Last Seen in Havana - (Havana Mystery) by Teresa Dovalpage

About the Book

" In 2019, newly widowed baker Mercedes Spivey flies from Miami to her native Cuba to care after her ailing paternal grandmother. Mercedes's life has been shaped by loss, beginning with the mysterious unsolved disappearance of her mother when Mercedes was a little girl. Returning to Cuba revives Mercedes's hopes of finding her mother as she attempts to piece together the few scraps of information she has. Could her mother still be alive? Thirty-three years earlier, an American college student with endless political optimism falls deliriously in love with a handsome Cuban soldier while on a spontaneous visit to the island. She decides to stay permanently, but soon discovers that nothing is as it seems in Havana. The two women's stories proceed in parallel as Mercedes gets closer to discovering the truth about her mother, uncovering shocking family secrets in the process . . "--

Book Synopsis

A Cuban American woman searches for her long-lost mother and fights to restore a beautiful but crumbling Art Deco home in the heart of Havana in this moving, immersive new mystery, perfect for fans of Of Women and Salt.

Newly widowed baker Mercedes Spivey flies from Miami to her native Cuba in 2019 to care for her ailing paternal grandmother. Mercedes's life has been shaped by loss, beginning with the mysterious unsolved disappearance of her mother when Mercedes was a little girl. Returning to Cuba revives Mercedes's hopes of finding her mother as she attempts to piece together the few scraps of information she has. Could her mother still be alive?

Thirty-three years earlier, in 1986, an American college student with endless political optimism falls deliriously in love with a handsome Cuban soldier while on a spontaneous visit to the island. She decides to stay permanently, but soon discovers that nothing is as it seems in Havana.

The two women's stories proceed in parallel as Mercedes gets closer to the truth about her mother, uncovering shocking family secrets in the process . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for Last Seen in Havana

An Amazon Editors' Pick

"Explores how familial bonds can fray, yet manage to hold steady, across the decades."
--Sarah Weinman, The New York Times

"In this haunting novel, Havana once again becomes the main character as Dovalpage imparts her intimate knowledge of the city. The work is more than a clever murder mystery or a nostalgic look at a lost childhood or even the probing of a strained relationship between grandmother and granddaughter. It proves rather to be a slow-building sociological study of a deeply troubling political system observed by a disillusioned young person as the scales gradually fall from her eyes."
--Taos News

"A page-turning, character-driven mystery that weaves back and forth between time and space, mother and daughter, truths and lies. Dovalpage grounds you in Cuba, both past and present, immersing readers in a heart-wrenching family drama that will keep you riveted until the end. I couldn't put it down!"
--Mia P. Manansala, author of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-winning Arsenic and Adobo

"With this powerful, heart-wrenching mystery that is steeped in the emotional and literal space between Miami and Cuba, Dovalpage crafts a generational story that will engage mystery lovers but also builds a character-driven family drama that explores the spaces between our living family and those we thought lost. An unforgettable ride."
--Alex Segura, bestselling author of Secret Identity

"Dovalpage expertly weaves a tale of family secrets, idealism, motherhood, and patria. Last Seen in Havana was captivating to the very end--tropical gothic with the perfect blend of sun, secrets, and supernatural."
--Raquel V. Reyes, author of the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series

"Like many practitioners of the literary arts, Dovalpage continues to hone her craft with each book, and Last Seen in Havana, with its dual narratives, emerges as her strongest and most ambitious novel to date . . . What ensues is a gripping mystery that captures the dynamics of people and place, a novel rife with emotional resonance."
--Latino Book Review

"An exciting, dramatic, multi-layered plot with well-drawn characters and a great deal of information about what growing up Cuban meant in the mid-1980s."
--BookTrib

"Armchair travelers will savor Dovalpage's detailed depiction of Cuba, and the heartbreaking ending will stay with readers long after they turn the last page. Dovalpage delivers the goods."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"All can enjoy the fine writing, along with finally learning what happened to Mercedes' parents."
--Booklist

Praise for the Havana Mysteries

"A fast-paced, richly layered tour de force . . . Bravo, Teresa Dovalpage! Encore!"
--Lucha Corpi, author of the Gloria Damasco mysteries

"A refreshing and elusive Cuban crime novel."
--The Toronto Star

"A lesser-known Cuba, with the kind of details that make it a home rather than a holiday."
--Chicago Review of Books

"Armchair travelers will appreciate the views of Havana through the eyes of Mercedes and her grandmother . . . Dovalpage remains a writer to watch."
--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Writer, translator and college professor, Teresa Dovalpage is a Cuban transplant firmly rooted in New Mexico. She is the author of three short story collections, four plays, and twelve novels--including the Havana Mystery series. She lives with her husband, one dog and too many barn cats.