CUBA Unchained

In Dion’s debut political thriller, an ambitious businessman takes it upon himself to fix relations between the United States and Cuba.

After growing restless in his retirement, successful businessman and former Marine Corp captain Nickolas Harvey sets out to realize what he refers to as his “Signature Event,” an ambitious project he hopes will be his legacy. Enlisting several former business colleagues, Harvey creates a political organization whose main objective is to end the embargo against Cuba. Harvey’s campaign quickly gains publicity; he garners enough support to become the point of interest for several major political groups. Harvey’s success also makes him a target of rival organizations and those looking to maintain the current state of affairs. Fending off both political and physical attacks, Harvey takes his cause to the highest levels of U.S. and Cuban governments with the goal of ending their Cold War animosity. Dion delivers a complicated thriller that expands its focus to include the plight of those living in Cuba under the effects of the embargo, particularly those looking to seek asylum in the United States to escape poverty or political prosecution. The novel unfolds at a quick pace and uses the character’s campaign to offer essential background information regarding U.S.–Cuba relations. Despite the fast pace of its plot, Dion’s writing sometimes drags and falls flat; the more dramatic moments of the novel are treated with the same muted tenor as the more mundane. The novel also spends a great deal of time invested in the political and business elements of the plot, which may not satisfy those looking for a more action-oriented thriller, but these details do offer additional realism.

An interesting thriller that doesn’t quite match the ambition of its protagonist.