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José Latour's OUTCAST is a hard–boiled thriller that uses the harsh realities of
life in Cuba as a starting point for a well–plotted mystery. Unlike the other authors
considered in this survey, Latour does not use his book to make a political point; rather,
he uses a political reality as the engine that drives his book. In fact, the most
political aspect of OUTCAST, Latour's first book in written in English, may be the fact
that Latour lives and works in Havana, where the Cuban government still keeps close tabs
on writers.
Elliot Steil is a dissatisfied teacher of English in Havana who has, for various reasons,
been passed over for promotion and leads a disappointing and frustrating life. When he is
approached by a man claiming to have been sent by Steil's estranged American father to get
him off the island, Steil hesitates, but eventually agrees to take the extreme risk of
trying to sneak out of Cuba. Although the escape does not go as Steil expects (to reveal
more would be to give away one of the plot's important surprises), he does make it to
Miami where he sets out to find the answers to some especially nagging questions.
Like many thrillers, OUTCAST relies on some fairly far–fetched plot points --- how,
for example, does this meek teacher become the gun–toting schemer of the book's
second half? But like all good thrillers, the plot of OUTCAST is designed to keep the
reader hooked by piling shocking events one atop the other, allowing little time for plot
dissection while the book is being read. And while the ending may leave you scratching
your head, OUTCAST delivers plenty of action against a backdrop of shady dealings and
devious behavior.
--- Reviewed by Rob Cline
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