Cuban Mystery Authors

[Sabersfriend]

Hello Again,

It is just amazing what can be learned from this forum when pursuing knowledge about Cuban cigars. I am also a big mystery reader and have enjoyed many a night with a great cigar and a good book. But I never considered the mystery writers of Cuba until I read Ken Garget (Queensland) post about a novel he enjoyed called Adios, Hemingway by Leonardo Fuentes. I looked it up and also purchased Havana Red, Havana Black and Havana Blue by Leonardo Padura. According to the reviews these Cuban writers make Havana history part of their story and include local customs developing the flavor of old Cuba in their story line. These books should provide yet another way to enjoy a wonderful Cuban cigar. Thanks for all the information and entertainment.

Another Cuban Cigar Fan,

Sabersfriend

[Ken Gargett]

i'd love you to drop a note and let me know what you think. i have enjoyed the padura series as well. quite a lot of my books are still in boxes from the move so some might slip the mind but a few others to have a go at include 'havana bay' by martin cruz smith who wrote gorky park. this is not bad. same detective goes to havana to investigate a russian's murder.

i was a bit less excited by 'north of havana' by randy wayne white - american writer.

just starting 'comrades in miami' by jose latour (expat cuban in the states or canada, i believe). looks promising but didn't get excited by his other, 'havana world series'. that about a major bank robbery in havana during the mafia's time. fair.

'tango for a torturer' by daniel chavarria was lots of fun. he is urayguyan but obviously spent a lot of time in cuba. good fun mystery.

'the crook factory' by dan simmons is worthwhile - blend of fact and fiction about hemingway chasing the germans from havana in WWII. enjoyed this.

not cuban but from that part of the world, mario vargas llosa's 'the feast of the goat', a novel about the collapse of dictator trujillo's reign, is utterly fabulous. a really great novel.

not a novel but a wonderful read for anyone interested in life in cuba, richard neill's 'looking for la bomba'. a wine writer (a very good one) who gave it up to go and live in cuba and learn a musical instrument from scratch, the double bass. very funny and a delight.

[Colt45]

On KG's recommendation, I read Looking For La Bomba, and found it a great read.

I've read a few of White's Doc Ford series, including North of Havana. I consider these

to be more adventure than outright mystery - kind of Indiana Jones meets Jimmy Buffett.

Though they have nothing to do with Cuba, I think my favorite mysterys are Rex Stout's

Nero Wolfe series.

[Professor Twain]

These sound great, I will look them up.

I would also recommend The Cigar Roller by Pablos Medina. It is a novel based on recollections of an elderly Tampa man of his early life in Cuba and later life in Tampa.

[Quint]

Hmmm reading Cuban mystery while smoking a Cuban cigar...It just sounds right :-)

[Mel39]

The Cigar Roller: A Novel by Pablo Medina

Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $4.00

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Feel free to browse my Amazon Store for bargains;-)

Mel39