What readers think of The Last Train to Key West, plus links to write your own review.

Three young women, strangers to each other, deal with complicated relationships in this compelling novel. This was my first exposure to author Chanel Cleeton, and I didn't know what to expect. The writing pulled me in, though. Readers will almost certainly be transported to Key West during the 1930s. Told against the background of the historical Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, the book will make you feel the heat, humidity and tension of the approaching storm both in the atmosphere and in the lives of the three main characters. Surprisingly their lives will intersect in the course of the story. I think The Last Train to Key West will make a great summer read.

The Last Train to Key West is a fun, yet flawed, read, one that kept me engaged throughout. Each character is rendered sympathetically and distinctively. The author vividly captures the times, the locale, and the cataclysmic Labor Day hurricane. I found it especially rewarding having just visited the Florida Keys.

The three women's stories unfold in intriguing ways. Yet in all three the women are initially portrayed as innocent victims of villainous men. In two cases, they are rescued by good men; in two cases their predicaments are resolved through the deaths of their abusers.

Still, I would recommend this book for the storytelling and the events it captures so well.

Complete strangers, women as different from each other as can be, each become involved in the lives of compelling men who are also strangers. The women each necessarily must behave in ways contrary to their values for survival. Their individual predicaments are further complicated by a hurricane bearing down on the Florida Keys. The story is compressed into a few days making the pace readable. There is enough mystery and entanglement to keep readers interested. I found the historical value to be well researched and I intend to read more books by the author. This book is an easy summer vacation read unless you are under the threat of a hurricane.

As soon as I finished the book I searched to find out more of early Key West, Flagler's Folly and the Great Hurricane of 1935 and the WWI veterans camp. The author used these places and events very effectively. Readers will find strong women characters. The men characters seemed more flawed. This book lends itself to lots of discussion themes- class, love, fear, survival, courage, strong characters and even the Key West setting.

Having read both Next Year in Havana and When We Left Cuba, I looked forward to reading this author's new book. The premise was intriguing: three women whose lives intertwined during the horrific 1935 hurricane in the Florida Keys. (Suggestion to readers: learn the facts about this hurricane in advance to give yourself a backdrop against which to appreciate the story.) The characters are interesting, and the author keeps the reader engaged moving back and forth among them.
In some respects, I enjoyed this book more than her first two. That being said, I could not give it a 5 because I found the coincidences slightly contrived and the romantic encounters just a step away from Harlequin. An entertaining read, but not one that will stay with you.

Romance and danger are locked into Chanel Cleeton's travel-case for the Labor Day Special to Key West. The glamour of train travel is interlaced with the desperation of late Depression-era politics. Danger lurks at every turn as we meet 3 plucky heroines who rise to the challenge of survival. The women must apply their powers of threat assessment- are the men in their path dangerous and/or trustworthy? The heroines' dramatic arcs are deftly rolled out in short order as easily as they appeared on the cinema screens of the 1930s.
Readers will see the danger ahead and know who the good guys are long before the denouement. It's a taut ride with thoughtful signposts along the way. Historical vignettes of the political injustice of unemployed ex-servicemen and the rapidly evolving Cuban regimes are dwarfed by the power of a hurricane and the faulty forecasting techniques of the day. Gruesome details of the storm's aftermath should resonate for some, while most readers will enjoy a quick weekend escape. Just remember, paradise has an underbelly.

Chanel Cleeton's novel, The Last Train to Key West, is not a literary masterpiece but it's a good read. For anyone looking for an intriguing beach read this book will be perfect. The three heroines, Helen, Mirta, and Elizabeth, all meet their Prince Charmings and the adventures that ensue end with a Happily Ever After. Enroute to this happy ending they meet each other and they must face the danger of a hurricane headed for the Keys.