The Castro Gene

I was a bit disappointed to see Publishers Weekly call Buchholz's novel an “awkward fiction debut…” I found the book delightfully entertaining. The main character, Luke Braden, a young man who quits high school, moves out to his own basement apartment and trains for professional boxing. Luke’s venture into boxing is short-lived when he kills his opponent in the boxing ring.

When he walks away from boxing, he hopes to become a financial advisor by working his way up the ladder. By some miracle, he lands a job as a security guard in a building owned by Paul Tremont. (Tremont is president of his own hedge fund and worth billions.) Eventually through what Luke thinks is clever maneuvering he gets a meeting with Mr. Tremont, but he show more doesn't know that Mr. Tremont has been watching him and waiting for the right time.

Luke becomes Tremont's protégé and overnight, his ratty basement apartment is replaced with a penthouse, his gym clothes for designer suits. Luke has no clue he is but a pawn in a dangerous game that will have him in a fight for his life.

What I enjoyed best? The pleasant mix of history with Kennedy/Castro days mixed with revenge and murder.

What I liked the least? Let me think about that some more and get back to you. show less