The Havana Room is a story about a lawyer in New York, and the things that happen to him as he tries to lead his simple, normal, boring life. Things that definitely aren't simple, normal, or boring.
This is a story John Grisham would write if he could. Now, if you're a big fan of John Grisham, that's great. I'm not saying he's a bad writer, what I AM saying is that this is a book that John Grisham would probably like, but its more gritty, honest, dark,--and two steps outside the mainstream--than what Grisham is writing; which I think is a good thing.
That all being said, this story doesn't hinge on our boy Bill Wyeth being a lawyer, but his expertise does help with the plot lines. The Havana Room doesn't take long to get rolling either. We meet our guy, living that normal life, which then gets unnormal pretty quickly. By page 20 its all gone to shit. Then as Wyeth blows around New York like a ghost of himself, he stumbles upon the Havana Room, and life promptly goes to Shinola.
Harrison has put together a well paced, thoughtful, mysterious and modern noir. Its a look at how far a guy will go when he feels like he may have lost everything anyway, all the while hoping that he hasn't and that there may be a way back. Or perhaps forward and through, which is maybe better anyway. Harrison's characters do and say things you assume some folks do and say, but you've never witnessed. Or at least, not to this degree. It adds a sharpness to the story that pulled me in and along for the ride in much shorter order than I usually finish a book.
Read this book.
And you keep an eye out for Colin Harrison too. And if he writes something, drop me a note in the comments below. In the meantime, I'll be checking out some of his earlier stuff. you know, at some point
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