The Queen of the South

By: Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Narrated by: Lina Patel

Length: 17 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Few authors inspire the kind of passion that Arturo Pérez-Reverte does. Reviewers, readers, and booksellers alike have embraced his fiction as the perfect blend of suspense and literary ambition. A global best seller, he is one of the most admired and widely read authors in the world. And his stunning new novel is his best yet.

A remarkable tale, The Queen of the South spans continents, from the dusty streets of Mexico to the sparkling waters off the coast of Morocco, to Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar. A sweeping story set to the irresistible beat of the drug smugglers' ballads, it encompasses sensuality and cruelty, love and betrayal, as its heroine's story unfolds.

Teresa Mendoza's boyfriend is a drug smuggler who the narcos of Sinaloa, Mexico, call "the king of the short runway", because he can get a plane full of coke off the ground in 300 yards. But in a ruthless business, life can be short, and Teresa even has a special cell phone that Guero gave her along with a dark warning. If that phone rings, it means he's dead, and she'd better run, because they're coming for her next.

Then the call comes.

In order to survive, she will have to say goodbye to the old Teresa, an innocent girl who once entrusted her life to a drug smuggler. She will have to find inside herself a woman who is tough enough to inhabit a world as ugly and dangerous as that of the narcos, a woman she never before knew existed. Indeed, the woman who emerges will surprise even those who know her legend, that of the Queen of the South.

The Queen of the South is translated from Spanish by Andrew Hurley.

©2002 Arturo Perez-Reverte, Translation 2004 Andrew Hurley (P)2004 Penguin Audio and Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A frightening, fascinating look at the international business of transporting cocaine and hashish as well as a portrait of a smart, fast, daring and lucky woman, Teresa Mendoza." (Publishers Weekly)

“John Le Carre meets Gabriel Garcia Marquez...Pérez-Reverte has a huge following...and it’s spreading.” (The Wall Street Journal)

"A thriller with an almost meditative tone, the novel's energy comes not only from the action scenes, which are expertly delivered, but also from the monologues in which Mendoza struggles with the multiple contradictions in her life. Many Perez-Reverte readers will be...drawn in by the author's remarkable eloquence and ability to plumb the recesses of a character's psyche." (Booklist)

Not my favorite

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

maybe. the writing was excellent but the subject would not be appealing to many of my friends.

How could the performance have been better?

I had trouble distinguishing between the journalist and the queen of the south. the narrator needed to change her voice more as the book went back and forth between the two characters. i would think i was listening to one person and suddenly realize that the perspective had changed and that the story was being told by the other character. I had to do some rewinding.
Near the end of the book i discovered the journalist was a man! all along i thought it was a women. I either missed this at the beginning of the book or it was very ambiguous. I don't know if this confusion was because of the narrator or the author.

It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the book switching back and forth from Teresa Mendoza and the author interviewing for his novel but great story...

Excellent Book!

What did you love best about The Queen of the South?

Love Theresa, she is an amazingly smart woman. Also liked her relationship with the Russian.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes.

Have you listened to any of Lina Patel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, and she did great.

Well written and wonderful.

I could not stop listening. Fascinating and insightful. Thids author really knows how to tell a story and get into to the mind of the main protaginist.

Queen of the Southwest

Exelent reading, thoroughly enjoyed it. I used audio narrating for first time, it was great.

captivating story

this book starts with a bang and leads you through some really cool twists and turns. totally recommend it. there is a 2 person narrative for parts, and with the narrator there wasn't enough change of tone to know that she had switched. I always figured it out but it took me a bit to figure out the pattern.

Intense reading

Good story, sometimes hard to follow: story goes back & forth. Strong female lead character, lots of violence.

Great!

I only speak Pacito Spanish so I didn’t notice if the reader pronounced anything wrong ( like some previous people complained about).
Not as Hollywood exciting as the show but still very interesting.. I was a little disappointed when I realized that Teresa Mendoza is a fictional character.. but after further research it seems that the story is still loosely based on a real woman..

Fascinating Life of A Woman Trafficker

The character portrayals are rich and colorful. The action is plentiful and exciting, but the detailed descriptions of the inner workings, methods and 'protocols' of drug and contraband trafficking are truly impressive. The personalities of the main characters felt 'real' psychologically, especially Teresa, the trafficker despite herself. The story kept me involved right to the end. I need to find more by this author!

Best Griot EVER!!!

Would you listen to The Queen of the South again? Why?

You will not want to watch the novella.... NO WAY!!! I wonder why Arturo let them change the script up like that on screen!!! :(

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

YES!!! I was waiting for Teresa to die every time she got bigger... all the way to the end!!

What does Lina Patel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice and the way she exerts Spanish in there with her "pinche cabrons" and "chingales" or "iho de putas".. It makes it so authentic as if she is actually Teresa herself or the other characters as well, like the Russian Yakov!! Nice "Niet" pronunciation!!!

If you could rename The Queen of the South, what would you call it?

La Reina Del Sur!!!

Any additional comments?

The only thing missing was a corrido in the end to sum it all up!! LOL thats why I will watch the novella to hear it!! LOL!!!