Power of the Dog

4 primary works

The Power Of The Dog

by Don Winslow

Published 1 January 2005

Don Winslow's masterpiece is not only a page-turning thriller but also a rich and compelling novel about a very mixed group of characters, each in his or her own way seeking some sort of salvation or redemption. Set on the Mexican border and against the background of the US government's (via its agencies the CIA, FBI and DEA) underhand encouragement, sponsoring and active financing of the development of the drug cartels and their trade in Mexico, The Power of the Dog tells of the stories of a hugely varied cast of characters: a young Chicano boy from the barrio who makes good and becomes a Senator; a morally troubled DEA boss who tries to do good, but who is driven by events and by a desire both for salvation and revenge to sleep with the devil; the leaders of the drug gangs, some of them psychopathic, others urbane, civilised and deadly; a high-class prostitute; and a charismatic Catholic priest who is dedicated to the improvement of the lives of his people. Out of this material,Winslow has crafted a hugely ambitious - and hugely successful - novel that works on so many levels and offers so many satisfactions it defies belief.

The Cartel

by Don Winslow

Published 23 June 2015

From the internationally bestselling author of the acclaimed novel The Power of the Dog comes The Cartel, a gripping true-to-life epic, ripped from the headlines, of power, corruption, revenge and justice spanning the past decade of the Mexican-American drug wars. It's 2004. DEA agent Art Keller has been fighting the war on drugs for thirty years in a blood feud against Adan Barrera, the head of El Federacion, the world's most powerful cartel, and the man who brutally murdered Keller's partner. Finally putting Barrera away costs Keller dearly - the woman he loves, the beliefs he cherishes, the life he wants to lead. Then Barrera gets out, determined to rebuild the empire that Keller shattered. Unwilling to live in a world with Barrera in it, Keller goes on a ten-year odyssey to take him down. His obsession with justice - or is it revenge - becomes a ruthless struggle that stretches from the cities, mountains and deserts of Mexico, to Washington's corridors of power, to the streets of Berlin and Barcelona.
Keller fights his personal battle against the devastated backdrop of Mexico's drug war, a conflict of unprecedented scale and viciousness, as cartels vie for power and he comes to the final reckoning with Barrera - and himself - that he always knew must happen. The Cartel is a story of power, corruption, revenge, honour and sacrifice, as one man tries to face down the devil without losing his soul. It is the story of the war on drugs and the men - and women - who wage it.

The Border

by Don Winslow

Published 26 February 2019

'The year's best thriller' The Times, Books of the Year

The explosive, highly anticipated conclusion to the epic Cartel trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Force

The war has come home.

For over forty years, Art Keller has been on the front lines of America's longest conflict: The War On Drugs.

Now elevated to the highest ranks of the DEA, Keller finds himself surrounded by an incoming administration that's in bed with the very drug traffickers that Keller is trying to bring down.

From the slums of Guatemala to the marbled corridors of Washington, D.C., Winslow follows a new generation of narcos, cops, addicts, politicians, and mere children fleeing the violence for the chance of a life in a new country.

The Border is an unflinching portrait of modern America, a story of - and for - our time.

'A huge, immersive, violent, compassionate read' Ian Rankin

'Hugely entertaining' Stephen King

'Brutal and brilliant, this is crime's Game of Thrones' Sun

'One of the great literary achievements of the century so far' Daily Telegraph

'Such crime writing deserves nothing less than a Pulitzer Prize' Evening Standard

'A new crime classic ... a stirring, stupendous novel' Sunday Times

'He is a pleasure to read' The Times

'A furious, impassioned novel' Washington Post

'Devastating and timely ... a hybrid The Godfather and War and Peace' New York Times

'A gift to all discerning crime readers' Financial Times

La Frontera (the Border)

by Don Winslow

Published 5 June 2019