The Cobra

A well written and almost beleivable story that takes you across the face of the globe into the underworld of illicet drugs. As the bold plan unfolds you gain an understanding of the barbarity of the drug trade as the plot leads to a rather unexpected ending. A book that is well worth the time

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invested to read it.

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I'm sorry but this thinly disguised book written about our current president and wife that starts in the present and runs into the future is a "turn off" for me! Especially coming from the author of The Jackal.

A definite hard-to-put-down read. Scary statistics which I suspect are relatively accurate. Well-written and very interesting, but went on a bit too long in my opinion. Can't say I was pleased with the ending, either, but that's just me.

Very well written. Frederick Forsyth writes a great thriller that was slow to start but picked up pace and the many twists and turns kept you surprised at the end.

The Cobra is an interesting story, it goes on the premise of “What if we fought the drug cartels with their own methods?”, show them no mercy, kill them where ever you find them, destroy them. I liked the plot, but I had a hard time reading to the end. My main complaint is the author’s style

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of writing this book. To me the whole thing reads like a TV Documentary on the History Channel, dry and narrated by a third disinterested party.
Frederick Forsyth has not kept his level of story telling up to par with The Odessa File or The Dogs of War.

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WOW, a gripping novel with current events, about destroying the cocaine cartels. The plot would be feasible if the government had the "balls" to take action. If anyone likes this author and a good thriller...start reading "The Cobra"!

Very nice story line and interesting description of what we would need to do to completely stop the cocaine traffic, which would require complete and silent cooperation from the USA and its friends. Not enough character development from the two main characters, Paul Devereaux and Cal Dexter for my

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tastes and a disappointing ending for me. This novel could have been much better.

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The Cobra comes near t ocreating that same intensity of earlier books. Its subject matter makes it quite interesting and makes one want to keep reading, and given Forsyth’s skills at setting up a story, the novel is definitely worth your time…. Forsyth has given us a novel, some parts of which

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anyone of us can find real events every day in the news around the world. This book presents us wih an interesting prospect of of doing this in real life and making it a true war on drugts.

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The Cobra is a very compelling story. What if we attacked the drug cartels without any rules. What if we slowed or almost stopped the supply. What would happen? The story starts fast, slows in the middle, and ends with a bang. I could have done without the surprise ending.

Frederick Forsyth's latest book, The Cobra, is an international thriller so intriguing that it leaves the reader wondering how much is fiction and what portions could be bits and pieces of real events. When the President of the United States wants to declare war on the cartels bringing cocaine into

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the U.S. he send for "The Cobra", Paul Devereaux. Devereaux earned his nickname for his ruthlessness during his CIA career. The president calls him out of retirement and gives him carte blanche to fight one more enemy of America. Forythe's attention to detail is meticulous as Devereaux weaves an intricate web around his prey. The reader must be patient while the trap is set, but once it is sprung the action is fast paced and the ending is something of a surprise.

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I read this book in one seating and found that it flowed from the beginning to end. I can see where some may get inpatient with the planning of such an endeavor that Mr. Devereaux is asked to accomplish. The complete eradication of the cocaine trade by the executive branch of the USA. It is true as

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far as action goes the book does not pick up until over a third of the way in. So if you are expecting non-stop action you will have a few chapters to wade through if you do not wish to understand what is involved in executing those maneuvers. And though the President of the U.S. that he alludes too would never give such an order; all of the agencies and the privileges of executive orders using loopholes in laws are all very realistic. I think that most expected the author to jump straight into action and did not enjoy the planning stage of the book that I found extremely interesting. The only part of the book that was expected is the so called twist at the end of the book.

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This work of fiction was easy to read and it may be because I already had a working knowledge of almost ninety percent of the acronyms used. There is no need to have knowledge of all the acronyms for they are listed in the front of the book and explained as they are used in the narrative. The

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concept for the novel is rather bold, the president of the United States has decided that cocaine is a clear and present danger to the country; though those exact words are not used. An old school Central Intelligence Agency operative, Paul Deveraux, who was retired from the agency because of his violent yet effective methods is summon to accomplish the task.

From the formulation of the basic desire of the president and with an executive order in hand Mr. Deveraux begins his prep work of building the organization he will need to combat the world cocaine trade and try to stop it. The book does go into detail on this organization building and research performed on the cocaine trade. We the reader are also introduced to the inner workings of the cocaine trade from the inside and can watch the actions and reactions of both sides as the book progresses. The realistic action in the book spans the cocaine using world.

All the above mentioned background is told in great detail and takes about half the book to get us where most readers of action want to be, the actual operation. The reader is privy to the operations as they take place and the cocaine organizations response as these operations to destroy the cocaine industry unfolds. A calculated plan of action with a plot that is easy to read. The background of the inner details we learned earlier about the formation of the anti-drug teams and the drug cartel bear fruits as the story unfolds. A rich yet violent work of fiction that is filled with accurate facts on existing governmental agencies and their capabilities.

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I just finished Frederick Forsyth's new novel The Cobra. I found the book to be an easy and fast read because I am a fan of international thrillers and this book fills that category. To some readers the preparation for the attack on the bad guys by the forces of the US may seem long and drawn out,

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but that is necessary to show the intricacies of planning such an attack against the drug cartels must entail. It is also a way to introduce whom I believe to be the main character, Dexter.

The book shows what it would take to defeat the drug cartels and how far a government would have to go to attempt to shut them down. And though successful, how elected officials can reverse their stance and demand a stop to a efficient program just short of it being completed. Readers may wish that such an operation could be carried out but are we willing to pay the price that may be asked of our society for such an undertaking.

I enjoyed the book and really did not expect the twist at the end. I believe it is a fitting end to the book and makes one consider what can a nation that is built on laws do to protect itself and its people. It is a fascinating look at the inner workings of police and military units and how they could possibly be brought together to overcome the drug cartels. Will it happen, I think not, but it is an interesting story and well worth the read.

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As an action book, this one never stops. It offers a very clear plan to severely hinder, even destroy, the Columbian drug cartel. It is clearly a very well researched book. On the other hand, there is very little character development and no romance. It is about highly motivated men who apply

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themselves fully to the task. The methods of gathering information are carefully thought out and described.

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Takes a while to develop. Somewhat wordy at times. All in all, a pretty good book worth the read. Great ending with an unexpected twist.

At his best, Forsyth blends fact and fiction so effortlessly you can end up wondering whether what you are reading really did happen. Alas, this isn't his best novel {although it's not his worst). The basic storyline is a tad implausible, even utopian for the hard-headed Forsyth: when the president

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of the United States decides to play hardball with drug traffickers and kill the cocaine business, two characters from his previous novel, Avenger, who were adversaries, unite to fulfill the mission.As in any Forsyth novel, there's more attention paid to the mechanics of how this is done -- to the back story, the details, the procedures -- than to characters or dialogue, etc. Usually the Forsyth books are compelling enough that I find that approach works; in this case, it's not as effective, and I found myself bogging down. Many of Forsyth's better novels have focused on events of the recent past -- the first Gulf War -- or complex situations based on reality, like the rise of a populist anti-Semitic new force in Russian politics. In this story, which is based on an unlikely scenario and one that can't be tied as readily to real events, the narrative loses some of its punch. Even the "twist" in the story isn't really that surprising, if the reader thinks through what MIGHT happen should the powers that be decide to really pull no punches in killing off the cocaine trade. And the fact that Forsyth is concerning himself with a moral issue rather than the usual shades-of-grey political/military conflict also makes it tricky. There are the heroes, and the villains, and both do nasty things. Only recommended to Forsyth fans; if you haven't discovered his books yet, I can strongly recommend The Deceiver and Icon as well as classics like The Odessa File, or even Avenger. They would all get ratings of 4 stars or greater. This was a 3.5 star book for me, and a bit of a disappointment.

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Long and somewhat boring. Very predictable. If things were just so easy. Missed the big issue - why do people take drugs and how to replace drugs as a cash crop.

I can't believe I actually finished this book. If I read it instead of listening to it, I probably would not have finished it. However, I'm giving it two stars - 1) for actually writing a book about doing something that a lot of people talk about (ending the cocaine trade) and 2) for having a

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realistic ending (even though I would have given him a star if he had written a fantasy ending that I would have liked better).

Other than that, this book sounded like Jonathan Davis was reading an instruction manual. I kept drifting and having to rewind. After a while I just let it go and I heard what I heard, and it was enough to get the story.

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A decent thriller, that trace all across the world, about the drug industry- namely cocaine. There is a wide cast of characters, but the plot is mainly what moves things forward on this work and it's exciting enough for the duration of the ride. Overall, a decent novel.

3 stars.

The Cobra was a bit of a disappointment for me, especially since I love Forsyth and most of his works. The premise is pretty simple. The president, who is clearly meant to be Obama, decides to take on the cocaine cartels and wants them wiped out. To do this, he turns to an ex-CIA man code named

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"The Cobra," who assures him that with appropriate time and resources, he can do it. He then recruits an ex-soldier named Cal Dexter to be his second in command. And thus begin my complaints with the book.

After this initial introduction to The Cobra, we almost never see him again until the very end of the book. How odd is that? Instead, Dexter is everywhere -- all over the world -- coordinating the logistics for putting together cocaine hunter/killer special ops groups who are going to take on the cartels by air and sea. Additionally, friendly governments are recruited to help, the British by sending their special forces, others by ramping up security. And halfway through the book, after tons of planning, the operation begins. And goes on and on. And the good guys -- who are real god -- and the bad guys -- who are real bad -- go at it, with the good guys winning virtually 100% of the time, so incredibly easily that you have to wonder if the government actually followed this novel as a planning guide, could it eradicate the drug trade? Forsyth makes it look so damn easy. And that's not remotely realistic.

There's a twist at the end that brings The Cobra back into the story and also involves Dexter. By now, the cartels have figured out what's going on to a certain degree, but seem powerless to stop it. Amazing. What happens at the very end was a bit of a surprise to me, and a welcome one, actually, but it couldn't save the book. Why name the book "The Cobra" when it actually should have been named "Cal Dexter?" It doesn't make sense. Why write a book that makes winning the war on drugs -- which America has stunningly lost to a shocking degree -- look so incredibly easy when we know it's not? It's not remotely realistic. Some people complain of boredom due to the incredible detail and planning that went on during the first half of the book. Well, that's basically Forsyth's way, so I personally don't have a problem with that. But it's got to lead somewhere. And this led nowhere. Another complaint -- there's no sense of suspense or real danger to the good guys in this book. You get that in the Odessa File, the Jackal, the Fourth Protocol, etc., but not here. It's just non-stop intercepting and destroying drug shipments left and right. The only danger is to the bad guys. Not much of a thriller.

Normally I highly recommend Forsyth books, but I'm afraid this time I can't. I'm not even sure why I'm giving it three stars instead of two. I guess out of respect for the author. Not recommended.

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The premise of Cobra is that the president of the United States has decided that he wants to eliminate Cocaine trade in the United States. The laughable part about that is that the president is described as a black man whose father is from Kenya and his mother is a white woman from Kansas. Hmm…I

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wonder who they could be referring to. The laughable part is that this is the premise despite the fact that the Obama administration is incredibly soft on drug crimes. At any rate, he assigns the task of crushing Cocaine trafficking to a ruthless CIA agent nicknamed the Cobra. He will do anything to gain his result. He opts to attack Cocaine trafficking at see, but his end game is to get the gangs and the cartels to fight each other to the death.

I thought the premise of this novel was interesting, but that was about all that I liked about it. My biggest complaint is that the narration was done with this third person omniscient viewpoint that was so detached that it felt often times like I was reading an essay instead of a fiction novel. Even worse is that the novel is completely devoid of any tension. Everything goes exactly as planned and there is never any threat to the Cobra or Cal Dexter, his main operative. It is only until the very end, where there is any possible danger. Therefore, there was little to no intrigue in this novel either. I would advise skipping this novel.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street

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Kind of a disappointment after "The Day of the Jackal".

2.5/5

When a teenager's death by overdose bring the cocaine trade to the President's attention, the first domino falls - the Cobra, retired CIA, is given a task: bring down the cartels and stop the cocaine trade.

Sparely written but packed with miniscule details, Cobra is a fast and furious read with a

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twisty end. Good beach fare.

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Well reseached, factual, unputdownable.