- Hardcover: 300 pages
- Published: 11/1/03
- IBSN: 9781888451528
- Genre: Fiction
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Cold Havana Ground
A new mystery in hardcover from the godfather of Cuban Noir.
What people are saying…
“Tantalizing!”
—Publishers Weekly
“In Florida, it’s almost impossible to cast a stone without hitting a mystery novelist. In Cuba, 90 miles away, the odds of hitting a Cuban-born mystery author are almost nil, unless you aim for Correa. He has plowed his country’s rich and fertile soil to good advantage.”
—Library Journal
“Correa’s poker-faced humor and colorful storytelling–plus the chance to look at unfamiliar groups in an off-limits country—make this a worthwhile read.”
—Booklist
“Correa is the undisputed master of Cuban Noir. Here, in Cold Havana Ground, he proves it again. You will not find another book like this anywhere. A must read.”
—William Heffernan, Edgar Award–winning author of Beulah Hill and Cityside
“Authentic and highly original . . . Correa presents a clash between a Chinese secret society and another of African origin . . . An absolutely genuine story of today’s Cuba, seasoned by exotic and sensual Cuban mulattas. Delightful reading.”
—Daniel Chavarría, author of Edgar Award–winning Adios Muchachos
“An incisive mind . . . Arnaldo Correa is a wonderful writer.”
—Lawrence Block, author of Hit List
Description
A riveting mystery based on actual events on the island-nation of Cuba involving three Afro-Cuban religions: Santería, Palo Monte, and the Abakuá Secret Society. A recently buried corpse disappears from Havana’s Chinese cemetery. The police are seeking possible motives and suspects. A santera who discovers that a malignant spirit has taken possession of her brother’s head undertakes her own investigation, using divining methods and other arts of her religion . . . Both inquiries eventually coincide, revealing an extraordinary web of criminal and religious occurrences.
Correa had access to Havana police records for his lengthy research and he conducted extensive studies into the three Afro-Cuban religions that permeate the novel. He has crafted a flawless mystery with an intense and authentic look into little-known aspects of Cuban society.
- Subjects: Caribbean Interest, Mysteries & Crime
- Tags: Arnaldo Correa, Cuba
Extras
Book Details
Author
ARNALDO CORREA was born in the Escambray Mountains, Cuba, in 1935. In 1966, he published his first book of short stories, which was praised by Fidel Castro. Correa is considered one of three founders of the Cuban crime-fiction genre. He studied mining engineering at the University of Alabama, and traveled extensively through the US in the 1950s. He has worked on development projects in Cuba, Vietnam, Angola, and Mozambique. The 2002 hardcover edition of Spy’s Fate was his first novel in English translation, followed in 2003 by the highly acclaimed Cold Havana Ground. Correa currently lives in Havana.