Nearly everybody knows that Ben Alby-Ranier brought his girlfriend on vacation with him. Everybody,
that is, except his wife, Stephanie. Her bosses at the National Security Administration in Washington,
D.C., some of their fellow passengers, their friend Greg and the dwarvish man spying on her, all
figure out that Ann Glidden is tucked away for midmorning romps in Buenos Aires and aboard their
cruise ship, Global Quest. Stephie knows about many of Ben's past indiscretions and voices
empathy for U.S. First Lady Hilary Clinton.
Stephie knows that Ben will scope out the female crew and passengers and perceives that he is tired
all the time. But the disconnected and digruntled Stephanie is beyond caring about Ben's preoccupation.
When the ship's naturalist wants to get natural with Stephie, she faces a choice: act like Ben or wait
until she makes a clean break to move on. In her own mind the marriage is over and, if timing had been
better, I don't think Stephie would have been too worked up about confirming yet again that Ben is a pig.
She would have probably called him some names and then enjoyed the rest of the cruise with the Penguin
Man. It's funny how everything seems a little more overwhelming after being held hostage for a few weeks.
Generally, Ben and Stephie's story could have been set anywhere in the world. There is a philandering
husband, a self-focused wife, the Other Woman, the people they interact with, the places they go, the
things they do. All of the characters in Last Passage to Santiago are alive, down to the bartenders
in the hotel bar. What sets the story apart is the most brilliant character: Argentina. Argentina smells
good, tastes delicious, has a throaty voice, laughs gaily and tangos passionately. Chile and Uruguay seem
like frivolous stops on the cruise, and the Falklands are reminiscent of a Highland village, but Argentina
displays an ambiance that allows you to meet the Soul of South America. That alone makes this one worth
reading—and you get the added bonus of a classic tale of suspense.