Escape to Havana

A Foreign Affairs Mystery #1

by Nick Wilkshire

For Charlie Hillier, a posting to Cuba could be the perfect place to start his new life — if he survives it.


With his career stalled and the office abuzz about his soon-to-be-ex-wife’s indiscretions, Ottawa bureaucrat Charlie Hillier is desperate for a change. So when the chance at a posting to the Canadian embassy in Havana comes up, he jumps at it, grateful to get as far away as he can from his ex and his dead-end job at Foreign Affairs headquarters.


At first, exotic Havana seems just the place to bury his past and start anew, but he didn’t count on finding a couple of kilos of cocaine under his bedroom floor, the kidnapping of a fellow diplomat, or the unsettling connection he uncovers between the former occupant of his house and a Colombian drug-runner. Before long, Charlie’s only concern is whether he’ll survive his posting at all.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Canada, Murder Mystery, Contemporary

288 pages, ebook

First published November 12, 2016

About the author

Nick Wilkshire is an author and lawyer based in Ottawa, Canada. The Hunt (September 2025) is his seventh novel

Reviews

[Esil · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Escape to Havana was pretty light and not very complex, but it kept me reading because of the setting. Charlie Hillier is a Canadian bureaucrat who chooses to exile himself to work in the Canadian embassy in Havana to run away from personal problems. Once there, he inadvertently stumbles into a messy situation that puts him in danger. And to say more would probably give away too much of the story. There is nothing earth shattering about the plot or denouement, but as a Canadian who has traveled to Cuba a few times, it’s fun to read a book that pits this hapless Canadian against the fairly complex social and political situation in Cuba. Much of this context is depicted with broad strokes, but it still makes for a fun light read. It reminds me a bit of The Beggar's Opera, which I also really enjoyed. I believe this is meant to be the first in a series. I would happily read the next one, and suspect that Wilkshire has the talent to add some subtlety to his plot and characters. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Escape to Havana was such a fun read! I love the main character, Charlie Hillier, and think he makes a great addition to my list of favorite mystery protagonists. Having just recently read another mystery set in Cuba, Ghosts of Havana, I frequently found myself comparing the two mysteries, and Escape to Havana was the clear winner. Nick Wilshire does a wonderful job of portraying the personality and culture of Cuba today – the dilapidated buildings, the wonderful food, the anti-Americanism, the ancient cars, and what it is like to live there as an expat. Canadian himself, Wilshire chose to make Charlie Canadian too which allowed Charlie access to Cuba through the Canadian Embassy, something an American could not have done. I felt this really added to the story because Charlie was actually living and working in Cuba dealing with issues related to the Canadian Embassy.

After finding his wife in a compromising position at an office party in Ottawa, Charlie decides he needs to leave Canada and moves to Cuba for what he envisions will be a cushy job in a small embassy. (I do have to say it is hard to imagine anyone thinking Cuba would be an easy place to work). From the beginning, he realizes that his new life is going to keep him quite busy from helping out a jailed Canadian hotelier to finding drugs in his new home to romancing a co-worker. In addition, he has been tasked with finding a new location for the Canadian embassy. I just loved Charlie – he spends so much time focusing on things other than his job which I found pretty entertaining. He is such a realistic, down-to-earth character and that made for a fun read.

I am really looking forward to the next installment which will take place in Moscow. I can’t wait to see what trouble Charlie finds for himself in Russia! Thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sherwood Smith]

Charlie Hillier is a minor flunkey in Canada’s foreign affairs bureaucracy when a shocker causes him to volunteer for foreign service for the first time in his career, as far away as he can get.

So he ends up in Havana, Cuba. His Spanish is minimal, and he is fairly clueless about how things work in Cuba, but he has a good heart, a good brain, and he is not afraid to work hard.

Just as well, because an accidental discovery in his new and fancy digs (and a hilarious result) plunges (and I use that word advisedly) him into a increasingly menacing mystery. For reasons partly out of embarrassment and partly distrust, he enlists no one from his mission, until he makes a new friend—thereby endangering them both.

Lots of vivid descriptions of life in Havana given in an engaging narrative voice is a real plus, and the dénouement with the bad guy is most satisfying. Only one question was left unresolved, was Ruiz part of the evil gang or not? but otherwise things come to a fine ending, setting us up for Charlie’s further adventures. Which I look forward, very much, to reading.

Copy furnished courtesy of NetGalley

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a light, entertaining, easy read(2 days). Charlie Hillier is a diplomatic staffer in Ottawa, Canada. He has stayed in Ottawa for 20 years, passing up career building foreign posts because his mother in law is ill and he and his wife take care of her. But then fate intervenes. He and his wife are at a party at the Swedish ambassador's residence when the ambassador proudly displays a hidden passage and invites interested guests to follow him where they end up in a bedroom where Charlie's wife is having sex with a man that Charlie privately calls"the Swedish meatball." His wife hires a shark for a divorce lawyer and Charlie gives her everything. He wangles a posting to Havana, Cuba.
He is given a lovely house recently vacated by another diplomat. Unfortunately there are hidden drugs in this house and Charlie runs afoul of a Colombian drug lord. Charlie manages to survive and how he does so makes for a pleasant read.
Divorce quote: "He had just received a courier package from his soon to be ex-wife's lawyer containing their settlement agreement, his feverish first read of which revealed that it was the documentary equivalent of an unanaesthetized castration."
One of the things that Charlie does is ride in a taxi whose doors have been welded shut. There are plot lines that indicate that there are future books in the series and I will look for them.
I rate it 4 out 5 stars . Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ebook.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #1, in A Foreign Affairs Mystery

A posting to Cuba may be the prefect escape for Charlie Hillier after catching is beloved wife in flagrante delicto during a party at the Swedish ambassador’s residence. Embracing a new challenge, this bureaucrat-turned diplomat-turned amateur sleuth will faced the burden to unravel a mystery in a foreign jurisdiction, with unfamiliar laws, bureaucracies and customs. Following Charlie I had a hoot of a time.

Working for the Canadian Embassy in Havana is far from what he thought. He soon finds out his new life has mysterious and uncomfortable moments, he will need to face questionable people with unsettling connection and before long his only concern will be to survive his posting…..

This fun read is very visual and quite entertaining. The plot plugs along at a snail pace and keeps this Caribbean beat throughout, just the perfect tempo for us to realize that poor Charlie is over his head, facing one challenge after the other: from mysterious packages found in his home, to breathtaking women knocking at his door, having to take care of the spoiled Ambassador’s pooch and coming face to face with no so good people, taking care of incarcerated Canadian and other Embassy duties. Of course Havana is hot, food is great and the women are awesome……maybe too much for this diplomat…..

This novel is well-written: simple and to the point narration with clean dialogue tinted with a bit of humour. The main protagonist is slowly developing into a rounded diplomat…hum wonder if that is good or not  but without any doubt Charlie is a captivating sleuth I enjoyed very much. We find some love interest that may or may not come to fruition in the future but it is good to know the next posting for Charlie is around the corner… to Moscow and Tokyo he goes in another life full of adventure……In a few words “Escape to Havana” is a story that slowly pulls you in, keeps you intrigued and flipping pages till the very end. This book is a real page turner.

My first experience reading this author was a good one and may not be the last. I would like to thank Dundurn.com and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

. This is the first book in the enjoyable Foreign Affairs Mystery series. It features a bumbling but engaging Charlie Hillier. There is a vivid sense of place in the description of Havana, an interesting plot, and some laugh out loud hilarity and scenes of danger.


Charlie has been working at a desk job at the Foreign Affairs Bureau in Ottawa. One night he attends a party at the Swedish Embassy and encounters his wife engaging in sex with one of the staff. To add to his humiliation many of his fellow workers have also witnessed the scene. After a nasty divorce where he loses most everything, a posting to tropical Cuba as a diplomat seems like a promising escape.

Havana, with its crumbling architecture, old cars, beautiful women, inviting bars and restaurants and stoic peoples is wonderfully portrayed, along with its bribery and corruption. Charlie has never visited a foreign country before and must contend with different laws, local police and criminals impersonating policemen. His first assignments are helping to obtain a new Canadian Embassy, assisting a Canadian who has been arrested and has lost his passport, and taking care of the Ambassador’s large dog.

Charlie finds a stash of cocaine hidden in his new residence. In a hilarious scene he loses the drugs and so decides not to report his discovery. Unfortunately some very dangerous drug traffickers are after the hidden drugs which they know are in Charlie’s home. Other mishaps occur. While out to dinner with the Embassy staff he becomes very sick with a stomach and intestinal disorder with embarrassing results. There is a frightening break in at his residence. He is proud of rewiring a basement light with the help of an old fix it manual, but he shouldn’t be. He persists in his assigned work and is doing quite well despite anxiety and problems which occur. A gorgeous female diplomat is murdered. Soon Charlie’s life and that of a new female friend is very much in danger. He must take on the role of detective to keep them both from being murdered.

Charlie’s character was well developed. He becomes a very likeable hero under difficult circumstances. The location was marvellously portrayed and the mystery was interesting. Some very ruthless criminals were part of the story. Charlie’s next posting is Moscow. I have already downloaded the book as can’t wait to see what misadventures await him there!!

[Rouleauville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun summer read. Wished for more 'meat' at the ending - e.g. a reappearance of Teddy the dog (with his rubber bone), dialogue post-kidnapping between Charlie and Jillian. And a closure of the innuendos made by Gustavo Ruiz (was the house bugged or not? and what was with the looks/stares that Ruiz was giving Saini at the ambassador's party). So overall easy delightful read - but just a few too many loose threads at the end to make it to the next level.

[Erin L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Escape to Havana from Netgalley in return for a review.

I overcommitted myself to NetGalley reviews in October and November, but this is one of the books I finished and truly enjoyed.

The book involved an interesting mystery with an unusual setting and appealing characters. What more could you possibly want in a light, fun mystery?

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed this book because it refers to many locations with which we are familiar in Havana. They eat in restaurants on the Malecon, where we stayed with Reina, directly across from El Morro. Also enjoyed his descriptions of the intriguing paladares, or private restaurants, where you would have to whisper, "Paco sent me" to the old man standing outside the door. Chances are good that the restaurant might have just been closed down that day by the police.

Charlie Hillier is with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa, although he has been a pencil pusher who has never left the country on assignment. When he catches his wife making out behind the staircase at a formal reception, they divorce (she gets everything) and he accepts a consular position in Havana where he can lick his wounds and start a new life. From the start, his new job and Havana are not at all what he expected, but Charlie adapts splendidly.

Although he is given a hot and smelly storage closet to work in, Charlie is living in a gorgeous old mansion with a pool in a lush garden. One night he discovers a kilo of cocaine hidden under the floorboards of his bedroom, and his life is turned upside down.

One of Charlie's assignments is to find a location for a new Canadian embassy. When a possible site comes up, Charlie sends for the necessary people from Ottawa to swing the deal, amongst them a beautiful lawyer named Jillian Gray. They hook up and she is kidnapped by the Colombian duro who owns the cocaine hidden in Charlie's house.

This book is a comedic adventure story with a very interesting setting. Although there is danger, you get the feeling that all will turn out well. It generally does for our Charlie, although not usually the way he imagined.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to spot this book because as a visitor to Canada, I was checking out local authors - and I'd arrived in Canada after a trip to Cuba. Perfect combination I thought with the adventures of a Canadian diplomat posted to Cuba. But I was disappointed. The descriptions of Havana weren't rich enough; the diplomat wasn't a character I warmed to; and most of the thriller elements weren't believeable.

[Margaret Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read! Sleuth is a likeable everyman, thrust into an uncomfortable new role by events beyond his control

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a humiliating divorce, Charlie Hillier chooses to leave Ottawa for a posting in Havana at the Canadian Embassy. At first, this exotic place provides relief and joy, but Charlie soon becomes involved in drugs, kidnappings and drug cartels. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next one where Charlie is posted to Russia.

[Stephanie Fazio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say 2.5 really. I liked his third book of this series but this first one doesn't have a whole lot going on. Not sure I'll read the second book at this point.

[Jayce Senter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and I really enjoyed it. I kept looking for more in this series but my library only ever had the first 2. I may have to track down the 3rd.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. Yes, it’s light and breezy read, but it kept me interested throughout. The plot is well thought out, but not overly complex. If you’ve ever worked at an embassy or with diplomats, the book will probably resonate even more. But even if you are just interested in life in Cuba and looking for a fun summer read this book delivers. Let’s call it diplomatic escapism. Look forward to the next book in the series!

[Jamie Canaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read with some funny scenes you could easily imagine in a movie.

When Charlie's personal life implodes he thinks the best way to deal and get away is to take a foreign affairs job in Havana, Cuba. As you can imagine things never work out and he ends up finding himself in serious danger.

I wouldn't say he's a sleuth character because honestly things keep happening that as a reader you are piecing together but Charlie not so much. He doesn't really spend the book trying to solve any of the things that occur and really nothing dramatic happens until the end when everything comes together. Up until then it is more an entertaining look at a Canadian in Cuba.

The political aspect was light in that it mentions briefly parts of Cuban history, the current dictatorship, and the U.S. in talks to lift the embargo but it doesn't really go deeply into it and Cuban characters aren't main characters and we don't get their opinion on the situation--not saying this as a complaint just a statement, considering the book is written by a Canadian I think it makes sense that the main characters are written as Canadians in Cuba.

My quibble, this went into the white guys = good guys, not white guys = bad guys territory and while the "bad guy" had a name-- and a nickname-- there is an entire scene where he's just referred to by his country which at the end of the day just kind of highlights even more stereotypes for Latin American countries that really aren't needed.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie is middle-aged, married and has a boring job with Foreign Affairs headquarters in Ottawa. When he discovers his wife has been cheating on him, they get divorced and Charlie quickly gets transferred to Havana looking for a fresh start.

He is happy with a lavish home to live in (with a pool). What he thought would be a quiet job ends up keeping him busier than he'd thought but he doesn't mind. His new boss asks him to dogsit his rambunctious dog, Teddy, and how could he say "no"? When he starts getting strange visitors looking for the former resident and finds cocaine hidden under his bed, he's not sure what to do so he keeps this information to himself. He's concerned the Cuban officials wouldn't believe him.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked it. I found the writing style funny at times and it moved at a good pace. You really get a sense of what Havana in 2014 was like. It is written in third person perspective, from Charlie's point of view. I found it odd, though, that everyone but Charlie is referred to by their last names. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

It is the first in the A Foreign Affairs Mystery series and I look forward to reading others.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/04...

[Lori Shafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have decided to expand my reading material. I have been looking for books set in different locations round the world. I was so excited to read this book once I read the description.

Escape to Havana set in 2014 Havana, Cuba. Charlie has worked for the Canadian government for fifteen years. He has settled into a safe life with his lovely wife. But one night, his nice safe. life implodes. Escaping his cheating ex-wife, he chooses to completely change his life.

To escape, he takes a post in the Canadian Embassy in Havana. His quiet life becomes beyond strange. He has one night stands with breathtaking women, cares for a spoiled dog, finds mysterious packages in his home and tries to keep his head above water in his new challenging jobs.

Wonderfully funny read. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

This review is based on a ebook copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley.

[Brian Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Escape to Havana" is a suspense novel set in present day Cuba. Its premise is clever: a Canadian foreign service bureaucrat takes a new job at the embassy in Havana after his divorce from a promiscuous unfaithful wife. It is a fresh start for him, his first foreign posting after a couple of decades in the foreign service based in Ottawa.
There's several speed bumps as he settles into his new home and job that eventually lead to a life threatening situation.
The storytelling is a bit clunky in places, but there' s plenty of local colour. The shabbiness and poverty of Havana is on full display against its tropical beauty. There's also an insight into Charlie's work helping Canadians who get themselves into trouble with the Cuban authorities.
It's a great action story with a satisfying ending -- no loose ends. There's a sequel coming out where Charlie is off to Moscow and I'm looking forward to his transition from the tropics to Russia.

[Phreia Von Woolfgaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Escape to Havana," was one of those random picks off a library shelf on a weekend afternoon. It was a good read for those quiet nights. There wasn't so much policy or politics that it would dry out but, there was enough to keep your interest peaked that the author did his research. A regular guy Charlie Hillier finds his life in complete disarray when an opportunity to change his life emerges. He finds his first assignment in Cuba. As he navigates and settles into his job you get a great glimpse into the life and culture of Cuba. Just when he thinks this may be the blessing he needed he has found the criminal underbelly in the floor boards of his new house, a diplomat gets kidnapped, and a possible love interest emerges. I really am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery in which there really isn’t any mystery, just a sequence of occurences, it’s an enjoyable bedtime read. Ottawa bureaucrat Charlie Hillier of the Foreign Affairs office has just weathered an ugly divorce and, in an attempt to “make a new start,” jumps at a position in the Canadian embassy in Havana. His first foreign posting finds him struggling to master the transition when events overwhelm him, as a chance discovery puts him in a peril he never imagined. Light in tone, slightly droll, the story sails along to a happy ending in spite of all danger. The pages turn easily...

[Stephanie Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I somehow don't think our consular officials are so clutzy! I sure hope not. Charlie Hillier bounces from disaster to disaster, getting himself in so deep, one wonders if he'll ever get out before either being deported or killed by the cartels.

His pool scene is absolute laugh out loud stuff.

The ending leaves room for Charlie to be assigned to some other exotic destination and I'm looking forward to reading about it when it happens.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a snappy quick read with an interesting premise and a fun character in Charlie. Wilkshire has done an especially nice job with the details of the diplomatic life (especially appreciated the small things like the use of "locally engaged staff") and of Havana. Loved the Ambassador and Teddy! There's an nice twist with the underlying mystery. THanks to Dundurn for the ARC-I very much enjoyed this and am looking forward to whatever Wilkshire writes next.

[Stacie Dore · Rating 3 out of 5]

When this book came accross my Goodreads feed it described itself as the story of a bureaucrat from Ottawa turned diplomat in Cuba. As someone who has lived my whole life in Ottawa surrounded by federal bureaucrats and who has travelled to Cuba a couple of times I couldn't help but read it...and it was exactly as I expected. Not particularly well written and fairly predictable it had a familiarity to it that I enjoyed.

[Scotchneat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terry Fallis did this better in The Best Laid Plans, but there are still some funny (if familiar plots).

Charlie Hillier is certified for foreign service but he's managed a desk on Parliament Hill for a while. Until he catches his wife engaged in foreign relations with a diplomat. So he take his first posting in Havana.

He ends up in a former drug king's house babysitting his boss's incontinent dog, and trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

[B K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read most of Wilkshire's work thus far, this (over-hyped) piece comes as quite a disappointment. The first of a series of three foreign affairs mystery novels is very well written, with an accurate and realistic descriptive when it comes to diplomatic practices, but the plot only thickens at the half-way point and the ending is pretty obvious. Contains some typoes. Certainly hope Book 2 has more substance.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I fist started the book, I wasn't totally sure as it seemed a bit silly. However, by the end, I really enjoyed the whole book, even the "silly" set-up. I think Charlie was a fun protagonist and I would 100% read other books in the series. Overall, it was a nice, super fun, and engaging read.

[Jane Mulkewich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an impulse purchase, as it was written by an Ontario lawyer about a Canadian diplomat's adventures in Cuba, and I thought it might be a fun read that would give a sense of modern Cuba, and that's exactly what it was.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book - the setting particularly, but felt that it changed course from a mild comedy to attempting to inject suspense. I'd have preferred a more consistent approach, but overall it was a good read and I'll be ordering the next volume in the series to see how it develops.

[Rick Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway a while back & somehow didn't read it until now. A little on the light side & full of holes, but overall an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to reading the follow ups to this series opener.