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The Apollo Murders

Book 1 in the Apollo Murders Series

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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 Scary

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
This was an amazing thriller by Chris Hadfield. As a former astronaut the details in this are excellent not too over complicated for the listener. The story flows at a decent pace and I never found myself bored with slow bit which there wasn’t any if I mind correctly. The narration by Ray Porter was as usual par excellence. Highly recommend if you’re into Astronauts / Apollo / NASA or Space in general.

Absolutely Brilliant Thriller

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The plot is so gripping that you cannot put it down. The author is so well informed that there are no grinding incongruities to spoil the plot.

in all a brilliant book. I loved it!

probably the best book I've ever come across.

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a well written story with accurate technical information, plenty of twists and cliffhangers, I couldn't stop listening to this book.

the narrative compliments it well, very well spoken and sets the suspense perfectly.

A must for any enthusiast

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Fantastic story by Col Hadfield, as accurate and believable as it can get! Brilliantly performed by one of the greatest voice actors on Audible. if you like murder mystery, get it! if you like space, get it! if you're a fan of Ray Porter, get it!

Ray Porter on Fine Form!

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A great yarn. Using real people of the time and real hardware of the Apollo programme added to the story. Hope Chris writes another in the same sort of area of his expertise. Enjoy 😉.

Excellent story.

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