The book known as “Cartel III” finally has an official title: The Border.
In what instantly becomes the single most anticipated thriller of 2019, Don Winslow is set to continue the series that first kicked off in 2005 with The Power of the Dog before continuing a decade later with The Cartel (2015), when The Border hits bookstores on February 26th.
EW announced the book exclusively, also revealing the cover and posting a really great interview with Winslow, which you can see here.
In that interview, Winslow is quoted as saying, “I chose that title because that’s what the story is about. Drug trafficking is about the border, immigration is about the border, the political conflict is about the border. That’s the physical border, an external border, but the book is also about how every character confronts moral and emotional borders inside themselves, whether they choose to cross them or not, and, if they do, whether they can make it back.”
He also addressed any concerns about people misinterpreting the book’s title by saying, “I understand that it’s a politically loaded phrase. But loaded phrases, like loaded guns, are more interesting, aren’t they? They certainly contain more threat. I never worry about anyone misinterpreting my intentions. My intentions in this book are pretty clear, but I think that each reader has a perfect right to his or her interpretation.”
Without spoiling The Cartel, Art Keller returns, though there have been some changes. Not only as far as who he’s up against, but also for him personally, as he adjusts to a new role with the DEA.
What do you do when there are no borders? When the lines you thought existed simply vanish? How do you plant your feet to make a stand when you no longer know what side you’re on?
The war has come home.
For over forty years, Art Keller has been on the front lines of America’s longest conflict: The War On Drugs. His obsession to defeat the world’s most powerful, wealthy, and lethal kingpin—the godfather of the Sinaloa Cartel, Adán Barrera—has left him bloody and scarred, cost him people he loves, even taken a piece of his soul.
Now Keller is elevated to the highest ranks of the DEA, only to find that in destroying one monster he has created thirty more that are wreaking even more chaos and suffering in his beloved Mexico. But not just there.
Barrera’s final legacy is the heroin epidemic scourging America. Throwing himself into the gap to stem the deadly flow, Keller finds himself surrounded by enemies—men that want to kill him, politicians that want to destroy him, and worse, the unimaginable—an incoming administration that’s in bed with the very drug traffickers that Keller is trying to bring down.
Art Keller is at war with not only the cartels, but with his own government. And the long fight has taught him more than he ever imagined. Now, he learns the final lesson—there are no borders.
In a story that moves from deserts south of the border to Wall Street, from the slums of Guatemala to the marbled corridors of Washington, D.C., Winslow follows a new generation of narcos, the cops that fight them, the street traffickers, the addicts, the politicians, money-launderers, real-estate moguls and mere children fleeing the violence for the chance of a life in a new country.
A shattering tale of vengeance, violence, corruption and justice, this last novel in Don Winslow’s magnificent, award-winning, internationally bestselling trilogy is packed with unforgettable, drawn-from-the-headlines scenes. Shocking in its brutality, raw in its humanity, The Border is an unflinching portrait of modern America, a story of—and for—our time
The Border is Don Winslow’s first release following The Force (2017) his international bestselling standalone novel that was basically on everyone’s “Best of 2017” list, including the New York Times, NPR, Barnes & Noble, Publisher’s Weekly, LitHub, BookPage, Booklist, and even right here on The Real Book Spy. In fact, The Force is the only book to ever receive a perfect, 10/10 on our rating scale, and was a major hit with Book Spy followers.
Obviously, we’ll have plenty of coverage of this title leading up to its publication, so check back for more updates soon. Fans dying to get their hands on The Border can pre-order their copy here or anywhere else books are sold. In the meantime, make sure you’re following Don Winslow on Twitter and Facebook, as well as his official website, for more updates.
Praised as “one of today’s finest book reviewers” by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, Ryan Steck (“The Godfather of the thriller genre” — Ben Coes) has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.