Sins of the Fathers [Abridged] [Audio Cassette]

John Blackthorn (Author), John Blackthorne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 1999

Set on the eve of the Cuban revolution's 40th anniversary celebration, this book adds a chilling coda to the Cuban Missile Crisis when a couple of old Russian warheads turn up in the hands of anti-Castro exiles bent on thermonuclear revenge. After four decades of disinformation and dirty tricks, the CIA and Cuban Intelligence aren't about to trust each other. Havana hangs in the balance. As the timer ticks inexorably toward January 1, 1999, an American historian finds himself caught in a race against the clock, between the Cold War past he's studying and an unthinkable future of atomic devastation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his debut, espionage novelist Blackthorn ("the pseudonym of a political figure," according to the publisher) turns to Cuba, the vestigial remaining turf of the Cold War, to try to cook up some credible spy suspense. As Jan. 1, 1999, approaches, the 40th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, a group of exiled terrorists plots to blow up Castro and his attendant public masses with a thermonuclear warheadAone conveniently left over from 1962's Cuban missile crisis. Two warheads were stashed away by a rogue Russian, whose son is now peddling them. American scholar McLemore stumbles across the scheme while doing historical research. His local guide, Trinidad, "a disdainfully attractive woman," is an undercover intelligence operative who will eventually help him save the day. The plot is stretched pretty thin, especially in its abridged audio incarnation, and lacks any pull of real suspense. Reader Perez, while bringing Latin flavor to his character voices, strains with the overbaked material. Based on the 1998 Morrow hardcover. (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Castro-haters plot to nuke Fidel in this less-than-explosive suspenser. They also plan to pulverize along with him hundreds of thousands of others, employing as their weapon a lost nuclear warhead left behind by the Russians in 1962. Self-styled Bravos, the terrorists are Cuban exiles fixated on revenge. The plan is to detonate the bomb in mid-Havana on January 1, 1999, the 40th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, and the fact that a good many of those blown to bits with Castro will be babies doesn't rate a Bravo eye blink. For a while, only one man stands in their way. The unlikely stopgap is an American historian named McLemore, in Cuba on a research grant. In a desultory way he's re-examining the Cuban missile crisis, hoping for an overlooked nugget to revive an academic career in decline. Enter the beautiful and enigmatic Trinidad. Ostensibly, she's a government guide. Actually, she's a highly placed member of Cuban intelligence. In ways ever available to the beautiful and enigmatic heroines of suspense fiction, she galvanizes McLemore, converting him from a burnt-out case to a live-wire. It's McLemore who works it out that the Bravos have latched onto the nuke. It's McLemore who locates the whereabouts of the missing warhead. And it's McLemore who manages to convince the CIA and Cuban intelligence that after years of double-crossing each other they have much to gain from playing it straight. When at length McLemore and Trinidad yield to their mutual passion, few readers will be surprised. Nor will they be taken unawares when in the last nanosecond of countdown, the good guys catch up with the bad guys and neutralize the nuke. Blackthorn, we're told, is the pseudonym for ``an internationally known political figure.'' And he does seem comfortable with his backgrounds. What he lacks is the savvy storyteller's abililty to invent people who can make the backgrounds come alive. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Soundelux Audio Pub; Abridged edition (January 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559352922
• ISBN-13: 978-1559352925
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,185,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ambassador-in-waiting writes compassionately about Cuba, March 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Aurora, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sins of the Fathers: A Novel (Hardcover)

When the United States finally re-establishes diplomatic relations with Cuba, John Blackthorn should be on the "short list" of ambassador candidates. Blackthorn, according to the bookjacket a pseudonym for a political figure, writes expertly and compassionatley about the country and its people in his novel, "Sins of the Father." The book crackles with authenticity in describing present day Cuba, and the story line -- involving left behind warheads from the missile crisis and a plot by Cuban refugees to "blow up" the 40th anniversary celebration of the revolution -- comes across as very plausible. But its Blackthorn's obvious compassion for the people of the country that rings loudest. The poverty inflicted by the Hobson's choice between a Communist-government that cannot adequately provide for its people and foreign (U.S.) domination is brilliantly depicted. The novel reads truest when focusing on historical matters and reportage. The thriller aspects are, frankly, a little to pat. Still, "Sins of the Father" should appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in the missile crisis and the political-economic-social conditions of our offshore neighbor.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never before insight into critical juncture in history., February 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sins of the Fathers: A Novel (Hardcover)

Whoever John Blackthorn is (my guess is an ex-CIA chief or White House Executive), he has given an amazing introspection into one of this century's most critical and intense moments. Written much like a well played chess game, which coincidentally is worked masterfully in a brilliant scene in the text, Blackthorn has taken the fairly well trodden spy thriller genre into a complex yet artfully placed backdrop of historical and political perspective. He ties this into a modern thriller using an intricate plot line and even manages to play to Hollywood by introducing the required love story for the main characters. Much like the Three Days of the Condor style of intrigue and espionage, he seems to be readying himself for the inevitable move to the big screen. While I was too young to remember the exact details of the Russian/Cuban Missile Crisis that acted out some of the best political drama in the second part of the twentieth century, Blackthorn shocks you into realizing how 'white knuckled' and decisive a period of time this really was. He obviously has some 'insight' into the behind the scenes goings on during this time, or else he is one hell of a researcher. All in all, I am quite impressed with his work and not only hope to find out who he is (is it the same 'Anonymous' that stirred up such controversy a while back?), but more importantly hopes he follows up with other works just as exciting. If you are into an impossible to put down book that is reminiscent of the style of Le Carre and also manages to exquisitely tie in actual historical accounts, do not hesitate to pick this one up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This story really makes you think!, February 3, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sins of the Fathers (Audio Cassette)

After listening to the audio "Sins of the Fathers" written by a mystery politician - I wonder who it could be??? - I am really seeing Cuba and it's people in a different light. "John Blackthorn" (possibly G. Bush?) writes a story that you don't want to leave. Filled with historical and geographical images, I have never before been made aware of, with characters I could really feel, I was mesmerized by the story this author weaves. Having been but a baby when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred, I never fully grasped what it was all about. Now I am hungry to read and learn more about this historic episode in World history. I highly recommend this audio to anyone interested in a great mystery, based on actual historical and political events.