Libby Fischer Hellmann

writes the Ellie Foreman mysteries, the Georgia Davis thrillers, and several stand-alone thrillers. Her Ellie books are a cross between “Desperate Housewives” and “24”, but the Georgia Davis PI thrillers are more hard-boiled. Her stand-alones include a “trilogy” of thrillers set during the revolutions of Iran, Cuba, and the turbulent late Sixties in Chicago.

The Cuba Files: Santería

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If you have read Havana Lost you’ll have noticed the way I’ve woven the Santería religion through the plot. A potent mix of European Catholicism and African Voodoo, it is a constant backdrop to the Cuban psyche. My character Carla Garcia believes in it more than any of the other characters in the book, not … Read more

The Cuba Files: Tourism in Cuba

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Today, more than three million tourists visit Cuba every year (except for Americans, of course). In fact, tourism is the country’s #1 source of revenue. People are drawn by Cuba’s climate, beaches, attractive prices, and remarkable history. It wasn’t always this way. Poor post-revolution relations After the revolution, relations between the US and Cuba deteriorated. … Read more

The Fussy Librarian

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There’s a new “discovery” website called The Fussy Librarian launching this week. It’s a place where readers sign up, indicate what kinds of books, ebooks, or audios they prefer (genre, degree of violence, sex, etc) and get customized emails either daily or weekly with recommendations. You don’t buy anything on the site, you simply take a look, … Read more

English Bookstore in Havana: How You Can Help

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As you know, I’ve been talking about Calle Libro, the first English language bookstore that’s opened in Havana since the revolution. While they’re wildly popular, like many businesses in Cuba, they do not have the funds to buy books. So, for those of you who want to help, whether you’re planning a trip yourself or … Read more

The Cuba Files: Book publishing in Cuba

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Cuba’s book selling world is almost wholly state-controlled. And politics sells the best, no surprise when the government controls the books available. Take 100 Hours with Fidel, an incredibly lengthy interview with Fidel Castro. Or Che Guevara’s Bolivian diary, another big seller. If you live in Cuba and want to broaden your reading, you face … Read more

The Cuba Files: Cuba’s Special Period

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I call it the “Depression Nobody Knows About” — at least here in the U.S. Cuba suffered a severe depression in the early Nineties that makes our “Great Recession” look like a walk in the park. Some say the Cuban economy still hasn’t recovered, and there is some truth to that. Today I talk about … Read more