Libby Ficher Hellmann Backlist Spotlight: Havana Lost

Backlist Spotlight: Havana Lost Dear Ed, When I wrote about the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in Cuba, I realized that along with Set The Night On Fire and A Bitter Veil, I was writing what I'm calling "A Revolution Trilogy." Havana Lost is the third leg of the trilogy. The most sweeping novel I've written, Havana starts in 1958, skips ahead thirty years to Cuba's Special Period (with a side trip to Angola), and then skips another thirty years to the present in Chicago. It follows three generations of the same Mafia family, focusing on Francesca Pacelli, who is just eighteen when the story begins but in her seventies when it ends. Along the way we see how she matures and evolves and what power can do to someone for whom love and security were just empty words. In a way, Havana Lost is the noir version of A Bitter Veil, but I'll let you decide. Btw, my daughter and I went to Cuba in 2012; I'm glad we got there before Fidel died-I wanted to see Cuba before it changes.... hopefully, for the better this time. More about Havana Lost is here. "A many-layered adventure...smart writing, done in accomplished style by an author who never talks down to her readers."—Mystery Scene Magazine "A riveting historical thriller... This multigenerational page-turner is packed with intrigue and shocking plot twists."— Booklist "A sprawling tale... the story of the Cuban revolution, as well as the Cuban military efforts in Angola, is fascinating..."—Publishers Weekly "Hellmann's writing has matured considerably since her early novels. Her plotting has become more solid and assured, her characters more realistic, her settings wonderfully described. This is a fine, extremely well told novel."—Deadly Pleasures "Masterfully crafted...Hellmann has a superb gift for the colorful depiction of her characters. I can't imagine any noir aficionado not enjoying Havana Lost."—A Literary Reeder Click here for more Best Libby