The Cartel is the sequel to Don Winslow’s The Power of the Dog (2005). Both books show how the Mexican Drug cartels work. The body count is high. The drug lords are paranoid psychopaths who would rather shoot than act rationally. Treachery, violence, and fear appear on every page of these books. DEA agent Art Keller is Winslow’s Everyman. He tries his best to dismantle the cartels that ship billions of dollars of cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, and marijuana into the United States. But for every success Keller achieves, the insatiable demand for drugs in the U.S. causes new cartels to form. After reading over 1,000 pages of double-dealing and betrayals, I’m drug carteled out. But, if you want to understand why we’re losing the War on Drugs, Don Winslow’s grim novels will provide the answers. GRADE: B+
Just finished it. Probably my favorite book so far this year with Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale second.
Steve, THE CARTEL is definitely one of the best books of 2015. I have PARADISE SKY on my Read Real Soon stack.
I liked the one book I read by him-THE DAWN PATROL. Should try POWER OF THE DOG first. This has certainly gotten a lot of attention.
Patti, you’ll be an expert on Mexican drug cartels after you read THE POWER OF THE DOG and THE CARTEL. What a dark world!
That’s exactly it – without the insatiable demand in this country the drug cartels would be out of business. Let’s see Trump do something about that.
Jeff, drugs are demand-driven. As Don Winslow shows time after time, when you take one drug lord out another steps right in. Nothing changes.
One reason why it makes sense to legalize and regulate marajuana, if only the authorities can keep from taxing it so heavily the black market is much cheaper. I realize it’s other drugs that make the most profit, though, and those shouldn’t be legalized.
Rick, rampant corruption allows drugs to flow easily into the U.S. Law enforcement seems helpless to stop them.