The Novel Detective by Teresa Dovalpage - ISBN: 9781641298285
Hardcover
Cuba’s secrets, a writer’s past, and a high school mystery.
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The Novel Detective

A Detective Novel

$75.24

  • Hardcover

    333 pages

  • Release Date

    18 August 2026

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Summary

TKA is a twisty, genre-bending, metafictional mystery set in Cuba, past and present. It’s perfect for fans of Chanel Cleeton and Jean Hanff Korelitz.

2020 - Teresa, a Cuban-born mystery writer now living in America, receives an unexpected call from her childhood best friend, Estrella, inviting her to Havana. Estrella is determined to get answers about a case that has haunted them both for decades: the purported dual suicides of a teacher and student at their high scho…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9781641298285
ISBN-10:1641298286
Author:Teresa Dovalpage
Publisher:Soho Press
Imprint:Soho Press
Format:Hardcover
Number of Pages:333
Release Date:18 August 2026
Weight:567g
Dimensions:209mm x 139mm
What They're Saying

Critics Review

Praise for The Novel Detective

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“With lovable characters, a gripping core mystery, and a vividly rendered setting, this bolsters Dovalpage’s reputation as a reliable purveyor of quality crime fiction. Readers will be entertained.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A fascinating look at life in Cuba cleverly intertwined with a series of puzzles.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Blending past and present, fact and fiction, The Novel Detective is a clever, twisty metafictional mystery where the author becomes her own detective, the characters refuse to stay on the page, and the truth is buried as deep as the secrets of a changing Cuba. Smart, stylish, and delightfully original, The Novel Detective surprises as much as it entertains.”
—Gustavo Pérez Firmat, Columbia University

“This slow-burn literary mystery is more Elena Ferrante than Anthony Horowitz … The amusing odd-couple amateur detective antics of Teresa and Estrella and Havana-born Dovalpage’s depiction of the city’s evolving personality make it stand apart.”
Library Journal

Praise for Teresa Dovalpage


“Sharply plotted, highly readable, evocative, and timely … An author at the top of her game, and a must-read for mystery fans who love great locations paired with even better characters. I couldn’t put this book down.”
—Alex Segura, acclaimed author of the Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series


“Dovalpage wields her considerable authorial skill in this intricately plotted tale of jealousy, revenge, and the dark side of love.”
—Isabella Maldonado, award-winning author of the Veranda Cruz mysteries

“[A] refreshing and elusive Cuban crime novel.”
Toronto Star

“A highly entertaining mystery set in Havana, there’s an ominous tone, a hint of something repressed beneath the main character’s narration.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“A lesser-known Cuba, with the kind of details that make it a home rather than a holiday.”
Chicago Review of Books

“Amusing, observant … [A] devastating depiction of prejudice in 1980s Cuba.”
Miami Herald

About The Author

Teresa Dovalpage

Teresa Dovalpage is a writer, translator, and college professor. A Cuban transplant, she is now firmly rooted in New Mexico. She is the author of three short story collections, four plays, and fourteen novels, including the Havana Mystery series. She lives with her husband, one dog, and too many barn cats.

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