The Power of the Dog

By: Don Winslow

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

This explosive novel of the drug trade takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge.

Art Montana 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 hit man. All of them are trapped in the world of the Mexican drug Federación.

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.

©2005 Don Winslow (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A pit bull of a book. Once unleashed, this thriller...charges and attacks without mercy, shredding anyone in its path....A well-tuned plot, driving rhythm, intelligence and a touch of politics." ( Washington Post)

Awesome read

Great read spanning decades and continents. In depth characters and complex story line. Recommended for all fans of action novels

Make It Stop!!!!!!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No. None of my friends could handle this book. I love mysteries and thrillers but this book was tough. I had to take breaks from it.

What other book might you compare The Power of the Dog to and why?

Some of Dennis Lehane's books have graphic violence, but none compare to this one.

What does Ray Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Not sure what to say other than he brought the characters to life. I doubt I would have attempted to read the book.

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

The bridge scene was the worst of the worst.........had to come back to listen after that. But I had to come back because I had to know what was going to happen next.

Any additional comments?

This book just made me sad.

not bad

sex scenes were as gratuitous as the violence. I don't know why that bothers me but I would have liked a little less in that department.

Great! Highly recommended!

It’s all here. Characters you care about, plot lines that are believable because they come from actual events, solid pacing, building tensions, great descriptions of locations so you feel you are there. I was sucked in right away and hardly wanted to put it down til the end.
It is very intense in the best way.
A warning that the all women are pretty much madonnas or whores and and mostly 2-dimensional, though that could just be the lens of the culture they are set in. Even the main female character is not as fleshed out as the males but at least she is given some agency. I will give it a grudging pass due to when it was written.
Ray Porter’s narration is amazing as always. I could listen to the man read chemistry text books and enjoy it. This story has a lot of characters and he is able to make each one distinctive while still solidly handling accents and genders. He is able to bring the story to life with out bringing attention to himself. I always look for his name when choosing something new.
I would very much recommend this to friends who like action, gritty thrillers, cop stories, history-based fiction.

About as close to Ellroy as one could wish.

I loved this novel, both print and audio. It felt as if I was seemingly reading/listening to Cormac McCarthy meets James Ellroy translated by Elmore Leonard. Winslow has a touch of the poet though, not soft but kind, despite all the proceedings. A masterwork

Outstanding!

Outstanding book even after my third listening. Great to read a “fictional” story by an author who lives in a political reality that, I believe, is shared by most sane people around the world.

Power of the Dog is a WOW!!

The reading was very impelling, spot on. I enjoy all of Don Winslow books and look forward to exploring and being submerged into the story line and characters that are developed in his story line. He is a master at his craft.

Great book!

This story felt very similar to Narcos Mexico, but was still an excellent book. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Amazing

What an awesome and unbelievable story. Can’t wait to listed to the next in the trilogy. Narrator is perfect and switches accents beautifully.

Great book

Loved how they based this story on true Events. Mr. Porter knocked it out of the park on this one.