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Latour, a native Cuban living in Toronto, writes about the island with an unmatched verisimilitude, and this time he combines that realism with an Our Man in Havana wackiness, visible especially in a subplot involving the attempt of a Cuban intelligence director and her husband to defect.

Steil makes a sympathetic everyman hero, and the mix of Cuban atmosphere and black humor spices the dish nicely. What was it like to be a top Cuban intelligence officer during the s? Latour, a Cuban living in Toronto, creates a surprisingly active agenda for Col.

Victoria Valiente, the star of the latest book after 's Havana World Series in his well-received series about life and crime on Castro's island. The physically nondescript Victoria is a genius as well as a natural spymaster, and by the time she finishes impressing the men above her, she's taken charge of the Greater Miami area, recruiting new agents and uncovering double agents working against Cuba. But along with her success comes the knowledge that Castro's regime has become a disaster.

Things take an ugly turn when a Cuban working for the FBI finds out what's going on, but Latour's fascinating book remains a thing of beauty. Agent, Tracy Howell at the Gernert Co.

Comrades in Miami

Victoria Valiente of the Cuban General Directorate of Intelligence and her husband, Manuel Pardo, a computer expert in the Ministry of the Interior, appear to have everything-a good marriage, a hot sex life, elite governmental positions with all the attendant benefits, and the favor of the commander in chief. In Miami, Cuban expatriate Elliot Steil is in a more precarious state.

Prior to boarding a flight for Havana, he is approached by the FBI and forced to become an informant. By clicking on "Submit" you agree that you have read and agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Do you work in the book industry? Which of the following best describes you?

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Publicist or Marketing Professional. Other Book Industry Professional. Please provide an email address. Media reporter, reviewer, producer, guest booker, blogger. As one who worked and traveled in Cuba, I can attest that the setting and emotions are genuine. He also possesses the master storyteller's talent for unraveling his story as an expert stripteaser does her clothes.

Welcoming British Comrades at the National Convention

Each new peek completes a part of the picture and keeps the reader turning the pages wondering, What next? Given his recent departure from his homeland, Latour's nuanced command of the English language is impressive, though not as impressive as a Joseph Conrad. There are occasional cognates directly translated from the Spanish e.

Better copyediting should have caught these.

Another peculiar element in Latour's writing is the virtual absence of any Spanish. Hence, Fidel's monicker as "El Jefe" is always rendered as "the Chief. Most of his espionage elements do not ring of artifice, but rather, again, of authenticity. In actual fact, Steil would be considered an American citizen by the U. A small research-related point. Finally, while "Comrades in Miami" received some good reviews, it strikes this reader that the book could have benefited from a more vigorous publicity campaign by the publisher.

MORE BY JOSÉ LATOUR

Initial reviews of Latour's latest novel seem to show a better effort in this area. I look forward to reading more from this very talented expatriate writer. Aug 25, Lauren Donoho rated it liked it Shelves: While I think the author's frequent, lengthy political asides are kind of unnecessary, Comrades in Miami was thoroughly enjoyable for precisely what it is - a spy thriller.

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The main characters are all interesting and their actions are believable motivated. The twist at the end - well, the multiple twists, the last third of the book is basically a series of "gotcha! I'm usually pretty hard to surprise, but I didn't expect the places the plot went.

Questions?

Jul 27, Richard Janzen rated it liked it. Interesting mainly because Cuba-related.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Booklist Review When we last encountered Cuban exile Elliot Steil, in Latour's Outcast , he had recently arrived in Miami, rescued in the Florida straits by a family of rafters, and was determined to track down the man who had thrown him overboard. Would Elliot be kind enough to arrange its return? No trivia or quizzes yet. Into their web fall a cast of business people, Mossad agents, a fashion model and the FBI. The main characters are all interesting and their actions are believable motivated. Comrades in Miami 3. Julie rated it liked it Oct 03,

Jul 08, Jim Cullison rated it did not like it. Pretty boring except for the periodic jabs at the dysfunction and decay of Castro's Cuba. Aug 24, Bill Thibadeau rated it really liked it. A good albeit choppy read.

Only ninety miles of open water separate Florida from Cuba. But after more than forty-five years of Communist rule, the two tropical paradises couldn't be more. Comrades in Miami. A Novel. by Jose Latour. From an acclaimed crime writer, a riveting espionage novel that takes us inside the battle of wits between Cuba.

The storyline is interesting if you desire to understand the cuban psyche'.