Martin Nuza launches ‘Snatched’

For most holiday lovers, a cruise is tops: lots of places to visit, food and drink on tap, great entertainment on board and just a lovely experience on the ocean waves, preferably in calm seas though.

Writer and award-winning film producer Martin Nuza explores a very different and darker side to the ever popular cruise experience in his third and latest novel, `Snatched’ and around fifty book lovers went along to the book launch at the Garrison Library.

A very pleasant atmosphere prevailed as we sipped a glass of white and enjoyed a nibble or two from the snacks laid out when Martin took to the stand and informed us that, as romantic an experience cruising is, crimes are happening even today aboard cruise ships.

A lot of work and research went into producing this novel, Mr Nuza went through 100 documents out of which he chose 25 to research for his book, which began after hearing the sad and unsolved mystery of a disappeared lady passenger in detail from her father.

Mr Nuza set about to find out more about this mystery he contacted the International Cruise Victims Association, an NGO that aims to have legislation changed for a safer cruise industry.

Mr Nusa said jurisdiction for any investigation lies in the hands of investigators from the country the ship is registered with, and not the nationality of the cruise ship company.

Florida-based maritime lawyer Jim Walker explained to him that flag states, like the Bahamas, Panama, or Bermuda, have little to no interest in overseeing US-based cruise ships on the high seas and have few laws governing cruise ships to enforce in any case.

Furthermore, the lawyer said that there have been reports of 250 missing persons aboard cruise ships over the past 10 years.

In the book, Mr Nuza tells a fictional story of a young woman who goes missing on a cruise and of her police detective father tries everything in his power to find her, but is prevented from doing so.