Crime Quiz
Author: TJ Stanley
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Setting: On a cruise from Sydney to Hobart in Australia
Release Date: September 26, 2025 by Independently Published
Pages: 139
Summary:
A social-lite, a social worker and a vicar meet in a bar…
Molly should be on her honeymoon, but her husband disappeared.
Thomas should be preaching, but the bishop had other ideas.
Lynette should be in Aspen, but her doctor refused to let her fly.
Instead, they’re sailing on a five-day round trip between Sydney and Hobart.
At 5.00am on the fourth day of the cruise, Captain Jonas Strong announces that five passengers have died overnight.
Were this a cruise with the usual guest profile, such news may have caused a temporary flutter of nerves before being forgotten. But the Oceanic Wanderer was hosting a Crime Writers’ Conference with hundreds of amateur sleuths who were now wondering, if there was more to the announcement than they were being told.
Was there a murderer among them?
CRIME QUIZ delivers a cosy-mystery caper in a cruisy setting.
Interview with Hugo Hurried
How did you and your author meet?
We met on a cruise that was also hosting a Crime Writers Conference. I was a speaker and she was a passenger. It was only later that I discovered that she was also a writer when she signed up for the tour I was hosting of Hobart and the surrounding areas, including locations featured in popular crime and mystery novels.
Why did this writer decide to feature you in a book?
I’m not entirely sure. There were other best-selling authors she could have included. I guess we connected on the tour of Hobart when I revealed that my real name is John Smith. (A marketing consultant had proposed the pen name of Hugo Hurried). I also think that my first non-fiction book, How to Write a Crime Story with a Kick gave her a way to talk about the craft of plotting a novel while the sleuths on the ship investigated the real crimes.
Can you share with us your writing journey?
I didn’t start writing until I was 50. I hope that encourages others in their writing endeavors, as it’s never too late to start. For those of you doing the sums, I’m 88 years on this earth. I know I don’t look it. I have the English summer to thank for my pale skin. To date I have written forty books. And I’m not finished yet.
After thirty plus years, twenty of my novels have made the New York Times Best Seller list and been translated into a dozen languages. Can I remind everyone at this point that my first nine novels were appalling, commercial flops. Don’t give up.
What is the funniest thing that happens to you or another character in this story?
I had to lead a tour of Hobart for the day after a heavy night of drinking. My head was throbbing so it was challenging. I’ve only myself to blame as there is no such thing as a free lunch or in my case, no such thing as a free cruise.
Have you solved other cases, or is this your first one?
All the cases I have solved have been theoretical, created in my imagination. I love crafting complex crimes and then drip-feeding clues that have the reader guessing. I leave enough of a trail so that the most observant reader will be able to pick who-done-it before they turn the last page.
Do you have a gift or special talent?
Creating relatable and flawed characters. I aim to create characters that make an emotional connection with the reader.
Who is the most important individual in your life?
At my age, many of those near and dear to me have already passed. I am however very fond of my niece and nephew who still live back in my native UK.
What is your ideal vacation?
Goodness. An easy question. I’m being paid to be on this beautiful ship and to talk about the craft of writing, a topic about which I’m passionate. This is nirvana for me.
If you could change anything about your life what would it be?
I’ve had a wonderful life and pinch myself every day. I’ve made mistakes and had many failures. They’ve made me a better person and writer. There’s nothing I would change. I’d like to remind all the aspiring writers out there that, ee accomplish in proportion to that which we attempt. Start writing your book now.
About the Author
Tracy Stanley has been in love with storytelling since she left university in 1984.
In 2017, she started publishing, and as of August 2025, Tracy has independently published fifteen books across five genres, including business books, travel memoirs, cosy mysteries, romantic suspense, and action-adventure novels. These last two genres have been written under the pen name of Jane Ellyson.
Her writing approach for novels recognises that creativity in storytelling comes from mixing the familiar with a twist, combining comfort and intrigue.
Tracy is Australian and lives in Brisbane.
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