Fans of the new Net Flix series Narcos will probably enjoy this more modern story.
The Cartel by Don Winslow is a follow up to his 2005 novel The Power of the Dog featuring two dynamic rivals — Art Keller and Adan Barrera, childhood friends who became arch enemies. Barrera leads the Mexican cartel while Art Keller, an ex-military DEA operative tries to bring him down. Don Winslow’s novel is more than simply a gritty organized crime story, it spans politics, diplomacy, culture and economics. There is a vast array of characters and locations; a truly epic piece of fiction. Winslow has a very deep understanding of Mexico which comes through in the writing. Ray Porter narrates both novels superbly, I assume he’s fluent in Spanish. He manages a number of character voices with conviction. These are very long novels so having the right voice to tell the story was truly critical. A+ on narration. A few honest thoughts on The Cartel. First and foremost, this is not a crime story for the faint of heart. It’s profane, graphic and extremely violent to the point of being grotesque. Second, if you have not read The Power of the Dog first I would recommend starting there, although it is possible to just pick up and listen to The Cartel without having heard the first book. Third, this is a very long story, it deserves to be compared to Mario Puzo’s The Godfather in its epic scope. Fans of the new Net Flix series Narcos will probably enjoy this more modern story. Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher. Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

