Canadian debut publication by one of the Spanish-speaking world’s top crime-fiction writers Elena Miranda and her brother, Pablo, have lived in the same spacious Havana apartment since they were children, not knowing that a $10-million treasure in diamonds is hidden behind a tile in their bathroom. Now the son of the man who buried them there wants them, and he knows the ideal person for the job: his ruthless former comrade-in-arms during the Vietnam War.
Equipped with a Spanish-speaking “wife” and Canadian passports, the vet flies to Cuba to sweet-talk his way into Elena and Pablo’s lives and get his hands on the diamonds. But Cuba has a way of confusing even the best-laid plans, and soon the treasure hunters find themselves being hunted.
A complex, hard-boiled novel of betrayal, deceit, and cunning, Havana Best Friends takes place in a Cuba that tourists rarely see. Stunning plot twists rocket the story forward, but not once does the action overpower the story’s heart — the emotional lives of the people whose worlds are changed forever by these so-called best friends.
From the Trade Paperback edition.

Review

“Roll out the red carpet for a new and exciting voice in Canadian crime fiction. José Latour’s thriller Havana Best Friends takes you behind the scenes of tourist Cuba as it sets in motion a high-stakes con that quickly evolves into a race against time. With its believable characters and finely-tuned plot, this is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Not to be missed.”
—Peter Robinson
“A master of Cuban noir.”
— Martin Cruz Smith
“Cuba has been a closed world for most of us for decades now, and Cuban crime fiction has remained a well-kept secret. It’s alive and well, and brilliantly represented by José Latour.”
— Lawrence Block
“Latour’s superbly atmospheric thriller . . . is one of the most original and exciting crime novels I’ve read in ages.”
— Mail on Sunday
“Different, colourful, and utterly beguiling, Havana Best Friends is a delight. Latour is a great new talent in crime fiction.”
— Irish Independent

About the Author

José Latour’s novels have been published in Britain, the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil and the Netherlands. He is a former vice president of the Inter-national Association of Crime Writers. In 2002, he left Cuba for Spain and immigrated to Canada in the fall of 2004. He lives in Toronto.