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'Havana Requiem' is a legal thriller with spice

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Persuading the aging Cubans to sign on to the effort to get their music back takes Seeley on an almost covert mission to Havana. Trying to perform a simple task puts him at odds with the secret police, ambiguous American officials and a Cuban beauty, Amaryll Cruz, who is as enigmatic as the island nation.

"This is the most subversive music of all," Amaryll warns. "It makes practical people dream."

While Goldstein creates a satisfying legal puzzle, it's his description of a city and citizenry floating through life under Castro that gives "Havana Requiem" its heart and soul.

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Douglass K. Daniel is the author of "Tough as Nails: The Life and Films of Richard Brooks" (University of Wisconsin Press).

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