The history mysteries (pardon the jarring sonority there) of Max Alan Collins are historical fiction in some of the best sense. The research is superb and the deliberate insertion of non-canonical elements is creative. Naturally, The Hindenburg Murders is set on that last fateful voyage. Naturally, there is/are a/some murder/murders on board that do not reflect actual historical circumstances. Yet, even though you know much of this didn’t happen, you find yourself pushing toward the fiery finale that you know must happen. Ah, but as with any reconstruction of a conspiracy theory (and this novel has that), you find yourself turning pages to figure out which theory and how a masterful author is going to weave it into what we actually know of the situation.Unlike Collins, I was never a particular fan of The Saint in any media. The notes included by Collins in his afterword suggests that Leslie Charteris was not a fan of the way The Saint was portrayed in any of the vast media in which his creation appeared. But, since he actually did fly on the maiden voyage of The Hindenburg and since he actually was a police constable (among many other things) prior to his writing career, he is an inspired choice. Plus his affectation for appearances, for fashion, enabled Collins to sprinkle plenty of fashion references into the story and enable one to see the glamor (in silver screen fashion) in the mind’s eye. It works.The “reveal” isn’t tremendously shocking. The rationale behind the “reveal” was unsuspected. The result is worth waiting for and the denouement clarifies anything that may have been missing from the final events. One wouldn’t expect The Hindenburg Murders to end up as a happy ending, so if that’s what one is looking for, it isn’t so ahistorical as that.My favorite lines in this volume are tied to one conversation about politics (quite relevant in the period being covered by this story and even more relevant in today’s polarized political scene). The female lead, Hilda, asks: “Are you political, Leslie?” To which the dapper protagonist responds, “Heavens no! The idea of accepting any prefabricated platform is to me the antithesis of sound thinking.” (pp. 86-7) My other favorite was tied to a marvelous description of Hilda herself, “…that wonderful kiss of a smile.” (p. 140)Of course, my bias toward historical mysteries is evident when I rate this as highly as I do. Some will think the murder mystery is too thin and the approach taken with regard to the rumored conspiracy too transparent. Some will think the pace is to leisurely as Collins takes us on a luxurious journey where no one is in a real hurry. But I found it just right in spite of the lack of surprises on the initial “reveal.”
The Hindenburg has always had some weird fascination for me and I have researched quite a bit about the zeppelin and her final demise. After I read the synopsis of this book I just had to read it. Max Allan Collins has taken the known facts about the zeppelin's final voyage, including the passengers and crew and worked them into a murder mystery. His protagonist is the author Leslie Charteris of 'The Saint' fame,(who actually flew on the Hindenberg's maiden voyage). I thought this was a very unique idea, and one that worked very well.Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's written in the typical murder mystery style of the 1930's. The story progresses and at the end there is the big reveal where the hero goes over all the clues given in the book. How many did I spot? Not many I'm afraid, but they are all there if you were paying real close attention. Collins also brings up some moral issues in the story and does a good job of showing that not all Germans were Nazis.The author has obviously done a lot of research and acknowledges his sources all in the afterword. Interestingly, one of the websites he used is the one where I got most of my information. http://www.airships.net/hindenburg This site has a lot of information and old photographs from the Hindenburg so I would recommend taking a look before reading this book. The photographs of the interior are great references to get a feel of the environment while reading.
What do You think about The Hindenburg Murders (2000)?
I was attracted to this by the Saint connection and probably wouldn't read another in the series. The first couple of chapters were incredibly expository and I struggled a bit. After the murder things picked up, and this became a slight but enjoyable whodunnit greatly enlivened by having author Leslie Charteris stand in for his creation the Saint. Some of the political points were a bit heavy-handed, and I doubt a 1930s German meal would involve 'biscuits' in the US sense, but I did enjoy the little details of life on board the Hindenburg.
—Alice
Another great read in the Max Allan Collins' disaster series. If zeppelin travel was really as it's described in the book, I truly wish we could have zeppelins for luxury travel (with helium, not hydrogen, of course!). Collins made it sound quite amazing and peaceful - with all the amenities of cruising without the choppy seas. The mystery itself was quite intriguing too and made me want to go buy the History Channel documentary that Collins used as one of his sources. This book didn't quite make it to 5 stars since the mystery and characters did get a bit overly intertwined and convoluted towards the end. But, I definitely enjoyed the book enough to keep reading the rest of the books in the series.
—Stacy
The time: May 1937The place: Nazi GermanyThe luxury airship Hindenberg takes off on what will be its last voyage. Acts of resistance sabotage are rumored. The Hindenberg is part of the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei's group of Zeppelin airships. It is the largest and most luxurious. Collins imagines the details of the trip and puts Leslie Charteris (the author of The Saint series of thrillers) aboard.I have found these "Disaster Series" novels more idiosyncratic than some of Collins' other series. This is not for lack of fascinating details about the Hindenberg and speculation about how it came to explode as it was docking in Lakehurst, New Jersey. A fast read; it was entertaining but not compelling.
—HBalikov
