The Cartel

By: Don Winslow

Narrated by: Ray Porter

From the internationally best-selling author of the acclaimed novel The Power of the Dog comes The Cartel, a gripping, ripped-from-the-headlines story 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 30 years in a blood feud against Adán Barrera, the head of El Federación, the world's most powerful cartel, and the man who brutally murdered Keller's partner. Finally putting Barrera away cost 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 10-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 true-to-life story of honor 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.

©2015 Don Winslow (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Scarily solid "non-fiction fiction"

Don Winslow is at his finest with The Cartel...the frightening thing is how most of these events have actually played out in recent years & just how little attention has been paid by most of us El Nortes.

It's often heartbreaking, and infuriating, but no on can fault Winslow's character building, detail, & storytelling ability. Still, it's hard to consider the issues and not feel hopeless sometimes about the hypocrisy we live with every day and the toll taken on women and the impoverished. This book will resonate for months to come.

Excellent book!

This is my second time reading this book & the entire series! The writing is riveting and Ray Porter brings it to life! I very much enjoy listening to him.

"We are all the Cartel"

Would you listen to The Cartel again? Why?

Sure.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Cartel?

Chewy's custom soccer ball at the end.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The way he portrayed the female character's voices. They all sounded the same, like a typical male parody of an overly feminized voice. It's a shame because the women in this book are mostly tough and opinionated characters.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Pablo's decision to turn himself in - heartwrenching.

Not for the faint of heart

Don Winslow is a master story teller and Ray Porter's performance is outstanding. This was a fitting sequel to The Power of the Dog.

There were times that I felt a little too much time was spent in the minds of the characters, but not so much that I skipped ahead. The book does have some gruesome moments. A couple of times I had to turn the volume down or hit pause because what I was happening was so horrific.

Overall it was a great book, especially if you are interested in the Mexican cartel.

wow...amazing graphic look into the Narco world

I work along the Az Mx border and though we know about, hear, read, after listening to this, that's all I ever want. Us and Mexico...we all knew that, the Fast N Furious...happened where I used to live, killing of BP agent with guns Us provided to Mx. Scary stuff..for both Us and Mx

Excellent

Fascinating and well written story. A page turner I did want to stop listening to.

loved this book!

very well read and great story, couldn't stop listening it was addictive. waiting for next one..

Excellent sequel to The Power of the Dog

Don Winslow has produced a gripping sequel to The Power of the Dog in The Cartel, one that couldn't be more timely with the recent escape of "El Chapo" from a Mexican prison. The pending release of the movie Sicario surely took some queues from either of Winslow's novels, although any movie isn't likely to live up to either of these throughly written depictions of the savage nature of the drug cartels. Ray Porter narrates this novel (as well as it's predecessor, a nice touch of consistency) with superb range and character embodiment. In the coming days I will be thinking of the names, the voices, and the stories after charging through both The Power of the Dog and The Cartel over the last month. My only regret is I can't enjoy them again as a new listener, but you should!

Excellent, realistic and brutally accurate.

Totally realistic and a brutally brilliant portrayal of the this life and the characters who are pulled in and down as a result. while not for the faint hearted, the brutality portrayed is accurately realistic in this life in and around the drug trade & cartels No Holds barred realistic characters and story.

Extraordinary

Steinbeckian.
Hard to describe how brilliantly written and narrated. Was absolutely transfixed to this. Wonderful.