk, doing the equivalent of "get off my lawn" while staring at the snoopy neighbors. The cosmonauts respond with weapons. The station also demonstrates its capabilities up close and personal.

Showdown at the Russian Space Corral has some unexpected results, and I'll go no further so that there are no spoilers.

I really liked the after-word where Chris Hadfield explains about the elements of the space program that were real. I won't spoil that either. He didn't have to tweak reality very much to achieve a space thriller.

His book is similar to one of the Martin Caidin adventures in which American astronauts meet Russian cosmonauts face to face on the moon, and a shoot-out occurs. Both authors are strongly science-based. Unfortunately that Caidin book is not available at present. You may recall Caidin as the originator of the Six Million Dollar Man, plus other science fiction and nonfiction books on aviation and military history.

Meanwhile we know that there are military launches with long-term space missions. They go up, a long time later they land, and we don't know what they're doing up there. Playing poker with ET?

The Apollo Murders by Colonel Chris Hadfield is an enthralling and engrossing read with a great plot and characters! Well worth the read