Hell, there's hell everywhere I go: THE POWER OF THE DOG.

The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In book one of the Power of the Dog series, we meet Art Keller, a focused DEA agent fighting the war on drugs in the United States and Mexico. He goes up against Adan Barrera and his brother, who become kingpins in the war. As part of Art's journey, he comes across Nora, a beautiful prostitute; Father Parada, an honorable priest; and Callan, an Irish kid from New York who becomes a hired killer.

THE POWER OF THE DOG is typical Winslow: long, sometimes confusing, and wonderfully written. It's sweeping and terrifying for its realism--based very much on real life, it covers years of the drug war, jumping from the U.S. to Mexico and back again. Despite its length, it's so easy to get caught up in the drama, especially as Winslow tells the story in his usual format. Said format is short snippets featuring a few of our key players over a stretch of time, meaning we hear from Art, Nora, Adan, Father Parada, Callan, and more. So many different people in so many different phases of their lives. The way their lives come together is expertly done.

DOG is sometimes a bit confusing, with a lot of names, dates, and places to keep track of. But it's amazingly compelling and so well-researched. It's a dark and fascinating read. 4 stars.

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