Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Another Masterpiece from Don Winslow July 6, 2008
3:30 am .. insomnia kicked in as I am still recovering from jetlag.
Finished this novel off this morning, and yet again another fantastic read from D.Winslow.
I am new to him having picked up his previous works Dawn Patrol and The Winter If Frankie Machine. These I polished in a c oouple of days.
This man has a talent for creating a great story - rich plot, just the right pace, and 3D characters you can believe in.
Do yourself a favour and buy this and other works he really is that good.
 Mexico's role in the drug trade March 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a long,sweeping saga covering almost 40 years in the lives of its various protagonists who revolve around the Mexican drug trade as personified by the rise of one Mexican family and their attempts to dominate that business.The story is brutal,involved,and full of twists and turns.The frustrations of the law enforcement agencies in trying to stop the flow of drugs into the US are clear.Not only are they dealing with a ruthless,unscrupulous enemy,but also corrupt politicians on both sides of the border who frequently avoid taking the necessary steps due to political expediency or outright corruption.The book is probably overly long,and repetitive in its story lines as the the police fight a losing battle against the many-headed hydra that is arrayed against them.Every time they lop off a head,it grows back worse than before.In the end,much like many of the police,the story exhausted me,without giving me much pleasure about the tale or the characters.Much like in real life,there is probably no solution to the drugs problem,unless people stop taking them,and so the fight is doomed to go on forever,just like this book which seemd to go on forever with no closure.
 RUBBISH! February 12, 2008
1 out of 14 found this review helpful
Don't be fooled by the other reviews like I was. This is poorly written, macho drivel!
An epic crime story with a strong sense of history December 20, 2007
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Winslow has written a novel which works both as a piece of superior pulp and as a window onto the murky history of America's 'war on drugs'. He wears his research obviously but with style, never letting it intrude upon the narrative which moves along at a thrilling pace. The characters are affecting and well drawn and do not fall into any kind of good-bad paradigm. Indeed this moral ambiguity is one of the strongest elements of the story - Winslow's only aim is to highlight the absurdities of America's drug policy, not to define victims and villains.
Some reviewers have made a comparison between Winslow and James Ellroy , and in terms of their mixing of fact and fiction in a crime novel setting, this is fair enough. Winslow though is no Ellroy in the style department, his voice is not as unique as Ellroy's. Nonetheless this is an impressive, exhilarating and provocative novel. Recommended.
Very, very close October 3, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is achingly close to being a great book.
In its tone and sweep, it is similar to Ellroy's The Cold Six Thousand. Ultimately, it falls short of that benchmark novel, but it's a pretty good try.
I understand Winslow spent five years researching the history of drug-running before writing this, and it shows. There is depth, a fierce understanding, and an intelligently even-handed appraisal of how we (and especially the United States) got into this present mess.
Implicit in the book is intelligence, awareness, and a willingness to tell a complex story in a complex way. Because of this, it rewards a reader who wants to delve deeper than standard thriller-fare. In an era of hopeless, hapless, generic thrillers, that get phoned-in by so many allegedly outstanding authors, this can only be applauded.
The flaws? Unlike Ellroy, Winslow does not have a strong character to take us through the book. Arthur is no Pete Bondurant. Winslow has strong characters, but does not use them in this way, making the book slightly uneven. The ending and final ashes of the plot smack of tiredness, but after a mighty effort like this, who can blame him.
This novel reads like the best thing the author will ever do, so if you only read one Winslow, this should probably be the one.
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