Author Don Winslow a hidden treasure
One of the best kept secrets in America today is author Don Winslow. Like the writer Joe R. Lansdale, it seems that only a fraction of the readers in this country know about Winslow. That’s about to change.
The next 12 months should bring Don Winslow to the forefront for fiction readers with the publication of “Savages” on July 13 and “Satori” in March 2011. “Savages” is already in the process of being turned into a movie by Oliver Stone with a screenplay by Winslow, and “Satori” will be the sequel, or prequel, to the famous espionage thriller “Shibumi,” which was written by the late author Trevanian during the ’80s.
I managed to snag an advance copy of both books and, as a 40-year fan of Trevanian, can tell you that Winslow has captured the author’s style of writing perfectly in just the first 10 pages. Let me also mention that Winslow is the author of the “Neal Barrett” detective series, “Isle of Joy,” “The Life & Times of Bobby Z” (which was turned into a movie), “The Power of the Dog,” “The Winter of Frankie Machine” (Robert De Niro is making that into a film), “California Fire and Ice” and “The Dawn Patrol.” All of the novels have proven to be excellent in scope and writing style (Winslow changes styles with almost every book—he’s like a chameleon) and storyline, not to mention character development. This author is a master of the written word much like Nicholai Hel in “Satori” is the master of death.
Now, what about “Savages”?
This is the story of two Laguna Beach bums who know how to make and distribute the best home-grown marijuana in the country. These guys are sitting on top of the world until the Mexican Baja Drug Cartel decides it wants to take over their business. That’s when everything hits the fan, figuratively speaking. The two beach bums aren’t your ordinary pair of bums. Ben is the son of two shrinks and also holds two degrees, one in marketing and one in botany, from the University of California in Berkeley, while Chon is the son of an old marijuana dealer and a former Navy SEAL.
These guys are pretty cool, until you get them riled up, and the drug cartel does just that when it kidnaps their love interest and very close friend, Ophelia (aka O), and threatens to cut off her head if they don’t comply with the demands. Of course, that’s when Chon leaps into action. Even Ben, who has been spending his money on charities and philanthropy projects, is going to have to get bloody in this operation because the Baja Drug Cartel is no mom-and-pop store. These guys are serious and won’t hesitate to kill Ben and Chon, rather than lose respect. In fact, they have a killer named Lado, who gets off on removing the heads of their competition with a chain saw.
What truly amazes me as both a reader and an author is how easily Winslow changes his writing style to accommodate the story. Pretty much every author has his or her own unique way of telling a story that carries over from book to book. Winslow doesn’t. His novel “Isle of Joy” is written in a style that’s completely different from “The Power of the Dog” and “The Winter of Frankie Machine.” “The Dawn Patrol” is different from the three previous books, and “Savages” is totally different from anything he’s written before. I can also say the same thing for “Satori.” He’s certainly not afraid to take chances in delivering a story to his readers.
The only constants in all of Winslow’s novels is the high caliber of storytelling, the fully developed characters (even the minor ones), the large number of plot twists that keep you trying to guess where the story is headed, and the surprise ending that often leaves you breathless. “Savages” is such a book. It clearly offers the reader high-octane entertainment that travels at the speed of a Magnum bullet, knocking you right off your feet with the unexpected.
Winslow’s books are as addictive as meth to a junkie. If you don’t believe me, get yourself a copy of “The Power of the Dog” or “California Fire and Life.” It won’t be long until you’re hooked.
