The Cobra

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 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 show more 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. show less

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, 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 show more 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. show less

I expect Forsyth novels to be fast-paced and exciting, but then I hadn't read his more recent books. This is a detailed story that requires patience; many characters, so many the list in the front is a great addition, also the list of acronyms. Because the concept involved is so massive an undertaking, you get halfway through the book before anything exciting happens and even then you aren't real sure what the overall plan is. However, a huge plan is in the works - destroying the international drug cartels and thus the world's drug trade.

This is a good read, just not what I expected. It requires patience and an eye for subtle details. The end has a twist that surprised me, made me sit back and say, "Wow!"

Forsyth could have gone for a fairy tale ending but he didn't. The battle against the cocaine cartel was ultimately lost to political realities. Sad, but real. This is the most well-done part of Forsyth's book whose whirlwind plot can lose you sometimes.

Frederick Forsyth still has it. He seems to excel in that combination of fact and fiction backed by much research into whatever the background of the particular novel. In the Cobra, an American president, undoubtedly Barack Obama, for his wife is named Michelle, is moved to take drastic action against the Colombian drug cartel that controls the worldwide distribution of cocaine. An elderly, black White House waitress collapses in tears at a state dinner. Her grandson has just died of as cocaine overdose. She had been raising him and trying to save him from the streets.
She pours out her story to the First Lady who later relates it to POTUS. This is the catalyst for the President to recruit an ex-CIA official, the Cobra, Paul Devereaux show more to head a quasi-military organization dedicated to eradicating the Colombian cartel jnown as Hermanidad. Devereaux has been given carte blanche by POTUS to do whatever it takes to solve the problem. Cocaine trafficking has quietly been changed to an offense equal to terrorism and the British have bought into the scheme.
Devereaux demands a string of conditions and a year's lead time before any overt action will be taken against Hermanidad. He spends that year organizing, recruiting and planning. He has two ships outfitted to interdict ships carrying cocaine, but this time there will be no seizures with great fanfare. The ships will be boarded after all communications are temporarily blocked. The crew will be taken to Diego Garcia for detention and the ships will be sunk.
Using unmanned drones, planes are indentified taking off from remote areas in Brazil bound for West Africa. The planes Cobra is looking for would normally not have enough range to complete the trip. Any plane attempting the trip must therefore have added gas tanks and be a cartel plane. They are simply shot down. Cobra's strategy is to seize or destroy the cocaine while it is still in the cartel's hands. Once handed, off the various gangs who are taking delivery of the product are liable for its loss.
Does the book strain credulity? Of course. The idea of Barck Obama sanctioning an extra legal war against the cartel is laughable. Perhaps the book may have worked better with a fictional President. There is a Rahm Emmanuel type chief of staff who must deal with the Cobra. In the end the President gets cold feet. The Cobra has succeeded too well. He has sown disinformation that has the cartel and distributing gangs at each other's throats. Wholesale gang warfare has broken out and civilians have been killed and injured in the crossfire.
This is the least satisfying part of the book. You had the feeling that it would all end badly. Devereaux is summoned to the White House and told to stand down and end his activities. He has stockpiled 150 tons of cocaine and uses it to bargain with the head of the cartel to ensure his personal safety now that the operation is over. The Cobra is found murdered in his house by his second in command. This doesn't seem to square with the Cobra's values and how he was portrayed in the balance of the book.
Overall I enjoyed the book, especially the first 80%. The planning, strategy, and tactics of Cobra were very entertaining. I'm glad Forsyth is still writing. show less

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 "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 show more 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. show less

I always enjoy Frederick Forsyth's books and when I read one I find myself asking why he isn't one of the authors for whom I rush to the store to buy a new book. However, The Cobra did not live up to Forsyth's usual standard. Unfortunately, the book read less like a novel and more like a journalistic history piece chronicling certain events. The characters were mere pieces on a chessboard to be shuffled; they were never people and certainly not people about whom the reader cared. I learned quite a bit about the cocaine business (Forsythe is known for impressive research and, as always, he makes the reader believe that Forsythe knows of what he writes), but there needed to be more story to back up the reams of information. In some ways, show more I felt as if Forsyth was trying to recapture the detail and complexity that made Icon so good, but that book had terrific characters who faced dangers and challenges. The Cobra was simply not up to Forsyth's standards, but I guess that even the masters are entitled to a "swing and miss" now and then. show less