It was the blurb that grabbed my attention – after all, to be frank that cover is somewhat underwhelming. But a murder mystery set on the Moon – I was immediately taken by the premise and delighted to get a copy of the arc.
BLURB: Ten were chosen. How many will survive?
Ten lucky people have won a place at the most exclusive launch event of the century: the grand opening of the Hotel Artemis, the first hotel on the moon. It’s an invitation to die for. As their transport departs for its return to Earth and the doors seal shut behind them, the guests take the next leap for mankind. However, they soon discover that all is not as it seems. The champagne may be flowing, but there is no one to pour it. Room service is available, but there is no one to deliver it. Besides the ten of them, they are completely alone.
When one of the guests is found murdered, fear spreads through the group. But that death is only the beginning. Being three days’ journey from home and with no way to contact the outside, can any of the guests survive their stay?
REVIEW: I love a cracking murder mystery set in space. After all, it’s the ultimate locked room murder mystery, as no one is able to sprint outside and simply jump into a car/bus/train/plane and flee the scene where all the bloodletting is taking place. So no time has to be spent inventing elaborate reasons why prospective victims can’t leave.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. While there are several minor shifts of viewpoint – which in my view weren’t necessary and rather diluted the force of the main protagonist – most of the narrative is in third-person viewpoint of Penelope, a police detective taking a leave of absence. Though she spends a lot of time battling her phobias, as she decided to enter the competition to challenge her fears. And then is confronted with the fact that she actually wins a place to fly to the Moon. Her character is interesting and at the beginning of the book, I felt there was a lot of potential for a superb protagonist – but unfortunately Forry decided to have ten people in the initial party. And given that she wanted each one to have a significant role, in my opinion that’s too many to be able to provide the nuanced characterisation that would have made this murder mystery really shine.
What Forry manages to magnificently achieve is a really disturbing and increasingly creepy setting. The Hotel Artemis is the first luxury hotel set on the Moon and I enjoyed the descriptions of the layout, the décor and the building sense of panic as the body count grows and no one knows whodunit. I also enjoyed the plot. Though yes, if you really drill down, there are unrealistic elements, like the reason why all the staff abandoned their posts after having been so intensively trained for their first guests, for example. But I was happy to suspend my disbelief, as I felt other aspects were done well.
I loved the ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ tune playing on a constant loop until their adventure is nearly at an end. I also liked the real shock at the murders. We’re never allowed to forget that the victims’ lives had been cut short and their deaths are a tragedy – as well as a frightening reminder that a killer is roaming around the luxury hotel. The panic and outbreaks of squabbling are well depicted. While the pacing around the denouement is a bit swift after the long build-up, overall I think it’s well handled and I particularly enjoyed the Epilogue, which is a lovely, humorous touch.
I enjoyed this entertaining murder mystery – I just wish Forry had cut down her guest list going to the Moon, because with more depth in the characterisation, this murder mystery could have been outstanding. While I obtained an arc of The Launch Party from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10
This edition was produced by Orbit in October 2018 – and was the cover that came to mind when I thought about this challenge. Being a simple soul, I do recall wondering why the cover was so determinedly not red, given the title. I think it is a strong simple design, unfortunately compromised by all the chatter clogging up the overall effect. For once, I really like the stark, plain title font and I think the textbox at the bottom of the page has been done well, too. A shame about that chatter…
Published in September 2019, this cover has taken the basic design from the previous year and has tweaked it, somewhat. The figure is offset, which I think is more effective and I also like the red font, giving a nod to the title. It also nicely stands out from the otherwise monochromatic colour palette. I prefer what they’ve done with the author font, too, given that will be the selling point of this book. Overall, the effect is cleaner and more visually appealing than the previous offering and this one is my favourite.
This Russian edition, published by Эксмо: fanzon in March 2019, still features an astronaut, but they have gone for a classic spacescape with Earth in the background. I like the pulse of red courtesy of the Chinese flag in the background, but I do think the title gets a bit lost for this to be really effective.
This Italian edition, produced by Fanucci in January 2019, is, instead, featuring that red moon. Trouble is, it is all but obscured by the dust on… the moon? That doesn’t make any sense. And neither does the fact we can’t see any stars in the background. I hate this cover for being idiotic at best and plain misleading at worst. If this was a fantasy adventure, it wouldn’t be so bad – but it’s hard sci fi. What does work for this cover is that funky title font, which I really like.
This German edition, published in August 2019 by Heyne Verlag, has taken another angle. This one works really well – I love the pop of red from the flag reflected in the visor. It’s a really cool design, both eye-catching and effective. The main reason this one isn’t my choice as the cover of the week, is that the title and author fonts are simply not striking enough. But it was a close-run thing. Which is your favourite?
China’s Lunar Science Foundation. But hours after his arrival he witnesses a murder and is forced into hiding. It is also the first visit for celebrity travel reporter Ta Shu. He has contacts and influence, but he too will find that the moon can be a perilous place for any traveler. Finally, there is Chan Qi. She is the daughter of the Minister of Finance, and without doubt a person of interest to those in power. She is on the moon for reasons of her own, but when she attempts to return to China, in secret, the events that unfold will change everything – on the moon, and on Earth.
The death, quite suddenly, of Sir Charles Baskerville in mysterious circumstances is the trigger for one of the most extraordinary cases ever to challenge the brilliant analytical mind of Sherlock Holmes. As rumours of a legendary hound said to haunt the Baskerville family circulate, Holmes and Watson are asked to ensure the protection of Sir Charles’ only heir, Sir Henry – who has travelled all the way from America to reside at Baskerville Hall in Devon. And it is there, in an isolated mansion surrounded by mile after mile of wild moor, that Holmes and Watson come face to face with a terrifying evil that reaches out from centuries past . . .
friend Jude to come along. Although they haven’t met for twenty years, Jude is not surprised to find that St Clair hasn’t changed, with his towering ego and somewhat shaky relationship with the truth. What Jude hadn’t been suspecting however was that the evening would end in sudden, violent death. More worrying, from Jude’s point of view, is the fact that the investigating police officers seem to be convinced that she herself was responsible for the crime. With the evidence stacking up against her, Jude enlists the help of her neighbour Carole not just to solve the murder but to prevent herself from being arrested for committing it.
Brainfluff 