Synopses & Reviews
A breakthrough novel that pits young kingpins against a Mexican drug cartel, Savages is a provocative, sexy, and sharply funny thrill ride through the dark side of the war on drugs and beyond. Part-time environmentalist and philanthropist Ben and his ex-mercenary buddy Chon run a Laguna Beach–based marijuana operation, reaping significant profits from their loyal clientele. In the past when their turf was challenged, Chon took care of eliminating the threat. But now they may have come up against something that they can’t handle—the Mexican Baja Cartel wants in, and sends them the message that a "no" is unacceptable. When they refuse to back down, the cartel escalates its threat, kidnapping Ophelia, the boys’ playmate and confidante. O’s abduction sets off a dizzying array of ingenious negotiations and gripping plot twists that will captivate readers eager to learn the costs of freedom and the price of one amazing high.
Following "the best summertime crime novel ever" (San Francisco Chronicle on The Dawn Patrol), bestselling author Winslow offers up a smash hit in the making. Savages is an ingenious combination of adrenaline-fueled suspense and true-crime reportage by a master thriller writer at the very top of his game.
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“A spellbinding tour de force that is utterly impossible to put down.” —Christopher Reich
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“Savages is Don Winslow’s best book yet—a wickedly funny and smart novel, with a ripped-from-the-headlines story that gets your pulse racing as the action unfolds. Razor-sharp plot twists, a cast of ruthless antiheroes, and of course, Winslow’s superb, adrenaline-fueled prose make this scorching, drug-infused thriller an addictive and entertaining read.” —Janet Evanovich
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“Wake up people—Winslow’s the real deal.” —James Ellroy on The Gentlemen's Hour
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“Edgar nominee and Shamus winner Winslow…dispenses short chapters that drive his plot breathlessly forward. He also serves up plenty of savage wit….Riddled with bullets and splattered with blood, Savages is not for the squeamish, but it’s a must for Winslow fans.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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“Wake up people—Winslow’s the real deal.” —James Ellroy on The Gentlemen's Hour
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“Spare, clipped expository prose and hip, spot-on dialogue propel this visceral crime novel from Winslow....setting the stage for the violent and utterly satisfying ending. Winslow's encyclopedic knowledge of the border drug trade lends authenticity.” —Publishers Weekly
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"Savages will jolt Mr. Winslow into a different league...[his] most boisterously stylish crime book, his gutsiest and most startling bid for attention....full of wild-card moves....its wisecracks are so sharp, its characters so mega-cool and its storytelling so ferocious that the risks pay off, thanks especially to Mr. Winslow's no-prisoners sense of humor....The Winslow effect is to fuse the grave and the playful, the body blow and the joke, the nightmare and the pipe dream." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
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“An ultra-lean, stoner thriller….It packs a dynamic plot, sentences dripping with ``baditude and a singular way with language….Winslow's writing has the vigor of action painting….[his] command of vernacular is fabulous, his eye for detail sharp….Winslow's insights into drug wars are provocative, his descriptions of marijuana tantalizing.” —Carlo Wolff, The Boston Globe
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“A revelation . . . This is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on autoload.” —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly
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“Winslow’s marvelous, adrenaline-juiced roller coaster of a novel . . . is both a departure and a culmination, pyrotechnic braggadocio and deep meditation on contemporary American culture.” —Sarah Weinman, Los Angeles Times
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“This is the story of love’s costs—and the acceptance of whatever that cost entails.” —Randy Michael Signor, Chicago Sun-Times
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“Savages is the book of my generation . . . nothing short of revolutionary, a flash grenade into the ineffectual heart of Generation Y. . . . . solidifies Winslow’s reputation as not just one of the best crime writers working today, but one of the best writers, period. Jesus Christ, this book.” —Brendan Leonard, January Magazine
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“Winslow is a brilliant stylist, unflinching in detail, and his books jab a fountain pen in the eye of anyone who can read one of his tomes and state with conviction that crime fiction isn't literature.” —Jason Pinter, The Huffington Post
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“Stylish . . . Mega-cool . . . Ferocious.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
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“A wickedly funny and smart novel.” —Janet Evanovich
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"A spellbinding, tour de force that is utterly impossible to put down. Savages is, bar none, the finest novel I have read in years." —Christopher Reich, author of Numbered Account and Rules of Deception
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About the Author
Don Winslow is the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels, including The Cartel, The Kings of Cool, Savages, The Gentlemen’s Hour, The Dawn Patrol, The Winter of Frankie Machine, and The Power of the Dog. He lives in Southern California. To learn more, follow Don on Twitter at twitter.com/donwinslow or visit DonWinslow.com.