On the eve of the Cuban Revolution, headstrong 18-year-old Francesca Pacelli flees from her ruthless Mafia-boss father in Havana to the arms of her lover, a rebel fighting with Fidel Castro. Her father, desperate to send her to safety in the US, resorts to torture and blackmail as he searches the island for her. So begins the first part of a spellbinding saga that spans three generations of the same family. Decades later, the family is lured back to Cuba by the promise of untold riches. But pursuing those riches brings danger as well as opportunity, and ultimately, Francesca's family must confront the lethal consequences of their choices. From the troubled streets of Havana to the mean streets of Chicago, HAVANA LOST reveals the true cost of chasing power instead of love. HAVANA LOST is award-winning author Libby Fischer Hellmann's tenth novel and third thriller that explores how strife and revolution affect the human spirit. HAVANA LOST is a testament to Hellmann's gift for authentic historical detail as well as her talent for writing compulsively readable thrillers. A sprawling tale . the story of the Cuban revolution, as well as the Cuban military efforts in Angola, is fascinating Publishers Weekly Ambitious, sprawling Hellmann keeps a complicated plot moving her sections on Cuba are surprisingly and satisfyingly vivid. Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune A cautionary tale great historical detail interesting story, ambitious, enjoyable Romantic Times Book Review "Hellmann s writing has matured considerably since her early novels. Her plotting has become more solid and assured, her characters more realistic, her settings wonderfully described. This is a fine extremely well-told novel." Deadly Pleasures Magazine Masterfully crafted Hellmann has a superb gift for the colorful depiction of her characters. I can t imagine any noir aficionado not enjoying Havana Lost. aliteraryreeder blog

Fifteen successful Midwestern authors have contributed essays on the basics of writing mystery novels to this book. Writing Murder shares their insights on fiction elements: setting, characters, point of view, dialogue, plot, and research. In addition, they offer insight on the genre, how to build suspense, point of view, the circle of openings/endings, and marketing your manuscript.

A collection of 15 crime fiction short stories in print., some of them award-winners, by author Libby Fischer Hellmann. The collection is divided into two parts: The Ellie Foreman/Georgia Davis stories (5) and Chicago Then and Now; Other Places, Other Times (10) Note: This is the combined print version of Nice Girl Does Noir, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.