Fidel's Last Days

by Roland Merullo

Roland Merullo has consistently wowed critics with his brilliant storytelling and his refusal to be pigeonholed, hopscotching from the coming-of-age tale (In Revere, In Those Days) to the novel-as-fable (Golfing with God) to the road trip genre (Breakfast with Buddha). Now Merullo delivers a dazzling and finely nuanced political thriller about a clandestine plot to assassinate Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Former CIA agent Carolina Perez has spent five years working deep undercover with a singular goal: to take down Castro and free Cuba from his troubled presence. Recruited by a powerful shadow organization known as the White Orchid, steely and sexy Carolina has passed test after test to prove herself ready for the ultimate assignment. Convinced of the rightness of her cause, she will do anything to complete her mission. That includes duping her uncle Roberto Anzar, a wealthy and influential player in Miami’s Cuban American community. But when suspicious details raise questions about her mysterious employer, not even Carolina is prepared for the elaborate web of deceit that surrounds her.

Across the Straits of Florida, Carlos Gutierrez has been lured into playing a pivotal role in the plot to overthrow el Comandante. The minister of health and a member of Castro’s inner circle, Carlos has grown disenchanted with a political system that pays lip service to the Revolution’s egalitarian ideals while ruling the country with ruthlessness, corruption, and lies. As his involvement deepens at great risk to himself and those he loves, the doctor who has dedicated his career to saving lives must decide how much blood he is willing to have on his own hands in the name of freedom.

For both Carlos and Carolina, the threat of betrayal looms large. Who can be trusted in a byzantine network of spies, double agents, and informants? Is the plot real or is it an elaborate ruse to expose the underground dissidents in Cuba? From the sizzling opulence of Miami to the paranoid dreamscape of Havana, Fidel’s Last Days is a dizzying ride by a novelist whose genre-crossing talents know no bounds.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Novels, Mystery

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

ROLAND MERULLO is an awarding-winning author of 24 books including 17 works of fiction: Breakfast with Buddha, a nominee for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, now in its 20th printing; The Talk-Funny Girl, a 2012 ALEX Award Winner and named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Library Association and the Massachusetts Center for the Book; Vatican Waltz named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly; Lunch with Buddha selected as one of the Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews; Revere Beach Boulevard named one of the "Top 100 Essential Books of New England" by the Boston Globe; A Little Love Story chosen as one of "Ten Wonderful Romance Novels" by Good Housekeeping, Revere Beach Elegy winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction, and Once Night Falls, selected as a "First Read" by Amazon Editors.

A former writer in residence at North Shore Community College and Miami Dade Colleges, and professor of Creative Writing at Bennington, Amherst and Lesley Colleges, Merullo has been a guest speaker at many literary events and venues and a faculty member at MFA programs and several writers’ conferences. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Merullo's books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Chinese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Czech.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having loved Breakfast with Buddha, I was interested to see that Roland Merullo was venturing into new territory with this thriller. This would have been a 4-star read for me except for the ending, which I found unsatisfying. Of course, in the last review I wrote (of In the Woods), I got on my high horse about how we can't always have everything revealed for us . . . but in this case the lack of revelation of some key points was problematic for me. Still, it was a suspenseful read, well written. (Postscript: I see that the ending has been hailed by some other reviewers. As usual, reading their opinions has caused me to think the issue through again. I can see how the author's choice could be justified. I just have a hard time being denied access to all the information once I've become so deeply involved!)

[Mary Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great political spy thriller about a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro. The story is a good, fun read, if you can get past the graphic violence of Castro's evil henchman, Felix Olochon, "the Dentist". There are some marvelous plot twists and lots of tension.

The characters in Castro's regime seemed very real to me, and I was surprised to find out that most were fictional. Fidel and Raul Castro are the only real-life characters in the book, and they are not central characters.

The political background is very well drawn. The Cuban community in Miami, the belief among some that the US government has been involved in several attempts to take down Castro, the suffering of the Cuban people before and after the Revolution, and even the Elian Gonzalez controversy, are background to the story, helping the reader understand the motives of the plotters.

Written in 2008 and set at about the same time (I think), one character correctly predicts that though Castro is old, he could live a lot longer if he's not murdered.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a very fast read, so i finished it in record time (well, for me that is!)...very complex, convuluted plot that kept you guessing about who was double-crossing whom...i wasn't overly surprised by the use of twists & turns though -- it felt a little formulaic in terms of a typical spy novel...not bad but i guess i was expecting to be "wowed" more than i was...

[Elevate Difference · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fidel’s Last Days is a novel about a fictional conspiracy to kill Fidel Castro by applying a poisonous topical cream to his hairline. Supposedly the CIA has attempted to assassinate Castro 638 times, but Roland Merullo leads you to believe that maybe this time, with the cream, the secret society, and the beautiful woman, it will work. It has to.

The story moves effortlessly between Carolina Anzar Perez in Miami and Carlos Arroyo Gutierrez in Havana. Carolina is our likeable protagonist. She is powerful, wealthy, independent, and a trained agent of deceit: “At five foot five and 121 pounds, she could incapacitate a man twice her weight with one kick.” But hold onto your envy, because with that independence comes a concomitant void. Beyond her powerful uncle she has no family, no kids, and no peaceful daily existence. But we can tell Caroline won’t give up her espionage for the life of a “domestic would-be saint.” She’ll never back down, she’ll never fail--she is far too good at succeeding.

Carlos is Cuba’s Minister of Health, and in his opinion the country is sick, its strength ready to give way. He is our portal to Castro’s inner circle, where we see that fear, like a vicious school schoolgirl rumor, has infected contemporary Cuba. The torture, the corruption, the death—it’s real. People tell themselves it’s not so they can walk alone after dark to get milk for tomorrow, but Merullo reminds us that it’s real, and that a land governed by fear is a playground for evil.

When given the chance, Carlos risks his life and his loved ones to fight for his ideals. But he is untrained, paranoid, and disillusioned. So we turn the pages, wondering if he can survive under the weight of his task. Meanwhile, Carolina finds herself in the midst of her own inner turmoil, “being tugged gently back again, not all the way back, but closer, into her Cubanness, one high-heeled foot feeling around tentatively in the old world.” Eventually we don’t know who to trust, or just how much is at stake.

Fidel’s Last Days is clever and sneaky, with provocative characters and a transparent look at Cuba’s messy political calculus. Besides that it is thoroughly entertaining and at times even educational.

Review by Kathy Pine

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book for the ride to and from work. I read it because we are alums of the same university and I thought, I'm fascinated by Cuba and Miami's Cubans, what the heck.

Liked the peek into CIA/NSA/secret societies and their methods, but the ending was unsatisfying. Still, I'm going read Merullo's latest because I'm looking forward to vicariously living through a summer on Lake Como

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really interesting and engaging novel. I feel like I learned alot about Cuba, though the book is fictional. I also loved the sense that I got, "yeah this could happen". It was really different than his past books though. So don't expect it to resemble "Breakfast with Buddha".

[Mike Radice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get through it because of the violence. I love his books, and that's no reflection on his writing, but I was surprised because I didn't think he was that kind of an author.

I'm still loyal to his writing, however, and am looking forward to his upcoming book.

[Taraneh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't normally read books of this genre and for what it was...it was pretty good. Page turning.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting review of Cuban-American sensibilities as well as an insight into Cuba.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A former CIA agent is chosen by a secret organization to assist in killing Fidel.

[Byron Wright]

Good light summer read. Fast paced and seemed much less corny than many thrillers. Unlike a previous reviewer, I liked the end.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to find such a low average rating. It seems several people who have read Merullo’s other books were hoping for more of the same. But Merullo is a talented author who doesn’t just rehash the same successful story formula as some authors do. He has range and this one doesn’t fit the same old mold as his other works. Don’t ding him for your lack of range.

I loved his historical fiction about Italy and WWII and I loved this one too. It made me curious to read more about Cuba and Fidel Castro. I think writing fiction around actual people or events presents some challenges. Don’t make the reader believe stuff happened that never really did. Don’t screw up their understanding of actual history by weaving tales too far from the truth. I think Merullo met this challenge very well. It’s clear that the scheme to assassinate Fidel is fictional. But it’s so well conceived and written that I was on the edge of my seat powering through to find out what happened, or didn’t happen, next! I was so disappointed when it ended. Not with the ending itself, just with the fact that it did end. I was really enjoying the intrigue and the wild ride.

[Michael Belcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came into this with decent expectations given the author and for a good portion of this book, they were met. Plenty of intrigue and suspense throughout wondering if things will go to plan or work in spite of any issues. And then there’s the ending with constant twists and turns only for it end on a sentence that leave so much in the air at things worked out okay in the end of if they ultimately failed. It just felt like I was a little bit cheated at the end for listening through this whole book after a decently engaging time. 3 stars

[Flowergarden24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this straight through because it was very exciting and not unnecessarily drawn out. The constant twists were unexpected and the characters were believable. These plots must occur all the time all over the world and the layers of secrecy and mystery are surely similar to the ones in this book.

[Bill Ibelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining thriller in the genre of John LeCarre but easier to read. Engaging characters and satisfying plot. Out of Merullo's usual genre, but he does a nice job. What would have seemed like a distant third-world challenge when he wrote it (the risk of trying to get rid of a narcissistic, oppressive, and tyrannical leader) seems unnervingly close to home these days.

[Monika Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Merullo. This one is a suspenseful story which he also does well. Fun, fast read with a great open ending, leaving the reader to finish what could have happened. Personally a favorite, I don't need the author to necessarily spell out the story.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very clever book with many twists and turns. Outdated since the death of Fidel, but very interesting to read. If you have visited Cuba or plan to visit, this might be a good addition to your pre-trip reading list. The main character a resourceful and ambitious woman is fun to read about.

[Clayton Yuen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nah, sorry, not my style .... dont really care about Cuba!

[John Machata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Substantial work. Enjoyable.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific, fast paced tale of intrigue and betrayal. Could it be true?? I’d like to think so. Merullo has outdone himself with this one. Perfect right up to the very last line! 🇨🇺 oh, Coo-bah!

[katykins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fidel’s Last Days is a novel about a fictional conspiracy to kill Fidel Castro by applying a poisonous topical cream to his hairline. Supposedly the CIA has attempted to assassinate Castro 638 times, but Roland Merullo leads you to believe that maybe this time, with the cream, the secret society, and the beautiful woman, it will work. It has to.

The story moves effortlessly between Carolina Anzar Perez in Miami and Carlos Arroyo Gutierrez in Havana. Carolina is our likeable protagonist. She is powerful, wealthy, independent, and a trained agent of deceit: “At five foot five and 121 pounds, she could incapacitate a man twice her weight with one kick.” But hold onto your envy, because with that independence comes a concomitant void. Beyond her powerful uncle she has no family, no kids, and no peaceful daily existence. But we can tell Caroline won’t give up her espionage for the life of a “domestic would-be saint.” She’ll never back down, she’ll never fail—she is far too good at succeeding.

Carlos is Cuba’s Minister of Health, and in his opinion the country is sick, its strength ready to give way. He is our portal to Castro’s inner circle, where we see that fear, like a vicious school schoolgirl rumor, has infected contemporary Cuba. The torture, the corruption, the death—it’s real. People tell themselves it’s not so they can walk alone after dark to get milk for tomorrow, but Merullo reminds us that it’s real, and that a land governed by fear is a playground for evil.

When given the chance, Carlos risks his life and his loved ones to fight for his ideals. But he is untrained, paranoid, and disillusioned. So we turn the pages, wondering if he can survive under the weight of his task. Meanwhile, Carolina finds herself in the midst of her own inner turmoil, “being tugged gently back again, not all the way back, but closer, into her Cubanness, one high-heeled foot feeling around tentatively in the old world.” Eventually we don’t know who to trust, or just how much is at stake.

Fidel’s Last Days is clever and sneaky, with provocative characters and a transparent look at Cuba’s messy political calculus. Besides that it is thoroughly entertaining and at times even educational.

[Steve Auerweck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale of a modern-era plot to assassinate Fidel Castro is taut and inventive. The focus jumps back and forth among the U.S.-based leaders of the conspiracy, a young woman who left the CIA to work as an agent for them, and sympathizers in Cuba. The portrayals of life in Cuba, with the sense of a glorious revolution that has gone increasingly sour and corrupt over time, are the most effective, being fascinating and believable. The main conspirators could be seen as cliched -- shadowy zillionaires and political powerhouses -- but they managed to work for me. One thing that may turn some readers off is that the story is not wrapped up neatly, but I've decided that was an interesting and valid choice by the author.

My introduction to Merullo was with his latest novel, The Talk-Funny Girl, which is excellent and could hardly be more different. This ambition, tackling a range of genres, is impressive and I look forward to discovering more of his work.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great spy good and fast read for most folks -- I think that to truly understand and get into the spirit of what the storyline brings to life, one needs to have personally been in touch with the "Cuban experience" -- either as an expatriate, family or someone who has been affected by Castro and his actions over the last half centry. Rad with an open mind, it helps you understand the political and social inclications of the Cuban world as they "temporarily" live in the United States --always hoping to go back to the "old" Cuba. Sad.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast, fun read. It's the fictional account of a plan to kill Fidel Castro...part thriller, part conspiracy, part spy novel. Think: Mission Impossible meets old time Soviet spy strategy with double crossing and who's who. It's a story line that works, twists and turns and some good writing that works to keep the book moving along without becoming trivialized or bogged down with too many details. The ending isn't as strong as the rest of the book which is why I'll give it a 3 and not a 4.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Merullo's books (have read 2) and I lived in Miami - Cuba/America for five years so I decided I'd read this one and check it out. I'll let you know more of what I think when I'm done!

So, I'm done and I'd be entertained to ask the author..... does it end this way because..... we still don't know the ending of this regime? ..... Or because Fidel seems to be impervious to attempts on his life? Does this one work? Or not???????

[Paul Manytravels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully suspenseful and an exciting read. There were many twists and turns, even up to the last page.
I had read 4 other books by Merullo which all dealt with spirituality and was amazed at both how different this was from the ones I had read and at how truly well written and enjoyable this one was. Merullo is a pro!

[Richard Levine · Rating 2 out of 5]

So-so thriller about a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, circa 2006-ish(?). About 100 pages in, the plot began to get pretty compelling; and one of the main characters was kind of interesting. Might have given it three stars but I was pretty irritated by a plot twist on the last page of the book.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A plot to assassinate Fidel Castro and reclaim Cuba for the Miami Cuban-Americans...has all the makings of a good mystery, except it's a tired story. The writing didn't do much to spice it up - a page turner with a predictable ending and a cast of expected characters.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting spy story with lots of twists and turns about a plot to kill Fidel Castro. A great summer read.

I'd recommend another book by the author called 'Revere Beach Boulevard' about growing up in Revere, MA.

[Hulananni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of spy/CIA novels but I've been to Cuba and thought it would be interesting. It was but not my favorite genre. I'm going to read one of the author's other books to see if they are more to my liking.