Writer Tom Hindle cruises to Waterstone's Book of the Month with A Fatal Crossing

Tom Hindle's A Fatal Crossing has been named Waterstones Book of the Month for August

All aboard for A Fatal Crossing – a period thriller set about a liner – by Tom Hindle which has been voted Waterstones Book of the Month.

The Endeavour sets sail for New York, with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board. When a body is found on deck, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare the death a tragic accident.

But Scotland Yard inspector James Temple is certain there's more to this misfortune than meets the eye.

Mounting an investigation, the pair uncover the theft of a priceless painting, and encounter a string of suspects with secrets to hide.

Now, with just days remaining until the Endeavour reaches New York, their search for the culprit is fraught with danger. And all the while, the passengers roam the ship with a killer in their midst...

The Oxfordshire-based writer first thought about the story when he was 17 and initially wanted to write a comedy play not a murder mystery to be performed by himself and friends.

He stopped writing for a short time while at university. In 2018 he decided to start writing again, this time, it would be a novel.

The 28-year-old said: “I dug out all the old notes I wrote when I was 17 and spent about six months doing research into the setting and revisiting the story.

“Then I started writing it in Summer and finished the first draft in November 2019."

He wrote A Fatal Corssing during his free time while working a nine-to-five job at a PR agency.

He said: “It’s a dream come true. I thought if it doesn’t get published, that’s ok. It is something I’m doing for myself, for fun.”