Book Review of BROKEN by Don Winslow

BROKEN by Don Winslow (William Morrow, April 2020) Hardcover, 338 pages. ISBN # 0062988905/9780062988904 

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .  

In six intense short novels connected by the themes of crime, corruption, vengeance, justice, loss, betrayal, guilt and redemption, Broken is #1 international bestseller Don Winslow at his nerve-shattering, heart-stopping, heartbreaking best. 

In Broken, he creates a world of high-level thieves and low-life crooks, obsessed cops struggling with life on and off the job, private detectives, dope dealers, bounty hunters and fugitives, the lost souls driving without headlights through the dark night on the American criminal highway.

With his trademark blend of insight, humanity, humor, action and the highest level of literary craftsmanship, Winslow delivers a collection of tales that will become classics of crime fiction.

My Five-Star Review On The Goodreads Website

This collection of short novels is a brilliant showcase for the skills of author Don Winslow to tell a variety of great stories all within the same genre: crime fiction. Known for his engaging novels of the crime and drug cartels, Winslow stretches out beyond those confines. From the gritty and brutal to heart-warming to funny - - it’s all here. 

GRITTY, BRUTAL VICIOUS: The lead story in this collection, “Broken”, is all that and more. It’s the harshest tale as a vicious drug gang gets revenge on a special forces squad leader by taking down his brother cop in deadly fashion. “Avenge your brother, I want you to kill them all.” 

The ensuing retaliation is rough reading. 

CLEVER POLICE PROCEDURAL:  “Crime 101” is a fascinating pursuit of a crafty and cautious jewelry store robber who gets outsmarted by Detective Lou Lubesnick, who needs a comeback of sort considering all that’s happened to him. Lubesnick is a re-occuring character and also appears (although in less major roles) in two other stories in this collection. 

FUNNY ROMANTIC COMEDY: In “The San Diego Zoo” a young police officer gets embarrassed by a runaway chimp with a gun. However, despite his unfavorable Facebook notoriety, Chris Shea gains the attention of a romantic interest, and redeems his reputation by solving a mystery. 

COMPELLING CHASE AND CATCH: Great character portraits throughout “Sunset” raise this above the level of a simple procedural as a surfing private investigator is hired by an iconic bail bondsman to track down the legendary surfer who jumped bail. 

VIOLENT, BUT MORE POLITE THAN “BROKEN”:  In “Paradise”, the trio of California cannabis entrepreneurs from Winslow’s SAVAGES novel explore expanding their territory into Hawaii and run into much resistance from the local crime syndicate. Family is paramount. Paradise is where you make it. 

WARM-HEARTED AND HEART-BREAKING, TWO FOR ONE: In “The Last Ride” an Iraq war veteran and now Border Patrol agent becomes frustrated with the federal government’s mishandling of children in cages. Unable to utilize the service’s resources and expertise to re-unite a young girl with her separated mother, he decides to fix things on his own. In the process, he risks his career, his relationships, and his life in a trip across the Texas-Mexican border. This one brought out feelings of familial warmth, frustration, depression, and sadness.