German undercover detective Martin Schwartz is a man with nothing to lose. Five years before, his wife and young son died on a cruise ship, his wife apparently drugging and throwing his son overboard before jumping herself. Now he takes on the Berlin police force’s toughest assignments and thinks nothing of putting himself in harm’s way. When he receives a mysterious summons from an old woman who is using her retirement money to travel, and permanently live on, the same boat on which his family died, he can’t help but go. Because it transpires another child, who went missing from the ship in a separate incident, and who was presumed to have died, has reappeared.
On board Schwartz, the captain of the ship, the ship’s doctor, and another passenger who’s a professional thief all become embroiled in the mystery (though separately to an extent, the thief in particular is not linked to the others). The fear is there’s a serial killer on board. But are they in fact keeping their victims alive and captive somewhere? And if so, how?

I only recently discovered Sebastian Fitzek, reading and reviewing his novel The Package. I loved that book; it had a crazy rollercoaster of a plot and didn’t even pretend to be realistic, opting instead for non-stop thrills and twists and turns. Passenger 23 is similar in a way - there are certainly twists and turns aplenty - and it’s far-fetched, but I didn’t find it as much of a rollercoaster ride as The Package.

That said, what I did really enjoy in this novel was its sense of place. It’s a cliché when talking about crime fiction that it has to have a sense of place. While many novels strive to bring a location to life, the adage isn’t particularly true, and there are many successful and gripping crime novels which focus more on other aspects, such as characterisation. The Package didn’t really have a sense of place and the storyline could have occurred in any town, but it was still a brilliant book. Passenger 23 has a sense of place though, and a really quite unique one which the author utilises to full effect.

Every year several passengers and crew go missing on cruise ships. This is absolutely true, I’ve read about this in non-fiction news articles and seen documentaries about it, it’s a little-known aspect of the industry. Indeed, in the text of Passenger 23, a character mentions the websites and blogs set up to document all this and support the families whose loved ones have disappeared (internationalcruisevictims.org, cruisejunkie.com, cruisebruise.com); these sites all exist and can be checked out by the reader. For the novel’s purposes, the author claims 23 people go missing every year. I don’t know if that’s an actual figure or one the author has invented for the narrative, but the general idea is true: people go missing every year. Some are undoubtedly suicides, it’s easy to jump off a ship after all, but some could easily be homicides. Because again, as portrayed in the story, it’s for the police of the country the cruise ship is flagged under to investigate any incidents, and for tax and other reasons, this is unlikely to be a first world nation like the US, Germany, or the UK, but a small nation with an under-resourced police force.  

What all this amounts to, and what people don’t realise, is that cruise ships are actually relatively lawless locations, and thus the perfect place to commit a crime, not least a murder. Throughout the narrative of the novel, the author portrays this brilliantly and in fact I actually enjoyed this environment more than I did the plot of the novel. I’m surprised more crime novels aren’t set on cruise ships and while the primary plot of Passenger 23 is the potential serial killer on board, there’s another subplot which is hinted at and which could quite easily have been a story in its own right.

Passenger 23 is a psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns. I didn’t enjoy its plot as much as I did that of the author’s previous title, The Package, but its setting was unique and he portrayed it well. This is a novel that’s certainly worth a read.

This book was not what I expected. Too gory. Didn't finish the book. Obviously not the author for me.

The title refers to the disturbing fact that around 23 people disappear from cruise ships every year (excluding pandemic times, obviously). Five years ago, undercover detective Martin Schwartz’s wife and son were two of them. Now, he’s received a disturbing call from an old lady who lives aboard the cruise ship they vanished from - telling him that it’s happened again. Another mother and child have vanished. But this was eight weeks ago - and now the child has turned up. Alive. And the ship’s owners would really rather the attention just went away… so maybe the child will have to as well.

Schwartz doesn’t discover most of this until he’s aboard the ship and it’s sailed for a transAtlantic crossing, trapping him and the thousands of souls aboard for a few days at least. With a possible serial killer hiding among them, it’s a locked-room mystery on an enormous scale - and with an infinitely easy way for the killer to dispose of both victims and evidence.

This is translated from German - apparently Fitzek is enormously popular in Germany - and it definitely struck me as having a slightly different rhythm to murder mysteries written by most English speakers. There are multiple layers of mystery, each being slowly peeled away, at least one coming very late after I thought everything was pretty much wrapped up and providing a genuinely shocking climax I didn’t see coming at all. There are some dark and shocking themes quite apart from the disappearances (trigger warnings for suicide ideation and sexual abuse of children apply). Schwartz, our narrator, is a little bit hard to get to know; as an undercover policeman his personality is literally a cipher. It made it difficult to identify with him, but nevertheless, the story was absolutely fascinating and I could barely put it down. Five stars.

I can't believe I did not know of Fitzek before. I am so happy I did not know of him before. Well, I've heard of him, but Passenger 23 is the first book by Sebastian Fitzek I've ever read.
I am thankful that I did not know of him and his thrillers before because I haven't had a sleepless night like last night when I could not put the book down until I read it. Now the images conjured by the author are still swimming in my head driving me crazy and sad.
I can't believe I have not read any of Fitzek books before as they are unputdownable, so twisted they make tornado a child play and so cruel they make the worst of the monster into cuddly bunnies. 
Passenger 23 is about humanity and limitless possibilities of how this humanity can go wrong. There are no stops, no obstacles, no brakes, no considerations when it comes to reaching one goals, be it money, sex or freedom. There is nothing sacred in this world. Nothing at all.
Cruise ships are little planets with their infrastructure and way of life. And as main character reminds us all, with no law enforcers. Passengers are at the mercy of the ship. Anything can happen. And everything does.
This book is a journey into the dark narrow hallway of hidden decks and ugly dirty channels of human souls. Well, they can call be humans only symbolically...
Main character Martin Schwartz has nothing to lose. Absolutely nothing. That's why is is capable of anything and is not afraid of anyone. Yegor Kalinin, cruise line owner, has everything to lose and everything to gain. Captain of the ship is so disposable (like everyone on the ship) he is not even worth the mention. And women. Yes, women, rather mothers and daughters. It is all about them and more.
Fitzek weaves intricate web full of twists and turns, full of unexpected realisations and uncoverings. He creates characters and makes them into monsters. You never know who is in front of you. Author creates such a suspenseful puzzle where nobody can win and everyone can lose.
Passenger 23 is meant to warn you against cruises as much as it meant to hug your kid and tell him/her that you love them again and again...
Five stars and more...

Quite possibly the most disturbing thriller I have ever read. 

It took me ages to read this because it quite honestly made me queasy and gave me nightmares.  It really should have content warnings.  

It's fair to say that I didn't "enjoy" reading this, at all.  I was however completely invested in both the characters and the plot. 

Everything about the plot is well thought out, well constructed and it hangs together nicely.  There is enough twists, turns and surprises to keep even a veteran thriller reader happy.

I thought the main character was a little over the top and extreme but that fit with the overall flavour of the book.  All the other characters were believable and the way the author messes with your head over who has your sympathy is masterful. 

Personally I found the setting terrifying and claustrophobic.  I am NEVER setting foot on a cruise ship, EVER!

The violence and cruelty in this book are extreme and described in a little too much detail for my personal happiness but overall it is a well written thriller.

Possible spoilers

Martin is not a man to do things by halved,as the opening scenes of this book prove.
He doesnt tone it down as the book progresses either.
Definitely a man you want on your side.
An impossible mystery of cruise ship suicides,and one that came back,that leads you a twisty turney dance right up to the never to be guessed culprit.

This book has put Fitzek on my one to look out for radar.

A twisty and compelling psychological thriller that doesn't compromise on character depth and quality writing in order to deliver that twist that everyone sees coming, but instead offers a layered tale of a spate of mystery disappearances on cruise ships and takes you on an unpredictable journey towards the truth.

You probably won't want to go on any kind of cruise after reading Passenger 23, which follows one man's search for the truth about his wife and son. The plotting is superb and often disturbing, there is a lot of emotional tension and edgy action and you never really know where this is going until you get there.

I read it in one sitting, luckily starting it on a day off, it is one of those page turning yet considered thrillers that immerses you straight into its vivid world and holds you there until the final breathless reveals.

Really excellent. Recommended.

Passenger 23 is an unpleasantly dark and twisted suspense German thriller which has now been translated into English. The title refers to the average number of people who disappear on cruise ships every year. I’m feeling torn about my rating, because while I can’t say I enjoyed it, I think that’s more about what I’m in the mood for just now - I received an ARC close to publication day, having requested it based on a friend’s positive review, so didn’t feel I could put it aside; it has a clever complicated plot which kept me guessing, and I think most people who like this genre would say it’s a good book, so I’m rounding up from 3.5. The blurb describes it as a psychological thriller but I wouldn’t really call it that.

Martin Schwartz is an undercover police officer who will go to any extreme to complete his missions - since the murder-suicide deaths of his wife and child five years earlier he has no fear  for his own safety, so when a meddling old lady who lives permanently on the cruise ship where they died contacts him to ask for his help investigating the recent disappearance of another mother-child pair, which had been labelled another suicide, he doesn’t hesitate. Even so, he’s shocked to discover that the little girl has reappeared weeks later, traumatised and mute from her experiences. Can he work out what’s going on or will he too meet a watery end on this ship of death?

The opening chapters set the tone here - unknown assailants doing terrible things to their victims for unknown reasons - both on the ship, and on Martin’s latest case. The worst parts are referred to rather than described: there’s physical and psychological torture, horrendous child abuse and sickening cruelty - some highly original in it’s nastiness, but it doesn’t completely cross the line into gratuitous ness. If this is likely to bother you, I’d skip this one.
If you don’t mind these elements, you’re in for a twisty suspenseful tale where nothing is as it seems, and while I found the eventual reveal rather eye-rollingly implausible, the author does a good job of untangling all the different plot threads. There’s a large cast of characters and frequent POV changes so you do need to pay attention. Martin is an interesting hero, damaged, driven and disrespectful as is typical for this genre, but intuitive and compassionate so I did find myself caring about him. 

I thought the translation was pretty good, and think this would make a good movie if they toned down (or at least didn’t show you) the more horrific elements. I’ve never been interested in large boat cruising as a holiday, and this certainly hasn’t changed my mind!
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC which allowed me to give this honest (if ambivalent) review. Passenger 23 is available now.

A quote from the book “An ocean going funfair of tourism and Murder. A floating city where you can get anything, except law enforcement”

Who has jurisdiction over crimes that happen on international cruise liners in international waters. I researched this question and I’m really surprised more books aren’t based on these ships. Basically it’s up to on board security to deal with any crime until the ship reaches port, or waters controlled by a nation, often only the 12 miles around the coast.

No forensics, no cops, people can get away with murder, and that is what this story uses as its foundation.

So why aren’t more books set on these floating cities

This book is a great read.

What just happened 🤯 that was a lot...

So, I had no idea that "passenger 23" is a code used on ships when a passenger goes missing and unsurprisingly that's what's going on here! Fitzek's 2014 novel, finally translated into English, follows Martin Schwartz, a reckless policeman with no sense of self preservation that undertakes the most dangerous undercover assignments with no fear. This is because 5 years ago, Martin's wife and son disappeared on a cruise ship called The Sultan of the Seas. With seemingly no explanation why it's presumed a murder suicide. One day a permanent resident of the ship calls Martin with some new information that piques his interest and brings him back onto The Sultan. His wife and son aren't the only mother and child to have disappeared, only a couple of months ago Naomi and her daughter Anouk vanished. All the information points towards there being a serial killer on board but then the small girl reappears. Martin hopes by solving what's happened to Anouk he can find out the truth about what happened to his own family.

Fitzek is a really compelling writer, he's not one of the most popular German thriller writers for no reason. The short chapters are engaging and engrossing making this snappy and gripping but quite frankly a dark af read. This isn't one for the faint-hearted, covering a lot of shocking and uncomfortable subjects. That being said, with several plot points all being interwoven, it still makes this an intriguing read that will keep you guessing all the way until the end! I couldn't have ever guessed the ending. This is the second novel by Fitzek that I've read and I've already bought another one to read asap! Thanks to Head of Zeus for providing me a copy to review. It publishes on 4th February in the UK.

cw for the book: suicide, rape, paedophilia, some questionable depictions of a trans character

I'm kind of mad that this was such a genuine page-turner, given how much there was to hate about it.

The story begins with our antihero police investigator, Martin, working undercover at a party where a young child is about to be infected with HIV via a public rape. ...Yes, you read that right. That kind of shock value is something that is relied on several times throughout the book with, in my opinion, nowhere near enough emotional payoff to justify it.

We are soon transported to a cruise ship, where the majority of the story takes place. An eccentric older woman calls Martin, and suggest that his wife and son's apparent murder-suicide that took place on the ship five years previously may not have been what it seemed.

It's by far the most testosterone-filled action thriller I've read in a very long time, but has done a good job of reminding me of why that's the case. There's so little character work that they're largely indistinguishable from each other, regardless of differences in gender, age, race, cultural background etc. There are some descriptions of female characters (albeit through the eyes of unsavoury male characters) that made my skin crawl, including a young girl whose description included "if you saw her in the light, you'd be able to appreciate the striking woman she would be one day".

The translation work is largely well done, although there are a handful of sentences or paragraphs that felt a little clunky. The twists unravel at a really good pace, and very few of them are ones that I could see coming.

One thing I did note is that several times throughout the book, Martin appears to have pieced together some of the puzzle – although his revelations are not shared with the reader at the time. However, each new reveal seems to be totally fresh information, so I did wonder what exactly he thought he'd worked out.

Really, I'd like to read a book that's as much of a meaty page-turner as this, but that didn't feature so many twists that seemed to be purely there for shock value, to be as dark as possible. It's kind of hard to decide on a rating, because as much as I absolutely hated aspects of it, it did keep me fully engaged throughout the read.

2.5 stars for now, rounded up, but I may change this once I've had time to mull it over.

(An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts are my own.)

I thought when I read the blurb about this book that a murder story on a cruise boat might be really interesting and something I don’t think I’ve read about before. Unfortunately this story soon became too convoluted and I struggled even to finish it. 
I’ve not read a Sebastian Fitzek book before but they do all sound quite original so will probably give the author another chance and read one more of his.

Really enjoyed this read, very intriguing, the motives are almost impossible to guess. There are plenty of moments where I wondered what on earth was going on. I won't buy this for the school library due to it's content however and I would imagine it may deter some readers as well.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

this book is so much more and will put you off going on a cruise for the rest of your life....

martin is a police officer...who seems to be on a death wish after his life took an unexpected turn when he lost his wife and son on a cruise ship.... the verdict was that the wife had killed her son by throwing him overboard and she jumped after him with the result being death by suicide...

martin is in a terrible place and volunteers for all the worst jobs going and if that mean injecting himself with hiv to get accepted into a group of people so that he could rape a victim and give them aids then that is what he will do and then arrest them when there is enough evidence collected...

but before he can go in..he receives a phone call that sees him back on the very ship that he had vowed never to ever set foot on again as a missing passenger has just returned 

and so begins the journey of discovery...at times its brutal and others times you are jumping for joy...but the twist at the end was totally unexpected...

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

What an interesting book that was. Martin Schwartz is a German police officer with a bit of a death wish. Ever since his wife and son died 5 years ago on a cruise - the wife tossed the boy overboard and then jumped from the ship herself - he has volunteered for the most dangerous undercover assignments. And he has had to do some truly awful things. 

Then he gets a phone call from an old lady on board a ship, the Sultan of the Seas, who gives him a garbled account of it happening again - a mother and child disappearing from the ship. Apparently it happens more than you would think and cruise companies find it is better for business to claim most of the disappearances are suicides. Martin is not really interested until the old lady, Gerlinde Dobkowitz, who happens to live on the ship tells that the daughter has recently reappeared. Oh, and that she suspects there is a hidden deck on the massive ship where really weird stuff goes on. And the real kicker is, it is the same ship that his family died on. 

So, although it is the last place Martin wants to re-visit, he joins the ship post haste. From then on things get weirder and weirder and there is a definite sense of menace throughout the remainder of the story. You know there’s something fishy going on but you have no idea what. The captain is being evasive but eventually it transpires that he is under the control of the owner who happens to be on board. It’s a feast of misdirection and unreliable narrators and the menace continues to grow.

I don’t want to say any more about the plot except that whatever you think is going - that’s not going to be it. This story is much too twisty for us armchair sleuths! I was suspecting everyone at some point. The pace was excellent and never really let up. I loved the plot, the intrigue, the red herrings and I had to feel some sympathy for the much beleaguered Martin who had a tough time putting the jigsaw pieces in the correct spots while fending off would-be assassins. We had the odd murder, dead people turning up alive, people being not who they say they are a meddlesome old lady who somehow stumbles on some things she’s not supposed to see.

All in all, a fabulous story that I can recommend to all mystery and thriller fans. Thanks to Netgalley, Head of Zeus publishers and Sebastian Fitzek for providing me with a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

This author is well known throughout Europe where he has sold 12 million books and is seen as one of the top psychological thriller writers’.........

This book was a must for me as soon as saw the title I knew I would be reading it as love anything to do with travel and means of transport and stories set around that theme
As a bonus I love cruising ( ok a cheap joke but there you go ) so this even more shouted ‘READ ME’ 
Now it turns out ‘Passenger 23’ is the code that all ships use for ‘missing passengers’ those that have vanished ( presumed overboard ) on journeys and there are many more than we would imagine, as many ships are governed by the flag they bare most ‘Passenger 23’s’ are not really investigated and are swept under the carpet ( or under the sea!!) 
This book looks at the possibilities that there are more sinister reasons than a drunken stumble or a gust of unexpected wind for these deaths
But what the story shows is not a ‘dipping the toe in the ocean’ mamby pamby look but a full on hardcore story of what could really be happening
It hold’s no punches, there is no frilly dialogue, it is there, bold and in your face and ‘please or offend’ take your choice, at times very raw the subjects covered are not sugar coated and are dealt with in jaw dropping honesty, it’s fair to warn that every subject that may trigger people is covered and often not subtly but honestly and in grim crude reality, the opening chapter is probably one of the most shocking read and more than a few times I winced throughout the book 
The story however captivates and doesn’t let go, the detail, narrative and characters are all to be applauded and the 4 possibly 5 endings just keep going and dont let up
An amazing book, informative and dramatic, scary and unshying of the norm, it is a book that I wont forget and an author I am now going to look up more about and look for his other books

10/10
5 Stars

Passenger 23 is a code for people who disappear from cruise ships either accidentally or by suicide. When under cover police officer Martin Schwartz is urgently contacted by passenger Gerlinde Dobkowtiz on board cruise liner Sultan of the Seas requesting he comes aboard as soon as he can, he does not hesitate. His wife Nadja and son Timmy disappeared from the same ship five years ago, presumed a murder/suicide. What unfolds is a very dark tale taking you on an unexpected journey into some surprising areas on the ship. 

The book starts well with a chilling incident on the cruise ship and draws you in with many questions about what is actually happening on the Sultan of the Seas. This is a multifaceted plot with several points of view contributing to the outcome taking the storyline into some dark places with stories of sexual abuse. However, although this is intrinsic to the plot it’s not gratuitous though some readers may wish to avoid such storyline. Martin is a flawed but good central protagonist although you do feel you don’t REALLY know him even by the end of the novel which may be due in part to his role changing job undercover. It’s possible too that  grief for the loss of his family has led to him putting barriers up and armouring himself against the depths of its despair. The plot is very twisty and has a number of elements such as blackmail, revenge, coverups, murder and violence. Some sections are very sad and heartbreaking as victims suffering is revealed. It’s a convoluted plot with multiple red herrings along the way and the setting on board a cruise ship is excellent as it allows for many literary possibilities. There are some tense scenes which  don’t always make sense initially but do keep the readers interest. The end is partly unexpected although I guess guess some of it but this does not detract from how good it is. 

My negatives about the book are that the plot convolutions takes a while for the threads to connect, there are quite a lot of characters to sort out and some dialogue strikes a casual off note although this may be down to translation issues. I’m not totally convinced we needed all of Martin’s undercover backstory as although it’s interesting it doesn’t add to the events on the ship. I assume by including it the author is trying to help us understand his character. 

Overall, it’s a darkly twisted thriller with a hint of a horror vibe that keeps you reading to seek out the truth.  

With thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ar for an honest review.

An elderly woman living on board a cruise ship contacts Martin Schwartz about the night he lost his wife and son aboard that very same cruise ship. This leads him to learn about and investigate a series of missing people on cruise ships. Easy to account as suicides. All is not as it seems as he finds out. Interesting story but beware it's pretty gruesome at time - there is definitely a flavour of needing to fill in details in extraordinary gore these days rather than leaving it to the readers' imaginations, more's the pity. Too much TV I guess where we are fed images. Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of this author and I eagerly await every new book to be translated into English. In the case of this story the translation was proceeded by an audible dramatisation which I already listen to a while ago. Nothing beats the full story though so I was excited to get my hand on this.
We start with a strange scene that I kept waiting for an explanation for... I got it eventually but I did have to wait til the very end. That aside, we then meet Martin Schwartz and hear about his tragedy and the way it has affected his risk-taking at work in the police. We then follow as he is summoned on board a cruise ship - a familiar one as it turns out - where a "passenger 23" has turned up. Interesting fact that - about how on average 23 cruise passengers disappear without trace each year. Anyhow, this one is a child and, when we eventually meet her, well, there's a fantastic story to be told. One that will both shock and disgust our main characters along the way.
Oh my. Please be warned that this author is dark and brutal and, like most of his other books, this contains some really heavy and nasty stuff. He pulls no punches and always hits his marks. It's also chock full of misdirection and twists and turns and, again as usual, nothing is ever quite as it seems along the way. Admittedly it does skirt the credible a tad but hey, when a book is this engaging who cares whether it's wholly possible!
And the ending when it eventually all came together... Well... Mr Fitzek, take a bow!
All in all, a cracking addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Looks like a few ore books of his are coming soon in English - I'm ready... bring them on...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a book with many twists and turns, stories that interlock and are designed to confuse and puzzle while keeping you reading long after you thought you’d stop.

Martin has given up on life after the death of his wife and child on a cruise ship. When he receives a call from a woman who says they have information about them, he can’t resist going to speak to her. This is how he ends up stranded on The Sultan, a floating city of a ship. With suicidal youngsters, kidknap, torture, paedophilia, guns and blackmail, there is a lot to unravel.

It’s incredibly far-fetched but the detail and cleverly constructed plot keep you reading anyway. I really enjoyed it and would read more by this twisted author if given opportunity. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.