Killing Castro

Lawrence Block is an undisputed master of the mystery genre, but with a catalog that stretches back nearly a half century many of his early works have long been out of print. Some of those titles are now seeing the light of day for the first day in decades under the Hard Case Crime label.

One of these books, written under a pen name in 1961, is Killing Castro. No one in 1961 could have predicted Castro's longevity. If his harsh regime wasn't quickly overthrown from within it seemed bound to fall with a little outside help.

Enter Block's novel. A group of Americans from different walks of life are dropped into Cuba and told to assassinate Fidel in exchange for a $100,000 payout.

A surprising amount of the book traces the history and evolution of Castro's movement, from the noble face he put on his early efforts to the repression that is the signature of his rule.

As literature this isn't going to knock Shakespeare off the shelf, but as a quick, fun read it's perfect. It's also, unexpectedly, well written and tightly woven; shades of Block's genius, even in his youth.

2.8 out of 4