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The Clairvoyant of Calle Ocho
Two divorces have taught Mariela Estevez that she's better suited to being a mistress than a wife. Whose heart needs all that forever after trouble? Still, her affair with her married lover, Hector, has become problematic especially because he's also a tenant in her apartment building in the heart of Miami's Calle Ocho in Little Havana. But when Hector is found dead just steps from Mariela s back door, on the eve of her fortieth birthday, she s forced to examine her life and come up with a plan to save it, fast.
Complicating matters, Hector's passing sparks the unexpected return of a gift Mariela rejected years ago and thought she'd never have to face again: clairvoyance. Suddenly, Mariela's visions come swiftly and unbidden, as do revelations about her other tenants. Lost loves, hidden yearnings, old jealousies all reside on Calle Ocho. Most of all, Mariela's second sight awakens her not just to the truth about Hector's death and the secrets in others lives but to the possibilities blooming within her own.
With warmth, wit, and insight, award-winning author Anjanette Delgado explores one woman's flawed but heartfelt attempt to live and love well, transporting listeners to the center of contemporary Little Havana and a community of uniquely human, unforgettable characters."
Complicating matters, Hector's passing sparks the unexpected return of a gift Mariela rejected years ago and thought she'd never have to face again: clairvoyance. Suddenly, Mariela's visions come swiftly and unbidden, as do revelations about her other tenants. Lost loves, hidden yearnings, old jealousies all reside on Calle Ocho. Most of all, Mariela's second sight awakens her not just to the truth about Hector's death and the secrets in others lives but to the possibilities blooming within her own.
With warmth, wit, and insight, award-winning author Anjanette Delgado explores one woman's flawed but heartfelt attempt to live and love well, transporting listeners to the center of contemporary Little Havana and a community of uniquely human, unforgettable characters."
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2010
About the author
Anjanette Delgado
17 books34 followersAnjanette Delgado began her career as a journalist, working for outlets such as NBC, CNN, Univisión and Telemundo, covering presidential coups, elections, Olympics, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, both Iraq wars, which she executive produced, and winning an Emmy in 1994 for her human-interest series “Madres en la lejanía,” about the plight of Latino mothers who leave their own children behind and come to the United States to work as undocumented nannies.
She has written for NPR, Vogue, and Urban Latino, among other outlets. In 2002, she wrote and developed the sitcom “Great in Bed” for HBO Latam. Her first novel is The Heartbreak Pill (the Latino International Book Award's first prize pick for Best Romance in English, a Triple Crown Winner for Best Romance in Spanish the following year, and first prize for Best Romance in Latino Literacy's "Books into Movies" competition in 2010). She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University, regularly teaches writing for the Florida Literary Arts Center, and lives in Miami with her husband, and her Mini-Daschund, Chloe. her favorite quote is Winston Churchill's "If you're going through hell, keep going."
She has written for NPR, Vogue, and Urban Latino, among other outlets. In 2002, she wrote and developed the sitcom “Great in Bed” for HBO Latam. Her first novel is The Heartbreak Pill (the Latino International Book Award's first prize pick for Best Romance in English, a Triple Crown Winner for Best Romance in Spanish the following year, and first prize for Best Romance in Latino Literacy's "Books into Movies" competition in 2010). She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University, regularly teaches writing for the Florida Literary Arts Center, and lives in Miami with her husband, and her Mini-Daschund, Chloe. her favorite quote is Winston Churchill's "If you're going through hell, keep going."
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 2, 2025
a story that if you recognize any example of plot-themes as something of your own in some kind of way may take you a little longer to finish...because you have to get through your own shit first. LOL.
once you do..... it's got potential of engaging your attention to find out how this story is going to unfold...because as anyone involved with any kind of relationship will recognize the different possible ways any story like this COULD Unfold.....
love the way the author uses both spanish and english together by translating what the spanish terms means..... it was a great way to show the cuban way of living and thinking as well as the other latin american countries..... nice balance of writing...... I don't speak spanish yet reading a book like this was a good experience and well received.
I liked the story line but will admit...wasn't quite sure how she was going to write the ending..... after reading it, could see THAT happening..... lol.
I'd be curious to see what else this author has written..... what caught my attention in the first place of picking up this book was the title. It inspired my imagination.
once you do..... it's got potential of engaging your attention to find out how this story is going to unfold...because as anyone involved with any kind of relationship will recognize the different possible ways any story like this COULD Unfold.....
love the way the author uses both spanish and english together by translating what the spanish terms means..... it was a great way to show the cuban way of living and thinking as well as the other latin american countries..... nice balance of writing...... I don't speak spanish yet reading a book like this was a good experience and well received.
I liked the story line but will admit...wasn't quite sure how she was going to write the ending..... after reading it, could see THAT happening..... lol.
I'd be curious to see what else this author has written..... what caught my attention in the first place of picking up this book was the title. It inspired my imagination.
January 23, 2024
This was a used bookstore find. I thought it might help me improve my Spanish. It did so much more. I found the characters to be very real and believable. The information about clairvoyants was interesting. Mariela was not a perfect woman by any means, but she did have a good heart. I found it different for a murder to be solved with a combination of asking questions and the use of clairvoyance. There was a certain amount of profanity and sex, but that didn't seem to bother me, since it was integral to the plot and understanding the characters. My favorite secondary characters were Jorge, very loyal, and the boy Henry. He was a sweetheart. The ending was a mild surprise but I liked it. Very well done book.
October 21, 2018
Paper book review.
This one took me a LONG time to read, and I don't even have a very good excuse. Possibly just because it's a paper book? The story did have a few slow spots between our main character, Mariela explaining the setting, the cultural atmosphere, the relationships between neighbors and friends, and how her affair with the married man downstairs messed everything up. Now her lover, Hector, is dead, and soon everyone knows about the affair, including the police. Mariela is trying to find out what really happened by using her psychic ability to speak with Hector, an ability she's ignored and suppressed for many years. Along the way, we root for a star-crossed relationship between Mariela and the one that got away, Jorge. Their interactions are so well-written, and the world-building for this book is really great. It has the feel of a cozy mystery, but the slower bits of the story made me lose interest and continually read something else. Great ending, if a bit convenient!
This one took me a LONG time to read, and I don't even have a very good excuse. Possibly just because it's a paper book? The story did have a few slow spots between our main character, Mariela explaining the setting, the cultural atmosphere, the relationships between neighbors and friends, and how her affair with the married man downstairs messed everything up. Now her lover, Hector, is dead, and soon everyone knows about the affair, including the police. Mariela is trying to find out what really happened by using her psychic ability to speak with Hector, an ability she's ignored and suppressed for many years. Along the way, we root for a star-crossed relationship between Mariela and the one that got away, Jorge. Their interactions are so well-written, and the world-building for this book is really great. It has the feel of a cozy mystery, but the slower bits of the story made me lose interest and continually read something else. Great ending, if a bit convenient!
January 4, 2024
This book is charming, playful, and delightfully deep, delving into topics concerning what it means to go home, the collateral damage of our relationships, and the importance of community. Delgado's writing brings Coffee Park to life, painting a vivid picture even for those who've never visited Miami. Her characters are authentic in their actions, deeds and misdeeds, desires and motivations, and the mystery tilt to the story propels the plot along at a great pace.
October 5, 2020
Pros: Cute characters, and now I have a real urge to go to Little Havana in Miami
Cons: Pacing is extremely slow, I feel like it could have been half the length (and it wasn't very long!)
Overall, fine for some light reading.
Cons: Pacing is extremely slow, I feel like it could have been half the length (and it wasn't very long!)
Overall, fine for some light reading.
March 17, 2023
I really wanted to like this book but it fell short. The main character’s thoughts jumped around and there were multiple times when she contradicted herself in what type of relationship she wanted.
I did enjoy the vivid scenes of Miami so would probably read another book by this author.
I did enjoy the vivid scenes of Miami so would probably read another book by this author.
March 23, 2020
I found it to be a cute fun read.
May 27, 2020
Un gran libro con una trama buenísima y un desenlace en mi parecer un poco tedioso pero un gran libro
February 15, 2022
Easy read.
July 12, 2014
After divorcing two cheating husbands, Mariela decides marriage is not for her and, ironically, feels it’s better to be the other woman. Thinking it would be less complicated, she vows to only have affairs with married men; however, she soon discovers that this has it’s own set of problems – not the least of which is that her current lover, Hector, is now dead and she is a prime suspect.
Soon after Hector’s death, Mariela begins to have clairvoyant visions. It had been years since she had been able to ‘see’ things, a gift she inherited from her mother. Now she is having visions of others tenant’s secrets – bits and pieces that could help her put together the events of Hector’s death and clear her name.
Even though Mariela has made some bad choices in her life, she is a likable character who learns and grows from her experiences. Filled with clever, witty dialog, a cast of colorful characters, and set in the vibrant Cuban culture in Little Havana, this was a charming and delightful read. A little bit chic-lit, a puzzling mystery, some mysticism and a lot of fun – I quickly flew through the story not wanting it to end.
Audio production:
The narration, performed by Roxanne Hernandez, was a pleasure to listen to. She moved at a brisk, but steady, pace making for an engaging listen. Her voices for the characters were fun and full of life and, while there were more than a few characters to remember, her distinctive voices made them stand out. The dialog had Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout and it was nice to hear, rather than read them. I alternated between print and audio, but in the end found it a delightful and easy book to listen to – and one I would recommend to those new to the audio format.
Soon after Hector’s death, Mariela begins to have clairvoyant visions. It had been years since she had been able to ‘see’ things, a gift she inherited from her mother. Now she is having visions of others tenant’s secrets – bits and pieces that could help her put together the events of Hector’s death and clear her name.
Even though Mariela has made some bad choices in her life, she is a likable character who learns and grows from her experiences. Filled with clever, witty dialog, a cast of colorful characters, and set in the vibrant Cuban culture in Little Havana, this was a charming and delightful read. A little bit chic-lit, a puzzling mystery, some mysticism and a lot of fun – I quickly flew through the story not wanting it to end.
Audio production:
The narration, performed by Roxanne Hernandez, was a pleasure to listen to. She moved at a brisk, but steady, pace making for an engaging listen. Her voices for the characters were fun and full of life and, while there were more than a few characters to remember, her distinctive voices made them stand out. The dialog had Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout and it was nice to hear, rather than read them. I alternated between print and audio, but in the end found it a delightful and easy book to listen to – and one I would recommend to those new to the audio format.
January 23, 2015
From the cover: Two divorces have taught Mariela Estevez that she's better suited to being a mistress than a wife. Whose heart needs all that forever after trouble? Still, her affair with her married lover, Hector, has become problematic especially because he's also a tenant in her apartment building in the heart of Miami's Calle Ocho in Little Havana. But when Hector is found dead just steps from Mariela s back door, on the eve of her fortieth birthday, she’s forced to examine her life and come up with a plan to save it, fast.
Complicating matters, Hector's passing sparks the unexpected return of a gift Mariela rejected years ago and thought she'd never have to face again: clairvoyance. Suddenly, Mariela's visions come swiftly and unbidden, as do revelations about her other tenants. Lost loves, hidden yearnings, old jealousies all reside on Calle Ocho. Most of all, Mariela's second sight awakens her not just to the truth about Hector's death and the secrets in others’ lives but to the possibilities blooming within her own.
The characters in this book are charming, somewhat sweet and colorful or as I sometimes write eccentric. The descriptions throughout the book are wonderful. The reader would almost think you can see, hear and smell everything in Little Havana. Loved the dialogue.
Complicating matters, Hector's passing sparks the unexpected return of a gift Mariela rejected years ago and thought she'd never have to face again: clairvoyance. Suddenly, Mariela's visions come swiftly and unbidden, as do revelations about her other tenants. Lost loves, hidden yearnings, old jealousies all reside on Calle Ocho. Most of all, Mariela's second sight awakens her not just to the truth about Hector's death and the secrets in others’ lives but to the possibilities blooming within her own.
The characters in this book are charming, somewhat sweet and colorful or as I sometimes write eccentric. The descriptions throughout the book are wonderful. The reader would almost think you can see, hear and smell everything in Little Havana. Loved the dialogue.
November 18, 2014
It's a bit of a mystery with some romance to the story and I'm enjoying the book. The first 3 to 4 chapters were slightly boring but the book got better as the story evolved.
I highlighted this paragraph in the book:
“You think you’ll be ok because in the end your mother will still be your mother. You don’t know that she’ll be changed. Loving you still, of course, but what you find out later is that her love now tastes different from all that time spent training to withstand distance, containing herself in order to live with impotence so strong, the phrase “so near and yet so far” was made for it. You think if you’d known all this you’d be able to live with the results of your choices, never again wondering what would’ve happened if you’d never left.”
I highlighted this paragraph in the book:
“You think you’ll be ok because in the end your mother will still be your mother. You don’t know that she’ll be changed. Loving you still, of course, but what you find out later is that her love now tastes different from all that time spent training to withstand distance, containing herself in order to live with impotence so strong, the phrase “so near and yet so far” was made for it. You think if you’d known all this you’d be able to live with the results of your choices, never again wondering what would’ve happened if you’d never left.”
October 14, 2014
I left yellow post it notes on pages I told myself i just have to share with my Latin friends because of how Anjanette Delgado described laugh out loud cultural mannerisms seen daily here in south Florida. It is not hard to feel for Mariella as she herself tells you of her shameful behavior and her reasoning for it. Even so, people do get hurt and she struggles as she finds her life spun away from her control. This is refreshing, different, and fun to read. I just love this story, and may even join my friends in their afternoon cafe cubano. Get this book!
November 10, 2014
The Clairvoyant of Calle Ocho by Anjanette Delgado has a mystery, some intriguing descriptions, and an interesting look at the sanctity of marriage. The glimpse into Little Havana and its culture is enlightening, but there is lot going on in this book. Mariela with her Cuban heritage, failed marriages, married lovers, tenants, and clairvoyant visions is one busy lady especially after her current lover dies under suspicious circumstances!
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014...
Reviewed for GoodReads First Reads program
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014...
Reviewed for GoodReads First Reads program
October 2, 2014
This is an interesting novel, sort of a combination of a romance and a mystery in the normal novel format. We see the ultimate transformation of a woman from what she thinks she is into what she truly needs to be. Life has not been kind to Mariela, and that unkindness has caused her to make some bad decisions about how she will go forward. More unkindness makes her reevaluate those decisions, and helps her get back on her correct lifepath.
January 3, 2015
It was a cute book. I really enjoyed the author's description of the physical surroundings. I really felt like I was in Coffee Park and Little Havana. I also enjoyed the main characters, but felt the story bounced around a little bit, but perhaps this added to keeping the story light. Overall it was a good book, not something that I would usually read, but this month's pick for my book club. I'm glad I read it.
October 21, 2016
Very entertaining murder mystery that enlightened me on a Miami neighborhood and the Cuban/American culture. I found it in the locally famous bookstore named in the book and bought it on a whim - so glad I did!
October 6, 2014
Definitely 3 1/2 stars for this one. I judged a book by its cover when I picked it up, but I'm certainly glad I did read it! Didn't think I'd like it at first but was quite surprised.
October 15, 2014
didn't like it. silly and not interesting.
January 31, 2015
Slow start, the main character has some appeal but story soon falls apart.
February 15, 2015
Couldn't get through it. Very silly and boring!
June 4, 2015
Lots of self-reflective rambling and somewhat lacking on story. The performance by Roxanne Hernandez was well done, though.
June 4, 2015
Yo esperaba mas de este libro, no me gusto.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews