Havana Sleeping

Havana in the 1850s is a city as dangerous as it is exotic. The murder of a humble night watchman at the British Consulate seems to worry neither the Consul nor the police. But one person cared; the enigmatic courtesan Leonarda. In wintry England George Backhouse is plucked from obscurity in the Foreign Office and given an unexpected promotion. His task: to travel to Cuba and take a stand against the illegal slave trade. But Havana is a tinderbox of intrigue. To protect their interests the powers-that-be in Whitehall are prepared to turn a blind eye to many things. Leonarda will not. But what of George Backhouse?