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The Apollo Murders

Book 1 in the Apollo Murders Series

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The Apollo Murders

By: Chris Hadfield
Narrated by: Ray Porter
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About this listen

 An exceptional Cold War thriller from the dark heart of the Space Race, by astronaut and New York Times bestselling author Chris Hadfield

'An exciting journey to an alternate past' Andy Weir, author of The Martian

'Nail-biting' James Cameron, writer and director of Avatar and Titanic

'Not to be missed' Frederick Forsyth, author of The Day of the Jackal

'Explosive' Gregg Hurwitz, author of Orphan X

'Exciting, authentic' Linwood Barclay, author of Find You First

'[A] stellar thrill ride' Chris Holm, author of The Killing Kind

'Gripping' John Verdon, author of the Dave Gurney series

'Relentlessly exciting' Stephen Mack Jones, author of August Snow


1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny module, a quarter of a million miles from home. A quarter of a million miles from help.

As Russian and American crews sprint for a secret bounty hidden away on the lunar surface, old rivalries blossom and the political stakes are stretched to breaking point back on Earth. Houston flight controller Kazimieras 'Kaz' Zemeckis must do all he can to keep the NASA crew together, while staying one step ahead of his Soviet rivals. But not everyone on board Apollo 18 is quite who they appear to be.

Full of fascinating technical detail, twists and tension, The Apollo Murders puts you right there in the moment. Experience the dark majesty of space, the fierce G-forces of launch and the rush of holding on to the outside of a spacecraft travelling at 17,000 mph, as told by a former Commander of the International Space Station who has done all of those things in real life.

Strap in and count down for the ride of a lifetime.

(P) 2021 Hachette Audio©2021 Chris Hadfield Inc Psychological Science Fiction Space Exploration Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Interstellar Exciting

Critic Reviews

This is such a terrifically confident, well-written thriller that to find it is the author's debut is unexpected
A terrific counterfactual thriller . . . an adroitly handled blend of twists and Cold War politics
Commander Hadfield takes us on an exciting journey into an alternate past. And who better to write about astronauts than an astronaut himself!
Hadfield uses historical and technical detail to drive a gripping mix of twists and Cold War politics
His vast experience adds layers of fascinating detail about space travel without slowing the gripping action
This is a gripping and convincing thriller, as a spaceship makes a wonderfully claustrophobic crime scene
Hadfield's descriptions of space-shots and lunar modules are vivid and engaging
A spry action-adventure romp, crammed with technical detail, that sprinkles real-life figures amid the fictional characters. Since Hadfield has himself flown in a space shuttle and served aboard the International Space Station, he writes with authority but also with a surprisingly astute grasp of what makes a thriller work
The real and genuine joy of The Apollo Murders is the insight Hadfield gives into life as an astronaut
With a spectacular alternate history thriller . . . an intelligent and surprising nail-biter that Tom Clancy fans will relish
As someone who has actually been to space, Hadfield makes his techno-thiller jargon read true . . . an accomplished story from a first-time novelist
Totally gripping from first page to last
Clever . . . gutsy . . . the book also features very well drawn characters, natural-sounding dialogue, and a story that leads the reader to expect a spectacular conclusion (and delivers it)
An exceptional Cold War thriller
One of the most accomplished astronauts in the world, Chris Hadfield has drawn on his wealth of experience to produce a cold-war thriller riven with detail and authenticity
[A] sharp and tense read and a fresh take on the Cold War space race
A gripping novel
The Apollo Murders is a superior space thriller that has so much tension and suspense you'll need to take a big, shaky breath when you reach the end
He keeps the tension high and the characters vivid
A treat of a thriller . . . a perfect combination of mystery and science fiction that will please aficionados of both genres
Hadfield's first-hand understanding of space travel and cutting-edge flying machinery is pretty much unrivalled. As a result, you end up learning as you read ... a genuinely exciting trip
An original and insightful Cold War thriller that is entrancing from the first page
This is a tale that will appeal to lovers of science fiction, science fact, murder, espionage, and thrillers. Highly recommended
All stars
Most relevant
Thoroughly enjoyable! If you like learning new things, being a sponge for fascinating space travel information and a great storyline then this is a great audiobook for you! Ray Porter should forever narrate any scientific books I read, he's brilliant.
The Apollo Murders was only my second book of this genre, and I was skeptical about spending my monthly credit on another after loving Project Hail Mary and being scared of nothing else living up to the hype, but I just couldn't stop listening to this!
The characters probably all could have done with a little more 'depth' and there are a lot of them, but most of them are actually real people (within fictional events) and the important plot driving characters were given the main focus.
The last half of the book was definitely action driven, the first half focusing on setting up characters, dropping clues and relationships.
There were definitely characters I liked, and some, I loathed.
The end was a pleasant surprise.
Overall, very enjoyable and I'd recommend it if you liked PJM.
I'm looking forward to spending my money on the next book by this author.

A whole new world to expolre

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As a strong adherent of Chris Hadfield, this fictitious book was intricately entwined with realism culminating from years of actual aviation and experience gleaned from the various space programs. The narration was awesome and I highly recommend the listen.

Riveting

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Too often I guess what is going to happen in mysteries these days, but this kept me guessing just how the dénouement would play out right to the end. Lots to keep readers who are interested either equally in the space race and murder mysteries or one or the other. A really enjoyable listen, and the reader did very well with switching between Russian accents and American. Hoping there will be another by this author.

An Unearthly Experience

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I loved the story, narration and pace of the book. Can’t wait to listen to the next in the series

Fantastic!

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This is the best fictional read I have listened to in a long time. A really interesting and at times gripping story line with technical and authenic informatiin mixed in. Excellent narration.

Great listen!!

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