The Unexpected
(2025)(The ninth book in the CSCI (Cruise Ship Crime Investigators) series)
A novel by Stuart St Paul
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 Bublé’s music from cruise ships, it’s witty, weighty, and unlike anything else in the genre.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Stuart St Paul's The Unexpected