The Power of the Dog – The Cartel Trilogy #1

Author: Don Winslow
Genre: Crime Fiction
541 pages
Publisher: Vintage Books, 2005

Synopsis
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow is a novel of the drug trade that takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge. Art Keller is an obsessive DEA agent. The Barrera brothers are heirs to a drug empire. Nora Hayden is a jaded teenager who becomes a high-class hooker. Father Parada is a powerful and incorruptible Catholic priest. Callan is an Irish kid from Hell’s Kitchen who grows up to be a merciless hitman. And they are all trapped in the world of the Mexican drug Federaci. From the streets of New York City to Mexico City and Tijuana to the jungles of Central America, this is the war on drugs like you’ve never seen it.

My review
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow is crime fiction at its best! I’ve read that although Winslow initially didn’t plan to write a trilogy, the ongoing atrocities related to the War on Drugs compelled him to continue, resulting in the acclaimed Cartel Trilogy. Winslow is a brilliant storyteller and his writing is absolutely addictive. This book is a rare gem, perfectly balancing meticulous detail and research, sensitivity to character, and superb structure, all conveyed through a vivid and graphic narrative. The Power of the Dog is truly masterful and mesmerizing!

The Power of the Dog delivers stark realism and I often forgot it’s fiction. In fact, I researched many of the storylines in the book and found they mirror actual events. It was endlessly engaging and one of the most compulsively readable books for me this year. Every character was fascinating and I found myself rooting for all of them, especially DEA agent Art Keller and his unwavering and obsessive drive to bring down the Barreras, and Sean Callan, a young New Yorker whose fateful decision to protect his friend leads him into a life of violence where he continually struggles with moral dilemmas. This is a tragic, brutal, morally ambiguous story where priorities and objectives have been skewed all in the name of a war that should have ended a long time ago.

This book was published in 2005 and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read it. When I read the blurb a few years ago, I didn’t think think much of the premise, so I left it on my shelf to read later. After reading Winslow’s The Force, I decided to give it a go and once I started, I could hardly put it down. It’s got everything an intense retelling of America’s war on drugs needs. Winslow’s characters are fully developed and their stories are moving and tragic. He essentially provides a history lesson that sheds light on contemporary issues, such as the rampant rise of drug use and addiction in communities across the country. This novel is a profound exploration of the human condition, where the supposed good guys do terrible things in the name of justice, and the bad guys are both vile and disturbingly human.

The Power of the Dog is one of the best crime fiction novels I’ve read and likely one of the best novels overall. Winslow has done a brilliant job creating a story that’s left me deep in thought and consumed by the story. This is without a doubt the best book I’ve read this year and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m excited to read The Cartel, the next installment in the trilogy.

My recommendation: read it!