The Launch Party by Lauren Forry

 

When a group of people win the competition of a lifetime they are the luckiest people on earth. The competition is an all expenses trip to be the first guests at a luxury hotel on the moon. They quickly discover they are the unluckiest people on the moon when they land and find the hotel deserted. Can they survive three days until a rescue ship arrives? When one of the guests is murdered the question of survival becomes even more intense. They begin to question if they are truly alone, if so, who among them is a murderer?

The Launch Party from Lauren Forry is pure escapism. I am sure that the vast majority of readers would jump at the chance to be one of the first people to vacation on the moon. As the prospect of space tourism becomes ever more real, we realise that it will be out of reach for the vast majority of the population. A competition win is probably the only means an ordinary person would be able to participate in an trip in to space.

The competition winners are an eclectic mix of people, they range in ages, nationality, occupation and wealth. Such a mix of characters would be expected from an international competition. Unfortunately very few of them are likeable.

The lead character is Penelope, a police detective who is on a leave of absence following a bungled case. Penelope is considering leaving the police and feels that the trip will give her the opportunity to examine her future. The problem is that she can't really relax as she has a number of phobias, including flying, the dark and open spaces.

When the guests are abandoned at the luxury hotel on the moon all thoughts turn to a new form of reality TV show. One of the guests is a veteran of such shows and points out that TV producers are constantly looking for a new twist to the format. Everyone seems prepared to accept the explanation, even though they didn't sign up to take part in a reality show, until one of them is murdered.

Numerous questions arise following the murder. Firstly, are they really alone? As they begin to explore the hotel they realise that behind the luxurious front face of the hotel is a maze of hidden rooms and service corridors. It would be easy for an individual to hide and sneak around without being spotted.

The second question is if they are alone, who among them is a murderer? You really feel the unease and distrust among the group as they wonder if it is better to stay together, safety in numbers, or if they would be safer hiding alone. The thought that any one of them could be a murderer is like the plot line from a murder mystery and a few crime writers are name dropped, including Agatha Christie. 

As tensions between individuals increase you can feel the panic setting in. We learn more about the competition winners, discovering that not everyone is there by chance. 

This was an enjoyable read that allowed my imagination to picture life in a hotel on the moon, however I did feel a little let down by the conclusion, after such a novel approach to a locked room mystery.

The Launch Party by Lauren Forry will be published on 22nd June 2023 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for a review copy.