From the legendary #1 New York Times bestselling author of Plum Island and Night Fall comes this “action-packed, relentlessly paced thriller” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) featuring US Army combat veteran Daniel “Mac” MacCormick, now a charter boat captain, who is about to set sail on his most dangerous cruise.Daniel “Mac” Graham MacCormick seems to have a pretty good life. At age … seems to have a pretty good life. At age thirty-five he’s living in Key West, owner of a forty-two-foot charter fishing boat The Maine. But after serving five years in the Army and purchasing a boat with a big bank loan, Mac’s finances are more than a little shaky.
One day, Mac is sitting in the famous Green Parrot Bar, contemplating his life, and waiting for Carlos, a hotshot Miami lawyer heavily involved with anti-Castro groups. Carlos wants to hire Mac and The Maine for a ten-day fishing tournament to Cuba at the standard rate, but Mac suspects there is more to this and turns it down. The price then goes up to two million dollars, and Mac agrees to hear the deal, and meet Carlos’s clients—a beautiful Cuban-American woman named Sara Ortega, and a mysterious older Cuban exile, Eduardo Valazquez.
What Mac learns is that there is sixty million American dollars hidden in Cuba by Sara’s grandfather when he fled Castro’s revolution. With the “Cuban Thaw” underway between Havana and Washington, Carlos, Eduardo, and Sara know it’s only a matter of time before someone finds the stash—by accident or on purpose. And Mac knows if he accepts this job, he’ll walk away rich…or not at all.
more
Love Nelson DeMille. The musings of the protagonist are witty and completely believable.
Witty
I’ve never read anything by Nelson deMille, but this wasn’t too shabby an introduction.
What made it great…
It’s a low-key thriller, so there’s no silly plot of some ordinary joe having to save the world. He’s no hero, he wants his cash and he wants to stay alive. Pretty relatable.
The research deMille did on the history of Cuban-American relations and what it’s like to be an American tourist in Cuba, was amazing.
The humor! You don’t get a lot of humor in thrillers, but the main character is snarky and sarcastic. Loved it!!
It isn’t just about the money. I won’t give it away, but the real treasure ends up being about something more than money.
But no book is perfect and here’s what I hated…
The love interest/fellow adventurer. Ugh. She’s a tough cookie and within the first day on Cuba they’re in bed together. That’s expected. What’s not expected and not believable…she is CONSTANTLY asking him if he loves her. And I’m not kidding, this starts right after their first night together. Come on, lady, stop being so pathetic!
I love this author but in this case, I guess I wasn’t as interested in Cuba as I’ve been in the subject of other books.
This author is awesome!! Kept me on edge.
Just adore Nelson DeMille!
I just like this author’s writing style.
exciting
Enjoyed it and easy to read. Liked the humor, much like his earlier novels.
Nelson DeMille is not normally a writer who jokes or is playful with his books, but this one had some light touches. Good story line and he tied up all the loose ends.
I really like the wry 1st person writing. Similar to his character John Cory in Plum Island and a few other books.
Fast moving. Well developed characters.
It is written by my favorite author I couldn’t put it down do not hesitate to get this book
DeMille’s books just keep getting better and better! I love that I always learn new things while devouring one of his books—both from the book, & because he inspires me to conduct a little research to learn more about the times & places featured. This book will definitely remain on my bookshelf for a future re-read.
I read The Cuban Affair shortly after it was published and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having never been to Cuba or lived in South Florida, this was a very plausible storyline to me. I loved its twists and turns. It kept me involved and eager to keep reading right up to the end. I keep hoping for a follow up for these characters.
as always a great book and very suspenseful.
DeMille is not consistent. Some of his recent books are ho hum. But with The Cuban affair he is back.
His book, The Lion, is in my opinion one of the best books of the last 50 years.
Also excellent are Up Country, Plum Island, The Gold Coast, The Gate House, Night Fall, and The General’s Daughter.
Made me laugh-out-loud! A lot!
Best Book I have ever read.
The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille
September 2017
I received this soft cover ARC from GoodReads giveaway and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book by Nelson DeMille that I’ve had the pleasure to read. An extraordinary writer with witty, daring and interesting characters. Daniel Graham MacCormick, “Mac” for short is a 35 yr old, Army vet surviving two tour of Afghanistan. He settles in Key West to run a deep-sea fishing charter boat, The Maine, which he named for his home state.
Life is calm and relaxing running his charter boat with the assistance of his friend, Jack, a retired Vietnam vet. Until one day, he receives an unexpected visit from Carlos, a Miami lawyer involved with anti-Castro groups. Soon he is presented with an offer too good to be true. All he has to do is agree to help an older exiled Cuban, Eduardo retrieve some documents and $60 million dollars from a cave in Havana.
Although an extremely dangerous proposition he is heavily persuaded by his $3 million payment and the seductive Sara Ortega who provides the cover story to get them into Cuba. The story is filled with adventure and suspense. The story is rich with authentic details which must have required extensive research. A wonderful read by a writer I am excited to have discovered.