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Tequila Sunset
El Paso, Texas. Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Two cities. Different sides of the border. They share streets. They share families. But most of all they share crime. And one gang rules over it all: Barrio Azteca.
In TEQUILA SUNSET, three people are confronted by Los Aztecas' ruthless power: a reluctant gang member, an El Paso police officer, and a Mexican federal agent. As their paths cross with the gang and each other, they all become involved in a complex struggle between law and crime, violence and order, and ultimately, life and death.
In TEQUILA SUNSET, three people are confronted by Los Aztecas' ruthless power: a reluctant gang member, an El Paso police officer, and a Mexican federal agent. As their paths cross with the gang and each other, they all become involved in a complex struggle between law and crime, violence and order, and ultimately, life and death.
359 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
25 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
Sam Hawken
32 books93 followersSam Hawken is the best-selling and Crime Writers Association Dagger-nominated author of the Camaro Espinoza thriller series, as well as the critically acclaimed Borderland Trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 29, 2014
This is another story that focuses on the "war" on drugs. It's centered at the point on the U.S.-Mexico border where the cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are in many ways joined together, even though they are divided by the international border that runs between them. A street gang called the Aztecas works both sides of the line, causing serious problems both for civilians and for law enforcement personnel.
The story is told through the perspectives of several characters. Principal among them is a young man named "Flip" Morales, who has been indoctrinated into the Aztecas while in prison. As the book opens, he is released from prison and makes his way back to his mother's home in El Paso. He'd like to be left alone, but they Aztecas make it clear that they have plans for him on the outside, and almost as soon as Flip is home, the Azteca leader in El Paso, Jose Martinez, reaches out to him.
Also at the center of the story are several law enforcement officers. On the Mexican side of the border, the principal character is a federal officer named Matias Seguro. On the American side are two members of the El Paso P.D.'s anti-gang unit, Christina Salas and her partner, a guy named Robinson. There's also the almost-obligatory obnoxious F.B.I. agent who wants to trample all over the toes of the local cops and take over their investigation.
As the Aztecas seek to increase their influence over the cross-border drug trade, law enforcement officials on both sides of the border are mounting a large-scale effort to take down the gang. Caught up in the middle are the smaller fish like Flip, as well as a number of people who have no affiliation with the gang.
Through the eyes of these characters Hawken tells a fairly familiar tale and describes the consequences of the drug wars on the larger society and on the individuals who are caught up in them. The fact that the story is familiar makes it no less depressing, especially when one thinks of the millions upon millions of dollars that have been spent in this "war" over the last forty years to no discernable effect.
If I have a concern about the book, it lies in the fact that, hard as Hawken might try, none of the characters really resonates. Most of them do not have much depth, which may be a result of the fact that Hawken has created such a large cast that we don't really get to know any one of them as well as we might.
Also from a personal standpoint, I inevitably wind up comparing any book on this subject to Don Winslow's magnificent book, The Power of the Dog, which stands head and shoulders above any other book I've ever read on this subject. That might not be entirely fair to the other authors who have tackled this subject, but the truth is that anyone who does so, for better or worse, winds up standing in Winslow's shadow. 3.5 stars for me, rounded up to 4.
The story is told through the perspectives of several characters. Principal among them is a young man named "Flip" Morales, who has been indoctrinated into the Aztecas while in prison. As the book opens, he is released from prison and makes his way back to his mother's home in El Paso. He'd like to be left alone, but they Aztecas make it clear that they have plans for him on the outside, and almost as soon as Flip is home, the Azteca leader in El Paso, Jose Martinez, reaches out to him.
Also at the center of the story are several law enforcement officers. On the Mexican side of the border, the principal character is a federal officer named Matias Seguro. On the American side are two members of the El Paso P.D.'s anti-gang unit, Christina Salas and her partner, a guy named Robinson. There's also the almost-obligatory obnoxious F.B.I. agent who wants to trample all over the toes of the local cops and take over their investigation.
As the Aztecas seek to increase their influence over the cross-border drug trade, law enforcement officials on both sides of the border are mounting a large-scale effort to take down the gang. Caught up in the middle are the smaller fish like Flip, as well as a number of people who have no affiliation with the gang.
Through the eyes of these characters Hawken tells a fairly familiar tale and describes the consequences of the drug wars on the larger society and on the individuals who are caught up in them. The fact that the story is familiar makes it no less depressing, especially when one thinks of the millions upon millions of dollars that have been spent in this "war" over the last forty years to no discernable effect.
If I have a concern about the book, it lies in the fact that, hard as Hawken might try, none of the characters really resonates. Most of them do not have much depth, which may be a result of the fact that Hawken has created such a large cast that we don't really get to know any one of them as well as we might.
Also from a personal standpoint, I inevitably wind up comparing any book on this subject to Don Winslow's magnificent book, The Power of the Dog, which stands head and shoulders above any other book I've ever read on this subject. That might not be entirely fair to the other authors who have tackled this subject, but the truth is that anyone who does so, for better or worse, winds up standing in Winslow's shadow. 3.5 stars for me, rounded up to 4.
June 15, 2023
Well, it was very first time I read a Sam Hawken’s novel and it wasn’t a disappointment at all. It’s a mixture of the novels, “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins and “Power of Dogs” (Dom Winslow’s novels), where it shows two cities as the main stages, City of Juarez (Mexico) and El Paso (United States), where the local police and the FBI tries to tackle down the drug dealers of Los Aztecas and “calming down” Sinaloa Cartel through a Confidential Informer, a young ex-con, Flip Morales.
Flip tries to stay away from trouble even as a CI, but things can go horribly wrong when he tries to protect the beloved family. Does he do whatever the drug lords demands to do, does he get done what the law enforcement asks. An dilema that this young man hardly has to work out in a way or another in order to survive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love reading topics related to gangs, drug lords and crime fiction then this is the book I recommend to read during summertime.
Flip tries to stay away from trouble even as a CI, but things can go horribly wrong when he tries to protect the beloved family. Does he do whatever the drug lords demands to do, does he get done what the law enforcement asks. An dilema that this young man hardly has to work out in a way or another in order to survive.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love reading topics related to gangs, drug lords and crime fiction then this is the book I recommend to read during summertime.
September 2, 2013
I first came across Sam Hawken via his novel The Dead Women of Juarez, which kept popping up in my 'recommended for you' list on Amazon and I eventually succumbed and decided to give it a go. I haven't looked back since and have read and enjoyed his other novel Juarez Dance and his three Camaro novellas to date and look forward to the fourth.
Tequila Sunset tells of the story of the fight against drugs and arms smuggling in the border towns of El Paso in the USA and Juarez in Mexico. However Hawken does this through the eyes of three different characters, Flip the reluctant gang member who has just been released from jail, Cristina a detective in the Gangs Unit of El Paso PD and Matias, also a detective, but in the Mexican Federal Police in Juarez. What I enjoyed most was the fact that the three main protagonist were all just little cogs in a bigger wheel and all had other concerns which made equal demands on their lives. Flip although a gang member also wants to settle down, do the right thing by his mother and have a different life but he can't escape the clutches of the Azteca gang. Cristina is a single parent with an autistic son and she wants to do her job as best she can but at the same time feels guilty that she doesn't do enough for her son. Then there is Matias who lives with his lawyer wife Elvira and who also finds it difficult to find time for her, while the demands of his job keep him away from home for so long.
The three characters get drawn into the same cross border investigation and there are a couple of major twists in the plot along the way but which ever way you look at it you just know that at the climax its not going to work out as planned.
Another fine addition to Hawken's canon and looking forward to the next Camaro instalment and the novel La Frontera.
Tequila Sunset tells of the story of the fight against drugs and arms smuggling in the border towns of El Paso in the USA and Juarez in Mexico. However Hawken does this through the eyes of three different characters, Flip the reluctant gang member who has just been released from jail, Cristina a detective in the Gangs Unit of El Paso PD and Matias, also a detective, but in the Mexican Federal Police in Juarez. What I enjoyed most was the fact that the three main protagonist were all just little cogs in a bigger wheel and all had other concerns which made equal demands on their lives. Flip although a gang member also wants to settle down, do the right thing by his mother and have a different life but he can't escape the clutches of the Azteca gang. Cristina is a single parent with an autistic son and she wants to do her job as best she can but at the same time feels guilty that she doesn't do enough for her son. Then there is Matias who lives with his lawyer wife Elvira and who also finds it difficult to find time for her, while the demands of his job keep him away from home for so long.
The three characters get drawn into the same cross border investigation and there are a couple of major twists in the plot along the way but which ever way you look at it you just know that at the climax its not going to work out as planned.
Another fine addition to Hawken's canon and looking forward to the next Camaro instalment and the novel La Frontera.
August 6, 2016
This was a solid police procedural set jointly in El Paso, Texas and Juárez, Mexico and chronicling the work of a joint task force that is seeking to take down a drug ring run by the Los Aztecas gang. The task force are being aided in this by Felipe (Flip) Morales, a young gang member who has turned C.I. for his own reasons.
The format was comprised of short, pacey chapters that alternated between Flip, El Paso detective Cristina Salas, who is balancing her work with the anti-gang unit with the demands of single motherhood, and Mexican federal agent Matías Segura. I felt these characters were all well rounded and that Hawken had created a sense of real threat against them.
While this is a work of fiction it should be noted that the Los Aztecas do exist and this serious note underlines the novel, which does not glamorize the gangs but rather champions the work of law enforcement on both sides of the border as well as the overwhelming nature of the task they are undertaking and the dangers involved.
Tequila Sunrise proved a quick, easy read and I could appreciate why it had been long-listed for the UK Crime Writers Association 2013 Golden Dagger. A selection of the nominated titles was made available to the library reading group I attend as an optional book alongside our April selection. So rather than discuss this and the other crime titles we will be sharing our individual responses with the group. I certainly will be giving it a 'thumbs up'.
Just to note that Tequila Sunset is due to be published in the USA in June 2014.
The format was comprised of short, pacey chapters that alternated between Flip, El Paso detective Cristina Salas, who is balancing her work with the anti-gang unit with the demands of single motherhood, and Mexican federal agent Matías Segura. I felt these characters were all well rounded and that Hawken had created a sense of real threat against them.
While this is a work of fiction it should be noted that the Los Aztecas do exist and this serious note underlines the novel, which does not glamorize the gangs but rather champions the work of law enforcement on both sides of the border as well as the overwhelming nature of the task they are undertaking and the dangers involved.
Tequila Sunrise proved a quick, easy read and I could appreciate why it had been long-listed for the UK Crime Writers Association 2013 Golden Dagger. A selection of the nominated titles was made available to the library reading group I attend as an optional book alongside our April selection. So rather than discuss this and the other crime titles we will be sharing our individual responses with the group. I certainly will be giving it a 'thumbs up'.
Just to note that Tequila Sunset is due to be published in the USA in June 2014.
August 12, 2018
This is another book I randomly picked up, and I hesitated several times before ultimately deciding to check it out. Now I wish I'd left it on the shelf.
The good part about this book is it's a relatively quick read. The pages fly by, but unfortunately not a whole lot is happening. I'm not wholly certain why Hawken gave Cristina a son with autism since it doesn't really add much to the plot. Having any child at all while working such a dangerous job is stressful, thanks to never knowing if you're coming home from work that night. Freddie's autism doesn't seem to do much, other than to just highlight what it's like for some kids with autism.
All of Hawken's other characters are drawn rather shallowly. We don't really get into their heads, and their motives are unclear. Why does Flip offer to inform on his fellow Aztecas? He just randomly calls the gang division of the El Paso police department and offers his information. But he's getting nothing out of it, and people are rarely that altruistic, especially when their lives could be on the line.
This book could have been amazing, but unfortunately it mostly fell flat. It did point out how dangerous the gangs are that are bringing guns down to Mexico in exchange for drugs delivered to the US. Being so far from the southern border, this isn't something that has really occurred to me.
The good part about this book is it's a relatively quick read. The pages fly by, but unfortunately not a whole lot is happening. I'm not wholly certain why Hawken gave Cristina a son with autism since it doesn't really add much to the plot. Having any child at all while working such a dangerous job is stressful, thanks to never knowing if you're coming home from work that night. Freddie's autism doesn't seem to do much, other than to just highlight what it's like for some kids with autism.
All of Hawken's other characters are drawn rather shallowly. We don't really get into their heads, and their motives are unclear. Why does Flip offer to inform on his fellow Aztecas? He just randomly calls the gang division of the El Paso police department and offers his information. But he's getting nothing out of it, and people are rarely that altruistic, especially when their lives could be on the line.
This book could have been amazing, but unfortunately it mostly fell flat. It did point out how dangerous the gangs are that are bringing guns down to Mexico in exchange for drugs delivered to the US. Being so far from the southern border, this isn't something that has really occurred to me.
October 21, 2013
If Stieg Larsonn’s work is remembered as the blue flame to forever hold crime fiction novels to, then Sam Hawken’s “Tequila Sunset” definitely burns a bright orange. A crime fiction novel set in current time Ciudad Juarez involves a look in the gun and drug trade between Texas and Mexico that helped gangs thrive, make corrupt police officers keep their mouth shut, and even brings in American border patrol agents to bring an even more international feel was an enjoyable read. When finished once again I had to ask the author, “What and when are you writing next?”
December 3, 2014
police procedural/crime/gang novel set in el paso and juarez. a blurb name checks 'james cain'. oh if only. rather dull and slow i thought, but good info on border life and crime, and cops.
but not very noir.
but not very noir.
February 12, 2015
Solid, but not as good as Missing. This one didn't really come together in a cohesive manner overall. I'd still recommend Missing as Tequila Sunset lacks the characters and punch of it's compatriate.
June 4, 2024
This did not give what I thought it would …. The dialogue felt like I was reading a story written by 13 year old me who genuinely believed someone would pick up my writing and make me an infamous published author. Bad. The first 200 pages of the book were a waste of time, nothing happens until the last 30 pages and then it ends so abruptly that I truly thought a page was ripped out of my book (this was a little free library find , obviously) there were too many POVs , but it took me a hot minute to figure out why each one was a relevant part of the story and how they fit into each others lives. More than anything , the author alludes to a bunch of different plot points that are just complete left untied. How did Jose know Graciela was pregnant without being told? Why was Flip so willing to be a mole for the FBI without even really getting anything in return? Idk like no one cares and neither do I , to be honest 🤷♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2013
first came across Sam Hawken's work via DEAD WOMEN OF JUAREZ. I'd lived in both Juarez and El Paso back in my younger days, and the idea of a hardboiled story in that setting appealed to me. DEAD WOMEN ended up being one of my favorite books of the year, largely because it did a great job of portraying Juarez, while at the same time telling a really good story with two interesting leads. And without spoiling anything, I thought that it also took some ballsy chances in the way it told the story.
So as soon as I was able to, I picked his follow up TEQUILA SUNSET. Like like DEAD WOMEN, this one also takes place in the U.S/Mexico border, but the focus is more on El Paso this time. Also like DEAD WOMEN, the story is divided between multiple characters. Felipe 'Flip' Morales is a young man recently released from prison and caught between leading a normal life and the pull of the Azteca gang and their leader Jose. Cristina Salas is an El Paso police officer rasising a single kid who, while I don't believe ever specifically mentioned, seemes to be autistic. And finally, we have Matis Segura, who as a Mexican officer provides a view of the way the Mexican police force deals with gangs on their side, and has some of the more violent chapters earlier on.
While the story is told through the point of view of all three of these characters, I felt like the stronger narrative lied with Flip. Early on, he seemed a bit of a cypher, as his chapters felt a bit detached, but the more he gets used to the life outside of prison, and more importantly, becomes integrated into the Azteca gang and meets a girl he likes, the deeper I began to understand him. His chapters also provided the most tension, as before long we start to see how being pulled from two separate sides starts to affect him.
I also enjoyed Cristina and Matia's chapters, and they provided a glimpse into a world and setting that's only in the peripheral of Flip's chapters. Their chapters also occasionally juxtaposed against each other, showing not only how different the Mexican and El Pasoan tactics for dealing with gangs were, but also how different, yet similar, their personal lives were. I do sort of wish we got more of their chapters though, as Matias never became a fully fledged character for me. His chapters were never boring or a drag to read because as another reviewer has mentioned, one of Hawken's strenght here is that the writing style he uses here is quick and to the point, allowing the chapters to speed right by.
Overall, I really ended up enjoying this book, though DEAD WOMEN is stil my favorite. It was a quick read for me, that nonetheless left me thinking about it and its characters for days on afterwards. I look forward to whatever Hawken produces next, regardless of the setting.
So as soon as I was able to, I picked his follow up TEQUILA SUNSET. Like like DEAD WOMEN, this one also takes place in the U.S/Mexico border, but the focus is more on El Paso this time. Also like DEAD WOMEN, the story is divided between multiple characters. Felipe 'Flip' Morales is a young man recently released from prison and caught between leading a normal life and the pull of the Azteca gang and their leader Jose. Cristina Salas is an El Paso police officer rasising a single kid who, while I don't believe ever specifically mentioned, seemes to be autistic. And finally, we have Matis Segura, who as a Mexican officer provides a view of the way the Mexican police force deals with gangs on their side, and has some of the more violent chapters earlier on.
While the story is told through the point of view of all three of these characters, I felt like the stronger narrative lied with Flip. Early on, he seemed a bit of a cypher, as his chapters felt a bit detached, but the more he gets used to the life outside of prison, and more importantly, becomes integrated into the Azteca gang and meets a girl he likes, the deeper I began to understand him. His chapters also provided the most tension, as before long we start to see how being pulled from two separate sides starts to affect him.
I also enjoyed Cristina and Matia's chapters, and they provided a glimpse into a world and setting that's only in the peripheral of Flip's chapters. Their chapters also occasionally juxtaposed against each other, showing not only how different the Mexican and El Pasoan tactics for dealing with gangs were, but also how different, yet similar, their personal lives were. I do sort of wish we got more of their chapters though, as Matias never became a fully fledged character for me. His chapters were never boring or a drag to read because as another reviewer has mentioned, one of Hawken's strenght here is that the writing style he uses here is quick and to the point, allowing the chapters to speed right by.
Overall, I really ended up enjoying this book, though DEAD WOMEN is stil my favorite. It was a quick read for me, that nonetheless left me thinking about it and its characters for days on afterwards. I look forward to whatever Hawken produces next, regardless of the setting.
August 5, 2022
(2.5 rounded to 3)
A crime-fiction novel centered at the US-Mexico border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Tequila Sunset revolves around the drugs & guns trade by street gangs.
It tells the story of three primary characters: Flip, a young, reluctant gang member recently out of prison; El Paso detective Christina Salas, balancing single motherhood with her work in the anti-gang unit; and Mexican federal agent Matías Segura.
This book had a lot of potential to be amazing, but unfortunately it mostly fell flat. In the beginning it was rather dull and slow, but started to get intriguing only halfway through. None of the characters really resonated, and most of them lacked depth and were just stock characters.
Nevertheless, I really started enjoying it towards the end; but just as it seemed to build up to a climactic end, it just limped over to the finish line. The ending was quite abrupt and rushed, and left me very unsatisfied. The “climax” was again, very dull, and the end gave nothing about what becomes of the characters, and a lot was left unexplained.
Also, there wasn’t really any connection between the title and the story, which is a shame because this sounds so cool (and with such a pretty cover too; needless to say this was a cover buy :P )
On the whole, it is a nice read to pass the time, especially if you’re a fan of crime-fic of this sort. It does not embellish the gangs and shows the work of law enforcement on both sides of the border and the dangers involved. It tells a conversant tale about the consequences of the drug war on the society as well as on the individuals involved.
A crime-fiction novel centered at the US-Mexico border between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, Tequila Sunset revolves around the drugs & guns trade by street gangs.
It tells the story of three primary characters: Flip, a young, reluctant gang member recently out of prison; El Paso detective Christina Salas, balancing single motherhood with her work in the anti-gang unit; and Mexican federal agent Matías Segura.
This book had a lot of potential to be amazing, but unfortunately it mostly fell flat. In the beginning it was rather dull and slow, but started to get intriguing only halfway through. None of the characters really resonated, and most of them lacked depth and were just stock characters.
Nevertheless, I really started enjoying it towards the end; but just as it seemed to build up to a climactic end, it just limped over to the finish line. The ending was quite abrupt and rushed, and left me very unsatisfied. The “climax” was again, very dull, and the end gave nothing about what becomes of the characters, and a lot was left unexplained.
Also, there wasn’t really any connection between the title and the story, which is a shame because this sounds so cool (and with such a pretty cover too; needless to say this was a cover buy :P )
On the whole, it is a nice read to pass the time, especially if you’re a fan of crime-fic of this sort. It does not embellish the gangs and shows the work of law enforcement on both sides of the border and the dangers involved. It tells a conversant tale about the consequences of the drug war on the society as well as on the individuals involved.
December 10, 2017
Young guy from a violent Barrio near the Mexico/American border is sentenced to 16 years prison for his part in a botched home-invasion. Four years later he is released on parole. Whilst in prison he informs on a prison gang; The Aztecas, after they adopt him following an assault by a white supremacist, shortly after his incarceration. After his release, he returns to the barrio he grew up in, contacts detectives in the gang squad and volunteers his services as a snitch again when he is welcomed into the Aztecas on the 'outside'.
This is the third book i've read by author, Sam Hawken, and i enjoyed the other two. This one though is disappointing. Why? Well, for me a story even a fictional one should have some logic. After all, it's fiction, not fantasy. I mean why did it's young protagonist (Felippe) inform on the Aztecas in prison and then again, offer to do the same on his releases. He wasn't released earlier from prison and he received no other incentive to inform. And on his release, why approach the police to inform on the gang. The author gives Felippe no reason for doing so. Right there this narrative falls on it's face.
I'm tempted to give this 2 stars and only give it 3 based on the author's other efforts. It's not that this is poorly written, just poorly conceived and executed.
This is the third book i've read by author, Sam Hawken, and i enjoyed the other two. This one though is disappointing. Why? Well, for me a story even a fictional one should have some logic. After all, it's fiction, not fantasy. I mean why did it's young protagonist (Felippe) inform on the Aztecas in prison and then again, offer to do the same on his releases. He wasn't released earlier from prison and he received no other incentive to inform. And on his release, why approach the police to inform on the gang. The author gives Felippe no reason for doing so. Right there this narrative falls on it's face.
I'm tempted to give this 2 stars and only give it 3 based on the author's other efforts. It's not that this is poorly written, just poorly conceived and executed.
December 17, 2013
Thank you Sam Hawken, for short, punchy chapters! I LOVE short chapters of 6-8 pages, as I find I can continue reading for longer (sounds odd, but I couldn't put this book down and finished it very quickly) In contrast, I'm also currently reading Tarka the Otter. You probably couldn't get more polar opposite styles of writing.
In short, kind of like reading The Shield in book format. Without the corrupt Vic Mackie.
In short, kind of like reading The Shield in book format. Without the corrupt Vic Mackie.
March 10, 2015
A good plot, but the end is very abrupt, and doesn't feel thoughtfully considered. Characters are not well imagined or developed, very basic and bland tropes. You feel the lack of imagination in the characters when several of them consistently eat microwaved dinners standing in their kitchens and watch tv without absorbing what they're watching; i.e., they feel more like placeholders than actual characters because they are so one-dimensional.
June 11, 2014
A fast paced story with three points of view, the American detective, the Mexican federal officer and the young gangster trying to stay a step ahead of the gangsters. It's a dangerous business, but who's going to survive once the dust settles.
It's the sort of book that doesn't require the reader to work out what's going on, everything is provided for you.
It's the sort of book that doesn't require the reader to work out what's going on, everything is provided for you.
March 2, 2022
This book could have been a lot better. The plot was extremely slow to get going. The motivation for the major plot point of Flip offering to be a police informant was murky at best. Gang members commonly don't voluntarily CALL THE COPS to snitch. There was no mention of him getting paid so why did he do it? He'd been a snitch in prison and loved doing it so much? The angle of the cops in Mexico threw me. The marriage troubles of Matias, like the autistic son of the El Paso cop didn't seem to go anywhere for the amount of story devoted to it, nor did it seem to lend much to character development. It was, however, a quick read.
March 16, 2019
I guess I expected a grittier book when the subject matter is Mexican gangs, life on the southern border and drug cartels. This book was more YA than anything.
Gang member wanting to do right, is an informer for the police, loves his girlfriend, loves his mom.
Lady cop struggling in the bad world as a single mom with an autistic son
Mexican cop not corrupted by all the money and drugs
Positive messages throughout.
Overall kind of boring.
Gang member wanting to do right, is an informer for the police, loves his girlfriend, loves his mom.
Lady cop struggling in the bad world as a single mom with an autistic son
Mexican cop not corrupted by all the money and drugs
Positive messages throughout.
Overall kind of boring.
March 28, 2024
This book just really left something to be desired. Everytime I thought about leaving it, something happened that caught my attention and I thought maybe it was a turning point. I cannot count the number of times I told my husband I don't even know if I like this book, but I felt like I had to keep reading it. The short chapters kept me going. A good ending would have saved it, but it too came up short for me.
November 22, 2020
Nice easy read
February 20, 2017
Good, but could have been better
The plot line and storytelling in this book are quite good. The classic man vs. self redemption story is done well here.
However, the book has only the faintest whisper of denouement, after a good climax. Call me old-fashioned, but I want to know what happened to the characters that survived.
The plot line and storytelling in this book are quite good. The classic man vs. self redemption story is done well here.
However, the book has only the faintest whisper of denouement, after a good climax. Call me old-fashioned, but I want to know what happened to the characters that survived.
March 15, 2015
This is a really good fast paced crime thriller that delves into the murky world of the cross border Mexican gangs that dominate the criminal underworld of Texas and its surroundings. Told primarily through the story of Flip, a young convict who finds himself pulled into the Azteca world despite his best intentions, the story shows the complexity of the gangs and the hold they have over their members and their communities and the efforts of the police and other bodies to bring them to some form of justice. Hawken has taken all the usual aspects of an exciting gang crime thriller and added some brilliant characters and lots of difficult grey area decisions to create a tense story with no clear good and bad guys leaving the reader constantly changing opinions and views and utterly exhausted by the end. An excellent read and an author I am certainly going to look out for more in future.
April 17, 2014
I read the text on the back. Saw a cool cover. Liked the basic plot idea, but in the end I was kinda disappointed.
Hawken writes about drugs, gangs, cops and the border cities. It´s like a perfect recipe for a great crime novel. But still its no more than okay. Even though we get to learn the characters I never really get a feeling for them. Like the ex-con Flip. He´s kin of likable, but still I don´t get what his motivation is, Hawken never really shows whats the fuel in anyones engine.
I wouldn´t really recommend this book to someone, but on the other hand, I wouldn´t tell someone its a waste of time either.
Read it if you want to waste time on a plane or a train, but if you wanna get blown away there are plenty of great crime novels out there.
Hawken writes about drugs, gangs, cops and the border cities. It´s like a perfect recipe for a great crime novel. But still its no more than okay. Even though we get to learn the characters I never really get a feeling for them. Like the ex-con Flip. He´s kin of likable, but still I don´t get what his motivation is, Hawken never really shows whats the fuel in anyones engine.
I wouldn´t really recommend this book to someone, but on the other hand, I wouldn´t tell someone its a waste of time either.
Read it if you want to waste time on a plane or a train, but if you wanna get blown away there are plenty of great crime novels out there.
July 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was quick paced and the format helped it along - 4 parts with short chapters.
The end was a page turner, I didn't know what would happen. I see a few of the reviews on here say that the characters weren't very well developed - I didn't think that way at all ! I really felt I knew them !
Certainly I would read more of this writer's books. And the cover was just amazing - the picture on here doesn't do it justice, the gold parts are reflective in reality. Quite stunning.
The end was a page turner, I didn't know what would happen. I see a few of the reviews on here say that the characters weren't very well developed - I didn't think that way at all ! I really felt I knew them !
Certainly I would read more of this writer's books. And the cover was just amazing - the picture on here doesn't do it justice, the gold parts are reflective in reality. Quite stunning.
November 1, 2014
A good story with an OK ending. The title seems so generic as to have been something thought up by the publisher or editor since it has no bearing whatsoever on the story (especially since none of the characters seem to drink tequila-just beer). This is nothing like the FX series "The Bridge" other than it takes place in El Paso and Juarez and involves cops and criminals on both sides of the border. Enjoyed the book but I have to say that candidates for the 2013 Golden Dagger nominee list must have been pretty sparse.
May 20, 2014
Hmmm. I'm not sure about this book, although I found it extremely entertaining in parts, it just didn't have me gripped the whole way through. I was able to put this book down far too easily and therefore I'm unable to give more than 3 stars.
June 29, 2014
Crime story from 3 points of view. A good book for long trips on a plane, but nothing too special. The plot itself is really simple. It would probably make a decent movie but the deeper issues of the situation are left somewhat unexplained/untouched.
February 20, 2016
Have recently discovered Sam Hawken and this is the third book I have read. Really enjoyed it and hope there are many more to look forward to. Writes good plots, characters and sets the scene/place very well too. All good for me.
December 17, 2016
3.5 Don Winslow's The Power of the Dog & The Cartel may have ruined all other fiction books about the drugs, gangs, and violence on the U.S./Mexican border (because they were just SO good.) That being said this was still an entertaining enough read.
January 30, 2014
Some paragraphs were predictable, especially where Matias got shot at, some paragraphs did not made any sense, otherwise good bedtime reading.
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