Publisher's Weekly Review
Evoking the vibrancy of 1950s Havana, this fierce thriller follows a posse of jazz hall patrons and performers as they escape from a nightclub on New Year's Eve, 1958-the night Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista stepped down and Castro took power. Carole, gangster moll to the owner of hot spot El Edén, arrives at the club and discovers a tense showdown over an exchange of dirty money. Tasked with entertaining her husband's "business associate," she enlists her friend Taffy, one of the showgirls, but things take a dark turn, and the women end up with only a few hours to escape Cuba amidst political revolution after committing a murder and making off with a suitcase holding six million dollars. De Campi (No Mercy) delivers a script packed with righteous femme fatales full of wit and moxie, who, according to Taffy, "never face a crisis without lipstick." De Campi's masterful writing is punctuated by the coolness of Santos's block shading artwork and moody coloring; simplistic and reminiscent of the pop art style of the 1950s. Readers will revel in this fast-paced noir, embracing both its elegant period detail and pulpy genre roots. Agent: Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Showgirls on the run with a stolen six million bucks is in itself enough for a rollicking yarn. Add the decadent glamour of prerevolutionary Havana, and you've got a surefire formula. The larcenous lasses are gangster's moll Carole, jazz singer Taffy, and mambo dancer Ana; the action takes place on New Year's Eve, 1958, as Cuba is about to fall to Castro's forces; and the loot is the proceeds from six casinos that the Mob is trying to get out of the country. On the periphery is Kitty, a naive young American who spends the book trying to find the New Year's Eve party that Marlon Brando's attending. De Campi gives the gals an anachronistic agency, placing them one step ahead of the gangsters at least until the violent denouement. Santos' stylish, slightly cartoony artwork reminiscent of a more ramshackle Darwyn Cooke impaets an appropriately retro feel. The book's been described as a noir, and though it's not serious enough to earn that designation, it's nevertheless a fun, kinetic romp, despite the mayhem and bloodshed.--Gordon Flagg Copyright 2018 Booklist
Library Journal Review
It's New Year's Eve, 1958, and Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista has fled the country ahead of rebel forces led by Fidel Castro seizing control of the government. For three women-gangster moll Carole, jazz singer Taffy, and mambo queen Ana-working at a ritzy, mob-run nightclub in Havana, the chaos presents a perfect opportunity to escape with six million in cash. Set over a tumultuous 12-hour period filled with twists and turns, vicious betrayals, and shocking violence, de Campi's (No Mercy) story explores the lengths these women will go to in order to seize the chance for a new life, as well as subtly examining how race and class divide entrap those living on the island. Illustrator Santos (Rashomon: A Commissioner Heigo Kabayashi Case) channels the late cartoonist Darwyn Cooke to capture the style and pop art aesthetic of the era, while also providing visceral action scenes. VERDICT An immensely gripping thriller, although a bit of historical knowledge about the era is helpful in grasping the full implications of the revolution taking place in the background. [Previewed in Jody Osicki's "Graphically Speaking," LJ 6/15/18.]-TB © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.