The Titanic Secret

by Jack Steel (Pseudonym), Peter Stuart Smith

10 April, 1912 As the RMS Titanic leaves from Southampton Docks for her maiden voyage to New York, little do her 2,223 passengers dream of the powers at play on board the ship and the terrifying fate that awaits them far out in the icy wastes of the Atlantic. For on board the Titanic are three men - among the richest in America - who, with the President of the United States an unwitting pawn in their scheme, are about to make an announcement that will change the course of history. Aware of the gravity of the situation, the head of British Intelligence dispatches his best and most trusted agent, Alex Tremayne, onto the Titanic with one objective in mind - he has to stop the men from reaching New York, by whatever means necessary. Aided by the cooly beautiful American agent Maria Weston, is Alex prepared for the lengths he will have to go to to fulfil his mission?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Espionage, Mystery Thriller, Action

352 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2012

About the author

Jack Steel is a pen name of Peter Stuart Smith.

Jack^^^Steel

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is different to the movie which makes it better and more realistic.

[Darcie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful. This book was severely lacking in plot and was poorly written. The author describes every action in painfully minute detail making the book about 300 pages longer than it needed to be. The plot was essentially nonexistent and what little plot there was, the author hid from readers until he unceremoniously revealed everything in bits and pieces. Do not read this book, it will just make you angry.

[Mallory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up because a) Titanic and b) my library was withdrawing it a few years ago when we were reorganizing, so FREE. I think the tip-off should have been the inside cover, stating it was released in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the sinking (read: profit over quality). There are many, many things wrong with this story, chief among them the laughably modern dialogue. If they didn't keep referring to Titanic, I wouldn't have known it was 1912. The villains aren't scary, the heroes are bland and the plot doesn't feel like a credible threat. Ultimately, what this book tries to do is make an unexplainable tragedy explainable. And for the author to float (pun intended) the "ship switch" theory in his closing acknowledgments, one that has been disproven many times over, is just icing on the cake.

[Sue Seaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

not the usual book I would normally pick up and read was a good spy novel day around the maiden voyage of the Titanic and was it really an iceberg that made her sink.

[Jaycee]

Dnf @ chapter 12/ page 100

If the book isn't good by 100 pages, dnf it.

It wasn't that this book was bad, but it's not my style of mystery/ action. It was quite slow and I didn't really like the characters. That being said, I really liked the setting.

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wat een traag boek... Het werd pas spannend rondom pagina 350. En geen enkel boek hoeft meer dan 100 hoofdstukken te hebben. Wtf.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before starting this I was very cynical. I thought this was going to be another cheesy, half-thought out re-hashing of the Titanic story hoping to cash in on the 100th year since the sinking, but I was proved entirely wrong and was very glad to be so!
The novel started off and had the feel of a classic cold war spy thriller about it, and I felt that the high quality of writing, plot and pace continued right through to the very end. I was also surprised and pleased that the word 'Titanic' did not appear until page 81.

[Bundaberg Library Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting idea that ties in nicely with the Titanic fever going round publishers this year - did the British Govt sink the ship to prevent an alliance between Germany and the US? Starts well but fizzles out once our main characters are on board the ship. Meticulous descriptions of the lounges and decks don't make up for the limp action and cardboard villains, which is a shame because our hero, British Agent Alex Tremayne, is very likeable. Definitely an airport read.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting fictional view, with lots of imagination regarding the 'assassin' type action which, although stretching reality in a crowded ship, was fun to read and made a good story. It was nice to see that the last part of the book covered the actual sinking of the Titanic with factual information, though interspersed with the remnants of the earlier narrative, which brought the book to a good conclusion.

[Drew Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling and fast paced action read.

This was an excellent book from start to finish which i could not put down. Would recommend it to everyone.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

As much as I like reading Titanic stories this one was pretty lousy. Still it was fun enough to finish and not too long but this was clearly written by a first time author which I normally don't hold against anyone, but the story was very simple and very predictable. Still a bad Titanic book is still a Titanic book.

[Outlander · Rating 1 out of 5]

It might be one of those stories that is better as a script of a TV movie, not a page turner but okay to pass the time - similarly I feel the same about the other book I picked up by this author entitled The Ripper Secret.

[Dale Mandell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An 'alright' story but it wouldn't make me pick up any other books from the same author.

Ok to pass the time but certainly not a page-turner.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting alternative tale of the demise of the great ship.

[Rod Mathewson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it. You know exactly what will happen within the first 100 pages. A juvenile effort…. Ugh.

[Mason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book. Don’t waste your time with it

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read spy novels, I will freely admit I only picked this book up because the word "Titanic" piqued my interest, and the back of the book interested me further.

Sitting down to read the book I wasn't sure what to expect, and for me it took a couple of chapters to get into the book. But once I did, it was extremely hard to put down as I was sucked into a world of spies and conspiracies, and pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed this world. This is one of those books that you need to concentrate on when you read it otherwise you'll miss something or have no idea what is going.

The basic gist of the book is that 3 German/American wealthy men, not only have a plan to get America to believe Britain is failing as a country and to get America to doubt Britain, but have information to blackmail the president of the US into agreeing with them to join Germany and the US against Britain. Two agents, Alex and Maria are sent on board the Titanic to gather information on the three men and eventually kill them. The part they are not told until much later, however, is that if they fail, a submarine will torpedo the Titanic and sink the ship, killing the three men as they are such a threat.

The whole book is a race against time for the agents to kill the men, along with an insight to life at the time and the class divides, as well as beautiful descriptions of the inside of the ship and the ship itself, not to mention a lot of detail on how the marconi machine works, the type of submarine and how it works and operates as well as the refueling process, and a wealth of information on how the Titanic works. There was also an insight into the Marconi room that fateful night and the backlog of messages which in the story ensured that Alex's message about the completion of the mission was failed to be sent on time and instead took 3 hours to reach London, long after the order for the submarine to torpedo was given, but also ensured that any ice warnings where ignored.

The description of the actual sinking was very brief, but the writing and wording of the aftermath after the ship had sank was very atmospheric and very sad to read. The author has clearly done his research as he even mentions that the lifebelts actually killed some of the people who jumped from the ship into the sea by riding up and breaking their necks.

I started this book out of curiosity and thought I probably wouldn't enjoy it much, but I was very wrong. The books well written, very factual with a wealth of information on lots of aspects of the book, and very fast paced, there's a hint of romance and there's plenty of danger and tense moments.

I also recommend reading the Authors Note, because while alot of the information in it about the Titanic is widely known, there is a nice little conspiracy theory he's thrown in there that actually has some merit as well as a nice little fact about the life boats that I didn't know!

[Ant Koplowitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jack Steel’s Titanic conspiracy thriller is a fairly straightforward ‘boy’s own’-type story, concerning a British secret service agent, and his (naturally) glamorous assistant/American agent; in many ways it reminded me of the action-adventure fiction I used to devour as a teenager. I have to admit, the story was fairly engaging on a superficial level, but that’s all it is – there’s no depth to the writing or the characterisation, and all the standard clichés for this type of book are present and correct: almost invincible super-spy hero, enigmatic female interest, a mad-cap scheme to dominate the world/change the course of history by the villain, gruff and uncompromising SIS boss, and a romantic locale. To be honest, the novel struggles to establish even its own sense of internal logic; the idea that the government would even contemplate the actions described on the basis of such paper-thin ‘evidence’ is clearly preposterous. I got the feeling that Steel had been toying with the idea of how to write a story whereby it wasn’t an iceberg that sank the Titanic, and then worked backwards, using all sorts of implausible events and plot devices in order to get to that point.

This is what you can call an ‘easy-read’, airport fiction, or something to read on a long train journey – sort of enjoyable on a very superficial level, with sparse writing, and lots of PLOT, PLOT, PLOT to keep you turning those pages. There was no convincing sense of time or place, and I had to keep reminding myself that the story’s set in 1912, so modern was the dialogue (and there’s lots of it), and the attitudes and behaviour of the characters. I guess the author achieved his aim of getting the reader to want to complete the book, but I was left feeling unsatisfied and under-whelmed by the all-too-predictable ending.

© Koplowitz 2012

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1912, the Germans concoct a plan to lure America into war as their ally against Britain. The three key playmakers are travelling from Europe back to the US on the maiden voyage of The Titanic. The British Secret Service has planted two spies on the ship - Alex Tremayne and Maria Weston - whose job it is to identify and assassinate the plotters before the journey's end. On the off chance that they do not accomplish their mission, there is a back-up plan in place to sink the ship via torpedo.

I have to admit, I picked up this book largely out of curiosity - the premise seemed so ridiculous that I was intrigued. It started well and it tears along nicely, but it never built a great deal of suspense. Ultimately it reads like a young adult novel rather than an adult one. There's negligible tension, the characters are shallow caricatures, everything is spelled out for the reader. There's no complexity or subtlety. The spies are bumbling amateurs who say things like "we're going to have to be really careful" when they suddenly realise that they could get arrested for murder if they get caught. The villains helpfully make errors at critical moments and spell out their master plans to make sure everyone's up to speed.

Having said that, I wouldn't hesitate to give this to a young reader who has enjoyed the Stormbreaker series or perhaps Matthew Reilly's books. It felt like it was pitched at that level. There's no bad language, no sex and no graphic violence. Moreover, the writer has clearly done his research into the Titanic, which makes the book interesting (he also presents a compelling conspiracy theory in his Author's Note at the end of the book).

[Bookowl1000 · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 1912: an English spy is shot after a clandestine meeting with a German government official. He utters three cryptic words to a sentry, then dies.

Alex Tremayne of Britain’s Secret Service Bureau and the beautiful Maria Weston, an experienced American agent currently working in Britain, are sent aboard the Titanic to stop Gunther Voss in a plan to commit America to joining forces with Germany against Great Britain. The story does seem quite chliche in the male, female interplay and flirtation but at least it doe snot become a romantic love story.

Traveling undercover as man and wife, their mission is to neutralize Voss’s plan before he reaches the States. And they’ll be tracking Voss’s every move on the eventful transatlantic journey in unparalleled luxury, occupying a first class suite on board the Titanic, on her heralded maiden voyage from Southampton to the Port of New York.

This is a different take on the causes of the sinking of the titanic, that I have not seen elsewhere, with a nice twist at the end which prevents it from being entirely predictable. This is not a high brow, intense spy thriller, but rather an easy way to pass the time. I would even be willing to read another book with the same characters to see what they got up to next.

[Jonathan Tomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thriller by Jack Steel, published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, is a great read. It recounts the mission of two agents, one British and one American, who under cover as husband and wife travelling First Class on the Titanic’s maiden voyage must assassinate several German businessmen, accompanied by bodyguards, who have a plan to make America come into the upcoming war on Germany’s side, not England’s. And a British submarine intercepts the Titanic with orders to sink it to stop the plot, which will result in many more deaths than the sinking of the liner would unless the agents communicate with their handler back in England that they have accomplished their mission. Will they pull it off in time? Will their message get through in time considering the state of wireless communications from ship to shore in 1912? Will the iceberg sink the ship or will torpedoes help? As you can imagine, this book is a suspenseful, hard to put down read that is also very well-researched with details of First Class travel on the Titanic. An easy five stars out of five.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 April, 1912. As the RMS Titanic leaves from Southampton Docks for her maiden voyage to New York, little do her 2,223 passengers dream of the powers at play on board the ship and the terrifying fate that awaits them far out in the icy wastes of the Atlantic.

For on board the Titanic are three men - among the richest in America - who, with the President of the United States an unwitting pawn in their scheme, are about to deliver a mesage that will change the course of history.

Aware of the gravity of the situation, the head of British Intelligence dispatches his best and most trusted agent, Alex Tremayne, onto the Titanic with one objective in mind - he has to stop the men from reaching New York, by whatever means necessary.

I would highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars. After reading 50 pages i could not put this one down.

[Nana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning was very boring and I coudn't remember which man was who. The first scene with Treymayne had like too much details, that I've almost trown the book out of my window, because I felt like the book was nothing for me. Luckely I read all the stuff I buy, eventhough I don't like it because otherwise it's a waste of my money. And I'm happy for it. The part on the ship I really liked. It was like I was walking on the same deck as Maria and Alex. Near the end I found the book very exciting, but I was a little dissapointed with the discription of the sinking of the titanic. For a writer who almost discribes which tandpasta the characters use, I've expected more. That frustrated me. By the way, why are the 'good' guys always immortal? Let them die once in a while. Alex's death would have been mercyfull.

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting idea poorly executed. A British spy, aided by the obligatory beautiful woman, chases some nasty Germans around the Titanic as it heads for the US. The plot is very straightforward, even if a conspiracy theory about the sinking of the ship is mixed in. And yes, it does go down in the end ...

The plot develops slowly and the characters are all totally one dimensional. The Bond-like super spy, his sexy assistant, the efficient German plotters and the ruthless spymaster are all there. A few real life characters are added in too, playing no part in the story but merely to make it seem more authentic.

The writing style is slow and overly descriptive. Each fight scene takes several pages - and there are many fight scenes. There is also an annoying, and repeated, use of hiding vital elements of the plot from the reader. Not that it's too hard to work out though.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I was surprised to find that this author has at least 6 pen names and I have one book under one of them awaiting reading already.

Yes we all know the Titanic sank but this story is a twist on the what if scale of things. And although fiction it did have me wondering at the end yes what if as there are so many myths around the ship.

That being said it is not about the Titanic the characters end up on the ship but the story is not as I say Titanic.

I loved it a lot. From the start it had a pace which grabbed me and kept me wanting to know more. You get just enough from the characters to be there on the cheerline wanting them to succeed. Not a complaint about this one and no spoilers from me read it and enjoy. I bought his Ripper novel based on this reading.

[Tim McCullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was readable. It started reasonably well with the sequences set in Berlin and London, and in the build up to Tremayne & Maria sailing on the Titanic. I found the characters were somewhat 2-dimensional; the dialogue could be a bit cliched. The author didn't really create a convincing picture of pre-war Europe in the way an author like Frederick Forsyth or John Le Carre might conjure up a mood of place, time and personality; nor did he really recreate the feel of the most famous liner in history at sea. The story could have been set at any time on any ship. I think it also telegraphed the story too much: the author played all his cards too soon, not maintaining any suspense. For a story set mostly at sea, I found it all quite dry.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring, bland, filled with a cast of characters who are virtually indistinguishable from each other and would be better played by a bunch of cardboard cut-outs, this book is pretty much boring and reads like a technical manual spliced in with such a thin veneer of plot that you could fly the U.S.S. Enterprise through the plot holes. Horribly unexciting and reads almost exactly like a conspiracy theory put to narrative form. Any sense of foreshadowing falls flat because it's trying too hard and coming out with the reader yelling "GET ON WITH IT" in the hopes that it will be over soon. And then it ends and you feel supremely unsatisfied and bored.

[Patrick Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

You read some authors because of their great prose. You read some because of their characters. Others, it's because of their locations and ideas.
Peter Stuart Smith (in all of his books) falls firmly into the last category.
You'll find his books often split reviewers.
Those who knock his work generally start out by hitting at either the characterisations or the writing style.
They're missing the point.
This author (whether its under his James Becker pen name or Tom Kasey or any of the half dozen others) is ALL about the ideas, the what ifs, the "what if I tweak history just here?"
There is no better introduction to him from that perspective than The Titanic Secret.

[RumBelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book all the way through, let me just say that. I read the first 100 pages, got incredibly bored and read the last 50 just to see how it ended. This book, to me, was brief moments of exhilaration, punctuated by long drawn out periods of dullness. Two of the things that really made me abandon it was, first, when it was suggested that, as part of the spy plot, America and the United States were going to work together to topple the British Empire, and second when a submarine's torpedoes could have possibly been involved with why the ship sank. The villain was predictable, the hero and his partner were predictable. It just did not engage me, or keep my interest.

[Joe Longstaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading a book like this is kind of like playing a old video game that you have kept for some time, before starting you know the visual aspects are going to be terrible but at the end you can not help feeling glad that you have just wasted your time doing so. Strange metaphor I know. To me it all sounded a bit far fetched but after actually engaging in the story and the characters it felt more like a book that I would have probably liked more if I was 14 - 15. Overall, however, it was an entertaining read.