Alex Abella Books in Order
Alex Abella is a Cuban-born American author and journalist whose debut, The Killing of the Saints, was named a New York Times Notable Book,was translated into twelve languages, and optioned for film by Paramount Pictures. It introduced Charlie Morell, a Cuban-American lawyer and sometime private investigator in Los Angeles, who returned in Dead of Night and Final Acts.
He based his first book on his experience as a Spanish interpreter in Los Angeles Superior Court and as an assistant to a private investigator. That background helped shape Charlie Morell, a Cuban-American lawyer and sometime investigator who becomes involved when a man accused of a jewelry-store massacre claims that Santería compelled him to kill. Morell returns in Dead of Night, a case involving Santería and Palo Mayombe, while Final Acts takes him to the California coast, where several murders lead back to political corruption and the Cuba he left behind.
Alex Abella has also written historical fiction and non-fiction books, including The Great American, Mission Churchill, and Soldiers of Reason, a history of the RAND Corporation written with access to its archives. This page lists the Charlie Morell trilogy, his contribution to the multi-author Churchill’s Shadow series, standalone novels, and non-fiction books.
Where to Start with Alex Abella
→ New to Alex Abella’s crime novels? Start with The Killing of the Saints. It introduces Charlie Morell and the Cuban-American Los Angeles community that is part of the trilogy.
→ Read the Charlie Morell books in publication order. Final Acts continues directly from events in Dead of Night, and Morell’s past and religious beliefs become more important as the trilogy develops.
→ Prefer historical fiction about Cuba? Try The Great American, based on the life of William Morgan, an American who joined the Cuban Revolution and later turned against Castro.
→ For historical nonfiction, start with Soldiers of Reason, the author’s account of the RAND Corporation and its influence on American military and political thinking.
Charlie Morell Series (Books in Order)
The Charlie Morell series follows Cuban-American lawyer and sometime private investigator Charlie Morell in Los Angeles. In The Killing of the Saints, the court appoints him to investigate two Cuban immigrants who are accused of killing six people during a jewelry-store robbery. One suspect said that Santería forced him to commit the murders. As Morell investigates, he also has to deal with the family and legal career he left behind in Florida.
Dead of Night begins when Morell agrees to find the missing godson of one of his late mother’s friends. The search leads from Miami and Los Angeles to Baja California and brings him into conflict with a Palo Mayombe priest. Final Acts continues directly from that case, so the books should be read in publication order.
- The Killing of the Saints, 1991
- Dead of Night, 1998
- Final Acts, 2000
Standalone Novels
- The Great American, 1997
- Shanghai, 2009
- More Than A Woman, 2013
- Mission Churchill, 2024 (Churchill’s Shadow series with Warren Adler and James C Humes)
Non-Fiction Books
- The Total Banana, 1979
- Shadow Enemies, 2003 (with Scott Gordon)
- Soldiers of Reason, 2008
Alex Abella Biography
Alex Abella has worked as a newspaper and television journalist, author, screenwriter, playwright, and court interpreter.
Official website: alexabella.com
Alex Abella was born in Cuba in 1950. His family moved to the United States when he was ten, and he grew up in New York City. He received a Pulitzer Scholarship to attend Columbia University, where he studied comparative literature and wrote for the student newspaper.
After graduating, he moved to California and worked as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. Later, he joined KTVU television in the San Francisco Bay Area as a producer, writer, and reporter. There he shared a Newswriting Emmy with the station’s news team and received another Emmy nomination for his reporting. He also worked as a foreign correspondent in Central America and received a commendation from the San Francisco Press Club.
Alex Abella moved to Los Angeles in the late 1980s and has worked seven years as a Spanish interpreter in the Los Angeles Superior Court. His experiences there became the starting point for The Killing of the Saints, published in 1991. The novel was named a New York Times Notable Book and was followed by two more Charlie Morell novels, Dead of Night and Final Acts. Paramount Pictures optioned the first book and hired Abella to write a screenplay based on it, although the film was never produced.
Later, his writing moved between fiction and history. The Great American tells the story of William Morgan, an American who fought in the Cuban Revolution and later opposed Castro. The author co-wrote Shadow Enemies with Scott Gordon, then received access to the RAND Corporation’s archives while researching Soldiers of Reason. His other novels include More Than a Woman, Shanghai, and Mission Churchill.
Alex Abella wrote for the Los Angeles Times, Time, and other publications. He has also created television projects for Warner Bros. and the Disney Channel, while his play Camelia was staged at the Actors Ensemble Theater in New York. He lives in the Los Angeles area.
Alex Abella Awards and Honors
Awards
- Newswriting Emmy (Group), KTVU-TV
- San Francisco Press Club commendation for reporting in Central America
- The Killing of the Saints – New York Times Notable Book (1991)
Nomination and Shortlists
- Emmy Award for Best Breaking News Story, KTVU-TV