Havana

I had bought this audio book because I wanted to learn something about Cuba and I wanted to explore some new mystery series, try out Stephen Hunter, the author, and Earl Swagger, the character. After I got into it, I really liked it. Some reviewers are complaining about the characters being caricatures, but I think that was the point, as in Carl Hiassen's Florida caricatures, I mean, characters. I enjoyed the humor, and of course, I liked Earl, the man of integrity in a setting where there sure wasn't much of that. The best of all was the Russian Agent -- a marvelous character! Every time he appears, the book shines. Learning about Cuba, not so much.

Cliches and stereotypes mingle, clash and erupt in several bloody massacres. Still, a lively tale set in Havana in the fifties and Caso's early days.

Not a bad read, but he made caricatures of the main characters. The hero, Earl Swagger, was such a hero - good, faithful, loyal. The bad guys were so vile, dumb & almost comical, in some cases. It was just over the top. The basic story was kind of interesting; Cuba before Castro took over. At the end of the book are two short articles that Hunter did after researching the area for his book. For those fans of Bob Lee, we find out why he learned to shoot so well. If you haven't read any other books, Bob Lee Swagger, Earl's son, is the hero in several others, one of the best snipers in the world. I really liked a couple of these books.

l Swagger historical novel on 1950s Havana Cuba and the early days of Fidel
Castro. The research done on this period is very good and the characters were believable. Was this the true characterization of Cuba then? I believe so. The plot was very good and the story line was exciting and interesting.

In Havana, Earl Swagger has been given the task by the US government to accompany a corrupt American politician as his bodyguard as he investigates criminal activity in Cuba. The politician goes about taking part in all of Havana’s illegal activities instead of trying to stop it. One of the characters in this book is Meyer Lansky, who is running Mafia led activities in Cuba. Swagger gets involved in a plot to kill a young Fidel Castro, who is threatening American interests in the country.

Just about every aspect of this novel is completely preposterous. It’s hard to even take the book seriously. The story line is far-fetched. The characters are poorly drawn. The writing is subpar. There was nothing about this novel that I liked. I show more would highly recommend avoiding it like the plague.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street show less

Enjoyed it in parts, got bored in others. Definitely not as good as the first two in the series.

Set in Cuba at the time of Castro and the reviolution. Well-written, exciting and imaginative.