{"product_id":"the-cartel-isbn-9781101873748","title":"The Cartel","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling second novel in the explosive Power of the Dog series—an action-filled look at the drug trade that takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eBook Two of the Power of the Dog Series\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eIt’s 2004. Adán Barrera, kingpin of El Federación, is languishing in a California federal prison. Ex-DEA agent Art Keller passes his days in a monastery, having lost everything to his thirty-year blood feud with the drug lord. Then Barrera escapes. Now, there’s a two-million-dollar bounty on Keller’s head and no one else capable of taking Barrera down. As the carnage of the drug war reaches surreal new heights, the two men are locked in a savage struggle that will stretch from the mountains of Sinaloa to the shores of Veracruz, to the halls of power in Washington, ensnaring countless others in its wake. Internationally bestselling author Don Winslow's \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e is the searing, unfiltered epic of the drug war in the twenty-first century. | \u003cb\u003eOne of the Best Books of the Year: \u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Critics’ Pick, \u003ci\u003eThe Seattle Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Denver Post,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, Amazon, \u003ci\u003eNational Post\u003c\/i\u003e (Toronto), \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew Statesman,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Telegraph,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London),  \u003ci\u003eThe Daily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Mail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Winslow’s drug war version of \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather \u003c\/i\u003e. . . A big, sprawling, ultimately stunning crime tableau . . . A magnum opus . . . Don Winslow is to the Mexican drug wars what James Ellroy is to L.A. Noir.”\u003cbr\u003e —Janet Maslin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eEsquire\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An epic, gritty south-of-the-border \u003ci\u003eGodfather\u003c\/i\u003e for our time. You don’t have to read Don Winslow’s \u003ci\u003eThe Power of the Dog\u003c\/i\u003e to get swept away by \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e, its ripped-from-the-headlines sequel, but you should. You should try to get your hands on everything Winslow’s written, because he’s one of the best thriller writers on the planet.”\u003cbr\u003e —Benjamin Percy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eNPR\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Hugely hypnotic new thriller . . . the pace and feel of an exploded documentary . . . a brilliant and informative work of fiction about a nightmare world that flourishes in the bright light of day.” \u003cbr\u003e—Alan Cheuse\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A \u003ci\u003eGame of Thrones \u003c\/i\u003eof the Mexican drug wars, a multipart, intricately plotted, blood-soaked epic that tells the story of how America’s unquenchable appetite for illegal drugs has brought chaos to our southern neighbors and darkened our own political and criminal culture.”\u003cbr\u003e—Will Dana\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review) \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Winslow’s riveting and tragic epic seamlessly blends fact and fiction to tell [an] incredible, heartbreaking story. . . . Winslow never loses control of his subject or his characters, despite the book’s scope and complexity. There is some of \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather\u003c\/i\u003e here, but Winslow’s characterizations, though certainly multidimensional, have more of an edge to them than do Puzo’s, a greater recognition of the tragedy a violent power struggle leaves in its wake. Clearly one of the most ambitious and most accomplished crime novels to appear in the last 15 years,\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e will likely retain that distinction even as the twenty-first century grinds on.”\u003cbr\u003e—Bill Ott\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eArizona Republic\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e is the most important crime saga of the millennium. This is reporting and expose built around an intricate plot, finely etched characters and whip-crack dialogue. . . . Storytelling that matters.”\u003cbr\u003e—Robert Anglen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eLee Child \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sensationally good, even after the near-perfection of \u003ci\u003eThe Power of the Dog.\u003c\/i\u003e Less of a sequel than an integral part of a solid-gold whole.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eMen's Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e“Winslow is the most fearless chronicler of the chaos and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border . . . who has written what could be the \u003ci\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/i\u003e of the War on Drugs.”  \u003cbr\u003e—Erik Hedegaard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eFresh Air\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003etells its ghastly story with enjoyable verve yet I was even more impressed with the way Winslow uses his plot to offer a superb history of the cartels and those out to stop them. Steeped in reportage, the novel. . . possesses a virtue I associate with traditional documentaries: it explains things. I finished the book understanding why Juárez is so violent; why cartels murder so many innocent people; why both the American and Mexican governments favor some cartels over others; and why the war on drugs is not just futile, but morally compromised. It’s here that fiction and documentary come together in a shared sense of, well, bleakness.”\u003cbr\u003e—John Powers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Connelly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e“Don Winslow has done it again. \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e is a first rate edge-of-your-seat thriller for sure, but it also continues Winslow’s incisive reporting on the dangers and intricacies of the world we live in. There is no higher mark for a storyteller than to both educate and entertain. With Winslow these aspects are entwined like strands of DNA. He’s a master and this book proves it once again.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Winslow has delivered two of the most . . . emotionally resonant novels in the past decade, 2005’s \u003ci\u003eThe Power of the Dog \u003c\/i\u003eand its epic conclusion, \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e. . . . His prose is sparse and ferocious, and his rapid-fire story hits you like bullets from an AK-47.”\u003cbr\u003e—Ivy Pochoda\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“High-octane . . . The righteous indignation that fuels Winslow’s tale of cops, cartels, and the near-apocalyptic havoc they can create is, to use a sadly appropriate word, addictive.”\u003cbr\u003e—Clark Collis\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Ellroy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Don Winslow delivers his longest and finest novel yet in \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel.\u003c\/i\u003e This is the \u003ci\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/i\u003e of dopewar books. Tense, brutal, wildly atmospheric, stunningly plotted, deeply etched. It’s got the jazz dog feel of a shot of pure meth!!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times \u003c\/i\u003e(London)\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Astoundingly ambitious . . . It is unlikely to be bettered this year.”\u003cbr\u003e—John Dugdale (Thriller of the Month)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“With corruption, violence, and a love story to boot, [\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e] is sure to have you grasping at the edge of your seat.”\u003cbr\u003e—Elise Taylor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eDetails\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Winslow has long been hailed for his hard-boiled humor and storytelling, and this sequel to the best-selling \u003ci\u003eThe Power of the Dog\u003c\/i\u003e shows why. . . . The coke-fueled, blood-soaked horror show that ensues would scare Tony Montana straight.”\u003cbr\u003e—David Swanson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eHarlan Coben \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e“The Cartel is a gut-punch of a novel. Big, ambitious, violent and wildly entertaining, Don Winslow’s latest is an absolute must-read.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eLos Angeles Magazine\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An adrenaline rush, addictive as crack, and epic in the pre-Del-Taco-marketing-their-burritos-as-“epic” sense of the word. Don Winslow deals in corruption, subversion, and revenge with an intensity that makes him irresistible.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eAssociated Press\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eis an intricately detailed narrative of the cartel life. . . . Winslow has become an unintentional expert on a subject that sickens him.”\u003cbr\u003e—Hillel Italie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Huffington Post \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A sprawling epic of drug trafficking, murder, coercion, and corruption at the highest levels of Mexican law enforcement and government. . . . A grand and gripping epic novel.”\u003cbr\u003e—Mark Rubinstein\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eThe San Diego Union-Tribune\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“A monster of a novel—big in story, big in ambition. Based on real events, it’s unavoidably violent but not voyeuristic. There is a deep understanding of the bonds and betrayals inherent to the drug trade, considerable musing about the difference between vengeance and justice, and a recognition that even in the face of soul-sapping depravity, there can be nobility and courage.”\u003cbr\u003e—John Wilkens\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Herald \u003c\/i\u003e(Scotland)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a riveting expose of a modern tragedy where the fast pace of the thriller narrative never stumbles over the painstaking attention paid to detail and background. More importantly perhaps, they offer an alternative perspective on the accepted history of America’s involvement in the ‘war on drugs’, a shocking litany of greed, complicity and political machination. . . . Winslow [writes with] the authority of an investigative reporter and the narrative skill of a best-selling author.”\u003cbr\u003e—Alan Morrison\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMysteryPeople\u003c\/i\u003e (Pick of the Month)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Winslow deftly uses violence in the novel, fully aware of how much he asks the reader to act as witness. . . . The denouncement gives \u003ci\u003eThe Wild Bunch \u003c\/i\u003ea run for its money in the final showdown category. He builds up to these moments beautifully, creating emotion and setting the stage for visceral attitude when such scenes explode. . . . For a mammoth novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003emoves. Winslow never loses his humanity and rage as he sweeps across a decade of rough shadow history to the wounded grace note it ends on. It captures everything great about crime fiction and makes it epic.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] vast and ambitious thriller . . . Winslow has envisioned his novel on an epic scale. . . . At heart, this is the familiar tale of symbiosis between pursuer and pursued, reconfigured for the war on drugs and given a mean noir edge.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eBarnes and Noble Review \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Don Winslow is one of those shape-shifter novelists; now light, now dark. Funny one minute, terrifying the next. . . . A Wagernian epic of murder and vengeance . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eis as much a work of meticulous journalism as artful fiction. But through the blood haze and the political fog, Winslow allows us to see—and even to care about—his skillfully drawn characters.”\u003cbr\u003e—Anna Mundow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e“Masterly  . . . This exhaustively researched novel elucidates not just the situation in Mexico but the consequences of our own disastrous 40-year ‘war on drugs.’”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Chicago Tribune\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is the big one . . . the El Niño, tsunami and San Andreas Fault shaker of drug novels rolled into one—a 600 page immersion that may leave you thinking you knew next to nothing about its seamy subject. . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eis so relentlessly paced, its probing of daily evil so deep, you’re drawn in whether you like it or not.”\u003cbr\u003e —Lloyd Sachs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eVice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The book is as gruesome a read as it is insightful, chock-full of research into the organization and tactics of cartels and their (at times) strikingly similar governmental opponents. It is disturbing, and it is based in large part on actual events.”\u003cbr\u003e —Kristen Gwynne\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Seattle Times \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “If you have managed to shield your eyes and plug your ears against what’s been going on with the war on drugs in Mexico, Don Winslow’s searing new novel \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e will tear off the blinders. . . . This reader stuck with \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eto the end because it says something important.”\u003cbr\u003e —Mary Ann Gwinn\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eInterview Magazine\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[\u003ci\u003eThe \u003c\/i\u003eCartel] is brutal, graphic, and well-researched, with many of the more gruesome acts based on real events. But there is something else that characterizes Winslow’s work. Beyond genre, there is musicality to his prose; staccato sentences that draw the reader in immediately.”\u003cbr\u003e —Emma Brown\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Don Winslow affirms his status as one of the best American writers with \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel. . . . \u003c\/i\u003eDevilishly plotted and exhaustingly vivid . . . Winslow’s style, efficient and undeniable as a bullet, keeps you hanging on through the most labyrinthine plot twists. And there are plot twists.”\u003cbr\u003e —Carlo Wolff\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eBill O'Reilly (Factor Tip of the Day)\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[\u003ci\u003eThe Cartel\u003c\/i\u003e] gives, perhaps, the clearest insight I’ve ever seen into the corruption that has nearly ruined the country of Mexico. Very tough book, but if you want to know what’s going on south of the border it is a must read.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eStephen King\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’m totally swept up. You can’t ask for more emotionally moving entertainment.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Oregonian \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Winslow is a prolific author.”\u003cbr\u003e —Jeff Baker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMiami Herald \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The dark side of the U.S.\/Mexican drug wars [from] the gritty author of \u003ci\u003eThe Power of the Dog\u003c\/i\u003e . . . Expect violence, gore—and revenge.”\u003cbr\u003e —Connie Ogle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003eNational Post\u003c\/i\u003e (Toronto)\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Despite an impressive amount of research and its epic scope, \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003estill readily embraces its old roots in the thriller genre. The old comforts you might find in Michael Connelly or Elmore Leonard are still here. . . . Terrifying.”\u003cbr\u003e —Andrew F. Sullivan\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Could not be more timely.”\u003cbr\u003e —John McMurtrie\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eArkansas Democrat-Gazette\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Winslow’s] story feels less like a product of the imagination than an exhaustively researched bit of journalism. Which it is—a kind of true story set in the recognizable horror show of Mexico narco-terrorism.”\u003cbr\u003e —Philip Martin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eSanta Barbara Independent \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “By securely grounding his fiction in fact, Winslow achieves a level of emotional truth and illustrates the hard challenges and brutal ironies of the decades-old dope war in a way that few works of nonfiction can match. . . . If you care about the nature of crime and justice in today’s America and the steep price that the men and women on the front lines of the War on Drugs pay to preserve the law and maintain a semblance of order, then pick up \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eand spend some time with the author’s dark vision.”\u003cbr\u003e —Bruce Riordan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eLitReactor \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “One of America’s best crime novelists.”\u003cbr\u003e —Keith Rawson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003eTime \u003c\/i\u003emagazine \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Overpowering.”\u003cbr\u003e —Sarah Begley\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eCinephilia \u0026amp; Beyond\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Winslow is] the leading American thriller writer of his generation. . . . What emanates from his writing . . . is a sense of humanity, of emotions under the surface, of the ever-going ambition to understand society, what drives people to do what they do, to explore what’s in their nature that makes them behave the way people have been behaving from the dawn of time. . . . It’s this warmth and compassion that makes Winslow one of the best contemporary novelists just as much as his writing does. . . . Whatever you feel gives life to the books of Don Winslow—be it nail-biting action scenes, detailed and thought-out characterizations of the people at the center of his stories or the abundance of details that lends his writing astonishing authenticity and credibility—one thing remains certain. \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003eis going to blow our minds and leave us wanting for more.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eStar-News \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The opening scene of Don Winslow’s \u003ci\u003eThe Cartel \u003c\/i\u003etakes hold like a vise, and for the next 600 pages the book keeps a tight grip as it takes the reader into the underbelly of America’s 30-year war on drugs. . . . Like the journalists he praises, Winslow’s grasp of the material is impressive and has a nonfiction quality. . . . Winslow educates without being heavy handed or preachy. . . . While it is epic in scope, the writing has an intimacy and the characters, even the most evil, feel authentic. It’s a story that is hard to shake even when you’re done. And that is a good thing because this book shouldn’t be forgotten.”\u003cbr\u003e —Kevin Maurer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Bookmonger \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e“The Cartel \u003c\/i\u003emay be to Mexican drug lords of today what \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather \u003c\/i\u003ewas to the Mafia in the 1960s and 1970s—a great story full of compelling characters, as well as a good way to learn about the motives and methods of a super-violent criminal organization.”\u003cbr\u003e —John J. Miller\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Winslow’s two-novel project about this still-raging conflict is entertaining, well researched, and difficult to process, a jarring glimpse into a reality about which many Americans remain blissfully unaware.”\u003cbr\u003e —Michael Pucci\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e   | Bestselling author Don Winslow has written nineteen books and numerous short stories, as well as writing for television and film. A former private investigator and trial consultant, Winslow lives in Southern California.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewww.don-winslow.com | 1\u003cbr\u003e The Beekeepers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWe think we can make honey without sharing in the fate of bees.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e —­Muriel Barbery\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Elegance of the Hedgehog\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Abiquiú, New Mexico\u003cbr\u003e 2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The bell rings an hour before dawn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The beekeeper, released from a nightmare, gets up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His small cell has a bed, a chair, and a desk. A single small window in the thick adobe wall looks out onto the gravel path, silver in the moonlight, which leads up toward the chapel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The desert morning is cold. The beekeeper pulls on a brown woolen shirt, khaki trousers, wool socks, and work shoes. Walking down the hall to the communal bathroom, he brushes his teeth, shaves with cold water, and then falls in with the line of monks walking to the chapel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e No one speaks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Except for chanting, prayers, meetings, and necessary conversation at work, silence is the norm at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They live by Psalm 46:10—­“Be still and know that I am God.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The beekeeper likes it that way. He’s heard enough words.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Most of them were lies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Everyone in his former world, himself included, lied as a matter of course. If nothing else, you had to lie to yourself just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. You lied to other people to survive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Now he seeks truth in silence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He seeks God in the same, although he has come to believe that truth and God are the same.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Truth, stillness, and God.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When he first arrived, the monks didn’t ask him who he was or where he came from. They saw a man with saddened eyes, his hair still black but streaked with silver, his boxer’s shoulders a little stooped but still strong. He said that he was looking for quiet, and Brother Gregory, the abbot, responded that quietude was the one thing they had in abundance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The man paid for his small room in cash, and at first spent his days wandering the desert grounds, through the ocotillo and the sage, walking down to the Chama River or up onto the mountain slope. Eventually he found his way into the chapel and knelt in the back as the monks chanted their prayers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e One day his route took him down to the apiary—­close to the river because bees need water—­and he watched Brother David work the hives. When Brother David needed help moving some frames, as a man approaching eighty did, the man pitched in. After that he went to work at the apiary every day, helping out and learning the craft, and when, months later, Brother David said it was finally time to retire, he suggested that Gregory give the job to the newcomer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A layman?” Gregory asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “He has a way with the bees,” David answered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The newcomer did his work quietly and well. He obeyed the rules, came to prayer, and was the best man with the bees they’d ever had. Under his care the hives produced excellent Grade A honey, which the monastery uses in its own brand of ale, or sells to tourists in eight-­ounce jars, or peddles on the Internet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The beekeeper wanted nothing to do with the business aspects. Nor did he want to serve at table for the paying guests who came on retreats, or work in the kitchen or the gift shop. He just wanted to tend his hives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They left him alone to do that, and he’s been here for over four years. They don’t even know his name. He’s just “the beekeeper.” The Latino monks call him “El Colmenero.” They were surprised that on the first occasion when he spoke to them, it was in fluent Spanish.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The monks talked about him, of course, in the brief times when they were allowed casual conversation. The beekeeper was a wanted man, a gangster, a bank robber. No, he’d fled an unhappy marriage, a scandal, a tragic affair. No, he was a spy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The last theory gained particular credence after the incident with the rabbit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The monastery had a large vegetable garden that the monks depended upon for their produce. Like most gardens, it was a lure for pests, but there was one particular rabbit that was wreaking absolute havoc. After a contentious meeting, Brother Gregory gave permission for—­in fact, insisted upon—­the rabbit’s execution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Brother Carlos was assigned the task and was standing outside the garden trying to handle both the CO2 pistol and his conscience—­neither very successfully—­as the other monks looked on. Carlos’s hand shook and his eyes filled with tears as he lifted the pistol and tried to pull the trigger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Just then El Colmenero walked by on his way up from the apiary. Without breaking stride, he took the pistol from Brother Carlos’s hand and, without seeming to aim or even look, fired. The pellet hit the rabbit in the brain, killing it instantly, and the beekeeper handed the pistol back and kept walking.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e After that, the speculation was that he had been a special agent, an 007. Brother Gregory put a stop to the gossip, which is, after all, a sin.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “He’s a man seeking God,” the abbot said. “That’s all.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Now the beekeeper walks to the chapel for Vigils, which begin at 4:00 a.m. sharp.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The chapel is simple adobe, its stone foundations hewn from the red rock cliffs that flank the southern edge of the monastery. The cross is wooden and sun-­worn; inside, a single crucifix hangs over the altar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The beekeeper goes in and kneels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Catholicism was the religion of his youth. He was a daily communicant until he fell away. There seemed little point, he felt so far from God. Now he chants the Fiftieth Psalm along with the monks, in Latin: “O Lord, open up my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The chanting lulls him into a near trance, and he’s surprised, as always, when the hour is over and it’s time to go to the dining hall for breakfast, invariably oatmeal with dry wheat toast and tea. Then it’s back to prayer, Lauds, just as the sun is coming up over the mountains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He’s come to love this place, especially in the early morning, when the delicate light hits the adobe buildings and the sun sets the Chama River shimmering gold. He revels in those first rays of warmth, on the cactus taking shape out of the darkness, on the crunch of his feet on the gravel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There is simplicity here, and peace, and that’s all he really wants.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Or needs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The days are the same in their routine: Vigils from 4:00 to 5:15, followed by breakfast. Then Lauds from 6:00 to 9:00, work from 9:00 to 12:40, then a quick, simple lunch. The monks work until Vespers at 5:50, have a light supper at 6:20, then Compline at 7:30. Then they go to bed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The beekeeper likes the discipline and the regimentation, the long hours of quiet work and the longer hours of prayer. Especially Vigils, because he loves the recitation of the Psalms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e After Lauds, he walks down into the valley to the apiary.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His bees—­western honeybees, \u003ci\u003eApis mellifera\u003c\/i\u003e—­are coming out now in the early morning warmth. They’re immigrants—­the species originated in North Africa and was transported to America via Spanish colonists back in the 1600s. Their lives are short—­a worker bee might survive from a few weeks to a few months; a queen might reign for three to four years, although some have been known to live for as long as eight. The beekeeper has grown used to the attrition—­a full 1 percent of his bees die every day, meaning that an entirely new population inhabits a colony every four months.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It doesn’t matter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The colony is a superorganism, that is, an organism consisting of many organisms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The individual doesn’t matter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e All that matters is the survival of the colony and the production of honey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The twenty Langstroth hives are built of red cedar with rectangular movable frames, as convenience dictates and the law demands. The beekeeper takes the outer cover from the honey-­super of one of the hives and sees that it’s thick with wax, then carefully replaces it so as not to disturb the bees.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He checks the water trough to make sure it’s fresh.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Then he removes the lowest tray from one of the hives, takes out the Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and checks the load.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eMetropolitan Correctional Center\u003cbr\u003e San Diego, California\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The prisoner’s day starts early.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e An automated horn wakes Adán Barrera at 6:00 a.m., and if he were in the general population instead of protective custody, he would go to the dining quad for breakfast at 6:15. Instead, the guards slip a tray with cold cereal and a plastic cup of weak orange juice through a slot in his door of his cell, a twelve-­by-­six-­foot cage in the special housing unit on the top floor of the federal facility in downtown San Diego where for over a year Adán Barrera has spent twenty-­three hours a day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The cell doesn’t have a window, but if it did he could see the brown hills of Tijuana, the city he once ruled like a prince. It’s that close, just across the border, a few miles by land, even closer across the water, and yet a universe away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Adán doesn’t mind not eating with the other prisoners—­their conversation is idiotic and the threat is real. There are many people who want him dead—­in Tijuana, all across Mexico, even in the States.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Some for revenge, others from fear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Adán Barrera doesn’t look fearsome. Diminutive at five foot six, and slender, he still has a boyish face that matches his soft brown eyes. Far from a threat, he resembles more a victim who would be raped in ten seconds in the general population. Looking at him, it’s hard to credit that he has ordered hundreds of killings over his life, that he was a multibillionaire, more powerful than the presidents of many countries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Before his fall, Adán Barrera was “El Señor de los Cielos,” “the Lord of the Skies,” the most powerful drug patrón in the world, the man who had unified the Mexican cartels under his leadership, gave orders to thousands of men and women, influenced governments and economies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He owned mansions, ranches, private airplanes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Now he has the maximum-­allowed $290 in a prison account from which he can draw to buy shaving cream, Coca-­Cola, and ramen noodles. He has a blanket, two sheets, and a towel. Instead of his custom-­tailored black suits, he wears an orange jumpsuit, a white T-­shirt, and a ridiculous pair of black Crocs. He owns two pairs of white socks and two pairs of Jockey undershorts. He sits alone in a cage, eats garbage brought in on a tray, and waits for the show trial that will send him to another living hell for the rest of his life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Actually \u003ci\u003eseveral\u003c\/i\u003e lives, to be accurate, as he faces multiple life sentences under the “kingpin statutes.” The American prosecutors have tried to get him to “flip,” to become an informer, but he’s refused. An informer—­a dedo, a soplón—­is the lowest form of human life, a creature that does not deserve to live. Adán has his own code—­he would rather die, or endure this living death, than become such an animal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He’s fifty—­the best-­case scenario, extremely doubtful, is that he gets thirty years. Even with “time served” he’ll be in his seventies before he walks out the door.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e More probably he’ll be carried out in a box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The slow trudge to trial drags on.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e After breakfast he cleans his cell for inspection at 7:30. By nature an almost obsessively orderly person, he keeps his space neat and clean anyway—­one of his few comforts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At 8:00, the guards start the morning count of the prisoners, which takes about an hour. Then he’s free until 10:30, when they slip lunch—­a bologna sandwich and some apple juice—­through the door. He has “leisure time activities,” which for him means sitting and reading, or taking a nap, until 12:30, when they do another count. Then he has three and a half more hours of tedium until another count at 4:00.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dinner—­“mystery meat” with potatoes or rice and some overcooked vegetables—­is at 4:30, then he’s “free” until 9:15, when the guards count yet again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The lights are turned off at 10:30.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For one hour a day—­they vary the schedule for fear of snipers—­guards lead him handcuffed out to a wired pen on the roof for fresh air and a “walk.” Every third day he’s taken for a ten-­minute shower, sometimes tepid, more often cold. Occasionally he goes to a small meeting room to consult with his attorney.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He’s sitting in his cell, filling out his order on the commissary form—­a six-­pack of bottled water, ramen noodles, oatmeal cookies—­when the guard opens the door. “Attorney visit.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I don’t think so,” Adán says. “I have nothing scheduled.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The guard shrugs—­he does what he’s told to do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Adán leans and presses his hands against the wall as the guard shackles his ankles. An unnecessary humiliation, Adán thinks, but then again, that’s probably the point. They get into an elevator and ride down to the fourth floor, where the guard unlocks the door and lets him into a consultation room. He unshackles Adán’s ankles but chains him to the chair that’s bolted to the floor.","brand":"Vintage Crime\/Black Lizard","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48338550325477,"sku":"NP9781101873748","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781101873748.jpg?v=1769572647","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-cartel-isbn-9781101873748","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}