Nelson deMille: The Cuban Affair, Simon & Schuster, 9781501101724, $ 28, - pub date: September 19, 2017

Thanks to the courtesy of Simon & Schuster I was able to read the proof of Nelson DeMille’s latest book, “The Cuban Affair”. I had read previous thrillers by him and liked Plum Island in particular.  His style of writing reminds me a little of the late Robert B Parker but America's greatest living thriller writer he is not.

To my great disappointment I never got into “The Cuban Affair” however much I tried, the plot felt improbable,  too far stretched , the sex and romance too matter of fact and not romantic at all (perhaps guys will disagree with me here) to qualify for the turn of events later  in the book.  We need a little work here Mr. DeMille.  The story as such sounded interesting when I read the blurb but having read the book, I feel the concept was put together too quickly to coincide with reader’s interest during the defrosting period of American / Cuban relations under President Obama.  Having visited Cuba myself,  I found his descriptions of the island and political atmosphere authentic and well written.

Dan MacCormick, Mac for short,  is a former army veteran who fought in  Afghanistan  and is now  the owner of “The Maine” , a charter boat sailing out of Key West whenever tourist book her for fishing cruises or other expeditions.  When mysterious Carlos, a lawyer from Miami, approaches him on behalf of an older Cuban exile Eduardo Valazques offering him very serious money for a dangerous mission into Cuban territory to retrieve 60 million hidden US dollars, Mac accepts against his better judgement as this would bail him out of financial issues.  Sara Ortega, a beautiful Cuban American woman appearing as the other client Carlos represents, makes the deal even sweeter for Mac. But as I said, perhaps this is a “wham bam thank you Madam” type of thriller meant for guys mainly; it did not do it for me.