Outcast (ISBN 0771046618)

Amazon.com Review:
The recent explosion of Cuba-mania means that people who don't speak a word of Spanish are singing along with Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, and the rest of the Buena Vista wunder-octogenarians; that Cuban cigars are more chic than clichéd; and that José Latour, popular Cuban thriller writer, is publishing his first English-language novel. Set partly in Havana and partly in Miami, Outcast will provide many Anglophone noir fans with their first glimpse of that genre as practiced in a country still largely tantalizing in its inaccessibility. Elliot Steil, born of a Cuban mother to a long-vanished American father, may not love his life in Havana (as an English teacher earning the equivalent of $2 a month, who would?), but he loves the city itself for its tattered elegance and the warmth of its people. His response to the communist political philosophy that underpins and overlies Cuba is one of generally resigned apathy. The arrival of Dan Gastler, who claims to be an old friend of Elliot's father, catapults Elliot from apathy to action when Gastler offers the teacher a chance to escape to the U.S. on his sailboat. But Gastler shoves Elliot overboard mid-journey, leaving him to die in the Florida Straits. The serendipitous arrival of a family of Cuban rafters prevents him from drowning, but does little to assuage Elliot's baffled fury. The answers come slowly, as the teacher tackles a dual mission: to survive financially and psychologically as a Cuban refugee in Miami, and to uncover the identity and motive of his attacker. The former pulls him gradually into the city's grungy criminal underbelly, and the latter entangles him in a treacherous web of bitter family history and political machinations--with deadly consequences. Though Latour is no Vladimir Nabokov (his grasp of English, while certainly commendable, doesn't prevent a host of bizarre phrasings from jarring the reader's eye and ear), Outcast is at heart a workmanlike thriller. Its innate straightforwardness, however, is often at odds with Latour's efforts to fancy things up with arbitrary chronological leaps and shifts in narrative perspective, which undermine the novel's pacing and plot. But for readers looking for a glimpse into Cuban American life through a rarely used prism, Outcast will deliver the goods. --Kelly Flynn

Decent Thriller, Great on Cuba:
One might easy lump Latour's gritty thriller in with the plethora of serviceable South Florida crime fiction on the shelves, but that would be overlooking its' value as a window into modern Cuban society. Set in 1994, the book starts with Elliot Steil, a Cuban English teacher and apathetic Marxist who ekes out a dreary existence in a Havana where food is scarce, and the state's omnipresence stifles expression. His life is thrown into turmoil when an American tourist shows up, claiming to be a friend of his long-vanished father, and offering to help him escape to America. However, in a stunning reversal, Elliot is left to die in the waters off Florida. Rescued by fellow Cuban rafters, he makes it to Miami, where he must learn a whole new way of living in the land of the almighty dollar. The book is at its' best in showing the unpleasant reality of life in modern Cuba (one completely absent from Daniel Chavarria's Cuban crime caper "Adios Muchachos"), and the bewilderment of a refugee adjusting to life in America. As Elliot gets his measure of America and manages to scrape some cash together, he starts to wonder who would try to kill him and why. His fairly straightforward investigation is broken up with lengthy flashbacks and backstory which are a little awkward, but not overly so. An engaging supporting cast helps him in his quest, from the car thief Hairball, to former student Tony, to a tough Jewish businessman. Less well-conceived are the villains of the piece, who suffer from weak characterizations and unlikely actions. The outcome is not overly surprising, but the book is well worth reading for Latour's thoughtful contrast of modern Cuban and American societies, and the flaws of each.

great:
Outcast is a marvellous atempt to capture Cuban culture and history whilst simultaneously showing you the plight that many illegal immigrants have to go through when trying to cross the 90 miles of sea to get to the states, miami. I take my hat if to latour, as he builds suspense so to does he build up red hearings to fool you and presents some quite unexpected twists. Its genre is crime and his imagery is nothing short of amazing i have never felt so emersed in a book where i could actually see everything he was describing. Pick it up you will not regret it I know i havent.

Almost Perfect:
This novel grabbed me from the get-go, and didn't let go until about 3/5 of the way through. Jose Latour is a brilliant Cuban crime writer, who has style and insight. This, his first written in English, should be read by all mystery/crime novel lovers. Starts out in Havana, a Cuban English teacher (of part North American desent), who is rather indifferent towrds the revolution, is contacted by an American who says he has been paid 9k to bring this teacher to Miami. The plan is set, but half way there, our friend is pushed off the boat, and left for the sharks. There begins the drama and mystery. Don't worry, I did not spoil anything, there is so much that happens in this novel. It did become a tad bit inconcevable towards the end, for that I knocked off one star. But it is an entertaining read, and was quite enlightening in regards to Cuba.

A surprisingly wonderful read:
Four-and-a-half stars would be more accurate. Not a perfect book, but a very good read. I've been to Cuba and read everyting I can find about it, especially novels set there. Latour reveals much of the miserable truth about life in dingy Havana in the course of this facinating page turner. The novel's hero, Elliot Steil, runs into a mysterious stranger in Cuba who pursuades him to head for Miami. A series of peculiar events in the United States leads him to uncover the chilling secrets of his family. He thinks through his dilemma with originality, cunning, and practicality so typical of intelligent Cubans who are forced to live by their wits in their beleaguered country. This glimpse inside the clever Cuban mind was the most fascinating part of the book for me. The worst flaw is revealing to the reader the identity of the killer by inference long before the hero gets it. Latour also lards in just a few too many complaints about the money-centric quality of life in the USA, but he may have had to do so in order to get published in Cuba. I look forward to Latour's next book and recommend it to crime readers and to those curious about the lives of Cubans who make the dangerous trip to the USA.

Great mystery/thriller:
This is a great mystery thriller by a well known Cuban writer. Usually foreign writers can't translate thier styles, to my liking, into American literature. Jose Latour is an exception and I just pray he keeps writing more for his American fans.