The Golden Havana Night: A Sherlock Homie Adventure

Cuban émigré Joaquin “Kino” Machaco, a star outfielder for the Colorado Rockies, needs the help of Agustin “Gus” Corral in Ramos’s uninspired third mystery featuring the Denver, Colo., ex-con turned PI (after 2016’s My Bad: A Mile High Noir). Kino’s brother, Alberto, who lives with him and has a gambling problem, owes money to a bad guy in Cuba: entrepreneur Miguel “Hoochie” Almeida. Hoochie is possibly threatening the brothers and their sister, Lourdes Rivera, back in Cuba. Gus agrees to go to Cuba with Alberto and 500 grand in cash to try to resolve the problem. Soon after Gus’s arrival in Havana, where he connects with Lourdes, a series of violent attacks that leaves one dead makes him realize that his job wasn’t just about delivering the money. Trouble follows him back to Colorado. An unengaging subplot involving a search for a crooked cop distracts from the main story line. Ramos spins a dark if sometimes muddled tale of confused loyalties and shocking betrayals, and the subtitle will mislead readers expecting anything related to Sherlock Holmes. (Sept.)