"A magnificent novel. Haunted by the tragic story and passion of its characters."--Magazine Litteraire
The first of the Havana quartet featuring Inspector Mario Conde, a tropical Marlowe. A young transvestite in a beautiful red dress is found strangled in a Havana park. Conde's investigation into a violent murder exposes a stifling, corrupt society, a Cuban reality where nothing is what it seems. A dark and fascinating world of men and women born in the revolution who live without dreaming of exile and seek their identity in the midst of disaster.
Leonardo Padura...
"A magnificent novel. Haunted by the tragic story and passion of its characters."--Magazine Litteraire
Praise for "Havana Red," the first of the Lt. Conde series:
Another winner from Bitter Lemon an innovative take on the traditional detective story. A macho cop whose investigation into the murder of a transvestite leads him to ruminate on his own attraction to this philosophy of mimetics and erasure. " "The New York Times"
A scorching novel from a star of Cuban fiction. Conde s quest follows the basic rhythm of the whodunit, but Padura syncopates it with brilliant literary riffs on Cuban sex, society, religion, even food. "Independent"
The brutally mutilated body of Miguel Forcade...
Praise for "Havana Red," the first of the Lt. Conde series:
Another winner from Bitter Lemon an innovative take on the traditional detective st...
Overlaid with a rich smoky patina, an atmosphere that reeks of slums and riches, cigar smoke and exotic perfumes. Havana Black is a strong tasting book, a rich feast of wit and feeling. The Independent
Drenched with that beguiling otherness so appealing to fans of mysteries of other cultures, it will also appeal to those who appreciate the sultry lyricism of James Lee Burke. Booklist
A great plot, perfectly executed with huge atmosphere. You can almost smell the cigar smoke, rum and cheap women. Daily...
Praise for the Havana Quartet:
Overlaid with a rich smoky patina, an atmosphere that reeks of slums and riches, cigar smoke and exot...
"Havana Red," another winner from Bitter Lemon Press. "The New York Times"
Overlaid with a rich smoky patina, an atmosphere that reeks of slums and riches, cigar smoke and exotic perfumes. "The Independent"
Talk about unexpected discoveries, the "Havana Quartet" is a revelation. With a nod to Key Largo and a virtual bow to "The Maltese Falcon," these novels are ultimately about the redemptive nature of undying friendship and the potentially destructive nature of undying love. "The Atlantic Monthly"
Drenched with that beguiling otherness so...
Praise for the "Havana Quartet"
"Havana Red," another winner from Bitter Lemon Press. "The New York Times"
The finest crime-fiction writer in the Spanish language... "--The London Times" Full of atmosphere and descriptions to savour, this is as much a life-affirming tribute to Havana as a fine novel of death and detection. "--The Independent" Police work is not merely a vocation but a metaphor for a futile yearning to solve the island s deepest crimes and misdemeanours. --"Times Literary Supplement"
Mario Conde has retired from the police force and makes a living trading in antique books. Havana is now flooded with dollars, populated by pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and other hunters of the...
The finest crime-fiction writer in the Spanish language... "--The London Times" Full of atmosphere and descriptions to savour, this is as much a life-...
