I know this book is going to make some people angry, he says.
I can live with that.
The author ofSavagesandThe Forceis no stranger to provoking strong responses,sometimes getting death threats over his work.
Credit: Robert Gallagher; Harper Collins
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I know a great deal of your fiction is based on fact.
As a result, we swapped one wolf for a dozen coyotes.
And this is what happened.
Harper Collins
I know you have lost people you care about to the opioid crisis.
How did that personal loss influence this book?Deeply.
I hope I did that well, I tried.
I owe that to the people who shared their lives with me and didnt make it.
The wish fulfillment isnt real.
But its not my job to deliver justice or even judgment.
I cant even fictionally deliver justice when theres little or no chance that such justice could ever be rendered.
I have to resist that impulse.
It felt really good.
Some people who will not read journalism will read fiction, and vice versa.
Were allowed to create dialogue and dont have to rely on quotable quotes.
Youd be surprised, by the way, how many cops are for drug legalization.
Do they provide any insights in return that are helpful for your writing?The communication is absolutely two-way.
I have police sources who provide me with information and insights and have been extraordinarily generous in that regard.
I could not have written these books without the cooperation of police officers all over the world.
As you mentioned, the main antagonist of the series met his end inThe Cartel.
Adan becomes a narco-saint, replete with shrines and devotees and banners that read Adan viva.
How comfortable is he in his new role?Not at all.
Keller is not a political animal, and this is a major factor in the book.
He also has to deal with the media and the Internet world, all foreign to him.
The path he takes basically follow the money takes him deeper into conflict with the powers-that-be in Washington.
Theyre all of a piece, as Keller discovers when he starts to unwind that tangled ball of yarn.
I really grew to love that character.
Theres another one, Ric, who is actually Adan Barreras godson.
Again, its drawn from the actual story.
I think that readers will be fascinated to see the lives of the new generation of drug traffickers.
Lastly, the title of the book The Border is a politically loaded phrase.
And the cover shows a wall topped with razor wire.
Are you concerned about anyone misinterpreting your intention?I understand that its a politically loaded phrase.
But loaded phrases, like loaded guns, are more interesting, arent they?
They certainly contain more threat.
I never worry about anyone misinterpreting my intentions.
I know this book is going to make some people angry.
I can live with that.
