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James O. Born
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Lou Dobbs
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Border War: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Lou Dobbs (Author), James O. Born (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 222 ratings
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Border War is a timely thriller about the struggles of US law enforcement officers on the Mexican border by TV broadcaster Lou Dobbs.

The border is a tough place to work, especially for FBI agent Tom Eriksen. With a history of violence, he cannot afford any on-duty screw-ups. So when an investigation ends in a bloody shootout and the shooting is deemed "questionable," the bureau reassigns Eriksen to an office known as "the Island of Misfit Cops": a resting place for those who have screwed up enough to warrant being dumped in El Paso, Texas.

But when his partner is murdered, Eriksen must take charge and solve the case, wading through corruption and betrayal to discover the truth. Only after he teams up with a resourceful and gorgeous NSA agent, Kat Gleason, does his luck change. As they slowly put the puzzle pieces together, the investigation points to a powerful cartel lord and a shadowy US computer company.

As the web of deceit and betrayal tightens, the body count grows. Eriksen must deal with the mayhem caused by the cartels while racing against the clock to stop an assassin whose target is someone very close to him.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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  1. Print length
    376 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Forge Books
  5. Publication date
    May 6, 2014
  6. File size
    1234 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Let’s haul out the thriller checklist and see what we have here. FBI agent with troubled history: check. Beautiful new partner: check. Powerful villain: check. Murdered friend/colleague: check. Ruthless, conspiratorial corporation: check. This is a by-the-numbers thriller that, despite its formulaic approach, is actually pretty good. Not great by any means: the writing is often clunky, and the characters are not what you would call fresh. But the book, which concerns the efforts of an FBI agent to find out who’s responsible for the murder of his former partner, even if it means going up against a powerful drug lord, does hold our interest. Tom Eriksen, the FBI agent, is a stock character, but the authors (Dobbs, the veteran broadcaster; Born, a DEA-agent-turned-novelist) give him enough depth to make him feel like a real person. Ramon Herrera, the drug lord, is appropriately evil and ambitious, and the ruthless corporation (a U.S. company working with Herrera) is presented realistically enough that we believe such a conspiracy could actually happen. The novel doesn’t break any new ground, but it does make going over familiar ground an enjoyable enough reading experience. --David Pitt

About the Author

LOU DOBBS, the host of Fox Business Network's Lou Dobbs Tonight, is a legendary broadcaster, bestselling author, and one of the most respected and insightful voices on politics, economics, society, and business.

JAMES O. BORN is an award-winning author of seven novels. He is a former U.S. Drug agent and Special Agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). He has been involved in investigations in such areas as organized crime, serial crimes, economic crimes, drug cartels, and public corruption.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GL3NM9G
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Forge Books; Reprint edition (May 6, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 6, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1234 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 222 ratings

About the authors

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  1. James O. Born

    James O. Born

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    I was always interested in writing. And I enjoyed it. From my Masters thesis on the effects of fitness on mood to long reports on money launderers, I appreciated the effort it took to write well.

    I doubted I could make a decent living as a writer, especially after having kids. I was an agent with US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I loved it. The different assignments every day. Travel. The feeling of satisfaction and that you were helping the country. I never regretted going in to public service.

    About 15 years into my law enforcement career, I signed my first book contract with Putnam. Those five books try to capture the tension, excitement, humor and terror of police work. I purposely tried to keep the characters from being superheroes. Just men and women with a job to do. I was gratified by the critical reception the books received. One of the best parts of being a new author was that my editor, Neil Nyren, also the edited of my two favorite military writers, Tom Clancy and W.E.B. Griffin.

    Years ago I got a call from James Patterson. He wanted to know if I was interested in working with him. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. Now I cowrite the Michael Bennett series as well as the occasional standalone. And I’ve never looked back.

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  2. Lou Dobbs

    Lou Dobbs

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
222 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book an enjoyable, interesting read with great characters and great research. Opinions are mixed on the writing style, with some finding it well-written and true, while others say it's horrible.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Reading experienceEntertainment valueCharactersResearchWriting style
32 customers mention "Reading experience"32 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a good read.

"...A fine read!" Read more

"I loved the book, especially the last half of the book, Great action and plot coming together...." Read more

"Lou Dobbs book on the true nature of the border. Good read, a lots of characters but well defined...." Read more

"The authors have really out done themselves writing this book it was superb. An absolute wonderful read and worth the purchase price...." Read more

30 customers mention "Entertainment value"21 positive9 negative

Customers find the book entertaining with an interesting plot and lots of action. They also appreciate the author's move from one character to another in real time. Readers also mention the book presents both sides of the story, not just the good guys.

"A rare book in that it presents both sides of the story, not just the "good guys"...." Read more

"I loved the book, especially the last half of the book, Great action and plot coming together...." Read more

"...Therefore, the actual detail of the story was hard to follow starting with the individuals at the border shooting." Read more

"...They move the plot along fairly well, although they remind the reader too often of the characters’ motivations for their actions...." Read more

7 customers mention "Characters"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book great.

"...GREAT story. GREAT characters. Looking forward to more." Read more

"...Good read, a lots of characters but well defined. Put out as a book showing the true nature of the border, if so we need more border security...." Read more

"...Extremely well written and believable characters...." Read more

"...and his partner James Born helps develop a good plot and believable characters...." Read more

5 customers mention "Research"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the great research in the book.

"...Even though this is work of fiction it is based on factual information of what is taking place on the border of Texas and the Cartels of Mexico...." Read more

"...Exciting as well as informative, this book contains vivid scenes and great characterization. From start to finish, it seemed as if I were present...." Read more

"...Author did some excellent research. I believe the story does a good job describing the porous condition of our border." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book ; great research. Border War provides for a "you are there" experience ...." Read more

10 customers mention "Writing style"6 positive4 negative

Customers are mixed about the writing style. Some find the book well written and fast paced, while others say it's horribly written.

"...This book is also written with excellent technical information regarding law enforcement and the political swamp they have to work in. A fine read!" Read more

"pretty good read. seemed to be hastily written without sufficient review as there were like three references to the crime stats in El Paso and..." Read more

"From start to finish this book held my attention. Extremely well written and believable characters...." Read more

"An enjoyable plot and an interesting read. Unfortunately, it's a bit too wordy and I didn't feel it was very well edited." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

David S. McQueen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Realistic Fictional Novel
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2014
Verified Purchase
A rare book in that it presents both sides of the story, not just the "good guys". Both the bad and the good characters are presented to the reader, not just the good as is done in the 99+% of fictional novels. And the good guys aren't "100%" good, but are actually human (amazing that no one has ever thought to do that before!). This book is also written with excellent technical information regarding law enforcement and the political swamp they have to work in. A fine read!
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Action View of the Ins and Outs of Our Southern Border
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017
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I loved the book, especially the last half of the book, Great action and plot coming together. Had a little trouble with the beginning and keeping the characters straight but as it progressed it got better and better. Great Job Lou
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2017
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Dobbs weaves a "Tale of Two Cities" that are key in the war on drugs and illegal immigration. A lot of politics from Washington , El Paso and Juarez are brought into play very artfully.

Juarez is a pit of a town that supplies labor to major American companies such as GM, Ford, etc.

I have sat in the cab of my semi and watched illegals walk over foot bridges on the Rio Grande into to the US unafraid of being stopped.

Read the book and get an education.
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Leslie N. Patino
3.0 out of 5 stars A beach read that champions the right
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2014
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FBI agent Tom Eriksen has been sent to El Paso as punishment for some hotheaded behavior. Now he’s got a boss looking for reasons to fault him. Our man gives the boss plenty of fodder since he keeps getting into sticky situations where people turn up dead and where Eriksen shouldn’t have been to begin with.

I admit I was a little skeptical when I heard Lou Dobbs had written a novel. I suspect that James O. Born, who has written other thrillers, probably did most of the work. In exchange, he got access to Dobbs’ very large audience. If you compare the number of Amazon reviews for “Border War” with those for Born’s earlier books, it looks like he got a good deal. According to what I see, since “Border War’s” May 6th publication, Born has published three more books with another scheduled for April, 2015. I don’t think even Stephen King could crank out books that fast and not have his craftsmanship slip a little.

Not surprising that there are phrases like “her engineer mind” (engineer’s mind?) and a character named “don Herrera.” In Mexico, the honorific title is used with first names, never with surnames. The good guys went to Harvard, MIT and Princeton. Pretty much all them are very handsome or beautiful. So much sex appeal makes everybody focus on “her beautiful blue eyes,” or “this athletic and cute detective.” The bad guys, of course, include “the tall, goofy-looking guy” and “the little Israeli.”

I do give Dobbs and Born credit for spinning a pretty good story. They move the plot along fairly well, although they remind the reader too often of the characters’ motivations for their actions. The story felt a little too formulaic. Dobbs and Born do know their topics well. Of course, the book has a conservative slant—what else would you expect from Dobbs?—but, it wasn’t as strong as I expected.

Conclusion: if you want a beach read that champions the right, you’ll probably like “Border War.”
5 people found this helpful
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Michael Perry
5.0 out of 5 stars Border War review
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2014
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I liked the way the author moves from the story line from one character to another in real time. That was very different from what I was used to reading. This book should be made into a movie. It grabs you from page one and holds on. I had trouble putting this book down (and when you read at bedtime, that can be a problem). What's a little missed sleep when you have a fantastic book like this. GREAT story. GREAT characters. Looking forward to more.
One person found this helpful
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Brian J Kohlhase
4.0 out of 5 stars Lou shoots for it
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2014
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Lou Dobbs book on the true nature of the border. Good read, a lots of characters but well defined. Put out as a book showing the true nature of the border, if so we need more border security. I hope Lou has a follow up
3 people found this helpful
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Ward
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story!
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
The authors have really out done themselves writing this book it was superb. An absolute wonderful read and worth the purchase price. I have enjoyed Mr. Dobbs on Fox News and his demeanor on screen is ever translated better in the writing of the book. It is entertaing and keeps you in suspense and anticipation for the whole length of the book. I recommend this book to anyone who want an extremely good novel and story to read. Buy it NOW!
2 people found this helpful
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William C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Saw Lou on FOX - Just bought it!
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2014
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Whether Amazon will credit me as a confirmed buyer is yet to be seen. I bought it 3 minutes ago.

I rarely read fiction but this one seemed too good to pass up and especially by a man I admire. Having read the review and having spent five years crossing the Mexican border illegally, I can tell you that what I've read so far intriqued me very much. Since I just bought it I can't say much more but I will say this.

If you would like to read what flying over the Mexican border was like during the 1980s, please also read my book: "Over & Back" by Wild Bill Callahan on Amazon. We bypassed Mexican Customs and flew contraband items (not drugs) into Mexico. It's 483 pages with 70 photos. Nonstop action and TRUE adventure...on the ground and in the air. Loaded with humor!
7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Calgary Shoppers
5.0 out of 5 stars Of the five books - this one is my favorite from Dobbs
Reviewed in Canada on June 24, 2019
Verified Purchase
It is a great read - as were the other four books. A great addition to anyone's library.
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Svendsen Erik
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2015
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first rate in its genre
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Chris Elliott
4.0 out of 5 stars Border politics and a great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
A strong, enjoyable novel revolving around drugs running over the Mexican border and an easy page turning read. We get to see the lavish world of the drugs barons and the challenges facing the authorities managing such a large, porous border.
It was refreshing to see the political sides of the drugs battle being a major part of the story and both sides of the immigration argument being represented (if none too subtly).
Recommended overall and a great read for a bit of escapism.
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desneiges
4.0 out of 5 stars b
Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
An excellent read. Hard to put the book down. A really great look into all the problems that are occuring on order. The border security are doing a good job regardless of all the hazards they face on a daily basis. It really gave me a lot of insight into a very huge problem.
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bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars Really good
Reviewed in Canada on May 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
I loved this book. It seemed so true to life. Lou Dobbs and James O. Born are excellent authors. Thank you for suggesting this one to me.
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