Review of THE APOLLO MURDERS by Chris Hadfield

 3 Stars

This alternate-history, Cold War thriller set in space is uneven in quality. 

The plot focuses on Apollo 18 whose mission includes collecting geological samples on the moon and disabling a Russian lunar rover after sabotaging a Russian spy satellite.  As expected, things do not always go smoothly; even before liftoff, unexpected events threaten the mission.  Once space is reached, the dangers multiply. 

Every Canadian knows of Chris Hadfield and his many accomplishments.  I count myself amongst his admirers.  His knowledge and experiences are certainly obvious in the book.  Readers will learn many things about space flight that only an astronaut would know.  If you’ve ever wondered about how astronauts handle bodily functions, your questions are answered.  I never knew that a rocket was mounted to “yank the capsule off the Saturn V in an emergency close to the ground.”  That being said, I had the impression that the editor was in such awe of the author that s/he was reluctant to suggest removing unnecessary detail. 

Pacing is inconsistent.  The novel begins very slowly so suspense is not created.  What slow down the novel are the overly technical explanations.  For example, there are paragraphs devoted to describing jet fuel.   Much of one chapter focuses on a family in southern Siberia rushing to salvage the body of a Soviet rocket.  Action does pick up later in the novel, but then the ending is over-the-top.  That ending suggests it was written for the cinema, and I am not a fan of such plot manipulation.   

The first character introduced in the novel is Kaz Zemeckis.  The prologue describes the accident that cost him his left eye.  I assumed that he would be a major player, but he is often cast aside.  His role is confusing; he is introduced as “the crew military liaison” and “crew-government liaison” yet he ends up giving instructions to the moonwalker about repositioning a camera to a launch observation location?  When a man is killed, he tells a friend “’maybe I’d missed taking some action that could have prevented it.  I feel the need to find out what happened so we don’t repeat it, and the need to take care of his family.’”  Yet he doesn’t really do any investigation and his concern for the dead man’s family seems fleeting.

There are a lot of characters and most of them are two-dimensional.  Some of them make no impression whatsoever.  Even the crew members of Apollo 18 are not fully developed.  There are only two women, and they are almost stereotypes.  One seems there only to add a romantic interest.

The title suggests this is going to be a murder mystery; this is what I expected.  It isn’t really a mystery.  The murderer’s identity is obvious throughout, though I found his motivation weak and unconvincing.  His action, “the strategic loosening of one nut,” doesn’t guarantee he will get what he wants, depending on decisions made by others.  Making one character so unlikeable is also a giveaway.  I also don’t understand what the purpose is of “taking spacecraft control away from the guidance computer” during landing.  What was the plan?  After what is learned, in the end “The military had decided to honor both men”??

I’m not saying that this is a bad book.  It does, however, need revision.  At almost 500 pages, it is fairly lengthy and could be shortened.  If the plot were tightened by removing extraneous details, there would be more suspense.  Focusing on fewer characters would strengthen character development.  Hadfield’s extensive knowledge and unique experiences could have been shaped into a better novel.