Petey's Fiction Review

 

The Power of the Dog

by Don Winslow

Don Winslow's The Power of the Dog paints a chilling picture of the U.S. war against drugs, and shows us aspects of the drug war that most people don't see-—or that they refuse to see. Spanning the years between 1975 and 2004, Winslow's elaborate tale provides a fictional account of the rise of the Latin American drug cartels in the '70s, the Iran-Contra affair in the '80s, and the upsurge in violence and the changing nexus of power in the '90s.

From the campesinos to the narcotraficantes to the federales, from the drug mules to the drug dealers and users, from the Mafia to the DEA, from the politicians to the taxpayers, from Central America to southern California and beyond, the battle that has become the drug war rages on. Everyone has a stake in the high-stakes game of illicit drugs.

Among the players who struggle to embrace, escape or otherwise overcome "the power of the dog" are unforgettable characters such as Art Keller, undercover DEA agent; Nora Hayden, high-priced call girl who travels in dangerous company; Sean Callan, hit man for the mob; Sal Scachi, CIA asset and made Mafia wise guy; and Don Miguel Barrera and his nephews, Adán and Raúl, Mexican drug lords. All have chosen sides (or the sides have chosen them) in the war on drugs.

The Power of the Dog is a sad, shocking story of life and death, of love and hate, of wealth and poverty, of friendships and alliances, and of betrayals and revenge. This riveting, fast-paced epic novel, through its many plots and sub-plots, brings home an important message; that the war on drugs can more accurately be described as a war on people. Innocents suffer right along with the guilty, and only the policy-makers escape the consequences.

Don Winslow, an experienced private investigator and consultant, is the author of California Fire and Life and The Death and Life of Bobby Z.

Reviewer's note: After reading The Power of the Dog, one might conclude that the real purpose of the drug war is not to halt the flow of drugs into the U.S., but to ensure that the flow of drugs continues uninterrupted. After more than 30 years—at annual costs approaching $40 billion—the U.S. War on Drugs has been an expensive exercise in futility. Today, despite the mind-boggling sums of money spent and uncountable killings and incarcerations, illicit drugs are purer and more prevalent than ever.

Review by Phil Hanson

Click on the title to order your copy of The Power of the Dog.

Copyright © 2005 by Phil Hanson
All rights reserved.

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