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    RED ANGEL by William Heffernan

    A PAUL DEVLIN MYSTERY

    William Morrow, 2000

    Detective Paul Devlin's lover Adrianna is called to Cuba when her aunt is injured in a car 'accident.' Devlin insists on accompanying her--something isn't right about the call and it comes too closely on the heels of a threat from a Mafia Don. Once in Cuba, Devlin and Adrianna discover that Adrianna's aunt, nicknamed The Red Angel was a hero of the Cuban revolution, fought alongside Castro in the mountains, and has since lead Cuba's medical establishment. The Red Angel was killed in the supposed accident and someone is using her body for voodoo rites.

    Devlin and Adrianna, 'assisted' by a Police Major but opposed by the dreaded Cuban Secret Police, investigate. The forces of Voodoo run strong in Cuba, and the Mafia is attempting to re-establish the ties it lost in the Castro revolution--a bad combination for Devlin. Calling for reinforcements, in the form of sidekick Ollie Pitts, Devlin rushes from danger to danger. At the back of his mind, he has to ask himself why Major Martinez is helping him, and why he seems able to buck the establishment.

    William Heffernan's descriptions of Cuba and its Voodoo religion are fascinating and ring with authenticity. His fast-paced adventure drives the plot forward, thrusting Devlin and friends into problem after problem. Pitts interjects a humorous note into the novel, although sometimes this humor crosses the boundary into tastelessness. If plot and adventure are Heffernan's strong points, character is his weakness. The villains are cardboard, and even primary characters such as Devlin, Major Martinez, and Adrianna lack depth. Still, hard-charging plot keeps the pages turning.

    Two Stars

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