I have always been fascinated with the space program. I typically devour any writing related to the history of the United States' ventures in leaving Earth. Unfortunately, The Astronaut's Son left me so disappointed that I could not finish it. The protagonist is unlikeable to the point of being downright repugnant. The plot involves conspiracy theories about NASA and the development of the program which I found to be too repetitious fro my taste.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Woodhall press for the free review copy of The Astronaut’s Son by Tom Seigel. This story is interesting as it based on true events. I knew that the US government after WWII took in some Nazi’s and Nazi Sympathizers but I never thought about it in context of NASA and how the US used their experiments to further their own agenda.

Jonathan wants to finish what his father started in the 1970s. After a weird night out that includes a tow truck and a conspiracy theorist, Jon receives information regarding a website that put thoughts of conspiracy in his head. This story is his journey about finding out the truth about his father’s death and the circumstances behind it and to figure out if he should continue to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue his legacy.

Jonathan Stein is slated to go to the moon which has been his dream since he was a boy, and his father died right before his NASA trip to the moon. Jonathan starts digging into his father's past and is contacted about a Nazi/NASA conspiracy. He needs to find out what really happened before his trip to the moon...

This book is slow with a choppy plot line. I'm into all things space and like a good conspiracy theory novel, but this book just didn't do it for me. The characters are unrelatable and there are so many holes in the evidence Jonathan finds.

A solid 3 stars from me.

The Astronaut’s Son is a compelling thriller! I was hooked from the beginning, on Jonathan's journey to get the answers he was looking for.
While the plot is a bit complicated and Jonathon is not a sympathetic character, the way the author builds up tension keeps you invested enough to keep going on with this

Oh how I wished that I loved this as much as I wanted to! But the writing was weak, full of errors and awkwardness. Was such a struggle to get through.
That said, I did learn a lot from this book. As someone who was Jewish, and who's grandparents were all Holocaust survivors, I always find it interesting to read about the American Jewish experience, what it was like for Jews who lived in America during and after the Holocaust. I had no idea about the anti semitism in the NASA space program and was appalled. Some of the events that happened in this book....will stay with me for a while.
So while this book definitely had its flaws, and I can't consider it a new favorite, I would say it was worth the read.

This is one of the books that you really have to not think too hard and just enjoy. I thought it was an pretty strong debut book.

Thank you very much Woodhall Press for a copy of The Astronaut's Son for an honest review.

The Astronaut's Son is an interesting historical fiction looking into the history of NASA and their use of Nazi scientists. Jonathan's father was an astronaut on his way to the moon when he died suddenly days before launch of a heart attack. But was it really natural causes? Now that Jonathan is about to become a father himself and is about to head back to the moon more than 20 years later, he wonders if there was more to the story?

An interesting story and a quick read, a little heavy handed with conspiracy theories and needed a bit more plot for my tastes. The Astronaut's Son is a good story especially for those interested in NASA history.

The Astronaut's Son is an intriguing literary thriller. I can't say that I particularly liked Jonathan Stein, but I definitely wanted to see him find the answers he was seeking regarding both his father's fate and the secrets some NASA scientists may have been hiding at the time of the first moon landing. Saying much more would give too much away, but I can say that The Astronaut's Son is a well-plotted novel with an interesting premise and overall, a very thought-provoking read.

Like many American science fiction fans, I've always been a supporter of NASA. This is the primary reason why I downloaded a Net Galley of The Astronaut's Son which is the first novel of Tom Seigel. This is also why I decided to participate in the blog tour for this novel.

If you were looking for a feel good romanticization of the space program, The Astronaut's Son isn't that book. It's a provocative thriller that addresses a number of significant issues that can make for uncomfortable reading. This is especially true if you have a Jewish background, and the only thing you really know about Nazi scientists at NASA is Tom Lehrer's satiric song, "Wernher von Braun".

The Astronaut's Son takes you inside the experience of protagonist Jonathan Stein. His father had been the Israeli astronaut Avi Stein who had tragically died of a heart attack just before his departure on a NASA moon mission. Jonathan's entire life has been devoted to honoring his father's memory by reaching that shining lunar destination in the sky. Yet what if his father hadn't died of natural causes? What if he'd been murdered? If Avi Stein had been murdered, then his first priority should be to find out the truth.

I found Jonathan Stein complex and sympathetic. The discoveries that he makes in trying to find out what really happened to his father create a very personal dilemma for him. Jonathan thinks about a range of ethical issues that trouble him throughout the book. I respected the fact that he had integrity.

I think that being an astronaut is a calling. It requires tremendous dedication to a very demanding career path. I read an award winning story called "The Lady Astronaut of Mars" by Mary Robinette Kowal dealing with a female protagonist who wrestles with a decision over life priorities like Jonathan Stein. You can read it at Tor.com'.

I admit to being bothered by Jonathan Stein putting science fiction fans on a list that included hoax believers, fraudsters and mass murderers. He also seemed to think that science fiction fans are generally male. I would like to point out that the demographics of science fiction fandom began to change in the late 1960's when women started to organize their own fan conventions and publications as a result of Star Trek.

Aside from the issue I had in the above paragraph, I was impressed by the Astronaut's Son. The plot and characters had a great deal of impact on me. There were revelations about NASA's history that caused me to place Tom Seigel's book on my list of top reads for 2018.

Based on true events surrounding NASA and its Nazi scientists and engineers, The Astronaut’s Son is a compelling story from the start.

Jonathan Stein’s father worked for NASA, and he unearths a secret, a cover-up of epic proportions; his father may have been murdered to protect NASA.

Jonathan’s father passed away shortly before the Apollo 18 launch in the 1970s. He was an Israeli astronaut, and his cause of death was a heart attack.

Years later, Jonathan is about to participate in his own launch to fulfill a dream on behalf of himself and in tribute to his father when a mysterious conspiracy theorist piques his interest with talk of his father being murdered.

Jonathan seeks the truth more than anything, and to find that, he’ll have to accost close friends of his father, Dale Lundan and Neil Armstrong. Jonathan finds other clues and piece-by-piece it appears his father may have been targeted because he was Jewish.

The Astronaut’s Son is a riveting literary historical thriller! I was fascinated with the content, in awe of the presentation, and breathless waiting for the answers Jonathan was also seeking.

Now I’m even more inclined to see the new Neil Armstrong movie, which will have some overlap in events and content!

Thank you to Over the River Public Relations for the invitation to participate in the blog tour with giveaway! Thank you also to Woodhall Press for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/10/02/the-astronauts-son-by-tom-seigel/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was excited to be asked to review <strong>The Astronaut's Son</strong>. I love science fiction, and mystery, and there's a movie tie-in with Ryan Gosling!  I am really curious to see if the book and movie share their plot or if the movie deviates.

The main character, Jonathon, is a Jewish man who is going to be an astronaut on the new round of space missions to the moon.  His father, Avi, was scheduled to be on the very first mission which had Neil Armstrong, but died shortly before the mission of a heart attack.     <img class="alignright wp-image-31011 size-medium" src="https://booksofmyheart.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/305/2018/09/p15398283_p_v8_aa1-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />

There is not a focus on his upcoming mission and preparation. Jonathon is mired in the past. He has written for the past roughly 20 years to Neil Armstrong to find out more about his father's death. I guess it is odd with all their training, a man in his maybe 30s would have a heart attack.  Jonathon reads websites on-line with various theories; he also tries to talk to his father's friend Dale Lunden, who ends up on the mission instead of his father.

Jonathon does find out some things people did and probably would prefer to keep quiet. But the process of his delving into the past was not fast paced enough for me. In his quest, he also cheats on his pregnant wife.  And he learns his mother cheated on his father.

Jonathon does bring forward an issue his father wanted uncovered about Nazis in the NASA program. He also has a mission role similar to what his father would have done. The original issue of whether his father's death is natural is not really resolved.  I didn't really like Jonathon's character very much personally. With little content about the actual space missions, it was not what I expected, but an interesting look at other aspects of the space program.

I am a fan of aviation and historical books. Thus the reason that I was very intrigued and drawn to this book.

When I first started reading, I was into the story. In fact, it was admirable that Jonathan did not take the theory that his father was possibly murdered as just that...a theory. Which I kind of could imagine the theory. At the same time, the theory was a bit far fetched. So, if you can set aside the logical and allow the illogical to play in your head, you may enjoy this book. I could and probably would have stuck with this book better if I could have found something endearing and likable about the main character, Jonathan. For me this book was a good idea but one that did not stick a home run with me.

"The Astronaut’s Son" by Tom Seigel is an interesting book that tackles man’s yearning to return to space, a personal quest and connection to the moon, and intertwines it with enough conspiracy theory and intrigue to keep the reader interested and engaged.

Jonathan Stein is the son of Apollo astronaut Avi, whose fatal heart attack just before launch prevented him from completing his mission to the moon in 1974. Years later, Jonathan is the CEO of a successful aeronautics company and is planning his own mission to the moon in an attempt to complete his father’s unfulfilled goal.

As Jonathan embarks on this quest he is faced with the truth of Nazi involvement in early NASA missions, coupled with the enigmatic role of Neil Armstrong, and conspiracy theories concerning his father’s death.

"The Astronaut’s Son" offers readers an interesting plot that keeps you guessing and wondering. While most of the book moves at a steady pace, keeping you involved and turning pages, there were some areas that lagged a bit too much and felt unnecessary. The diversions seemed exactly like that, diversions and not necessary parts of the story.

Jonathan is posed as the “flawed hero.” However, the hero aspect never is fully reached and his character does fall a bit flat for me. He falls back too heavily on the “flawed” and “error in judgement” aspects for him to be likable. This is an interesting combination. I found myself wanting Jonathan to succeed in his quest and uncover the truth, but really disliked him as a character and felt he was not “good enough” for the good people around him. His intentions, at times, seem over zealous and obsessed, which is understandable. However, his zealousness helps to move the plot forward and uncover certain secrets.

Despite Jonathan’s flat and flawed character, the book is a great read and definitely worth the time. If you are a space nerd and the idea of returning to anywhere beyond Earth orbit intrigues you, but like to mix in a little mystery and intrigue, this is a book you should read.

It was an interesting storyline and a unique way to illuminate the history of NAZI scientists in NASA. The story was thin and i didn't feel it ended completely. It felt as if a lecture ended.

Thirty-five years ago, Neil Armstrong placed his foot down on the surface of the moon saying the words that history has passed down to us "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." It was a tremendous achievement for America in the race for space that started years before. Brought about by brilliant scientist, people of courage, ability, and intellect, this achievement set America in the premier position in space exploration. However, there are some who believe that this was all fake, a fraud set up by the government, one pulled off flawlessly having the world believe it veracity.

The Astronaut's Son Jonathan Stein is a successful owner of a private aerospace company. He is about to accomplish a dream, a dream that has father once had but was unfulfilled by his untimely death. That dream was to go to the moon. As Johnathan prepares for his journey, troubles appear, a possible heart issue, and then the hypothetical revelation that his father had not died naturally but from a malevolent cover up posted by an online theorist.

As Jonathan investigates further and tries to make contact with the reclusive Neil Armstrong, the clues keep piling up. Investigating, he sees quite a perverse connection to the Nazi scientists who were working at NASA and brings into focus the anti Semite view that the agency seemed to foster. He digs deeper becoming an obsessive investigator into his father's untimely demise. Could this ultimately been a plan carried out to deny Stein's father a path to glory? Was his Jewishness the key to his death? What if anything did Armstrong have to do with this? During his life, Jonathan had tried numerous times to make contact with Armstrong and yet this man, the man who would one day walk upon the surface of the moon, remains to this very day, a man mysterious and private.

This was an intriguing story, made more so over the controversy surrounding the upcoming movie based on this feat. It was a fascinating thriller that made one wonder, anxious to read and find along with Jonathan the truth. This book's approach was fascinating, considering the fact that there was actually Nazi scientists who worked at NASA. Recommended to those who like a well done literary thriller.

This book is to be published on September 18, 2018

Thank you to Tom Seigel, Woodhull Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. It was quite a riveting read.

Publisher's Blurb:
"On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing comes a novel in which a Jewish astronaut must reassess his moral compass when forced to confront NASA’s early collaboration with Nazis and the role it may have played in his father’s death.
Jonathan Stein, the CEO of Apollo Aeronautics, is an ambitious polymath who has spent a lifetime determined to accomplish two tasks: First, to complete his father’s unfulfilled mission to reach the moon, and second, to forge a relationship with the reclusive Neil Armstrong. Despite a heart condition, he’s on the verge of his first goal, but has gotten nowhere with the second. Armstrong has never responded to any of Jonathan’s dozens of letters.
Avi Stein was an Israeli pilot specially chosen to command Apollo 18 in 1974, but suffered a fatal heart attack before launch. Now, months from being able to realize his father’s dream, Jonathan discovers a “lunar hoax” conspiracy website offering a disturbing reason for Armstrong’s silence: He knows Jonathan’s father didn’t die of natural causes.
While researching his father’s last days in the National Archives, Jonathan expects to confirm the official cause of death, but what he uncovers instead is a motive for murder. To get to the truth, Jonathan must confront Dale Lunden, his father’s best friend and the last man on the moon."

This book had me as soon as I read the Publisher's blurb, I've always been keenly interested in Space travel and all that goes with it (NASA etc), add in the conspiracy angle and well: I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
The characters, detail in the settings & science elements all combined to make me keep turning the pages to find out what would happen: Would the conspiracy angle or the protagonist's own issues scupper the mission! While I found it hard to actually like Jonathan Stein, which is many, many personal failings, I think that may have been the point, no-one is perfect but that doesn't stop them from trying; and I still wanted them to be successful in the end, and the twist in the ending was just fantastic. I would definitely recommend giving this one a read.

Thanks to Woodhall Press and NetGalley for the ARC

Jonathan Stein is a NASA astronaut following in his father's (almost) footsteps to the moon, trying to find out what happened then, what happened since, and trying to reconcile himself with what he finds. It is a novel that looks at conspiracy theories, Nazis, ethics, relationships, space training, family dynamics, ambition and much more.

Reading the book description I was expecting some sort of thriller. That isn't what I got. Instead I found a book that was interesting and made me thoughtful and reflective. It's not often that I come across a novel that has me pausing frequently to scurry off to the internet to see where real history ends and fiction begins.

A really enjoyable read even though I didn't like the selfish and shallow main character at all.

Three and a half stars for the novel.
Half an extra star for the word NASAssassins

Thanks to Net Galley and Woodhall Press for the ARC.

In 2005 Jonathan Stein has two missions to complete. The first one is well on its way: to return to the Moon as the first man back in three decades. The second one is a lot tougher: to uncover what was the real cause of his father's Avi Stein death. Avi was supposed to be the first Israeli astronaut and one of the last men shot to the Moon as Apollo 18 crew in 1974. Was it a heart attack, a natural cause of death?

Jonathan had been writing letters for years to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon in 1969, but Armstrong answered none. Many conspiracy theories were around since the 1960's, in more recent years websites, exposing all kinds of scenarios as proof that there were no men on the Moon, and the U.S. not even had the technology by then to reach further than low orbit.

In The Astronaut’s Son, by Tom Seigel Jonathan goes after Neil Armstrong and the last man on the Moon, the fictional Dale Lunden, who replaced Avi Stein on the mission and even fought to become the commander. Jonathan's pregnant wife Susana, and friends Zudu and Helmut help tracking sources and unmask the mysterious Cassandra and 'her' website eclipsedtruth.com.

A 1974 radio interview on tape, a stack of paper evidence, and the discovery of the past of well-known Nazi German scientists and rocketry engineers at NASA bring Jonathan what he's looking for. Asking the hard questions in person give answers which may of course not exactly what he and you as a reader expect at the start of this convincing part of the novel. Jonathan's own mission to the Moon is covered only superficially.

For me this is book is 2.5 stars. I found it a difficult book to read and was often frustrated by references and technical details that I did not understand. Another element that I found off putting was that I did not like nor could relate to the protagonist, Jonathan Stein. I found him egotistical and chauvinistic who seemed to think the people around him should jump whenever he snapped his fingers. He treated his wife deplorably, justifying his affairs as flings and expecting her to listen to his issues while she was in labour.
The plot to the book was quite convoluted but based on an interesting premise, that NASA employed German SS officers to use research they had undertaken in concentration camps to advance NASA's program and beat the Russians to the moon.
I think this book will be very appealing to people who are intrigued by the conspiracy theories surrounding NASA's initial lunar landing, but for me it left too many questions unanswered.
Thank you Woodhall Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book

The Astronaut's Son is an excellent conspiracy thriller, set around the true fact that NASA used Nazi engineers to further their space program. In this great debut novel, Jonathan Stein is set to be the first astronaut to go to the moon in decades. His father had been the first Jewish astronaut slated to be sent to the moon 30 years earlier, but he had died suddenly of a heart attack before he could go. But was it a heart attack, or was he murdered? Was anti-Semitism as virulent within NASA's engineering community as in WWII era German? Conspiracy theorists send Jonathan searching for the truth. Great characters, great story, lots of true-to-life details of the era and a great twist of an ending make this a quick but oh-so-interesting read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Woodhall Press for the e-arc! 4+ stars!