I am Lane Sanders, aide to one of the most famous New York mayors, Fiorello La Guardia. It is May 1937 and I am about to board the Hindenburg.

We had a major crime incident on our hands, but I and my cohort of chosen family and friends felt that it was only a hint at what was to come. We first had to solve the mystery of a murder in broad daylight, then discover what the motive behind it really meant. The gangsters are at war and there have been rumblings about the threat of a big hit. But who was directing it, when and where would it go down, and how could I stop it?

I went to the Chrysler Building’s gorgeous Cloud Club to hunt for clues. The Cloud Club happens to be a men-only establishment and I naturally…ahem…wanted to infiltrate that bastion to the male ego. So I put on low heels, a fedora, my natty black trouser suit, and in I went!

I was made relatively quickly, but I got what I needed and had a tremendous amount of fun. But what I didn’t expect, was to hear the two chilling words: Hindenburg hit.

The only choice to try to stop it, was to go right into the middle of the fray. I trekked across the Atlantic by way of the French ocean liner, the SS Normandie, made an ally of the sizzling Josephine Baker at her club, Chez Josephine, then took a train to Frankfurt.

Here I wait on the field as the monstrous hangar doors slowly open and the stunning Hindenburg floats out toward our boarding point. I have seen the airship above the Manhattan skies many times as it cruised back and forth from Frankfurt to Lakehurst, New Jersey. But standing directly before it, the colossal proportions —it’s about the size of the Titanic— takes my breath away.

I am equally thrilled and terrified. The airship will take us thousands of feet above and across Europe, we’ll see the southern tip of Greenland, then all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to Newfoundland and down the US coast. For about two days, we will enjoy luxurious meals, cocktails, and live music from the grand piano on board. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. But we will also be surrounded by flammable hydrogen cells as we make this crossing. And did I tell you the Hindenburg has a smoking room? A smoking room! With a vacuum-sealed entry, because you know…the hydrogen.

But I am determined to stop this hit. I will protect my city, my family, and anything that threatens us. As I take one step onto the staircase that unfolds to usher us into the belly of the airship, a shiver runs up my spine. This is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime event, but will this be my final event?

I take a deep breath. And I board the Hindenburg.

THE HINDENBURG SPY – A “Lane Sanders” Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Historical Mystery (1930s)
Release: December 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

From award-winning author, L.A. Chandlar, a stunning new novel that explores the mystery of the Hindenburg and what makes a monster.

Spring, 1937. New York City’s gangsters are at war, and Lane Sanders, fearless aide to Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, overhears two words in a smoky jazz club that make her blood run cold: Hindenburg hit. Worse, the plot bears the unmistakable mark of her nemesis, Daphne Franco.

Summoned into urgent strategy sessions with President Roosevelt and the up-and-coming Winston Churchill, Lane is chosen to stop Daphne’s scheme before it sparks disaster. Soon she’s aboard the Hindenburg itself—an elegant flying palace where passengers sip champagne to the sounds of a grand piano thousands of feet above the Atlantic—while Lane and Daphne engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

With her loyal circle of friends at her side—and an unforgettable cameo from Josephine Baker—Lane races to uncover a plot more incendiary than anyone imagined. If she fails, the fiery fate of the Hindenburg will not only haunt history but ignite a new global war.

The Hindenburg Spy is a glittering Art Deco thriller of chosen family, self-discovery, and the monsters hidden in plain sight—perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Susan Elia MacNeal.

About the author
L.A. Chandlar is the award-winning author of the Lane Sanders Mystery Series. She’s been nominated for the Agatha, Lefty, Macavity and Anthony Awards; and winner of Suspense Magazine’s Crimson Scribe and GANYC Apple Award. She’s been living and writing in New York City for over 20 years and has been speaking for a wide variety of audiences including a women’s group with the United Nations. Laurie has also worked in PR for General Motors and has toured the nation managing a rock band. She is a fierce advocate for women’s rights.