Investigating pulpist John Lantigua knows which side of the back alley his pulp is best buttered up: His Edgar Award-nominated Heat Lightning set itself in San Francisco, city of Sam Spade; Twister named names such as Dash and Cain; and his Willie Cuesta mysteries pave the same mean streets made infamous by the likes of Willeford, Leonard and Hiaasen. That the cat’s consideration for both brethren and forefather comes off as something wholly his own, only makes the nods that much more knowing. Maybe it’s because he day-jobs at the Palm Beach Post, where he teamed to unmask “Modern-Day Slavery”; maybe it’s ’cause the Pulitzer Prized fighter made many of his bones at the Miami Herald. Whatever it is, Lantigua’s latest, The Lady from Buenos Aires (Arte Publico, $24.95), brings Argentina’s “dirty war” so close to home it hurts — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We caught the wordslinger between sentencings:

 

Why Miami?

I was a foreign correspondent in Latin America in the 1980s. Lots of people escaped Latin America during that time, running from civil wars, coups, upheaval in general. Many of them moved here. I came to Miami to follow their stories. They’ve made new lives, but the ghosts of what happened back home are always hovering here.

 

Why Argentina’s Dirty War?

I know a lot about the last 50 years in Latin America, but there is no story more dramatic than that of “the dirty war” in Argentina and especially the saga of “the children of the disappeared.” Babies being raised by their parents’ killers! Jeez.

 

Any real-life parallel to Willie Cuesta?

I’m an investigative reporter and the parallels between my work and that of private investigator Willie Cuesta are obvious. But more than that, Willie’s specialty is cases that involve those Latin American “ghosts” I mentioned above. We both also like Latin nightclubs, salsa and merengue.

 

What about “the snow queen,” Alice Arden?

She’s Willie’s attorney and she’s based on two women — one is my former wife who was once a public defender and the other is a friend of mine here in Miami who practices immigration law. They’re both tall, blond, smart and alluring, like Alice.

 

What’s next for Willie?

The next book is in the works. It’s called Kidnapped: The Colombia Caper. It’s set in Miami, features Willie and the kidnapping of a wealthy Colombian here. It’s due out next year. Willie never rests.

 

What’s next for Lantigua?

As far as books, it’s the Colombia venture. As far as journalism, I’m supposed to be doing a piece on the wealthy Cuban-American sugar clan, the Fanjuls. Those are the same people Jimmy Smits is making a mini-series about. They don’t seem too anxious to talk to me, so we’ll see.

 

Now the fun stuff: steak or eggs?

When I was researching The Lady from Buenos Aires I went to Argentina, where the best meat in the world is served. I had a steak there that came with the steer’s birth certificate. (No kiddin.’) I never ate an egg that came with a birth certificate and I never ate an egg that tasted that good. Steak it is.

 

Tango or salsa?

I’m half Cuban and half Puerto Rican. If I said anything but salsa, my parents would turn over in their graves in rhythm.

 

Fried or roasted?

On a couple of occasions I’ve been roasted by critics and I didn’t like that. So I guess I’ll get fried.

 

Black or blue?

I write noir novels, so the answer, of course, is black.

 

Lula or Chavez?

The book after the Colombia book will be set in the Venezuelan community here. I was in Caracas last year and started the research, so Chavez will come under scrutiny first. As for their politics, given how long it took to see fairly-elected government take hold in Latin America, anybody legally and honestly elected is fine with me. If that’s what the majority of people in Venezuela want, we better learn to deal with it.

 

Hammett or Chandler?

As a wise man once said — I think it was Jack Nicholson in a Playboy interview — “Comparisons are odious.” Actually, my favorite is another guy who is often mentioned in their company and is considered the third great master: Ross MacDonald. He wrote The Goodbye Look and many other novels between the 1940s and 1980s. He’s another California writer, like Hammett and Chandler, and was absolutely killer on changing social classes in California and the mayhem that unleashed. To me, he’s as good as the other two guys and he wrote a lot more. Check him out.

 

Willeford or (John D.) MacDonald?

I like Willeford’s quirks and I like MacDonald’s systematic chronicling of the changing landscape of South Florida. I have a problem with MacDonald’s female characters. They tend to be bimbos. Check out Alice Arden in my book and you’ll see I don’t do bimbos.

 

Hiaasen or Buchanan?

Now you’re f’n with me. I worked at The Herald and they are both former colleagues of mine with whom I have friendly relations. I’d like it stay that way.

Hood is online at therealjohnhood.com.

Comments? E-mail letters@miamisunpost.com.