Why the Panama Canal Still Inspires My Cruise Ship Heist Story
Why the Panama Canal Still Inspires My Cruise Ship Heist Story
Revisiting the locations from Cruise Ship Heist turned into an unforgettable two weeks in South America. A big thank you to Doris Visits and P&O / Carnival Cruises for making the journey possible.
In this film I return to the Panama Canal — a place Kieron Philips never expected to find himself. In the story, it’s where the two women he has been seeing finally come face to face… as if he didn’t already have enough to worry about while facing death in paradise.
I had actually passed through the canal once before, travelling from the Atlantic to the Pacific, when ITV’s publicity department sent me out to talk about the Emmerdale plane crash storyline. That was nearly twenty years ago.
Cruise Ship Heist was first published in 2019. I originally wrote the book after being blown up on a film set while awaiting brain surgery. After surviving that, I returned to the manuscript for a second draft in 2023.
Looking back now, I’m amazed that Kieron Philips has survived ten books — and equally amazed at how closely the real locations still resemble the dramatic backdrop I imagined when writing the story.
Ebera Village - chapters circa 29/32 - https://youtu.be/lmtUSv0FWLw
Panama Canal - chapters circa 33 - https://youtu.be/PotNo3to5Ik
Bequia Island - chapters circa 64/70 - https://youtu.be/bawNtVK08ms
St Vincent - chapters circa 72/73 - https://youtu.be/ycfC7mGM1Do
Search Cruise Ship Heist on Amazon or Apple Books
OFFICIAL REVIEW 5-stars OnLineBookClub
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. Sadly for readers, the mystery and suspense drag almost to the end of the book, with many misleading hints and twists in the middle; it might make readers impatient because of the anticipation. The best bet would be to go with the flow. Cruise Ship Heist didn't have such a wide array of characters, but readers would easily find one or two to love. 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. They helped in progressing the plot and kept the story from getting dull. 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.
#cruiseship #cruise #cruiseports #cruiser #DorisVisits