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  • The Force

  • By: Don Winslow
  • Narrated by: Dion Graham
  • Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (346 ratings)
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The Force cover art

The Force

By: Don Winslow
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Cartel – winner of the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for Best Thriller of the Year – comes The Force, a cinematic epic as explosive, powerful, and unforgettable as The Wire.

Everyone can be bought. At the right price…

Detective sergeant Denny Malone leads an elite unit to fight gangs, drugs and guns in New York. For eighteen years he’s been on the front lines, doing whatever it takes to survive in a city built by ambition and corruption, where no one is clean.

What only a few know is that Denny Malone himself is dirty: he and his partners have stolen millions of dollars in drugs and cash. Now he’s caught in a trap and being squeezed by the FBI, and he must walk a thin line of betrayal, while the city teeters on the brink of a racial conflagration that could destroy them all.

Don Winslow’s latest novel is a haunting story of greed and violence, inequality and race, and a searing portrait of a city on the edge of an abyss. Full of shocking twists, this is a morally complex and riveting dissection of the controversial issues confronting society today.

©2017 Samburu, Inc (P)2017 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

‘There won’t be a better cop novel this year than The Force by Don Winslow. Not next year, or the year after that, either’ Linwood Barclay

‘Intensely human in its tragic details, positively Shakespearian in its epic sweep – probably the best cop novel ever written’ Lee Child

‘This stands out by a mile … fresher, faster, funnier and truer … bursting with life, lousy with death, it is because it tells the truth, in all its ugliness, that this novel is so exhilarating’ Daily Telegraph

What listeners say about The Force

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An Audible Tour De Force

Simply amazing book. One listen is not enough. The narrator is awesome. Brilliant storytelling 😎

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointed

After reading great reviews, I had high hopes. I found the story to be a blend of the wire, the shield and the Sopranos rolled into one. The story was predictable and you knew how it was going to end after a few chapters.
The narration was okay, the only thing that was slightly irritating was the fake boston accent, condidering he was meant to be from New York. It came across as a put on Mark Walbergh impression.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This is 14 hours I’ll never get back

Weak story, predictable plot-
Awful dialogue - can’t say anymore except don’t bother or at least sample the narration first -
Thought it would get better - it didn’t

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Relentless corruption. Where are the good guys?

Where does The Force rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I was gripped for most of the book. I'd say it was the fastest I have ever listened to an audio book . You feel like you've heard it all before though, tough cops, loyal crew led by a Cop Superman.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

He didn't seem to know how to end it and it rambled through many unbelievable alley ways.

What three words best describe Dion Graham’s performance?

I got tired of the excitable relentless, breathy, tough guy talk.
That said, it's a very good yarn and he kept my attention

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Who'll protect us from the guys who protect us.

Any additional comments?

This is a very good book but........I'd only spoil it if I elaborate further.
Worth a listen and I'll look out for more of his books. I'd already bought the Power of the Dog and Cartel in paperback as they are highly recommended and are not yet available on Audio.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

wow

best book I've ever read. like modern day Shakespeare. very very good. and best narration I have heard

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling reading (listening)

13 hours and 26 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Only joking.

It's been a few years since I read anything by Don Winslow, despite seeming to accumulate his latest books whenever they get released. Far too long really and a mistake I won't make again going forward.

The Force is pretty special ........ New York cops, an elite team let by a man with a massive ego and balls that he probably carts around in a wheelbarrow - Denny Malone. Malone and his crew are tough and charged with keeping the streets safe and they're dirty.

Complex, layered, and one which left this reader conflicted.

Lots of drugs, aggressive policing, independence, cop on skell action, CIs, mean streets, targets, pressure from above, rivalries, criminal gangs, race, family, loyalty, heritage, infidelity, team, friendships, dirt, corruption, suspicion, take-downs, murder, entrapment, conflict, dilemna, betrayal, separation, politics, neighbourhood, investigation and a zillion other things besides.

Not a lot of black and white, loads of grey on display, with plenty of compromises and accommodations and ambiguity. Malone is interesting as a character, but he's not particularly likable. He gets bad guys off the streets, but he fills his pockets at the same time. He inspires loyalty and his guys would run through brick walls for him. He's the alpha male in the pack with an ego to boot. He treats his wife appallingly, but professes to love her. He has enemies within and outside of the force and when his nuts are caught in a vice. He has a choice.... hobson's choice maybe.

One to read again in print at some point in the future. This audible version had a fantastic narration by Dion Graham. There's a real intensity and passion to his narration that puts you in the head of Malone and which drives the book forward.

As well as an examination of one man's choices and conflicts and weaknesses. There's also a wider look at how a police force operates within a community, how it serves those people and sometimes fails them. How there's a real us and them mentality within the force and that the badge and motto to protect and serve, only goes so far and can be subverted to self interest - protect the force and close ranks. Similarly the City Hall powers operate in a bubble, concerned with appearances and presentation. Image more important than justice, fairness or truth.

I'm in slight disagreement with Lee Child and Linwood Barclay over whether this is the best cop novel ever. I think I'd go with Ellroy's LA Confidential ahead of this one. It's close though.

4.5 from 5

Read - (listened to) May, 2020
Published - 2017
Page count - 496 (13 hrs 26 mins)
Source - purchased copy
Format - Audible

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Malone says

Good story, great narrator. But all the "said" takes away from the flow. The ending was not for me.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book, well read

Very well narrated, this excellent story kept me interested throughout, with a well structured tempo. Sometimes the story goes where you'd expect, but not often.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Gripping NY Police Epic

Fantastic narrative, gripping and very fast moving. it's gritty, it's a little overblown but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment factor. Scale is impressive, narrator is great but it's s not a happy story and is pretty grim in places. Recommended if you like gritty police epics.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The narrative

A must for fans of crime fiction, I really enjoyed it, gripping & action packed but with a real human story attached.

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