The Cuban Heiress

May 1, 2023
A woman fears exposure of her secrets in the captivating latest from Cleeton (Our Last Days in Barcelona). In 1934, Catherine Dohan, who claims to be an heiress, is traveling by luxury cruise ship from New York City to Havana with her wealthy fiancé, Raymond. On board, a man tries to kill her. During their struggle, she ends up shooting and killing her assailant with his own gun. Harry, a mysterious, handsome stranger who witnessed the altercation, helps by tossing the man’s body into the sea. Afterward, Harry and Catherine continue running into each other on the ship, and as their attraction grows, he tells her Raymond is not the wealthy man she believes him to be. Elena Palacio, another woman with secrets, is also on the ship, eager to reach Havana to reunite with the aunt who raised her after her parents died. Before the ship leaves port in Havana to return to New York with Catherine, Harry, and Raymond on board, Elena helps smuggle some Cuban children aboard to protect them from president Fulgencio Batista’s government, and the truth comes out about why Catherine was targeted as more tragic misadventures ensue on the high seas. Cleeton adds intriguing secrets and strong character work to the dramatic plot. Historical fiction fans will be riveted. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.

June 10, 2024

Cleeton (Our Last Days in Barcelona) places two well-realized fictional women aboard a boat doomed by history. As the SS Morro Castle's shipwreck off the coast of New Jersey in 1934 has largely faded from cultural memory, most listeners will be left to experience Elena and Catherine's intrigues without the anticipatory tension of, say, a story set on the Titanic. The audiobook's use of skilled narrators for Elena, presumed dead and seeking revenge on her Bluebeard-esque ex-husband, and Catherine, posing as an heiress and apparently engaged to that very man, encourages listeners' sympathy and investment in their causes. Frankie Corzo is exemplary as Elena, audibly devastated by her losses and furiously intent on her purpose. Rachel L. Jacobs has less defined motives in voicing Catherine's chapters but delivers fantastic banter as she flirts with another passenger who, like her, has an eye for wealthy marks. Great narration doesn't prevent the plot transition from personal scheming to naval disaster from feeling too sudden, or a late revelation from undercutting the earlier suspense of characters trapped at sea with a murderer. VERDICT Despite occasional plot missteps, the skilled narration and layered character portraits make for an enjoyable listen.--Lauren Kage

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