Bowden's books are most entertaining when they are written like novels with dialogue. In order to do that, and have good journalism, he has to have access to reliable witnesses so he can recreate the scene. He is able to do that here from information that must have come from Eduardo Mendoza the former vice minister of Justice. The part of the story when Sr. Mendoza tells how he was sent to see Pablo Escobar in his "prison" is great. The rest of the story is more ordinary and seems a little overdone. ( )

Matar a Pablo Escobar es la historia del brutal ascenso y violento fin del capo del narcotráfico colombiano cuyo imperio criminal aterrorizó a un país de más de treinta millones de habitantes. Mark Bowden desvela en este intenso y muy bien documentado relato, los detalles más celosamente guardados por las personas que dirigieron, durante dieciséis meses, su persecución y muerte.

I listened to the abridged version of Killing Pablo for the second time and enjoyed it just as much. The abridgement was done skillfully and I did not know the book was abridged until the ending credits. Good job! ( )

Excellently written, and while the life of Pablo Escobar was filled with violence, the author tries not to be dramatic regarding the way in which Escobar. killed, tortured, held a country in grips, and went down in history as one of the greatest Cocaine lords .

It took a team of many to finally hone in on Escobar's final hiding place. Using radio signals monitored by a team, in particular the son of one of the highest governmental generals, in the end, after many slick escapes, Pablo died in a hail of gunfire, and Bowden is quick to note that only one of Escobar's thugs died with him.

While filled with details, the book is never boring. The lowly street thug, Pablo Escobar, could have worked in the shadows, continued to amass his billions, instead his ego cried for recognition and fame. It was when he tried in vain to be part of the government, thereafter, the megalomaniac was know as a drug king who killed many, succeeding periodically at bribing governmental men on the take. ( )

Mark Bowden has put together an outstanding researched narrative on the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar as Escobar put together his cocaine empire and slowly watched it dismantled by the combined efforts of the Colombian government and special units by the U.S. Bowden also dives deep into the character of Escobar, and the reader really gets a feel for the kind of person he was right up to the day he was killed by Colombian forces. Important to note during this narrative is how Bowden manages to convey how many others around Escobar were affected by his actions, some losing their lives in the process. Really enjoyed this one.... ( )