Miami Heat

Rating:
Summary: How much is really fiction?
Review: I picked up the book at a used bookstore two weeks ago. It is outdated (published in 1991), but I was involved in law enforcement and intelligence in Miami during the period Sanford writes about. The dust jacket summary drew me in, and I finished reading the book in two nights. I strongly disagree with the first review; from my own experience, Sanford was right on the money in capturng the intrigue, duplicity, and wilderness of mirrors atmosphere in Miami at that time. He nails the incredible law enforcement/intelligence/political miasma pulsing through the city, and his recreation of the interagency (CIA, FBI, DEA, etc.) rivalries screams with authenticity. And I didn't find his characters "flat" at all; in fact, I dealt with some real-life people that I swear he must have drawn from. The author may be a little wordy at times, but the plot moves so swiftly that the so-called verbosity mever stands in the way of the riveting action. This book, in my opinion, is certainly one of the best that describes why Miami was, at that time, called the new "Casablanca." I just wonder why Sanford hasn't written more; he certainly has the talent for wrting political/spy thrillers.