A Predictable Yet Enjoyable New DeMille
I’m having a hard time deciding whether I liked “The Cuban Affair” more than I was disappointed by it. On one hand, it’s a brand-new Nelson DeMille, an author I grew up reading his novels, and full of action. Moreover, its free from the over-exhausted John Corey (thanks g-d!); On the other hand, it’s cliché-stricken, and unsophisticated.

Daniel MacCormick, Mac, is a veteran US Army officer, who nearly lost his life in Afghanistan, now running his own charter boat and wasting his life away in Key-West. He is approached by the lovely Sara Ortega, along with her compatriots, a Cuban-American bunch, who are asking him to lead a mission to retrieve Sara’s grandfather long lost bank money (60 mil dollars – aren’t the notes old and revoked??) along with deeds to communist-confiscated Cuban property. All this is set to take place while his first mate, Jack (another veteran only from Vietnam), is to wait for them at sea with their boat, symbolically named the Maine. The Maine has been chartered to participate in a “Fish for Peace” tournament which takes place in light of the warmer US-Cuba relations, labelled “the Cuban Thaw”.

So just like it sounds, this is a typical head-on mission, in a head-on combustive situation. Mac is a regular “no-bullshit” DeMille protagonist. They all drink all the time, and we in for a treat, 80s/90s at their best (only set in 2017).

I can’t say I didn’t enjoy “The Cuban Affair”. It’s “what you see is what you get” adventure novel. No sophistications and no innovations. You like Mac, you root for him, you hate the Cuban guide/chivito (informant) and you laugh from Richard Neville, the DeMille-like author (also with a pretty younger wife) who joins the group in Cuba, probably like DeMille and his wife did a couple of years ago (I saw the photos on his website, not a stalker!)

But the first few chapters of “The Cuban Affair” really had me expecting more – maybe something that will live up to “By the Rivers of Babylon” or “Charm School” which were DeMille’s golden novels. The more “The Cuban Affair” dragged-on, the more it became predictable, with a predictable action scene at the end a predictable conclusion. Issues that surfaced during the novel were tied loosely and a few (microscopical) plot-holes were recognisable.

I enjoyed the novel, but I set myself up for more. I’d recommend it only if (like me) you are a Nelson DeMille fan. ***½

This was a fun ride of an adventure story with lots of style but not much substance. It tells the tale of Mac, an ex-soldier who now lives in Key West and runs boat trips. When approached to enter Cuba and retrieve 60 million dollars, he finds it an offer he can't refuse. First off, I really enjoyed Mac's voice. He is sardonic and cutting and has a boyish charm that works really well. Some of the conversations between Mac and Sara were hilarious, if totally unrealistic. The plot is simple and well constructed and paced, albeit a little long in places. Many of the other characters are pretty one-dimensional, but it strikes me that this is not the kind of book you read for searing character studies. I think that if you are looking for a good book to read on a long trip or for some easy escapism, this is great for that. Don't expect too much in the way of depth and you won't be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group Uk for a review copy of The Cuban Affair, a stand alone adventure set mostly in Havana.

Daniel "Mac" MacCormick runs a legal charter hire boat in Key West so he is rightly suspicious when the mysterious Carlos wants to meet him about a hire. He turns him down but with a fully fledged plan to liberate $60m of hidden money and a proposal that Mac go to Cuba with the lovely Sara Ortega he wavers. The promise of $3m if he helps Sara seals the deal.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cuban Affair which was recommended to me by a friend. I'm glad that I took up this recommendation as it is many years since I read Mr DeMille's work and I'd forgotten what fun they are. It is told in the first person by Mac, an ex-soldier with a good line in sarcastic humour, in a style which takes a bit of getting used to as his real thoughts immediately follow his speech. The humour is not just restricted to Mac with a running gag about his crew mate Jack's slogan t-shirts.

The plot is the usual thriller hokum with hero and heroine escaping various improbable hair raising situations although in this case the action doesn't really happen until the last 20% of the novel. It is more of a tense, slow burner with the danger of being discovered on every page. I was impressed with Mr DeMille's ability to keep it going and introduce some imaginative twists.

What makes this novel stand out is the setting as physical Cuba really comes to life in the author's hands. The politics of the Cuban Thaw and its past history with America are well explained but there is a strong American bias and a certain jingoism throughout. It gets annoying after a while.

I like Mac as a protagonist. He can be juvenile in his attitudes but his humour is a strength in the novel and he is fairly clear sighted in this thinking. I'm not so sure about the romance between him and Sara as it seems a bit contrived and out of place.

The Cuban Affair is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Nelson DeMille has written a rollicking good thriller underpinned with an impressive amount of detailed research on Cuba and its history and relations with the US. Daniel 'Mac' MacCormick is a 35 year old military veteran with tours in Afghanistan that have left their mark on him. He is currently living the good life on Key West running charter boat trips on The Maine which has burdened him with considerable debts. Whilst drinking in the Green Parrot Bar, he meets a slick Cuban-American lawyer, Carlos, representing anti-Castro forces, wanting to charter the boat and hire Mac to get $60 million dollars and papers out of Cuba. Mac enjoys his laid back lifestyle but commits to the enterprise upon meeting architect Sara Ortega, whose grandfather hid the money in a cave before fleeing to the US. As well as Sara being a draw, Mac needs the money and wants the thrill of adventure back in his life again, despite all the dangers the job represents.

The Cuban thaw adds urgency to the mission as the consequences are likely to lead to a speedy discovery of the hidden loot. Mac and Sara enter Havana posing as part of the educational Yale travel group members who get romantically entangled, something that pans out in reality. Their act seems to be successful although suspicions from the tour guide begin to challenge this perception. As with all the best laids plans for the heist, not much survives the reality. Mac and Sara discover that their actions and words are being listened to and reported. In a story full of chases and intrigue, Mac discovers that he might not have been apprised of all the facts. Has Mac taken on more than he can handle? And will he live to tell the tale?

The author has written a tense and suspenseful thriller that is a fun and entertaining read. It is full of wit, humour, sarcasm and terrific one liners. Where the book really excels is in the detailed descriptions of Cuba, the dilapidated nature of Havana, its architecture, life, culture and its people. Mac is a great central character and I loved his relationship and banter with his colourful first mate, Jack Colby, a Vietnam veteran with a great line in t-shirts. There is a strong focus on Cuba's history with the US, along with a social and political commentary, although I am not convinced the author got the balance right on this. As long as you don't take the story too seriously, this is a wonderful action packed read. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.