An avid reader, Stephen's knowledge of Crime Fiction is fairly extensive, with The Golden Age is his greatest interest.
This is a gem of a detective tale set in 1924 it is evocative of the time of the great transatlantic liners which surged across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and America, when shipping lines vied with each other for the title of fastest transatlantic crossing and outdid each other for the opulence, style and luxury of their vessels.
The crossing is being made by the Aurora Lines Endeavour from Southampton to New York in November 1924. The ship is only a few days from New York when an elderly passenger is found dead at the bottom of a flight of steps.
The captain and crew assume that the passenger has met his death accidentally by missing his step on the stairs but, aboard the Endeavour is a detective from Scotland Yard, James Temple who is suspicious about the death. Temple and Tim Birch one of the ship's officers are asked to work together on the investigation.
Why did the elderly passenger apparently decide to use an outside stairway in poor weather without putting on a coat when there was an internal staircase close by?
Who was the dead man & what was he doing on the ship?
If there's been a murder there are two thousand people aboard ship and any one of whom could have done it. The night before the dead man was found he was seen arguing with a fellow passenger. Then it is discovered that a priceless painting has been stolen from a cabin.
The narrative moves along at a pace increasing the feeling of tension in the race to find the murderer and solve the mystery of the stolen painting before the ship docks and the passengers disembark. Temple seems a man in a hurry, a difficult man to work with, one who always is at odds with authority and with anyone who questions him or his methods.
This book has the feel of a masterly crafted puzzle with twists and turns a plenty to magnify the mystery. A tantalizing and captivating plot, filled with detail and texture to enhance the feeling of the halcyon days of the liners and their times. If you enjoy the crime fiction of the Classic genre then this book from Tom Hindle should fit the bill.
