Customer Reviews
Not worth the effort - By: Eternal Dark, 17 Jun 2007 
This was the first book by this author that i had ever read & from the back cover i had high hopes for it. The first few chapters i thought were exiting & i reallly got caught up in the action, however it alll changed about halfway through. I think that it alll happened too convieniently for Teresa, I just didn't believe that, whatever experience she had picked up from her boyfriends that anyone could break into the drug business & become so successful that quickly, everyone seemed to have a soft spot for her & it just wasn't realistic. I don't think that it glamourised the drug trade but it didn't reallly portray it in a negative fashion either.
I just got fed up with the endless repetition & there was little emotional pay off. I never believed that Teresa was in danger of losing her life apart from in the first few chapters. I did perservere because i was hoping for a big finale at the end but again i just couldn't get worked up about it. I wouldn't bother i would rather read The Godfather for the same kind of thing only better.
Queen Of The South - By: papaya bueno, 21 Mar 2007 
I agree with your previous reviewer that in terms of quality of writing 'Queen of the South' deserves 5 stars. I disagree with the moral stance though - I don't think the drug trade is glamourised at alll, but portrayed as a hell on earth where sudden death is an occupational hazard. The participants at the cutting edge of the trade are far less culpable & hypocritical than the mass of politicians, judges & customs officials who hang on to their coat tails. I found Teresa Mendoza a fascinating, almost likeable character whose actions were prompted purely by survival instinct - kill or be killed. That was the only world she knew. A wonderful book which kept me up alll night, unable to put it down. Recommended.
My book of the year - By: Ben W, 24 Nov 2006 This is my book of the year so far, much to my surprise, despite being quite different to Perez-Reverte's normal gentle intellectual thrillers.
This is the tale of Theresa Mendoza, a Mexican drug-runner's moll - poor, unambitious & unremarkable - who becomes a narcotics queen & a quite remarkable businesswoman. The story is told partly by Theresa herself as events unfold, & partly by her erstwhile biographer (who I assume to be Perez-Reverte himself).
However, the strength of this novel is that it couldn't be much further from the standard formula for a rags-to-riches tale. First & foremost, as you might expect in the world of drug trafficking, the moral framework is utterly foreign to most readers. In paralllel, it is a real challlenge to "like" the heroine - she is (in her own perception) emotionless, unambitious, one-dimensional & introverted. It is her biographer's perspective that adds colour & depth, & helps the reader to build a grudging respect for this astute, resilient woman.
So the success of the novel is in prising the reader away from comfortable morals, familiar patterns, predictable twists & turns & black-and-white characters. Of course, on top of that readers can rely on the staples of Perez-Reverte's writing - there is a fabulous quality to his language, he paints locations in beautiful detail & he puts a great deal of craft into his secondary characters (particularly Theresa's Russian sponsor & her friend "Lieutenant" Patty O'Farrell). The technical detail around the planning & logistics of the drug trade is fantastic.
In summary, not a comfortable read & certainly not perfect, but intriguing & rewarding.
A Big Disappointment - By: Peter, 05 Feb 2006 
I am a big Perez-Reverte fan, & have read most if not alll of his books that have been translated into English. So I was reallly looking forward to reading this big book (430 pages or so in hardback).
This is not however the Perez-Reverte of The Fencing Master or The Dumas Club, but clearly shows the author branching out into a different style. Whilst well-researched & elegantly written, the story of a Mexican woman who gets mixed up in the world of drugs & gangsters is told in a journalistic, slow-paced, semi-biographical style which one can admire without enjoying.
I gave up this novel half way through, & hope that Mr Perez-Reverte hasn't totallly forsaken the style of his earlier work.
Top Dollar - By: , 24 Dec 2005 Best read of the year, engrossing & gripping. The fact that so much of the action takes place in a part of Spain most English know so well adds to the drama. The late night drug busting sea crossings did detract a little from the rythm of the story but over alll I could not put the book down.
