Can you solve this murder mystery?

Mornington Peninsula author Will Spokes has spent much of his life on the water in one way or another. Boating, sailing or fishing is where you’ll often find him. Off the water, reading historical fiction, crime or mystery is his jam. So it makes sense that the story in his latest novel Death on the Ferry Hygeia combines these two interests.

Will spent the best part of a year writing the novel and particularly enjoyed immersing himself in the research. “The story is set in the 1920s in Melbourne,” he said. “It was an exciting time between the wars, past the scourge of Spanish flu, and the Great Depression which was yet to come. Melbourne was still very prosperous thanks to the goldfields. There was a lot to draw on from that time in history.”

The Hygeia, with a capacity of 2000 passengers and luxuriously fitted out, was one of a fleet of three – alongside the Weeroona and the Ozone – that plied the bay providing excursions for Melbourne citizens, trade unions and many other groups. These ferries have provided street names on the Peninsula and are familiar to long-time residents.

A key event in Will’s book is a spectacular Christmas fundraising trip aboard the Hygeia in support of a children’s hospital. Everyone in Melbourne’s society is desperate to be aboard for this special event, including conspirators in a land swindle. As can be expected, greed and envy play a significant role in the outcome of the Hygeia’s voyage.

Will came to writing after retirement from a competitive corporate career due to a health issues. “When I retired I thought I would try my hand at writing. Two books later and I’ve just sent the manuscript off for my third book.” The ‘accidental’ prolific author puts a lot of care into crafting his stories and always has the reader in mind. “I said to my wife, ‘I’d like someone to read one of my books and tell me that they enjoyed it. That’s all I want out of it'.”

If you’re curious about the drama and mystery that happened aboard the Hygeia, you can buy a copy of Will’s book at www.shawlinepublishing.com.au or www.booktopia.com.au