BookView Review

Hadfield’s latest historical thriller imagines a perilous intersection of science, politics, and human resolve during the height of the Cold War. In 1975, Houston hums with anticipation as Apollo prepares for an unprecedented mission—to rendezvous in orbit with the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft. The joint operation, a symbol of fragile détente, promises hope in a divided world. Watching from Mission Control is Flight Controller Kaz Zemeckis, whose intuition tells him something is amiss. His fears prove well-founded when an explosion disrupts NASA operations and communication with the crew is lost. Meanwhile, far from the public eye, China has secretly launched its own manned craft with a covert directive: to destroy Apollo without revealing its hand.

As the Americans and Soviets scramble to respond, suspicion and ideology threaten to unravel the fragile collaboration. Zemeckis must navigate politics and panic alike to bring the astronauts home before catastrophe strikes. Drawing on his firsthand knowledge of space exploration, Hadfield delivers a taut and immersive narrative rich in technical detail and human drama. The novel deftly merges historical fact with speculative intrigue, evoking the paranoia and ambition of an era defined by both rivalry and discovery.

A gripping, intelligent thriller that will keep the pages turning.

***