Thriller author Stuart St Paul enjoys engaging with bookclubs, book podcasts, Literary and Arts Festivals.
How would you smuggle millions onto a cruise ship?
Getting alcohol on is hard enough. In Cruise Ship Heist Kieron Philips is looking forward to the chance to catch up with his adopted Syrian daughter, a dancer onboard the cruise ship. He quickly realises that there was nothing coincidental about him being on board this specific voyage, and he brings into play the full arsenal of his military background, in order to stay alive and return the MV Lady Diana to holiday mode. He is about to dive straight into the kind of trouble he thought he had left behind in the Middle East when he was discharged, and from book one onwards a career as a cruise detective.
ACCOLADES
To request Stuart St Paul as a guest or for your podcast email us here [email protected]
Explore our list of potential podcast guests
The Books in the CSCI Series
The Books can be read as stand alone books although books 8 and 9 do go together well as a long story. Book 7 straight after book 1, Heist, misses a lot of character but gets right to the heart of Kieron Philips.
CRUISE SHIP HEIST – 1
This book has topped Amazon charts multiple times in two countries, and was a winner at Los Angeles Noir.
OFFICIAL ONLINE BOOKCLUB REVIEW
The official review of the new second draft of Cruise Ship Heist is a glowing 5-star accolade and the book, released on the 26th of August 2023, has been awarded ‘Book of the Day’ on the 29th of August 2023. The revenue from the top American OnlineBookClub.org reads.Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of “Cruise Ship Heist”(2nd Edition) by Stuart St Paul (2023)
In Cruise Ship Heist by Stuart St Paul, Commander Kieron Philips, a retired military man, was headed to a cruise ship en route to the Panama Canals as a commentator. It was an excellent opportunity for him to see his daughter, Auli’I, a dancer on the ship. At the Airport, Kieron observed many strange things that he couldn’t explain. Getting to the ship, he found himself millions of dollars richer, and there was no end to the strange occurrences that only seemed to get more suspicious. Not one to leave anything up to chance, his eyes and ears were opened, following anything that seemed like a clue as he was determined to get to the root of everything. One thing was then clear to him, neither his presence at the airport at that particular time nor on the cruise ship was a coincidence. Someone had orchestrated everything; he had been chosen for a reason, and he intended to find out why. The plot of the story was complex and had much depth to it; it presented this giant riddle with many unpredictable facets. The story carried intrigue right from when Commander Kieron Philips was introduced at the airport. His character gave off waves of mystery and intrigue with the peculiar situation in which he found himself… Kieron was the tangy combination of the good cop and the bad cop. He was the guy you wanted in your corner when things got ugly because he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. His character stood out because of his keen eye for foul play, bravery, and kindness. More so, the author gave a lot of insight into Kieron’s thoughts and the complicated mental process of solving the mystery that lived on the cruise ship. Another impressive character was Hunter Witowski, the cruise ship’s head of security. He had a dry humor that belied his tough exterior. He was one character I didn’t expect to like, but he became one of my favorites. 
The characters’ dialogues were exciting. It was fun to see the wordplay between the characters, especially with Kieron and his sometimes-funny attempts to keep his ‘secrets’ secret. Cruise Ship Heist was action-packed, suffused with danger, murder, and unpredictability. This was one of those stories that would stay with you for a while, as it delivered mystery and intrigue. The book was fun to read; there was no dull moment, and the entire experience was a rollercoaster ride. I enjoyed every part of Cruise Ship Heist. It was professionally edited, and I disliked nothing in it. Therefore, I’d rate it five out of five stars. Cruise Ship Heist would be appreciated by lovers of mystery and thrillers. NOTE. The two main characters start the agency CSCI, and the series progresses with new characters joining the team.
CRUISE SHIP SERIAL KILLER – 2
A murder happens on a ship, two days out of Panama and in the middle of the Pacific. The cruise operators decide not to turn the ship around as it goes out of helicopter range and into the Pacific Ocean, but to consult Hunter Witowski and Kieron Philips. They have just started their Miami based cruise crime investigation unit after successfully overturning a drug cartel’s attempt to use a ship, at least that is how it looked in the press. Another two guests are killed and the decision is made, they have to fly out and drop into the ocean.
The Panama to Tahiti crossing is all ocean. Eleven lonely, isolated days of romance at sea that can bleed no more. Whatever is going on, has to be stopped. They board a long-range coastguard plane for a night jump into the Pacific as near to the ship as is possible. Another body is found before they change clothes, and another murder happens each night. The ship’s security officer Ruby Jenkins soon develops a taste to join what she sees as a more exciting future, but it is Prisha from data wrangling in the ship’s office who is seconded to help CSCI. If they can stay alive long enough to find the killer.
CRUISE TRAFFICK – Human Laundry
Cruise Traffic sits as a powerful third book in the Cruise Ship Crime Investigators series where CSCI find themselves trying to save women who have no idea they are about to be trafficked and sold for sex.
Following a severe injury, Commander Kieron Philips is called back from his recuperation in Bequia, which could so easily have slipped into a second retirement. The problem with the three King Ships in the Mediterranean is simple, and one ideal for Kieron to reboot on.
However, CSCI does not get engaged to deal with trivial crimes, and they soon suspect that there is a larger, more sinister crime behind their engagement. They were not, however expecting to find the ships being used to traffic humans by losing a few of the crew at a western port like Barcelona or Malaga and replacing them in Albania. Someone on the inside must be working with the gang, and that may be the person who cancelled their contract and dismissed the executives that hired them.
Solving this proves to be far from easy.
Following extensive work on the screenplay and movie interest into this story, the original third book, Laundry Wars, got rewritten. Cruise Traffic is a complete reworking of CS Laundry Wars. Following extensive movie development, the story anchors around a criminal ring of sex traffickers using ships to trickle a constant feed of new women from Albania to the big coastal cities of the Mediterranean.
CRUISE SHIP ART THEFT
Art is being systematically stolen from the collection on the most luxurious cruise ship at sea. The collective value is way beyond the sum people kill for. CSCI is approached to work invisibly because unlike INTERPOL or any other international crime unit, art police, valuers, insurance investigators, or experts, they are unknown to the thieves. They must remain unseen or the crime will stop, the thieves will vanish and the art lost for good. The ace CSCI play is their intern Macey who can be on the ship as the star guest. It is an opportunity that can make this young unknown artist a star. It is exploitation that puts her at risk, but it is a chance her talent deserves; a chance a girl from the Miami projects never gets to have. All she has to do is survive and make it work.
SOLO CRUISER (Deadly Romance)
Should Violet ever be on a cruise? Her medical team thinks not, but they have no idea where she is. Is our SOLO CRUISER a hero, an anti–hero, or a woman trying to overcome a lifetime of mental torture in this twisting psychological mystery? Perhaps she just needs help. Will she get more help on the cruise ship than she got from the system? Is she helped? Who helps her? Or is she and this cruise about to take an extremely negative turn?
After much work now that COVID is way behind us, SOLO CRUISER replaces Disastrous COVID-19 Cruise Romance as the 5th book in the CSCI series. It is not about the pandemic, but the mental state of one cruiser as they come out of lockdown and go to sea. The author has created a powerful reworking of a psychological mystery in this second draft. Readers, along with some of the CSCI characters, feel frustrated as they know a crime is about to happen.
But to whom? By Whom? Then there is the shock.
Another book where Stuart St Paul keeps you on the edge of your seat right to the end, even if you think you know how it will end. Once again, he turns and twists the story on its head in the most unexpected way. But one thing is for sure: the journey you are on is a cruise.
BLOOD DIAMONDS
A storeroom gem safe on the cruise ship MS Aerwyna is open and a whistleblower reports it on a tip line. It is the third out-off-service ship, anchored in international waters off the Bahamas, to be refitted. If the heist involves each of the anchored three ships, it is well-organised crime with a purse large enough to kill for.
By the afternoon, Cruise Ship Crime Investigators CSCI are onboard under a cover of system testers. The mastermind and digital expert required to break into the cruise operator’s main system, produce movement orders, and open doors, maybe remotely working from anywhere. However, at least one from the gang must be on board the ship to open the mechanical lock and physically carry the bounty away. Whilst false COVID test results are used to immediately lock the ship down, CSCI know time is limited before the trapped bandits realise the crime has been discovered and they need to escape.
(Cruise Ship) MURDER REUNION
Kieron Philips is drowning his sorrows—just when his team needs him most, just when his old school friends call for a second reunion. But he has no interest in either.
His office is gone, reduced to rubble by a demolition squad. His partner is dead. And the last time his school held a reunion, someone was murdered.
He orders another beer, adding the cap to the growing tower of lids, trying to drown out the memories. But it’s not easy—not when you’ve served your country, not when you’ve lived your life alone. He missed the last reunion because he was a young soldier in Ireland. He has no intention of going to this one either.
But the past doesn’t stay buried. And when trouble comes knocking again, Kieron must decide: keep running from his own ghosts, or face them head-on.
4 MURDERS, A WEDDING AND A CRUISE
4 Murders, A Wedding, and A Cruise – is an electrifying blend of humour, cultural insight, danger, and philosophical depth, wrapped in the intrigue of a high-stakes mystery. When the CSCI team receives a cryptic tip from a mysterious informant, they find themselves chasing shadows with nothing but their instincts and the haunting suspicion that a luxury cruise could become the stage for a catastrophic attack.
At the heart of the narrative is the dynamic interplay between veteran agent Kieron Philips, his old military comrades, the endearing Mary and Stan—who operate a retro burger bar tucked inside the CSCI’s art deco headquarters—and the team’s younger operatives bridging these contrasting worlds. Together, this intergenerational, international cast weaves sharp wit, moments of genuine levity, and poignant reflections on life, loss, and the meaning of duty.
As the team scrambles to untangle the truth, the fine line between intuition and evidence grows ever thinner. Are they on the brink of averting disaster, or are they being manipulated in a far larger and more sinister game?
4 Murders, A Wedding, and A Cruise is more than a thriller—it’s a richly layered journey into the complexities of trust, camaraderie, and the human drive to make sense of chaos in the face of looming peril. With its gripping suspense, vivid characters, and unexpected twists, this novel delivers a compelling mix of tension and heart, keeping readers guessing until the final, breathtaking reveal.
Fasten your seatbelt—this is a cruise you won’t want to miss.
Stuart St Paul’s novel Cruise Ship Heist has hit number one in a number of Amazon charts, and at different times and won at the LA Noir Festival. He has won Best Director in the USA and many other awards for his movie making.
THE UNEDXPECTED
The Unexpected is sharp, fast, and smart — a gripping geopolitical thriller laced with wit, set against the lavish backdrop of the $40-billion cruise industry under terrorist threat. After foiling coordinated attacks across over a hundred cruise ships, the Cruise Ship Crime Investigators (CSCI) face retaliation. Team leader Kieron Philips finds himself on a high-priority Russian kill list—and survival means diving deeper into hostile territory. Disguised as part of a Baltic cruise route revival—complete with a touring soul band and journalists covering the hype—the team navigates tense passages through Latvia, Helsinki, and Estonia, finally reaching St. Petersburg. The nations along the route, eager to revive their cruise economies, promote the initiative, unaware that beneath the surface lies a covert mission to prevent a second Russian strike. This tightly woven novel blends geopolitical intrigue, betrayal, and survival with a character-driven narrative probing the illusion of liberty, the cost of freedom, and the quiet trauma borne by those who defend it. Kieron wrestles with impossible choices between love and duty amid unpredictable local militias and competing agendas. Wealthy cruise magnate Daniel Creedon orchestrates the initiative, riding the wave of press euphoria, masking deadly stakes. Lead singer Marvin’s mantra—“Getting free… freedom from drugs, from pain — it’s the same as freedom from oppression”—resonates deeply with the team’s personal struggles and the broader global mission. The Unexpected is a story of psychological liberation disguised as political espionage, where freedom demands more than anyone expected. Symbolism runs deep as locals dance across the Friendship Bridge, crossing the Estonia-Russia divide, while unseen forces play a larger game. Kieron and his team are pawns on a dangerous board they barely control. More than espionage, The Unexpected is about breaking free from borders, pain, and oppression. With razor-sharp tension, shifting loyalties, rich symbolism, and a cleverly subversive subplot about banning Michael Bub
STRICTLY HUMAN
A story of love, loss, and what makes us human.
STRICTLY HUMAN is a near-future thriller and love story about what we risk, and what we reclaim, when the line between human and machine begins to blur.
Investigator Dwight Ritter, a double-above-knee amputee, is sent undercover aboard a luxury cruise ship to investigate a recurring crime. There he reunites with Dixie Tapper, the brilliant clinician he is falling for, and the woman who left for Boston just as their connection was deepening.
Dixie deploys eerily lifelike robotic dance partners for solo passengers, machines so seamless they make guests question how much of themselves they have already traded for convenience. She also carries a dangerous hope: that advanced medical robotics could restore Dwight’s full mobility and make him superhuman with an integrated robotic lower body. It could give him back everything he has lost, and the courage to find his daughter, last seen when he was broken in a hospital bed before his wife disappeared with her. Or it could take the last pieces of his identity.
Meanwhile, young investigator Macey Bailey uncovers a hidden roll of paintings by forgotten Black artist Juno M’Bouto, exposing a conspiracy stretching from Miami’s earliest settlers to the modern art world.
STRICTLY HUMAN is a gripping story of love, resilience, and the fragile line between human and machine, proving that connection, courage, and empathy remain beautifully, irreducibly human.
MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR – AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
The Author’s Awards and Career – on the International Movie Data Base IMDB
Follow cruise author Stuart St Paul on BOOKBUB GOODREADS Amazon Author Page The Online Book Club
Stuart sold his first screenplay, Dream Hunter, to Trimark Studios in Hollywood back in 1992 while he was an in house writer/producer at Fugitive Films. He is currently rewriting the themes in that screenplay as a new book set in GAZA post war.
He then rewrote The Scarlet Tunic for Zygi Kamasa (Lionsgate).
Freight and Bula Quo are amongst his other screenplay credits.
To request Stuart St Paul as a guest or for your podcast email us here [email protected]
Explore our list of potential podcast guests
KINDLE on the Smartphone – start reading the series now
