Mambo

Completing a trilogy begun with Jig and Mazurka , Armstrong presents a conspiracy against an aging, isolated Fidel Castro. Exiles and resisters dream of a free, democratic Cuba, while a secret cartel of businessmen plans for an island once more made safe for capitalism. At the heart of the plot are Rafael Rosabal, a Fidelista cabinet minister with his own private agenda; Gunther Ruhr, ``The Claw,'' a ruthless German terrorist-for-hire; and Scotland Yard's Frank Pagan, who confronts, unravels and foils the scheme. Armstrong (the pseudonym of Campbell Black) has written a fast-moving page-turner whose episodes are more satisfying than the whole. Implausibilities abound, including Pagan's metamorphosis from policeman to secret agent, and the conspirators' elaborate hijacking of a U.S. cruise missile. An extended subplot involving The Claw's graphic sexual abuse of a young girl seems gratuitious. A work that delivers less than it promises. $80,000 ad/promo; author tour. (Apr.)