Martin M. Nuza has recently finished a crime novel which has been published by Michael Terence Publishing in the UK entitled “Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise”. This award-winning story is based on actual events and revolves around real crimes committed aboard cruise ships.

“Back in 2019, I was watching a mini-documentary about a woman who mysteriously disappeared during an Alaskan cruise in August 2004,” explains Martin. “Her name was Merrian Carver, and her father, Kendall, tried everything in his power to find his daughter and learn the truth behind her disappearance.

“There were many red flags needing answers about Merrian’s mysterious disappearance and the more Kendall investigated the more he learned that these disappearances were a common incident aboard cruises, together with an astonishing high level of crimes, too, the top crime being sexual assaults. Kendall set up the International Cruise Victims Organization (ICV) to fight for Congress to change legislation to make cruising safer, not only for passengers but for crew members also, as many of the cruise lines were not obliged to reveal their crime statistics, so the public were not aware of what was really going on aboard the ships.”

Martin got in contact with Kendall and told him he was interested in creating awareness by alerting the public in order to, hopefully, save lives and prevent innocent people from falling victim.

For three years, Martin was given full, unrestricted access to thousands of true-life reported crimes from ICV in America, where he has been researching for his book. “I remember having regular skype video calls with Kendall,” Martin explains, “and on one particular call, he was in tears, as he had just finished reading the first draft of the book and it reminded him of the loss of his own daughter.

“The main character is a young woman called Chloe who goes missing on a cruise, and of her father, a police detective, trying everything in his power to find her. But he is being prevented from doing so by the current system in place. The father will not stop until discovering the truth, even if it costs him his life.

Martin was given technical legal guidance for his book from the ICV lawyer, Mr. JIM WALKER (WALKER & O’NEILL P.A.) MARITIME LAWYERS based in Miami, Florida. “This obligation,” explains Mr. Walker, “of enforcement, is the responsibility of the flag states, like the Bahamas, Panama, or Bermuda, which have little to no interest in overseeing U.S. based cruise ships on the high seas. 

This is a gripping action-adventure thriller, that has nothing to envy films, such as “Taken” with Liam Neeson. It is important to note, the book does not target the cruise industry in anyway nor is its intent to stop people from cruising. The book covers and exposes many of the loopholes with the intention of creating awareness for passengers to have a much safer and enjoyable voyage by not falling victim to one of the many crimes aboard.

At the end of the book, there are a handful of statements/testimonies from family members/victims, reliving their ordeals. The book also has a segment providing tips on how to have a safer cruise by highlighting certain things a passenger can do, in order to be more aware of their surroundings and avoid becoming a victim, especially if they are travelling alone or with children. The book has been edited by Executive Producer, Jane L. Fitzpatrick, in Washington State.

“Snatched: The Unforgettable Cruise” is a must read so people can truly understand what the cruise industry is so keen to bury under the carpet. It is available worldwide in both Kindle and Paperback versions at: AMAZON