Mambo Peligroso - by Patricia Chao (Paperback)

About the Book

This dazzling novel of the New York world of mambo--hot-blooded, fast-paced, and Latin--is penned by the gifted author of the acclaimed "Monkey King."

From the Back Cover

When Catalina Ortiz Midori walks into a shabby New York dance studio for her first mambo class, she has no idea her life is about to change. A Japanese-Cuban immigrant who has lost touch with her Cuban roots, Catalina is mesmerized by the one-eyed teacher, El Tuerto, a titan of the New York mambo scene, and drawn to the dazzling technique of Wendy Cardoza, a Bronx mambera who is one of its reigning queens. Catalina's apprenticeship with them, and her growing obsession with the world of mambo -- the music, the dancers, the seductive dance itself -- will bring her back to her origins with a passion she didn't know she possessed, and inadvertently draw her into a sinister Miami exile scheme through her disreputable cousin Guillermo.

Review Quotes

"Fast-paced . . . always quite clever and often graceful ." - San Antonio Express-News
"Chao induces the reader to feel the intensity of her characters' pleasure in dancing . . . Deeply interesting." - Washington Post
"Fast-paced . . . always quite clever and often graceful . . . The success of the novel lies . . . in the intricacy of its smallest parts, and most lastingly in the rich and troubled lives of its central characters." - San Antonio Express-News
"This sensuous and sometimes violent tale is filled with sexy foot-stomping scenes--and an assassination plot to boot." - Good Housekeeping (Book Babe selection)
"Highly talented . . . [Chao] cleverly steps up the narrative like an ever-increasing tempo." - Orlando Sentinel
"An entertaining, sometimes intoxicating read. Like the passionate dancers she portrays, Chao writes with heart and soul." - Kirkus Reviews
"Chao takes readers for a floor-scorching spin . . . This high-voltage novel will have readers furiously flipping pages and tapping their toes--perhaps even pondering some salsa sessions of their own." - Booklist (starred review)
"A floor-scorching spin...This high-voltage novel will have readers furiously flipping pages and tapping their toes." - Booklist (starred review)
"Compelling... Intense passion, energy, and sexuality... The pace accelerates and becomes relentless... Recommended for all collections." - Library Journal