Escape to Havana - (Foreign Affairs Mystery) by Nick Wilkshire (Paperback)

About the Book

Charlie Hillier believes a posting in Havana, far away from the indiscretions of his ex-wife and the monotony of a desk job, is just what he needs to start a new life. But when drugs, a kidnapping, and murder complicate things, he wonders if he'll make it out of Cuba alive.

Book Synopsis

For Charlie Hillier, a posting to Cuba could be the perfect place to start his new life -- if he survives it.

With his career stalled and the office abuzz about his soon-to-be-ex-wife's indiscretions, Ottawa bureaucrat Charlie Hillier is desperate for a change. So when the chance at a posting to the Canadian embassy in Havana comes up, he jumps at it, grateful to get as far away as he can from his ex and his dead-end job at Foreign Affairs headquarters.

At first, exotic Havana seems just the place to bury his past and start anew, but he didn't count on finding a couple of kilos of cocaine under his bedroom floor, the kidnapping of a fellow diplomat, or the unsettling connection he uncovers between the former occupant of his house and a Colombian drug-runner. Before long, Charlie's only concern is whether he'll survive his posting at all.

Review Quotes

Escape to Havana is a likeable page-turning cocktail of drugs, geopolitics, greed, (some) sex and murder in a diplomatic pouch full of all the ingredients of what is to become a popular series.-- "Bynoe on Arts"

Escape to Havana is immensely readable and great fun.-- "Deadly Diversions"

A bit of romance, a bit of gentle humor, several bits of official corruption and drug-related violence, and a chance for the mild-mannered hero to rise to an impossible challenge.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

A fast-paced, entertaining, and cautionary tale about the glamorous life of the diplomatic set, peopled with believable toughs and an engaging protagonist-- "Ottawa Review of Books"

A highly entertaining, fast-paced mystery.-- "Publishers Weekly"

If you thought diplomacy was all play and no work, this book will confirm those opinions. It's not the image Foreign Affairs aspires to perpetuate, but it's plenty of lightweight fun.-- "Ottawa Magazine"

Readers who stay the course, whether drawn by curiosity or Wilkshire's masterful prose and sly humor, will get their reward.-- "Booklist"

The humour and watching a Canadian in Cuba is the real gem of the book.-- "The Book Trail"

There is a kind of wry humour to Escape to Havana, as the bumbling protagonist succeeds and in the process becomes the hero of his own story.-- "reviewingtheevidence.com"

Wilkshire may be among Canada's most humorous writers.-- "The Sun Times"

About the Author

Nick Wilkshire is a lawyer originally from St. John's, Newfoundland. He is a graduate of Memorial University and Osgoode Hall Law School. Escape to Havana is the first book in his new series featuring fledgling diplomat Charlie Hillier. Nick lives in Ottawa.