Hostage in Havana

The Cuban Trilogy #1

by Noel Hynd

From bestselling ABA author Noel Hynd comes this new series set against the backdrop of Havana, an explosive capital city of faded charm locked in the past and torn by political intrigue. U.S. Treasury Agent Alexandra LaDuca leaves her Manhattan home on an illegal mission to Cuba that could cost her everything. Accompanying her is the attractive but dangerous Paul Guarneri, a Cuban-born exile who lives in the gray areas of the law. Together, they plunge into subterfuge and danger. Without the support of the United States, Alex must navigate Cuban police, saboteurs, pro-Castro security forces, and an assassin who follows her from New York. Bullets fly as allies become traitors and enemies become unexpected friends. Alex, recovering from the tragic loss of her fiancé a year before, reexamines faith and new love while taking readers on a fast-paced adventure. Readers of general market thrillers, such as John le Carré, David Baldacci, and Joel Rosenberg, will eagerly anticipate this first installment.

Genres: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Thriller, Fiction, Christian, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

446 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2011

About the author

I've been a published novelist for longer than I care to admit, since 1976. I'm frequently asked, however, how I first got published. It's an interesting story and involved both Robert Ludlum and James Baldwin, even though neither of them knew it --- or me --- at the time.

My first agent, a wonderful thorughly perofessional gentleman named Robert Lantz was representing Mr. Baldwin at the time. This was around 1975. Balwin, while a brilliant writer, had had some nasty dealings with the head of Dell Publishing. Dell held Jimmy's contract at the time and he could not legally write for anyone else until he gave Dell a book that was due to them. Nonetheless, he refused to deliver a manuscript to Dell and went to Paris to sit things out.

The book was due to The Dial Press, which Dell owned. Baldwin was widely quoted as saying....and I'm cleaning up the quote here, "that he was no longer picking cotton on Dell's planatation."

The book was due to The Dial Press. The editor in chief of The Dial Press was a stellar editor who was making a name for himself and a fair bit of money for the company publishing thriller-author Robert Ludlum. A best seller every year will do that for an editor. Anyway, Baldwin fled New York for Paris. The editor followed, the asignment being to get him to come happily back to Dial. As soon as the editor arrived, Baldwin fled to Algeria. Or maybe Tunisia. It hardly mattered because Baldwin was furious and simply wouldn 't do a book for Dell/Dial. The editor returned to NY without his quarry. Things were at a standstill.

That's where I entered the story, unpublished at age 27 and knowing enough to keep my mouth shut while these things went down. I had given 124 pages of a first novel to Mr. Lantz ten days eariler. Miraculously, his reader liked it and then HE liked it. It was in the same genre that Ludlum wrote in and which the editor at Dial excelled at editing and marketing.

My agent and the editor ran into each other one afternoon in July of 1974 in one of those swank Manhattan places where people used to have three martinis for lunch. The agent asked how things had gone in Europe. The editor told him, knowing full well that the agent already knew. The next steps would be lawyers, Baldwin dragged into US Courts, major authors boycotting Doubleday/Dell, Dial, maybe some civil rights demonstrations and.......but no so fast.

Mr. Lantz offered Dial the first look at a new adventure/espionage novelist (me). IF Dial wanted me after reading my 124 pages, he could sign me, but only IF Baldwin was released from his obligations at Doubleday. I was the literary bribe, so to speak, that would get Jimmy free from Dial. It seemed like a great idea to everyone. It seemed that way because it was. Paperwork was prepapred and paperwork was signed. Voila!...To make a much longer story short, Dial accepted my novel. The editor instructed me on how to raise it to a professional level as I finished writing it over the next ten months. I followed orders perfectly. I even felt prosperous on my $7500 advance. He then had Dial release Mr. Balwin from his obligation. Not surpringly, he went on to create fine books for other publishers. Ludlum did even batter. Of the three, I'm the pauper but I've gotten my fair share and I'm alive with books coming out again now in the very near future, no small accmplishment. So no complaints from me.

That''s how I got published. I met Ludlum many times later on and Baldwin once. Ludlum liked my name "Noel" and used it for an then-upcoming charcter named Noel Holcroft. That amused me. I don't know if either of them even knew that my career had been in their orbits for a month 1975. They would have been amused. They were both smart gifted men and fine writers in dfferent ways. This story was told to me by one of the principals two years later and another one confirmed it.

Me, I came out of it with my first publishing contract, for a book titled 'Reve

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know there are lots of 5 star ratings on this and maybe I would have given it a 5 star if...I had know to start out with the Russian Trilogy where the main character Alexandra LaDuca was introduced. In Hostage in Havana, as things were mentioned about her past I felt left out, like I was missing some important events and didn't understand why the author was not explaining it more. Then at the end of the book I see the advertisements of the Russian Trilogy where it all starts with Alex. So, if you are reading this, please start with the Russian Trilogy and maybe you'll enjoy it more. Another thing with me is I love historical novels, but I don't like a lot of descriptions and this one was so full of historical history that it was too much for me. But the story line and the non-stop action was good. So, it just depends on what you like and where you start in the Alex LaDuca story...please start with the Russian Trilogy and then you may just love it.

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't you just love it when you find a book that makes you create a brand new Goodreads shelf? This is such book! I made a brand new shelf for it - "Bored out of my mind".
Here are a few main reasons why:

1. This is supposedly a first book, but the heroine Alex, obviously, has some loooong history, discussed in previous "trilogy", mind you. Is there a reason this book is not just part 4 of the series? Okay, you want to create a new trilogy because one book is not enough (considering the content, even a 100000 dictionary wouldn't be enough, but that will come later). Wanna keep the heroine? Fine. Do it. But why do you have to continuously talk about the events of previous books? Remind over and over again names, places, characters, situations etc from previous books? Why? Firstly, spoiler alert! Secondly, mostly irrelevant and confusing! Yuri whatishisface has been mentioned sooo many times, although he is dead and buried NOW, but was a HUGE deal in previous books (See? Spoiler damn it!)! I want to read THIS story. About Havana. About hostages. About Alex right now, not a year before. I do not want to be forced to read what happened in the previous books.
2. The author is obviously either a history teacher or a history addict. So.much.history. The blurb promised thriller, some action, some adventures. Know what I got? Facts. Dates. Wars. Who assassinated who. A sneak peek in mythology and word origin, which was totally irrelevant. So many Kennedy, Castro and CIA mentions that I actually got sick. So many chapters where Alex just reads her email, where more and more history facts, dates and people are mentioned. In 40 percent in (from almost 400 pages, you know), only two or three actual thriller episodes happened. The rest was just emails, recaps from previous books and history, history, history. People should be warned you know! Like those 18+ notes after blurb for violent content. This book should have - History fans only, since action is scarce and far in between! If I wanted to read a book where 80% are history facts and theories, I would read a history book, I have a few left from my school years. Maybe it is just me. But if you want to write a book in certain genre, you have to follow the genre requirements. This? This was not thriller. To call this a thriller is like calling romance children's book! It is encyclopedia with a few side notes and comments from a person called Alex.
3. The characters. So many names. From this book, from previous books, more and more names, their descriptions (appearance, job, when and where she met them etc), for people who are just mentions in a book! Haven't you read any books before? Side characters, that do not have even one dialogue line in text, that are not present in the story, should not be described in such details! It is boring, confusing and irrelevant! Also. I never got what kind of a person Alex really is. One moment she is snarky and doesn't care that she was shot at, then she is complaining to Ben how scared she is, then she switches on this "What would God want me to do" thing, then she suddenly becomes cold and bossy and acts like some "big shot" commanding the FBI and CIA what they should do for her, then she is going on dates with informants and stuff, being all flirty and easy, then suddenly it is revealed that she almost committed suicide a year ago, when her fiance died, one moment she wants to be just friends with Ben, the next she wants more and is jealous. The conclusion I got? She has multiple personalities and obviously faked her psych evaluation when became a fed.
4. The plot. I mentioned it before (several times probably), but the plot is so slow! It goes like this - History, history, background check, history, random previous book references, action, background check, email, history,pity party, history in email, previous book reference, random names and people, action, pity party,history, history in email, email. Get my drift? Bored. out. of. my. mind.

Okay, I think I got my point across. To continue further would be just cruel and unnecessary. I think I explained why I did not enjoy or even like this book. I apologize if it seemed mean, but you have to admit it wasn't unfounded.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

U.S. Treasury Agent Alexandra LaDuca, the star agent who headlines the Russian Trilogy, also by Noel Hynd, returns in book one of a new series entitled The Cuban Trilogy. Hostage in Havana opens with a threat on Alex's life, one that leads her to make the decision to partner on a questionable mission into Cuba with Paul Guarneri, a Cuban-born exile who has family ties to the Mob. When Alex and Paul's entry into Cuba almost results in their capture, they find themselves on the run from Cuban police and others with a loyalty in opposition to America, and Alex faces the greatest threat to her life yet.

Hostage in Havana is a smart thriller that largely lives up to Hynd's previous novels. I found that much of the book unfolded with superb pacing, capturing my attention with the creepy unknown killer, the exotic locations, the mounting suspense. The book did provide a lot of detail on the history of Cuba and America's interaction with that country , and while the information was interesting, I did find it bogged down the pace somewhat. All in all, however, I greatly enjoyed the return of Alex with her courage and determination to serve her country with loyalty, and I found the conclusion to be perfectly satisfying. Alex also goes deeper in her faith, a journey that has been naturally unfolding through the prior Trilogy and now continues in the next. Hynd is a talented author, one of the best in the Christian action-espionage-suspense genre, and I look forward to book 2 in the series, coming in May 2012.

I strongly recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Book was provided courtesy of the publisher, Zondervan, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[Debora Cornyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Russian trilogy but this first book of the Cuban trilogy leaves much to be desired.
The main character has turned into an annoying, nonsensical bitch, hard to like or empathize with her.
There are a few plot problems such as:
She’s told not to bring items with her name or initials on her mission, yet goes looking for her monogrammed pen.
The pilot urinates into a container & dumps it out the window. In even a small aircraft, the liquid is going to blow back in.

[Godly Gadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mediocre as far as Christian suspense fiction goes (2.5 stars)

Since her life seems to be at risk from an assassin on US soil, government agent Alex LaDuca agrees to temporarily to go on a risky undercover mission to Cuba. A plot summary would make this novel feel more exciting than it actually is, and at times it felt like it was weighed down by info about Cuban politics, and multiple storylines and character relationships that weren't really clear, so I had to really push myself to get to the end.

There's also some background info about Alex's previous relationship with a boyfriend that is important, and another character who is long dead and buried. This won’t make much sense if you haven't read any other books about her, as I haven't. Apparently you really should read Hynd's Russian series before this series; otherwise don’t bother with the Cuban trilogy. The fact that some Spanish is left untranslated also doesn’t help.

As far as Christian fiction goes, it's somewhat disappointing, with the occasional reference to God or prayer, but for the rest there's nothing really Christian about it, and her faith doesn't even seem to inform the main character's life at all. She even mutters obscenities in times of stress. There's also some surprising sexual tension and references, and while nothing inappropriate happens, the fact that sex is openly mentioned and discussed by the characters makes this inappropriate for younger teens. All round it's borderline to even classify it as "Christian".

Quite mediocre on most levels, and most reviewers seem to agree. The next in the series is rated much higher, so perhaps that will be a big improvement.

[Steven D. Cron · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has visited Cuba eight times, the title of this book caught my attention, and I was very impressed by the author’s knowledge of Cuba, describing many places I am also familiar with and recognized easily. Given the authenticity of these descriptions, I was disappointed that the Spanish contained many errors. The story is captivating and engaging, with unexpected twists and turns. Published by Zondervan, there is supposedly a religious theme underneath, but the few references to God and faith were inserted awkwardly, were not germane to the plot, and were never developed or explored. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it whether or not you’re interested in Cuba as I am.

[Janice Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tension-filled suspense novel featuring Alex LaDuca on her way to Cuba to help an acquaintance retrieve family money hidden in the past. The mission goes bad when corrupt police, cold war figures and assassins join the game. Alex must keep her head when her plans are blown away, and lean on her special agent training and her faith to bring her through. A gripping story with both action and personal issues.

[frank tamburello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Moved along nicely, kept you involved...always guessing...what's next? Good plot and interesting characters. Leaves you wanting to read more from this author.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars enjoyed book. Action packed and clean.

[Emilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun.

Learned a lot about Cuba ... I think. Interesting mix of politics, history, spy-stuff, alphabet soup. Kept me going.

Good characters. Good pacing.
Will continue.

[Kenn Goslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is there in Havana to be worth the risk?

Alex DeLuca is just getting good and settled in her new job in New York City when she receives a shocking surprise!

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another episode for our US Treasury investigator Amber DeLuca

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.

The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.

i would highly recommend this author and this book.

[Derek Dowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall
For whatever quibbles I might have with certain parts of this ebook, the only thing that matters is, yes, I’ll probably buy books two and three of the trilogy when they come out. IF the price is right. Hynd isn’t a spectacular writer but is quite serviceable. In this wild west world of indie publishing, finding someone with a modicum of control over the alphabet is a bonus. But where he really shines is research. I’m a Cuban history junkie who learned a thing or two from Hostage in Havana. Maybe not Clancy level research but good. For those to whom it might make some sort of difference, Hynd’s publisher is Christian, so there were a handful obligatory references to God in the main character’s thoughts. To my jaundiced eye, they seemed like throwaway lines and were, thankfully, few and far between. Take them out and no one would even notice.

Story
Hostage in Havana is your basic story about a woman (Treasury agent Alex LaDuca) spearheading a world-wide dragnet for drug dealers who finds herself in the crosshairs of a skilled assassin. She drops out of sight for a while by posing as the wife of a shady character (Paul Guarneri) on some sort of family mission to Cuba. While helping Paul, she is supposed to extract a couple of Cold War era spies who are offering the CIA intelligence in return for freedom. Since the Agency is chronically low on intelligence, they jump at the chance. So far, so good, until Alex gets busted by Castro’s national police and tossed into a Cuban prison for either a quick death by firing squad or slow death by torture.

Characters
In my humble opinion, Hynd – who has sold 4 million books by the way – has trouble fleshing out his characters. I really really really wanted to feel their agony and ecstasy, ’cause, like I said, I’m a sucker for any story that incorporates Cuba, even obliquely. Alex was a little too prissy to be a hardened government agent who had already been shot in the line of duty once. Not sure what Paul saw in her, though we are told several times she was hot, so I guess that’s enough. Hostage in Havana cost me nothing. The author was having a sale at the time. It’s back up to $9.99 now, which is a ridiculous price for any ebook. It’s going to have to come down for me to buy the next two in the series, which have yet to be written. Get ‘em down under five bucks and we’ll talk.

Writing
Hynd’s writing is better than some and not as good as others. Words flow in a workmanlike style that moves the story along well enough. A pet peeve of mine is the close repetition of words within paragraphs. This book was replete with that and it made me a little crazy, but that’s my neurosis talking. You may not notice it all.

The Bottom Line
Hostage in Havana by Noel Hynd is a decent general thriller. Buy it if you can get it at a good price. It will entertain you while you’re reading it but is not likely to change your life forever. That’s no indictment. Few books rise to that level. If you’re interested in figuring out which Kindle you need to buy to read this book on, read an exhaustive review at HemingwaysKindle.com. Oh yeah. What’s up with that cover, Noel? It needs a caption like this: Giggling Runway Model Flees Castro’s Minions.

[Victor Gentile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noel Hynd in his new book, "Hostage In Havana" Book One in The Cuban Trilogy series published by Zondervan takes us back into the life of Alexandra LaDuca as she is plunged into new espionage involving Cuba.

From the back cover: U.S. Treasury Agent Alexandra LaDuca leaves her Manhattan home on an illegal mission to Cuba that could cost her everything. At stake? Her life ... and the solution to a decades-old mystery, the recovery of a large amount of cash, and the return of an expatriate American fugitive to the United States.

After slipping into the country on a small boat, Alex makes her way to Havana. Accompanying her is the attractive but dangerous Paul Guarneri, a Cuban-born exile who lives in the gray areas of the law. Together, they plunge into intrigue and danger in a climate of political repression and organized crime. Without the support of the United States, Alex must navigate Cuban police, saboteurs, pro-Castro security forces, and a formidable network of those loyal to the American underworld.

Bullets fly as allies become traitors and enemies become unexpected friends. Alex, recovering from the tragic loss of her fiance a year before, reexamines faith and new love while taking readers on a fast-paced adventure.

Buckle up for a wild ride as we travel to an island nation that has been off-limits to Americans since the Cuban Missile Crisis of the Sixties. Alex now has to sneak into Cuba to bring out an American fugitive, help Paul smuggle his family fortune out and defend against a trained assassin who has her targeted. Mr. Hynd is brilliant is defining his characters and the more defined they are the more we like them and the more we like them the more we identify with what they are doing. Once the action gets going Mr. Hynd revs up the thriller quotient considerably which will have you reading and flipping pages as fast as you can. This book is a suspense thriller as both Alex and Paul's lives are in serious danger from the beginning. Don't start this book late at night because it will be very difficult to put it down or stop thinking about it. I recommend this book highly and am greatly looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 100 pages or so moved to slowly for me and with too much background information. The characters were not fully developed so I never felt invested in caring about the main character Alex. I never realy knew how felt or what her personality really was. The character I felt most drawn too was Thea and she only appeared briefly. Something about how she was portrayed made me like her and I might be interested in knowing more about her life in Cuba.

This is the second book that I have read recently that takes place at least in part in Cuba. I did enjoy reading about what life is like in Cuba. It made me look up more information on Cuba. I liked the references to Hemmingway since I have also recently read The Paris Wife. The references to God and Alex's questions wondering what God was telling her to do seemed a bit out of place since she did not seem to be religious person. I like Christian fiction but I would not put this book in that category since that part of the book was not well developed. The writing style was fine. I probably won't look for the other 2 books in this series since nothing in this book draws me to care about what happens to Alex next. I was glad that the ending didn't leave me hanging.

I did look for the other books in this series in the library and my libray doesn't have them. I would read them if my library gets them or I see them for a good price. I did like the writing style and I like learning about other places and things when I read fiction.

[Tammy G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noel Hynd brings another great read in Hostage In Havana the first book in the Cuban Trilogy!
Fiesty U.S. Treasury agent, Alexander LaDuca (Alex for short) has found out that "The Dosi family is planning a counterattack....They've been hired to kill you." (p. 72) In the next few pages the action, the adventure and the romance are all spell bounding!
Alex has two missions that she must accomplish: First, she must meet up
with Roland Violette, an exiled agent, who has traded names of undercover spies around the world for money, and bring him back to the United States. Secondly, she'll pose as Paul Guarneri's wife so that he can relocate hundreds of thousands of dollars that were hidden somewhere in Cuba by his father before the family escaped "The Regime."
Then there's that assassin who uses the "a new bullet that was a head of the glass technology used by Mercedes Benz . . . Quite an efficient bit of shooting from a about four hundred meters at a fast-movingcar." (p. 73)
This read is a wonderful mix of smooth talking agents and rough cohorts that creates quite a spicy adventure!
If you've read the Russian Trilogy then you'll be familiar with Alex and the people she met that helped her with her spiritual journey. If you haven't read the Russian Trilogy you won't be lost when you read this book.
This is one of those GREAT suspense novels that is a must read for summer!
*This book was provided for review by Zondervan*

[Teri Pre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I had a few problems with the premise of this book. In the first place, it's not all that difficult for an American to get into Cuba. People do it all the time!! Ok, it's not exactly illegal...actually, it IS legal to go there but illegal to spend money there!!

But that doesn't prevent a lot of Americans from getting a flight from Mexico to visit Cuba!! And since Alex was going there with a Mexican passport and Paul was going with a Canadian one, why the heck did they have to get smuggled in???

Anyway, getting past that, it wasn't a bad story, except I felt that the author sometimes forgot his time frame. He had "The Violet" saying things like "You don't get a do-over". It seems to me that "do-over" is a fairly recent slang expression...probably unknown to an American cut off from American culture for 20+ years!

I wish I could have given 2 1/2 stars. It wasn't really as bad as a "2" but not quite as good as a "3".

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent suspense thriller, nothing particularly exciting, but passable entertainment. Definitely a step up from other suspense wannabes, which turn you off and sound fake from the first page.

Hostage in Havana opens well and lets you cozy up with the characters enough to make you want to follow them.

I'm not comfortable with the type used: it's not standard, and sticks out as I was reading. It feels too casual and amateurish, like it was for a fun teen book.

The cover is odd, too. There is a girl running away from some evil forces in an ominous car along a dark street, but she appears to be smiling.

I'd recommend this book for a quick weekend read, but fans of John Grisham and other fast-paced thrillers will find this less of a page-turner.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great. An interesting blend of action/adventure/espionage thriller meets relationship drama with a Christian character or two, including our protagonist Alex(andra). She isn't as compelling an individual as I would prefer; I found it difficult to care much about her personal/professional angst.
It reminded me of crossover music, in the sense that it's not really good enough as one or the other to stand in either camp, thriller or "christian" novel, and thus winds up existing in a largely mediocre subgenre. Sad; I appreciate the intent, because our world needs Godly people in the CIA (among other places), but the concept has been executed better (eg. Steven James).

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

What appealed to me about this thriller was the pacing, the story, and the possible historical ramifications (i.e., conspiracy theory about Kennedy assassination and the Cuban connection), which are always interesting to speculate on. However, the characters were wooden and not really interesting, and the literary quality of the writing was sorely lacking. Finally, repetitive typos (burley for burly, gate for gait, and another one I can't quite remember) were annoying and further lowered my estimation of this book. But the story is suspenseful and keeps the reader hooked.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the Russian trilogy, but I will definitely read the next two. Alex has enough faith to label the books "Christian", but just barely. Her faith was more developed in the previous trilogy. Hope to see more evidence in the next book.
I enjoy the books because they are fast-paced, while still providing historical background to current world events. Alex is very intelligent, and very moral. I could do with less references to her body, or characters telling her she's hot, but I guess those are the sort of men she is dealing with.
The writing is good, not classic literature or anything, but keeps the story moving. Lots of plot twists along the way.

[Terry Cornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of Noel Hynd's new trilogy starring Alex LaDuca. An entertaining spy thriller set mostly in modern day Cuba. His previous series with this character followed her through Kiev, Egypt, and Spain. His writing is very descriptive of her locale, almost as you're traveling along with her and seeing the sights. As with her other exploits, Alex relies on her christian faith to strengthen her through her ordeals. The only reason I gave this book three stars versus four, is that I felt towards the end of the book the plot was a little too predictable.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adventurous read that I really enjoyed! Occasionally the writing was a bit awkward or the character's feelings told to the reader instead of shown, but a fun read nonetheless.

I'd recommend it to mature readers, though. Alex poses as a man's wife to sneak into Cuba and, consequently, they sleep in the same room. They don't do anything, but some of there conversation is mature.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I got about 40% into this book I decided I didn't care whether she ever got out of Cuba, and she hadn't even left yet. There was nothing there that made me want to care about the main character, Alex. I decided to quit reading it, but a week or so later I pushed on & finished. I'm glad I did, only because I hate to be a quitter, but I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.

[Tiffani · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is probably my least favorite book that I've read in a long time. The book has a bunch of CSI lingo that made the book more of a law textbook than a fun read. Then the characters weren's very well developed and so on and so forth. Those are my main two complaints of this book, but the list would continue.

[Gary Castaldo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally not the type of book I would read. I got it from a friend and I really liked it. Part of me is now thinking about going back to read the earlier stores of the main character and finish this one.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good attention grabber that kept me engrossed to the end. There was plenty of action /adventure/thriller with some Cuban history mixed in which I found interesting. I did not feel a great connection with the characters though. It is mostly clean with some adult topics discussed.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one left me cold. The main character was probably developed in an earlier series but not enough here to care. Reading about Cuban-American relations was interesting but there was way too much set up for such a basic plot. Will not read the rest of the trilogy.

[Jennifer G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice spy/action book about a federal agent that ends up doing a job in Cuba. Nothing is quite what it seems.

The lack of knowledge that the main character had regarding her posting was a bit frustrating, but other than that, it was a good/ok summer read.