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Cuban Noir #1
Havana Highwire
Introducing hardboiled PI Henry Gore, in this pitch-black noir novel set in 1950s revolutionary Cuba. "Darkly atmospheric writing, an action-packed plot, plenty of suspense, and a sometimes-hapless hero caught between saving his own life and doing the right thing drive this outstanding, packs-a-punch thriller"- Booklist Starred Review
World-weary American Henry Gore was born in the cold Midwest. But a lucky connection - and a hundred peso bribe - scores him a license to operate as a private investigator in Havana, a place where he can finally get warm. Soon, he's trailing after cheating husbands to finance his permanent vacation in the land of sun, cigars and compliant se�oritas .
But when he snaps the wrong man's photo at a fancy casino, he receives a fist in the face for his troubles - and a dark warning from the Mob. Private dicks are bad for business. If he carries on working, his license will be permanently revoked. Capisci ?
No work means no money. No way to eat. No way to pay the rent. Desperate to make ends meet, Henry grabs an offer of work from Fulgencio Batista's military regime with both hands - setting in motion a chain of events with dark and deadly consequences.
With its rum-soaked, revolutionary Caribbean setting, dark humour, glamorous femme fatales and chilling twists, Havana Highwire is crime noir at its finest.
World-weary American Henry Gore was born in the cold Midwest. But a lucky connection - and a hundred peso bribe - scores him a license to operate as a private investigator in Havana, a place where he can finally get warm. Soon, he's trailing after cheating husbands to finance his permanent vacation in the land of sun, cigars and compliant se�oritas .
But when he snaps the wrong man's photo at a fancy casino, he receives a fist in the face for his troubles - and a dark warning from the Mob. Private dicks are bad for business. If he carries on working, his license will be permanently revoked. Capisci ?
No work means no money. No way to eat. No way to pay the rent. Desperate to make ends meet, Henry grabs an offer of work from Fulgencio Batista's military regime with both hands - setting in motion a chain of events with dark and deadly consequences.
With its rum-soaked, revolutionary Caribbean setting, dark humour, glamorous femme fatales and chilling twists, Havana Highwire is crime noir at its finest.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published July 5, 2022
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94 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 26, 2022
John Keyse-Walker’s historical Cuban Noir, with its extraordinary blend of fact and fiction, immerses the reader in a 1950s Cuba under heavy American influence and the brutal military dictatorship of General Fulgencia Batista and his corrupt reign of murder, oppression and terror. It is 1957, Havana at this time is overrun by brothels, casinos and American mobsters, like Meyer Lansky, it is attracting a huge number of US tourists, high rollers transforming the city into their personal playground. Famous visitors include the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Frank Sinatra, it has a warm, sunny climate that brings American PI Henry Gore to Havana, wanting to escape the cold of home. However, he is violently dissuaded from carrying out his business, and his desperate financial circumstances push him to accept a lucrative assignment for the regime, working for Colonel Ernesto Blanco Rico and the Servicio de Inteligencia Militias (SIM) for 10 000 pesos.
Gore has no idea of what he is getting into, ostensibly he is to help formulate strategies in espionage and counter-espionage, but he is aware that it will be dirty work as he poses as a gun runner to flush out the revolutionaries intent on overthrowing Batista. He is convinced the revolutionaries have not the slightest chance of success, which perhaps helps to keep his conscience at bay. He is intent on securing his business and saving his own skin but the unexpected bloodshed, deceptions and betrayal of trust that follow begin to shift his atttude and perspective. He finds himself a regular at the famous Tropicana with its much desired well known showgirls, one of whom is his point of contact. Matters are further complicated when for the first time in his life he falls in love, but there is a problem, it is with the beautiful American singer and mistress of the powerful Senator Guillermo Bauza, Lola Loring.
This is a atmospheric, gritty and on occasion darkly humorous read that exquisitely and vibrantly evokes this brutal and politically turbulent period of 1950s Havana. The author has carried out detailed historical research of the time as is illustrated with rich descriptions throughout this stellar novel. This is not always a easy read with its high death toll and the horrors of a regime with an enormous amount of blood on its hands and which is engaged in widespread torture and willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure its survival. This will appeal to historical fiction fans, particularly for those interested in Cuba and its history, it is a wonderfully knowledgeable and informative read with a terrific flawed central protagonist. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Gore has no idea of what he is getting into, ostensibly he is to help formulate strategies in espionage and counter-espionage, but he is aware that it will be dirty work as he poses as a gun runner to flush out the revolutionaries intent on overthrowing Batista. He is convinced the revolutionaries have not the slightest chance of success, which perhaps helps to keep his conscience at bay. He is intent on securing his business and saving his own skin but the unexpected bloodshed, deceptions and betrayal of trust that follow begin to shift his atttude and perspective. He finds himself a regular at the famous Tropicana with its much desired well known showgirls, one of whom is his point of contact. Matters are further complicated when for the first time in his life he falls in love, but there is a problem, it is with the beautiful American singer and mistress of the powerful Senator Guillermo Bauza, Lola Loring.
This is a atmospheric, gritty and on occasion darkly humorous read that exquisitely and vibrantly evokes this brutal and politically turbulent period of 1950s Havana. The author has carried out detailed historical research of the time as is illustrated with rich descriptions throughout this stellar novel. This is not always a easy read with its high death toll and the horrors of a regime with an enormous amount of blood on its hands and which is engaged in widespread torture and willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure its survival. This will appeal to historical fiction fans, particularly for those interested in Cuba and its history, it is a wonderfully knowledgeable and informative read with a terrific flawed central protagonist. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
July 5, 2023
noir writing with all the bells
This book kept me up well past midnight. Gritty noir with all the Hammett-chandler bells and whistles and then some. Heartbreaking, evocative, wild and fast paced, it yet included moment of that slow motion feeling one gets in the islands. A tough ending and not one I will ever forget.
This book kept me up well past midnight. Gritty noir with all the Hammett-chandler bells and whistles and then some. Heartbreaking, evocative, wild and fast paced, it yet included moment of that slow motion feeling one gets in the islands. A tough ending and not one I will ever forget.
August 7, 2022
Set in Cuba during the 1950s, Henry Gore is a formed military cop turned private investigator, looking for a fresh start in a tropical climate. Work is slow, mostly trying to catch cheating husbands when he is beaten for doing this in a mafia-owned club. He is helped home by a young boy, Benny, who becomes his attendant and is a wonderful character. Not long thereafter, he is economically compelled to work for the Cuban secret police (SIM) for 10,000 pesos to help find the leaders of Cuba Libre, posing as an America gunrunner. Henry also falls in love with a beguiling American singer/showgirl Lola, whom is the mistress of a powerful Cuban Senator. At a early meeting, there is a shootout with the police and Henry kills two to save himself and his contacts, earning him a reputation. Ultimately, Henry has to decide which side he is going to take in the face of overwhelming odds, violence and death. Well done.
June 8, 2022
5/5 Outstanding
This is as Noir as Noir gets and it’s absolutely brilliant.
Set in 50s Cuba, at the time of Meyer Lansky, Havana is a bubbling Tropicana being enjoyed and spoilt by American money. The Rum, the women, the clubs,
It’s all popping off.
But in the background there is a discontent, the locals are planning to fight back against the oppression of the government.
Enter Henry Gore, a down on his luck PI, from America, with no money, and no work he is dragged into the battle between the warring factions.
This is genuinely one of the finest reads of the year, and up there with a f of the best Noir I’ve read.
The sense of place, the Rum, the women, the bad guys and poor little Benny, it’s full of humour, yet the dark outcome is quite superb.
Paced perfectly, it was hard not to keep reading, so good is the book and the style of writing.
It appears there may be more to come and I certainly hope there is,
Fantastic
This is as Noir as Noir gets and it’s absolutely brilliant.
Set in 50s Cuba, at the time of Meyer Lansky, Havana is a bubbling Tropicana being enjoyed and spoilt by American money. The Rum, the women, the clubs,
It’s all popping off.
But in the background there is a discontent, the locals are planning to fight back against the oppression of the government.
Enter Henry Gore, a down on his luck PI, from America, with no money, and no work he is dragged into the battle between the warring factions.
This is genuinely one of the finest reads of the year, and up there with a f of the best Noir I’ve read.
The sense of place, the Rum, the women, the bad guys and poor little Benny, it’s full of humour, yet the dark outcome is quite superb.
Paced perfectly, it was hard not to keep reading, so good is the book and the style of writing.
It appears there may be more to come and I certainly hope there is,
Fantastic
July 1, 2022
Is this Sam Spade in Havana?
Laconic, self deprecating ex-army intelligence officer, had “expected to finance [his]permanent vacation in [Havana] the land of sun, balmy breezes, rum, gambling, and compliant señoritas”, doing soft Private Investigator work. You know, like chasing down husbands for hard evidence in divorce cases.
We all know that nothing is going to be that simple. Still it’s the 1950’s and a guy needs dreams. The reality leads Henry Gore way beyond the dream into darkness and confusion
Then there’s his street wise, old before his years, side kick Benny. Maybe eight years old, Benny sort of adopts Gore, even after attempting to rob him. A likeable, eager to please youngster who provides a lively counterpoint to the by now jaded Henry.
When Henry takes on a job offer from a Cuban Senator to look for trouble makers, described to him as “a minuscule element, of the population who seeks to disrupt and overthrow the legitimate government of President Batista…nothing more than bandits, really, common criminals, and their efforts have had little effect in Cuba,” an alert reader has some inkling of the political mayhem Henry is about to step into.
However our hero has no historical perspective. Although being asked “to formulate espionage and counterespionage strategies to combat the bandits who plague [the] country,” should have rung alarm bells.
Still Henry is broke, having been warned away from the “bread and butter work” he’d hoped for by mobsters, and he was being offered a large amount of cash.
Havana in the 50’s! A corrupt government and the American mobsters working hand in hand.
A liberation movement—a revolution just beginning. And let’s not forget that Senator’s girlfriend. A poignant moment of the meeting of two souls. I started out feeling hopeful that this would be a well rounded historical political thriller but you know it’s not good when you start skimming some of the pages. As we go into the nitty gritty of the liberationists struggle for arms, the corruption of the Batista government forces, there were moments of explicit violence that I didn’t need. But then this novel is touted as being on the noir side of the equation.
I did not expect events to slide into the seemingly hopelessness they did. We either have the making of a man who might go onto a more noble future or we have a numbed man trapped by his own cynicism, who has an Ah! Hah! moment, only to be checkmated at every turn. I was left wondering what the “more to come” might look like?
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
Laconic, self deprecating ex-army intelligence officer, had “expected to finance [his]permanent vacation in [Havana] the land of sun, balmy breezes, rum, gambling, and compliant señoritas”, doing soft Private Investigator work. You know, like chasing down husbands for hard evidence in divorce cases.
We all know that nothing is going to be that simple. Still it’s the 1950’s and a guy needs dreams. The reality leads Henry Gore way beyond the dream into darkness and confusion
Then there’s his street wise, old before his years, side kick Benny. Maybe eight years old, Benny sort of adopts Gore, even after attempting to rob him. A likeable, eager to please youngster who provides a lively counterpoint to the by now jaded Henry.
When Henry takes on a job offer from a Cuban Senator to look for trouble makers, described to him as “a minuscule element, of the population who seeks to disrupt and overthrow the legitimate government of President Batista…nothing more than bandits, really, common criminals, and their efforts have had little effect in Cuba,” an alert reader has some inkling of the political mayhem Henry is about to step into.
However our hero has no historical perspective. Although being asked “to formulate espionage and counterespionage strategies to combat the bandits who plague [the] country,” should have rung alarm bells.
Still Henry is broke, having been warned away from the “bread and butter work” he’d hoped for by mobsters, and he was being offered a large amount of cash.
Havana in the 50’s! A corrupt government and the American mobsters working hand in hand.
A liberation movement—a revolution just beginning. And let’s not forget that Senator’s girlfriend. A poignant moment of the meeting of two souls. I started out feeling hopeful that this would be a well rounded historical political thriller but you know it’s not good when you start skimming some of the pages. As we go into the nitty gritty of the liberationists struggle for arms, the corruption of the Batista government forces, there were moments of explicit violence that I didn’t need. But then this novel is touted as being on the noir side of the equation.
I did not expect events to slide into the seemingly hopelessness they did. We either have the making of a man who might go onto a more noble future or we have a numbed man trapped by his own cynicism, who has an Ah! Hah! moment, only to be checkmated at every turn. I was left wondering what the “more to come” might look like?
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
June 6, 2022
Blurb: "With its rum-soaked, revolutionary Caribbean setting, dark humour, glamorous femme fatales and chilling twists, Havana Highwire is crime noir at its finest."
I couldn't agree more. This is without a doubt the best modern noir I've read in quite some time. The story of a cynical American in a corrupted foreign land trying to make a dollar (or peso) is such a classic genre trope that it's almost shocking to see it done in such an original fashion.
I could easily imagine Havana Highwire as a 1950s film starring Robert Mitchum, Dick Powell, or Humphrey Bogart in the role of Henry Gore... a regular guy who gets in over his head and has to reevaluate his moral compass. But at the same time it's unpredictable. You think you know where it's going, you see the twist coming a mile away except that most of the time it doesn't just twist, it twists around again and bites back. Great stuff!
Reminiscent of classic authors like James M. Cain (Double Indemnity; The Postman Always Rings Twice) and Dorothy B. Hughes (Ride the Pink Horse) and films like Out of the Past and The Killers; the kind of story where even the winners somehow end up losing.
Highly recommended.
***There is some violence (not overly explicit but descriptive), sexual situations, and a few four-letter-words including an F-bomb or three.
I couldn't agree more. This is without a doubt the best modern noir I've read in quite some time. The story of a cynical American in a corrupted foreign land trying to make a dollar (or peso) is such a classic genre trope that it's almost shocking to see it done in such an original fashion.
I could easily imagine Havana Highwire as a 1950s film starring Robert Mitchum, Dick Powell, or Humphrey Bogart in the role of Henry Gore... a regular guy who gets in over his head and has to reevaluate his moral compass. But at the same time it's unpredictable. You think you know where it's going, you see the twist coming a mile away except that most of the time it doesn't just twist, it twists around again and bites back. Great stuff!
Reminiscent of classic authors like James M. Cain (Double Indemnity; The Postman Always Rings Twice) and Dorothy B. Hughes (Ride the Pink Horse) and films like Out of the Past and The Killers; the kind of story where even the winners somehow end up losing.
Highly recommended.
***There is some violence (not overly explicit but descriptive), sexual situations, and a few four-letter-words including an F-bomb or three.
July 16, 2022
This is absolutely, positively the best book I’ve read in 2022.
In 1950 Cuba a lawlessness existed in politicians. The common man hardly got by with a few pesos doing any menial job he could get.
Each contingent was there to “best” the other; bloodshed everywhere.
Enter a detective from the states who was also ex-military. Lured there for work, the island, and it’s beauty.
Nothing was what it seemed.
The prose is seductive, the reader drawn into the days of Hemingway, Batista, and more.
Hoping a follow-up is upcoming.
In 1950 Cuba a lawlessness existed in politicians. The common man hardly got by with a few pesos doing any menial job he could get.
Each contingent was there to “best” the other; bloodshed everywhere.
Enter a detective from the states who was also ex-military. Lured there for work, the island, and it’s beauty.
Nothing was what it seemed.
The prose is seductive, the reader drawn into the days of Hemingway, Batista, and more.
Hoping a follow-up is upcoming.
July 4, 2022
A excellent, gripping, and riveting noir set in Cuba during the 50s. A story that made me think about Chandler or Hammett and I couldn't put down.
The historical background is vivid and it was interesting to travel to Cuba during the 50s.
Great character and plot development, a solid story that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The historical background is vivid and it was interesting to travel to Cuba during the 50s.
Great character and plot development, a solid story that kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
January 25, 2024
As I previously have written, John Keyse-Walker’s Teddy Creque series is wonderful and Bert and Mamie Take a Cruise was an equally fun read. I usually like to bounce around and try different cozy mysteries but since I’ve really enjoyed his other books, I figured Havana Highwire would be enjoyable as well, although it wasn’t the regular type of book I usually read. I was correct. Once again the main character is likable and realistic and the book is equally enjoyable as his others. Of course the novel is darker, but it is easy reading and exciting. If you normally enjoy cozy mysteries, this would be an excellent choice if you wanted to bump up the tension, violence, and action. Of course if you enjoyed the author’s previous books, you likely will enjoy this one as well. 👍
September 3, 2023
Henry Gore is trying to make it as a PI in pre-revolutionary Cuba. He gets roped in by the government to infiltrate and betray revolutionaries. Not a bad little book.
July 3, 2022
This book was as close to a classic noir PI novel as you are going to find. It had the gritty 1950's vibe down pat, with a sprinkle of Cuban history and culture artfully added. The story was intense and very well-plotted. My only issue...turns out I don't really like classic 50s noir characters. They are all just a tiny bit horrible. But that is my problem and not a problem for other readers. So for me, this was a 3/5 read, but as an example of noir writing, it was a very solid 4/5.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Havana Highwire by John Keyse-Walker. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for providing an ARC to review.
April 26, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Severn House for an advanced copy of this new historical mystery.
Mystery books are an interesting way to learn about the world and different cultures. Promise a reader bodies, booze, tough guys and femme fatales, all that factual stuff about the era, the place and the people the book is set in goes down much easier. From mysteries I have learned about Egyptology, art, wine, and being a monk on the British Welch border. After reading Havana Highwire by John Keyse-Walker, I now know a little bit more about Havana, Cuba during the 1950's under the twin thumbs of the mob and the dictator Batista.
Henry Gore is a tired American trying to reinvent himself and his prospects in sunny Havana. Fresh from protecting Uncle Sam from communists in the great state of Maine where he was posted in the service, Henry is trying his hand at being private detective, working divorce cases and anything he can to make a peso. Which is tough as the mob has banned him for all their places on the island, which being the 1950's means everywhere. Short of money, Henry's silent partner gives him an offer. Work for the secret police pretending to be a gunrunner, and approach the revolutionaries with an offer they can't refuse. Which is the same deal they are offering Henry.
The book reads very much like a Black Mask story, though updated for the modern day. I doubt any detective would complain about looking for communists at a military base in Maine, but that helps make Henry Gore interesting. The setting is different, but the characters all fit the noir stereotype, which again is good. The plot gets rolling, and doesn't lose its momentum. The side characters are well developed and the book is funny in spots, brutal and touching in others. A good introduction for a series, and one that I wouldn't mind reading more of.
A fun sunny kind of noir, with dictators, dames, gangsters and Perez Prado. Recommended for people who like their noir in black and white, but have tired of Los Angeles and New York. For readers of T. J. English Havana Nocturne, Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther mystery If the Dead Rise Not and Paul Vidich The Good Assassin.
Mystery books are an interesting way to learn about the world and different cultures. Promise a reader bodies, booze, tough guys and femme fatales, all that factual stuff about the era, the place and the people the book is set in goes down much easier. From mysteries I have learned about Egyptology, art, wine, and being a monk on the British Welch border. After reading Havana Highwire by John Keyse-Walker, I now know a little bit more about Havana, Cuba during the 1950's under the twin thumbs of the mob and the dictator Batista.
Henry Gore is a tired American trying to reinvent himself and his prospects in sunny Havana. Fresh from protecting Uncle Sam from communists in the great state of Maine where he was posted in the service, Henry is trying his hand at being private detective, working divorce cases and anything he can to make a peso. Which is tough as the mob has banned him for all their places on the island, which being the 1950's means everywhere. Short of money, Henry's silent partner gives him an offer. Work for the secret police pretending to be a gunrunner, and approach the revolutionaries with an offer they can't refuse. Which is the same deal they are offering Henry.
The book reads very much like a Black Mask story, though updated for the modern day. I doubt any detective would complain about looking for communists at a military base in Maine, but that helps make Henry Gore interesting. The setting is different, but the characters all fit the noir stereotype, which again is good. The plot gets rolling, and doesn't lose its momentum. The side characters are well developed and the book is funny in spots, brutal and touching in others. A good introduction for a series, and one that I wouldn't mind reading more of.
A fun sunny kind of noir, with dictators, dames, gangsters and Perez Prado. Recommended for people who like their noir in black and white, but have tired of Los Angeles and New York. For readers of T. J. English Havana Nocturne, Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther mystery If the Dead Rise Not and Paul Vidich The Good Assassin.
June 23, 2022
Dark, gritty and atmospheric giving a real feel of which I imagine 1950's Havana to be. Our PI, Henry is a troubled but lovable soul who I hope to see more of
June 20, 2022
A touch heavy-handed on the noir, but a good, fast-paced story about an American PI trying to earn a buck in pre-Castro Cuba
April 25, 2022
Havana, Cuba in 1957 is vividly brought to life in the brilliant noir novel, Havana Highwire by John Keyse-Walker.
We first meet the protagonist, Henry Gore, an American born PI, now working in Havana, as he mistimes taking a picture of the philandering husband of his client, is beaten by the staff of the mob run hotel, and then tossed into the street. Out of money, he eventually accepts a job working with Cuban security forces to reveal the identities of a rebel group while posing as a gunrunner. What follows is a novel whose plot takes twists and turns that kept me on my toes and wanting to read more, while our “hero” keeps running into more and more moral quandaries. Well written with well drawn characters, and intricately plotted, Havana Highwire is one of the best noir novels I’ve read in a good while. For lovers of the genre, I highly recommend the book.
My thanks to Severn House and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this fabulous novel.
We first meet the protagonist, Henry Gore, an American born PI, now working in Havana, as he mistimes taking a picture of the philandering husband of his client, is beaten by the staff of the mob run hotel, and then tossed into the street. Out of money, he eventually accepts a job working with Cuban security forces to reveal the identities of a rebel group while posing as a gunrunner. What follows is a novel whose plot takes twists and turns that kept me on my toes and wanting to read more, while our “hero” keeps running into more and more moral quandaries. Well written with well drawn characters, and intricately plotted, Havana Highwire is one of the best noir novels I’ve read in a good while. For lovers of the genre, I highly recommend the book.
My thanks to Severn House and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this fabulous novel.
April 28, 2022
This book is a little darker than I usually like but it was so well written and so up my alley otherwise that I couldn't stop reading. In the vein of Raymond Chandler, Eric Ambler, and Graham Greene, Havana Highwire succeeds without parodying any of them. It's not for the squeamish -- a group I normally include myself in -- but it's riveting and a great read. If you like the movie Chinatown, you will probably like Havana Highway.
I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy.
I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy.
October 19, 2022
When I started this book, I thought it was going to be a fun, lightweight mystery about a PI's adventures in pre-revolution Cuba. But the subtitle of this book is "A Cuban Noir Novel" and boy did it get dark quickly and stay dark pretty much to the end. The main character, Henry Gore, intends to make a living in Cuba as a private investigator, but after that plan goes sideways, he ends up taking on a job for the Batista regime helping their efforts to stamp out the revolutionary movement in Havana. Henry (or "Genry" as his young Cuban helper Benny calls him) soon finds himself looking for a way to escape with his life while not selling out people he has come to admire. The plot moves quickly and the tension keeps building right until the last page - with and ending that may not be what you expect (or hope).
July 3, 2022
This book was as close to a classic noir PI novel as you are going to find. It had the gritty 1950's vibe down pat, with a sprinkle of Cuban history and culture artfully added. The story was intense and very well-plotted. My only issue...turns out I don't really like classic 50s noir characters. They are all just a tiny bit horrible. But that is my problem and not a problem for other readers. So for me, this was a 3/5 read, but as an example of noir writing, it was a very solid 4/5.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Havana Highwire by John Keyse-Walker. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for providing an ARC to review.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Havana Highwire by John Keyse-Walker. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for providing an ARC to review.
July 30, 2022
This is an action-packed suspense story set in the final years of the Batista government. The book's first person narrative is captivating and clever. The protagonist-private eye, Henry Gore, is hired by the Batista government to entrap the rebels by masquerading as an arms dealer. As the story unfolds, Gore must decide whether he will follow his conscience (and side with the rebels) or continue to be used as a pawn by the corrupt government.
For those who want to experience the feel of Cuba in this era, this book will take you there.
For those who want to experience the feel of Cuba in this era, this book will take you there.
November 11, 2022
An atmospheric noir novel set in Havana in the 1950s.
March 14, 2023
More of a spy thriller than mystery, I'd say. It does have sort of a Chandler vibe. Ultimately, didn't love the resolution but it was a good ride.
June 19, 2024
very grimy. I didnt expect or enjoy the brutality of this book. But i cannot deny how atmospheric and grippy the writing was, and the historical significance of the violence. euuggh
October 19, 2023
I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Havana Highwire, a stand-alone thriller set in 1950s Cuba.
Henry Gore used to work for Uncle Sam, protecting rural Maine from the threat of communism. Desperate to escape the cold he finangles a PI licence in Havana, where he makes a small living until he photographs the wrong man. Threatened with the removal of his licence he accepts a job working for Batista’s military junta.
There is no doubt that Havana Highwire is a good piece of writing. It is a clever pastiche of the hard boiled detective genre prevalent in the 50s when the novel is set with a jaded, cynical detective, various femmes fatales and decidedly dodgy clients. At the same time there is a strong sense of place with Havana coming across as hot, exotic, vital and corrupt. Then there is the timing, with the incipient revolution forming part of the plot.
Having said all that I should have lapped this novel up, but I found myself picking it up and putting it down several times because I didn’t like it. Henry Gore and his narrative voice set my teeth on edge and I quickly didn’t care what happened to him.
Havana Highwire is not for me, but I think I will be in a minority as it is a well written novel.
Henry Gore used to work for Uncle Sam, protecting rural Maine from the threat of communism. Desperate to escape the cold he finangles a PI licence in Havana, where he makes a small living until he photographs the wrong man. Threatened with the removal of his licence he accepts a job working for Batista’s military junta.
There is no doubt that Havana Highwire is a good piece of writing. It is a clever pastiche of the hard boiled detective genre prevalent in the 50s when the novel is set with a jaded, cynical detective, various femmes fatales and decidedly dodgy clients. At the same time there is a strong sense of place with Havana coming across as hot, exotic, vital and corrupt. Then there is the timing, with the incipient revolution forming part of the plot.
Having said all that I should have lapped this novel up, but I found myself picking it up and putting it down several times because I didn’t like it. Henry Gore and his narrative voice set my teeth on edge and I quickly didn’t care what happened to him.
Havana Highwire is not for me, but I think I will be in a minority as it is a well written novel.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews