35. Titanic 2012 by Bill Walker

Titanic 2012 (Revised & Updated) by Bill Walker  (US) - (Kindle)

Pages: 288
Ages: 18+
Finished: Feb. 3, 2012
First Published: 1998 (revised Jan. 31, 2012)
Publisher: Cemetery Dance Publications
Genre: speculative fiction, mystery, romance
Rating: 5/5




First sentence:

The furor in the media had just died down when Solly's call came that rainy midweek day.

Publisher's Summary: "Best-selling mystery novelist Trevor Hughes has no idea that attending his twentieth reunion at Harvard will forever change his life.

Persuaded to go by his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Dr. Julia Magnusson, he meets up with three old friends: Solly Rubens, a self-made Wall Street millionaire; Ken Faust, a successful software entrepreneur; and Harlan Astor, New York real estate tycoon and the glue that holds their circle together.

That afternoon, over drinks at the Harvard Club, Harlan drops his bombshell: He is doing what James Cameron did not -- he is rebuilding the Titanic, and sailing the ship on the hundredth anniversary to honor those who died, including his great-grandfather, John Jacob Astor IV. Only Trevor is intrigued by Harlan's audacity. Touched by his friend's interest and concern, Harlan invites him on the maiden voyage to serve as the official chronicler.

On April 10, 2012, Trevor journeys to Southampton and, along with the hundreds of handpicked passengers, boards the Titanic. He is awed by the immensity of the ship and the feelings that well up in him. His friend has made his grand dream a reality.

During the journey, armed with his iPod Touch and a miniature wireless camera hidden in his glasses, Trevor interviews both passengers and crew, eager to learn the reasons why they chose to sail on the reborn ship.

Nearly every one of them claims to have been profoundly affected by Cameron's film, wanting to recapture the magic for themselves.

Trevor is unprepared when he meets Madeleine Regehr, a beautiful, free-spirited woman who resists his entreaties to be interviewed, intriguing Trevor all the more. Slowly, and inexorably, Maddy draws him out of his shell, allowing him to love deeply and completely, for the very first time in his life.

But Trevor soon discovers a darker purpose for the voyage, a purpose that threatens to destroy him and the woman he loves. In a race against time that pits friend against friend, Trevor must stop the unstoppable or risk a horrific replay of history..."

Note: I edited the Pub's summary as I thought it gave away too much information.  The above is spoiler-free.

Acquired: Received a manuscript from the author.

Reason for Reading:  This year is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster and I am hosting a reading challenge.

Amazing!  I was hooked on this book from the very first chapter.  The book heavily pays homage to Cameron's movie (which {horrors} I have not seen ... yet!) as it is referenced frequently and is a major plot point.  As everybody else in the world has seen the movie this will not be an issue, but for the other two of you out there that haven't, it doesn't matter and won't affect your enjoyment of the book.

The book contains a mystery which keeps one reading at a fast pace as we travel with the main character, Trevor, to find out what exactly is being kept from him.  I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and while I ultimately knew the end result, I didn't figure out the method and enjoyed how it all played out.   The book is also a mild romance.  I'm not keen on romances, per se, but this is just the right dose that it is more the story of two people who meet and have an impact on each other that will change their lives forever, than your typical "romance".  My favourite character was Trevor.  He was a real, flawed person that one could connect with right away.  I'm sure many readers will also enjoy Maddie, as she is also a well-written character.  I however, never "liked" her because of the choices she made.  The story of her choice is also another major theme in the book that will pull at your heart strings (or make you angry, like it did me) and engages you throughout the entire book.  This is a wonderful "light" read and would make the perfect choice for a plane ride, vacation or beach read, but perhaps not on a cruise.  A great read!