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Mule: A Novel of Moving Weight
“Thanks to its wicked style and pacing, Mule lets me forget I’m reading serious literature while I follow its terrifying story into the land of the all-American damned.” — Walter Kirn, author of Up in the Air
“Mule is swift, taut, and relentless, both a rip-roaring drug tale and a fascinating portrait of a decent human being whose morals slowly disintegrate under unbearable financial strain.” — Lauren Groff, author of The Monsters of Templeton
James and Kate are golden children of the late twentieth century, flush with opportunity. But an economic downturn and an unexpected pregnancy send them searching for a way to make do. A friend in California’s Siskiyou County grows prime-grade marijuana; if James transports just one load from Cali to Florida, he’ll pull down enough cash to survive for months. And so begins the life of a mule.
A page-turning, Zeitgeist-capturing novel that plunges us into the criminal underworld with little chance to take a breath, Mule is about young people trying to make do in a moment when the American Dream they never had to believe in — because it was handed to them, fully wrapped and ready to go at the takeout window — suddenly vanishes from the menu.
“With adrenaline-infused sentences and a seat-gripping story line, Mule is a novel that illuminates contemporary American desperation, both its dangerous precipices and its thrilling, overwhelming freedom.” — Dean Bakopoulos, author of My American Unhappiness
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
September 28, 2011
Review originally published at Hyphen.
I put down Tony D'Souza's Mule: A Novel of Moving Weight at 2:30 am, two days after starting it. The last 90 pages forced me to stay up late, shirking responsibilities in the morning to finish.
Here's the draw: James and Kate are a young middle-class couple riding the excesses of the economic boom with no plan for the future. Then the recession suddenly hits, plus Kate gets pregnant. James happens upon an opportunity to make fifty thousand dollars in four days. All he has to do is drive his car from Siskiyou County, CA to Tallahassee, FL and risk his life, the security of his family, and his future. He’s cautioned to “drive fast and swerve a lot,” a send-off joke, because a ten pound brick of weed will be sitting in his trunk. As James’ opportunities for making money and their dangers grow exponentially, so are his limits tested beyond anything he’s imagined. As the stakes get higher and the lure of money keeps him in the game, you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop because you know it’s going to be explosive.
Mule is a timely book, which depicts people in the marijuana trafficking trade as hapless victims of the 2007 recession, Hurricane Katrina, or even casualties of the publishing industry crash. These are ordinary people who are pushed into extraordinary circumstances and for whom survival becomes the impetus for the muling.
One of the more interesting facets of the book is D’Souza’s depiction of James’ changing psychology. At first, James is the good guy merely trying to support his family, while other people in the trade are flashy, excessive, and unsympathetic. But after being powerless for so long, James enjoys being a kingpin in his mini-empire. He feels important because his new status allows him to give opportunities to his less-than successful friends, including Mason, his stoner Korean American buddy. His sense of importance further colors his awareness of the danger he is putting people in when he draws them into his world. Even after amassing a considerable fortune, James cannot stop smuggling because fear of poverty is deeply entrenched in both his and the American psyche. “Out-of-work guys were spinning signs on corners everywhere now. I’d glance away whenever I’d see one. I’d never let what had happened to Kate and me ever happen again.”
The dialogue is spare, the narrative events move rapidly, the characters are mainly sussed out via plot, and D’Souza doesn’t spend a lot of time on description. However, he does give insightful details about how drug traffickers are able to circumvent the law. It’s fascinating to learn along with James everything you need to know about “moving weight” -- from exercising your Fourth Amendment rights, or withdrawing a large amount of cash from a bank without triggering the Feds, to avoiding being a target for highway patrol officers.
One of the downsides of the book is that the relationship between James and Kate isn’t quite believable. Kate shows her concern for James in the beginning but it’s a thin line between loving wife and materialistic social climber who chooses to remain oblivious to the dangers in which her husband is placed. I wondered why James was gambling his life away for a woman who seemed to love him less than shopping at Saks.
There are also very few likeable Asian American characters. Mason is a prominent character who’s well-intentioned, but he’s an unreliable screw-up. There is also brief mention of a scheming underaged Thai prostitute. Most minority characters are untrustworthy or hoodlums and the women in the novel are largely silent.
Despite the drawbacks, Mule is still a quick read that will get your palms sweating and your heart pounding from the high. Though D’Souza isn’t particularly gifted at composing pretty sentences, he does know how to tell a good story. You won’t be disappointed in the come down.
I put down Tony D'Souza's Mule: A Novel of Moving Weight at 2:30 am, two days after starting it. The last 90 pages forced me to stay up late, shirking responsibilities in the morning to finish.
Here's the draw: James and Kate are a young middle-class couple riding the excesses of the economic boom with no plan for the future. Then the recession suddenly hits, plus Kate gets pregnant. James happens upon an opportunity to make fifty thousand dollars in four days. All he has to do is drive his car from Siskiyou County, CA to Tallahassee, FL and risk his life, the security of his family, and his future. He’s cautioned to “drive fast and swerve a lot,” a send-off joke, because a ten pound brick of weed will be sitting in his trunk. As James’ opportunities for making money and their dangers grow exponentially, so are his limits tested beyond anything he’s imagined. As the stakes get higher and the lure of money keeps him in the game, you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop because you know it’s going to be explosive.
Mule is a timely book, which depicts people in the marijuana trafficking trade as hapless victims of the 2007 recession, Hurricane Katrina, or even casualties of the publishing industry crash. These are ordinary people who are pushed into extraordinary circumstances and for whom survival becomes the impetus for the muling.
One of the more interesting facets of the book is D’Souza’s depiction of James’ changing psychology. At first, James is the good guy merely trying to support his family, while other people in the trade are flashy, excessive, and unsympathetic. But after being powerless for so long, James enjoys being a kingpin in his mini-empire. He feels important because his new status allows him to give opportunities to his less-than successful friends, including Mason, his stoner Korean American buddy. His sense of importance further colors his awareness of the danger he is putting people in when he draws them into his world. Even after amassing a considerable fortune, James cannot stop smuggling because fear of poverty is deeply entrenched in both his and the American psyche. “Out-of-work guys were spinning signs on corners everywhere now. I’d glance away whenever I’d see one. I’d never let what had happened to Kate and me ever happen again.”
The dialogue is spare, the narrative events move rapidly, the characters are mainly sussed out via plot, and D’Souza doesn’t spend a lot of time on description. However, he does give insightful details about how drug traffickers are able to circumvent the law. It’s fascinating to learn along with James everything you need to know about “moving weight” -- from exercising your Fourth Amendment rights, or withdrawing a large amount of cash from a bank without triggering the Feds, to avoiding being a target for highway patrol officers.
One of the downsides of the book is that the relationship between James and Kate isn’t quite believable. Kate shows her concern for James in the beginning but it’s a thin line between loving wife and materialistic social climber who chooses to remain oblivious to the dangers in which her husband is placed. I wondered why James was gambling his life away for a woman who seemed to love him less than shopping at Saks.
There are also very few likeable Asian American characters. Mason is a prominent character who’s well-intentioned, but he’s an unreliable screw-up. There is also brief mention of a scheming underaged Thai prostitute. Most minority characters are untrustworthy or hoodlums and the women in the novel are largely silent.
Despite the drawbacks, Mule is still a quick read that will get your palms sweating and your heart pounding from the high. Though D’Souza isn’t particularly gifted at composing pretty sentences, he does know how to tell a good story. You won’t be disappointed in the come down.
September 29, 2011
For me to enjoy a book, I need to like or connect with at least one of the main characters. I need to care what happens to him/her. That didn't happen with this book. Both James, the narrator, and Kate are lazy, greedy, selfish and childish. I didn't care what happened to them and found the book difficult to read because I couldn't find anything to like about either of them.
I thought the beginning of the book was rushed. James and Kate are a young couple, with money and great jobs. A few pages later, she is pregnant and they have both lost their jobs. I would have liked to get to know more about the people they were before their lives changed and they began making ridiculous choices. Soon after losing their jobs, they decide to move way out in the wilderness where they know there is no chance of finding work. They lie around a lot and seem to have no ambition at all, which I found completely at odds with the high-powered working couple they'd been at the start of the book.
Without giving more of the plot away, I'll just say that other choices made early on didn't make sense to me. This didn't feel like a couple struggling to survive and doing what was necessary, which is what the blurb leads readers to believe. This felt like a couple of spoiled, lazy kids who wanted easy money. As much as I tried, I could find nothing in this one to like.
I thought the beginning of the book was rushed. James and Kate are a young couple, with money and great jobs. A few pages later, she is pregnant and they have both lost their jobs. I would have liked to get to know more about the people they were before their lives changed and they began making ridiculous choices. Soon after losing their jobs, they decide to move way out in the wilderness where they know there is no chance of finding work. They lie around a lot and seem to have no ambition at all, which I found completely at odds with the high-powered working couple they'd been at the start of the book.
Without giving more of the plot away, I'll just say that other choices made early on didn't make sense to me. This didn't feel like a couple struggling to survive and doing what was necessary, which is what the blurb leads readers to believe. This felt like a couple of spoiled, lazy kids who wanted easy money. As much as I tried, I could find nothing in this one to like.
September 15, 2013
Con un libro che si legge con lo stesso piacere con cui si sorseggia una bibita ghiacciata in un afoso giorno d'estate, Tony D'Sousa ci propone un ritratto impietoso dell'america di questi anni. Il sogno americano? Non esiste più. "Dio benedica l'America", la torta di mele e i sacri valori su cui si fondano gli USA sono stati accantonati, l'unico Dio è verde, e si chiama dollaro. Se hai i Dollari sei qualcuno, nessuno ti fa domande.
James è un giornalista free-lance d'assalto, lanciato verso una carriera che promette soldi e notorietà. Kate è la direttrice di una centro commerciale. Sono all'apice delle loro carriere, sono giovani, sono belli, si amano e aspettano un figlio. Il futuro è dalla loro. Ma quel futuro nutre in serbo la devastante crisi economica che a partire dal 2007 ha distrutto l'economia statunitense. In men che non si dica, James e Kate si ritrovano disoccupati ed emarginati. L'unica soluzione per James è inventarsi Mulo, corriere della droga tra uno stato e l'altro. Un lavoro terribile, stressante ma incredibilmente redditizio che lo porterà nuovamente al vertice della società. Alla fine però tutti i nodi vengono al pettine e James dovrà scegliere tra la sua anima e il suo mondo. Un libro bello e appassionante, che si perde solo un po' sul finale moralistico.
James è un giornalista free-lance d'assalto, lanciato verso una carriera che promette soldi e notorietà. Kate è la direttrice di una centro commerciale. Sono all'apice delle loro carriere, sono giovani, sono belli, si amano e aspettano un figlio. Il futuro è dalla loro. Ma quel futuro nutre in serbo la devastante crisi economica che a partire dal 2007 ha distrutto l'economia statunitense. In men che non si dica, James e Kate si ritrovano disoccupati ed emarginati. L'unica soluzione per James è inventarsi Mulo, corriere della droga tra uno stato e l'altro. Un lavoro terribile, stressante ma incredibilmente redditizio che lo porterà nuovamente al vertice della società. Alla fine però tutti i nodi vengono al pettine e James dovrà scegliere tra la sua anima e il suo mondo. Un libro bello e appassionante, che si perde solo un po' sul finale moralistico.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2019
It is rare that I rate a book this low. The beginning was slow, the moves the rookie “mule” made, amateurish and short-sighted. He allowed his friendship to cloud his common sense and ignored all the advice he was given, etc, etc. By the time I was really into the book the exploits were repetitive and lacklustre - barely given notice. The ending - unforgivable!
December 8, 2011
James and Kate have it all - or much of what a 30something urban professional couple might want. Great careers (he's a hotshot freelance journalist, she's a retail manager of some kind), a good life in a thriving city, more than enough money to waste (not sure how they have so much money though). Then, the recession hits and immediately it all goes poof. Worse, Kate is pregnant. What can James do now? If your first guess was, earn a bundle of money being a mule driving marijuana across country, you would be correct.
We've been seeing a burgeoning mini-genre of recession fiction where middle class people down on their luck turn to illegal activities to make ends meet or to become very wealthy. There's "The Financial Lives of the Poets" about another out-of-work journalist turned to drug dealing/manufacturing/distributing (tough profession, journalism). On TV there's Weeds and Breaking Bad.
SPOILER ALERT DANGER SPOILERS FROM HERE ON
You can assume that running pounds of pot across country won't go smoothly. After all then there wouldn't be a story. You can guess there will be collateral damage, death, constant fear, wrecked lives and a slide down a moral slope. That's all here, and some of the events are pretty gripping. Just as it's a white knuckle ride when you watch a gambler roll the dice long after he should have given up. So, the drama/suspense is pretty much built in to the story. He/they (Kate gets involved too) could be caught, they could go to jail for a long time, and they and their loved ones could be killed, fine.
It's written in first person from James' perspective and the tone is dry, factual, almost like memoir. It's not clumsy; the author just doesn't spend a lot of effort making it arty. Fine. It is a page turner for the most part, and about 75% of it is believable. What's not believable is maddening). The author seems to have done a lot of research. At a few points I wondered if he had been a drug mule himself.
Here's what strains credibility. One, they both go from upper middle class spendthrifts to penniless/homeless in a matter of a few weeks. In the beginning, James is writing for Playboy/Esquire, etc. and living large, very large he tells us. Then suddenly, no assignments from anyone. I have some personal experience with freelance writing; I've done that for most of my career. Any freelance writer who lives large is an idiot. Unless you're writing a story a week for the biggest glossy mags in the world, year in, year out, you're not going to be pulling down as much scratch as this guy seems to. In good economies, bad economies, whenever, it's up and down. It's slow during the holidays, which is why I have time to read novels. If you're lucky and aren't too picky you can have a sorta-middle class, bordering on bohemian lifestyle. You will not and should not live like a rap star.
Two. They do very little to look for work. They just throw up their hands and say, "well I hear nobody's hiring, so screw it all." When someone suggests to James that he could write for online sites, and James says that doesn't pay enough, you might want to smash James in the mouth. I did. Kate has unemployment, which runs out of course. But she worked in retail... a manager, yes, but retail jobs aren't notorious for paying big. These are not hedge fund managers. Can you say, save?
Three. they had more than 20 grand in their baby's college fund (which Jack uses to buy is first few pounds of pot). Maybe they could have tapped into that while they, you know, LOOK FOR WORK? They would have 18 years to build it up again. But no.
Four. REMEMBER THIS IS THE SPOILER SECTION. James leaves a paper trail. He keeps flying to Sacramento one way to pick up his load and then renting a car to drive one way and paying with credit card. For a year. You think the Feds wouldn't pick up on this obvious drug mule behavior at least once?
A bigger problem is characterization. We never learn James and Kate's back stories. They are presented to us basically in the middle of their financial crisis. Kate is mostly a one dimensional shrew, who says "okay don't get caught and you better buy me some nice things." James is a bit of a cipher who turns cold-blooded (a twist at the end that comes too fast and isn't very believable). But it is hard to feel any empathy for him. That makes it an interesting choice to go with first person - we should be able to learn about him and get into his head. But his head seems like an empty place.
I don't need nice or likeable characters. In fact I prefer flawed ones. But I do need to understand where they're coming from. James admits to us toward the end as things spin out of control that his defining characteristic is/has been greediness. But what does money mean to him, deep down? A clue about that would be nice. It didn't seem like he really cared much about being a journalist - again, that's not a profession one is drawn to when one wants to roll in dough. Ask me about it! No, James is shallow and stays relatively shallow. That would work, possibly, for a satire where we enjoy his descent down the rabbit hole and laugh at him getting his comeuppance, when it comes. But this is a straightforward drama/thriller with very little comic relief. The tone is dry, matter-of-fact.
The other characters are pretty broadly drawn, and I had a hard time keeping the names of his connections straight. They were devices for moving the plot forward.
That all sounds like I hated it. I didn't. But it could have been so much better. There is some trenchant social commentary here about American greed at all levels (after all it was Wall Street greed that gave birth to the crisis) and the diminishing value of real work. In fact I'm almost tempted to give it an extra star for providing a detailed handbook of the drug mule life, should I ever have to resort to that. Don't worry, I won't. I save.
We've been seeing a burgeoning mini-genre of recession fiction where middle class people down on their luck turn to illegal activities to make ends meet or to become very wealthy. There's "The Financial Lives of the Poets" about another out-of-work journalist turned to drug dealing/manufacturing/distributing (tough profession, journalism). On TV there's Weeds and Breaking Bad.
SPOILER ALERT DANGER SPOILERS FROM HERE ON
You can assume that running pounds of pot across country won't go smoothly. After all then there wouldn't be a story. You can guess there will be collateral damage, death, constant fear, wrecked lives and a slide down a moral slope. That's all here, and some of the events are pretty gripping. Just as it's a white knuckle ride when you watch a gambler roll the dice long after he should have given up. So, the drama/suspense is pretty much built in to the story. He/they (Kate gets involved too) could be caught, they could go to jail for a long time, and they and their loved ones could be killed, fine.
It's written in first person from James' perspective and the tone is dry, factual, almost like memoir. It's not clumsy; the author just doesn't spend a lot of effort making it arty. Fine. It is a page turner for the most part, and about 75% of it is believable. What's not believable is maddening). The author seems to have done a lot of research. At a few points I wondered if he had been a drug mule himself.
Here's what strains credibility. One, they both go from upper middle class spendthrifts to penniless/homeless in a matter of a few weeks. In the beginning, James is writing for Playboy/Esquire, etc. and living large, very large he tells us. Then suddenly, no assignments from anyone. I have some personal experience with freelance writing; I've done that for most of my career. Any freelance writer who lives large is an idiot. Unless you're writing a story a week for the biggest glossy mags in the world, year in, year out, you're not going to be pulling down as much scratch as this guy seems to. In good economies, bad economies, whenever, it's up and down. It's slow during the holidays, which is why I have time to read novels. If you're lucky and aren't too picky you can have a sorta-middle class, bordering on bohemian lifestyle. You will not and should not live like a rap star.
Two. They do very little to look for work. They just throw up their hands and say, "well I hear nobody's hiring, so screw it all." When someone suggests to James that he could write for online sites, and James says that doesn't pay enough, you might want to smash James in the mouth. I did. Kate has unemployment, which runs out of course. But she worked in retail... a manager, yes, but retail jobs aren't notorious for paying big. These are not hedge fund managers. Can you say, save?
Three. they had more than 20 grand in their baby's college fund (which Jack uses to buy is first few pounds of pot). Maybe they could have tapped into that while they, you know, LOOK FOR WORK? They would have 18 years to build it up again. But no.
Four. REMEMBER THIS IS THE SPOILER SECTION. James leaves a paper trail. He keeps flying to Sacramento one way to pick up his load and then renting a car to drive one way and paying with credit card. For a year. You think the Feds wouldn't pick up on this obvious drug mule behavior at least once?
A bigger problem is characterization. We never learn James and Kate's back stories. They are presented to us basically in the middle of their financial crisis. Kate is mostly a one dimensional shrew, who says "okay don't get caught and you better buy me some nice things." James is a bit of a cipher who turns cold-blooded (a twist at the end that comes too fast and isn't very believable). But it is hard to feel any empathy for him. That makes it an interesting choice to go with first person - we should be able to learn about him and get into his head. But his head seems like an empty place.
I don't need nice or likeable characters. In fact I prefer flawed ones. But I do need to understand where they're coming from. James admits to us toward the end as things spin out of control that his defining characteristic is/has been greediness. But what does money mean to him, deep down? A clue about that would be nice. It didn't seem like he really cared much about being a journalist - again, that's not a profession one is drawn to when one wants to roll in dough. Ask me about it! No, James is shallow and stays relatively shallow. That would work, possibly, for a satire where we enjoy his descent down the rabbit hole and laugh at him getting his comeuppance, when it comes. But this is a straightforward drama/thriller with very little comic relief. The tone is dry, matter-of-fact.
The other characters are pretty broadly drawn, and I had a hard time keeping the names of his connections straight. They were devices for moving the plot forward.
That all sounds like I hated it. I didn't. But it could have been so much better. There is some trenchant social commentary here about American greed at all levels (after all it was Wall Street greed that gave birth to the crisis) and the diminishing value of real work. In fact I'm almost tempted to give it an extra star for providing a detailed handbook of the drug mule life, should I ever have to resort to that. Don't worry, I won't. I save.
September 18, 2019
I had a friend in school called Tony D'souza so when I saw the author's name I decided to dive in.
And I am thrilled to have read (listened to) this book. Extremely tight, fast paced and entertaining. Can't call an audio book a page turner but read through it in a couple days. Another manifestation of the american dream and the lengths people will go to seek it.
Also, this guy is not my old classmate :(
And I am thrilled to have read (listened to) this book. Extremely tight, fast paced and entertaining. Can't call an audio book a page turner but read through it in a couple days. Another manifestation of the american dream and the lengths people will go to seek it.
Also, this guy is not my old classmate :(
August 28, 2013
DRIVE FAST AND SERVE A LOT!
this is the second d'souza novel i've read (whiteman was the first). so far he gets two thumbs up. i'm rereading linden hills so it was nice to juxtapose that journey into dante's inferno with this tale about a middle class white dude's descent into a drug ring from california to florida. the first person narrative and omniscent narration sucks you into the plot. it was like being a fly on the wall in the house of usher. especially enjoyed this passage:
"because why?"
"because you let me do the drives."
silence. time. the birth of a chasm.
"because i let you do what you wanted to do?"
"because you let me take those risks."
"because you didn't make me stop."
a sundering.a mitosis. the division of a continent.
"this isn't my fault."
"i know that."
"i've never felt as awful as i do right now."
"i've been sorry every moment since."
we lay there a long time. time did not make it better.
i would have to say that the only part of the novel i did not enjoy would be the ending. things hurried up and ties were too neatly (yet ironically bloody & violently) dispatched. it left me not wanting to know more about what happens after the last time we watch james into his car. it might be nice to know that kind of life his children grow up having, but i'm really not all that interested in the actual main character. the author just went too far left. i wonder what the resolution was like in earlier drafts....never the less, this read was awesome.
this is the second d'souza novel i've read (whiteman was the first). so far he gets two thumbs up. i'm rereading linden hills so it was nice to juxtapose that journey into dante's inferno with this tale about a middle class white dude's descent into a drug ring from california to florida. the first person narrative and omniscent narration sucks you into the plot. it was like being a fly on the wall in the house of usher. especially enjoyed this passage:
"because why?"
"because you let me do the drives."
silence. time. the birth of a chasm.
"because i let you do what you wanted to do?"
"because you let me take those risks."
"because you didn't make me stop."
a sundering.a mitosis. the division of a continent.
"this isn't my fault."
"i know that."
"i've never felt as awful as i do right now."
"i've been sorry every moment since."
we lay there a long time. time did not make it better.
i would have to say that the only part of the novel i did not enjoy would be the ending. things hurried up and ties were too neatly (yet ironically bloody & violently) dispatched. it left me not wanting to know more about what happens after the last time we watch james into his car. it might be nice to know that kind of life his children grow up having, but i'm really not all that interested in the actual main character. the author just went too far left. i wonder what the resolution was like in earlier drafts....never the less, this read was awesome.
April 10, 2013
Fantastic. One of my favorite of the 50 plus books I have read this year. Anyone interested in the muling of drugs around the country should pick it up. Reads like a memoir. Impossible to put down. Highly recommended.
November 22, 2016
enjoyed this one over last weekend.
April 29, 2020
I found the premise intriguing, but ended up not enjoying the characters, and was really disappointed by the ending. The stupidity of trusting Mason repeatedly, bringing more idiots into his circle (nick) and being characterized as a good guy with a conscience, but then ultimately killing people? Oh, that’s right the whole “I’m this but I’m not” at the end was supposed to explain that...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2024
There's not a whole lot to this book: Main character James discovers -- and loves -- how much money he makes by driving marijuana from California to Florida. There are challenges that bump up now and then -- including some highly unbelievable and graphic violence when things go sideways with a dealer -- but that's pretty much the story. I got bored and abandoned at 50%.
December 22, 2025
Overall, I enjoyed the read. Each chapter is about 50-100 pages so it’s annoying to stop in the middle of chapters sometimes. I was expecting the book to turn dark, and when it did, everything happened within the last few pages. I would’ve liked a few more pages exploring these turns of events but at the same time, I’m glad the author didn’t because it would have made the book too heavy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2018
3* Tense action, suspense, intrigue. A gripping tale about people hit with the recession and losing all, and their efforts to just get out of it, then getting far more than they were prepared for.
Good one.
Good one.
September 29, 2023
I feared what would happen
It was jarring. Loss of innocence, peril , don't attempt to guess or solve the outcome. The twists and turns are gut wrenching, my emotions were toyed with. Craft and character development is masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
It was jarring. Loss of innocence, peril , don't attempt to guess or solve the outcome. The twists and turns are gut wrenching, my emotions were toyed with. Craft and character development is masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
October 6, 2018
Fiction that reads like nonfiction. Incredibly believable characters and story that made me care about this couple.
December 18, 2018
Crazy and fun read-there is violence though!
March 19, 2019
The ending was pretty disappointing for me. I wanted more closure with his family, but I did appreciate the person that he became as the story progressed. Would recommend.
April 20, 2024
action movies bore me
this action book did not
this action book did not
July 12, 2025
3.5 stars. Suspenseful but ending left something to be desired
September 10, 2025
how to be a mule
What a rush it was to become absolutely absorbed in this game. It was intriguing how the story developed and grew and how the main character changed into someone he didn’t even know himself.
What a rush it was to become absolutely absorbed in this game. It was intriguing how the story developed and grew and how the main character changed into someone he didn’t even know himself.
October 14, 2015
Mule is unstoppable.
Tony D'Souza has written one of the best books I've read in recent years and one that I expect I'll continuously turn to as a masterful example of what it means to write moving, efficient prose in the modern age.
Mule is more than just prose, yet it is never indulgent. As you follow James' slow and steady descent, you will find every next move both "surprising, yet inevitable" (in the unforgettable words of my undergraduate Creative Writing professor). His plight is identifiable, though his actions may be outside the realm of actionability for some out there, thus, I suspect, driving the more negative reviews.
But it's not just his individual tale. The story D'Souza weaves is both immediately impactful as well as insightful. What this book ultimately has to say, it says about the financial collapse of 2008 at large. While this is a dramatized realization of what it can do to a person, it is no way outlandish or overly obscure. It's bold and brash like that, without being obnoxious.
Perhaps most importantly about this novel was the fact that I couldn't stop reading it. You hear that a lot in reviews of good paperbacks. "Oh, it was a page-turner! I couldn't put it down!" - Random Author on every book cover at Hudson News. But in the case of Mule, you'll find that to be the case, if only because it's so damn STRESSFUL. The very first time James moves weight, I was openly sweating into my palms. I was nervous beyond words, yet compelled to continue to the trip.
That might be Mule's greatest accomplishment - its effect is in many ways its chief message. As James and Kate enter a world they didn't totally understand, their lives don't change SO outlandishly in their mundaneness, but rather they soon perceive the mundane with a new lens of agitation, wariness, and nervousness. You feel that as the reader as much as James feels it every time he approaches Eric's house. It's not that the story is so Dan Brown-ish that you need to learn more, it's that if you put down the book, you'll begin to worry more about the unknown of James and Kate's plights, rather than just continuing to read and discover what will become of them yourself.
It's a feeling not unlike what I experienced in watching Breaking Bad. The thematic links are, obviously, similar, and the overwhelming, ever-increasing sense of dread is what makes it so compelling.
While the book is not exactly casual reading due to its subject matter and some graphic moments, I'd recommend it for just about anybody. Hell, I'd be mad if you DIDN'T read it. It's that good.
Tony D'Souza has written one of the best books I've read in recent years and one that I expect I'll continuously turn to as a masterful example of what it means to write moving, efficient prose in the modern age.
Mule is more than just prose, yet it is never indulgent. As you follow James' slow and steady descent, you will find every next move both "surprising, yet inevitable" (in the unforgettable words of my undergraduate Creative Writing professor). His plight is identifiable, though his actions may be outside the realm of actionability for some out there, thus, I suspect, driving the more negative reviews.
But it's not just his individual tale. The story D'Souza weaves is both immediately impactful as well as insightful. What this book ultimately has to say, it says about the financial collapse of 2008 at large. While this is a dramatized realization of what it can do to a person, it is no way outlandish or overly obscure. It's bold and brash like that, without being obnoxious.
Perhaps most importantly about this novel was the fact that I couldn't stop reading it. You hear that a lot in reviews of good paperbacks. "Oh, it was a page-turner! I couldn't put it down!" - Random Author on every book cover at Hudson News. But in the case of Mule, you'll find that to be the case, if only because it's so damn STRESSFUL. The very first time James moves weight, I was openly sweating into my palms. I was nervous beyond words, yet compelled to continue to the trip.
That might be Mule's greatest accomplishment - its effect is in many ways its chief message. As James and Kate enter a world they didn't totally understand, their lives don't change SO outlandishly in their mundaneness, but rather they soon perceive the mundane with a new lens of agitation, wariness, and nervousness. You feel that as the reader as much as James feels it every time he approaches Eric's house. It's not that the story is so Dan Brown-ish that you need to learn more, it's that if you put down the book, you'll begin to worry more about the unknown of James and Kate's plights, rather than just continuing to read and discover what will become of them yourself.
It's a feeling not unlike what I experienced in watching Breaking Bad. The thematic links are, obviously, similar, and the overwhelming, ever-increasing sense of dread is what makes it so compelling.
While the book is not exactly casual reading due to its subject matter and some graphic moments, I'd recommend it for just about anybody. Hell, I'd be mad if you DIDN'T read it. It's that good.
May 13, 2016
From the beginning I was drawn right in and the whole book when down pretty easier than I thought it would. Nothing too shocking considering the subject matter. I've read some reviews that said the beginning was rushed thru, but I considered it an adequate back story; it is after all called Mule, not The Entire Story of Us. The circular argument James had so often with his wife Kate did get to be a bit tedious, with her so often nagging him about when he was going to quit, that he'll miss seeing his kids grow up, yet not seeming to mind spending the money.
Overall I didn't think there was a lack of character development. In that business I guess the less you know about the people you're dealing with the better, but you should know people. I get that, but the actions some of the characters closer to James seemed inconsistent:
*****Possible Spoiler Alert*******
Mason, for instance, seemed like he'd be cool enough to take things to the next level when he discovered how good the CA stuff was on his visit to James and Kate, but then turns out to be astoundingly naïve on one hand, trusting someone because they went thru Katrina together, and then bloodthirsty the next.
Also, there was nothing to indicate that Kate's high school friend (Cristina?), whom seemed to be just a placeholder to keep Kate busy, would turn out to have such a pivotal role near the end.
Overall I didn't think there was a lack of character development. In that business I guess the less you know about the people you're dealing with the better, but you should know people. I get that, but the actions some of the characters closer to James seemed inconsistent:
*****Possible Spoiler Alert*******
Mason, for instance, seemed like he'd be cool enough to take things to the next level when he discovered how good the CA stuff was on his visit to James and Kate, but then turns out to be astoundingly naïve on one hand, trusting someone because they went thru Katrina together, and then bloodthirsty the next.
Also, there was nothing to indicate that Kate's high school friend (Cristina?), whom seemed to be just a placeholder to keep Kate busy, would turn out to have such a pivotal role near the end.
Want to read
March 29, 2012From an award-winning “savvy storyteller”* comes a page-turning, zeitgeist-capturing novel of a young couple who turn to drug trafficking to make it through the recession.
James and Kate are golden children of the late twentieth century, flush with opportunity. But an economic downturn and an unexpected pregnancy send them searching for a way to make do.
A winter in the mountains of California’s Siskiyou County introduces a tempting opportunity. A friend grows prime-grade marijuana; if James transports just one load from Cali to Florida, he’ll pull down enough cash to survive for months.
James navigates life as a mule, then a boss—from moneyhungry friends to gun-toting drug lords, from Sacramento to Tallahassee, from just making the weight move cross-country to making thousands of dollars a day. The risks keep rising, forcing him to the next criminal level. A kidnapping, a shootout, a bank vault—it all culminates in a swirl of action.
Absorbing and timely, Mule perfectly captures the anxieties of plunging into the criminal world and of being a young person making do in a moment when the American Dream you never had to believe in—because it was handed to you, fully wrapped and ready to go at the takeout window— suddenly vanishes from the menu.
James and Kate are golden children of the late twentieth century, flush with opportunity. But an economic downturn and an unexpected pregnancy send them searching for a way to make do.
A winter in the mountains of California’s Siskiyou County introduces a tempting opportunity. A friend grows prime-grade marijuana; if James transports just one load from Cali to Florida, he’ll pull down enough cash to survive for months.
James navigates life as a mule, then a boss—from moneyhungry friends to gun-toting drug lords, from Sacramento to Tallahassee, from just making the weight move cross-country to making thousands of dollars a day. The risks keep rising, forcing him to the next criminal level. A kidnapping, a shootout, a bank vault—it all culminates in a swirl of action.
Absorbing and timely, Mule perfectly captures the anxieties of plunging into the criminal world and of being a young person making do in a moment when the American Dream you never had to believe in—because it was handed to you, fully wrapped and ready to go at the takeout window— suddenly vanishes from the menu.
August 26, 2013
Mule deals with a very timely subject: what happens when the American dream slips away from you in an instant, and the choices people make to survive. James and Kate are a wholly unexceptional but happy go lucky young couple who lose everything in the economic downturn. Faced with a new baby on the way, they turn to moving weight to survive, and in their own way, thrive.
I became addicted to this nerve-wracking and fast-paced novel—I was on edge with every deal. The author manages to make a despicable path seem like a logical course of action. James and Kate are desperate to cement a lifestyle they never really deserved: they are selfish, shallow, status-oriented people with a high sense of entitlement and mounting greed. It is to the author's credit that I felt myself wanting James to succeed at each run, and overcome those who would thwart him. One small compromise in the characters' morals snowballs into a fully debauched way of life. When you finally come up for air at the end of this book, you'll be grateful you've never had to make the choices they did.
I became addicted to this nerve-wracking and fast-paced novel—I was on edge with every deal. The author manages to make a despicable path seem like a logical course of action. James and Kate are desperate to cement a lifestyle they never really deserved: they are selfish, shallow, status-oriented people with a high sense of entitlement and mounting greed. It is to the author's credit that I felt myself wanting James to succeed at each run, and overcome those who would thwart him. One small compromise in the characters' morals snowballs into a fully debauched way of life. When you finally come up for air at the end of this book, you'll be grateful you've never had to make the choices they did.
March 23, 2012
I am on a bit of a roll here. This is another book I enjoyed greatly. Probably my favorite thing about it was it was hard to tell if it was a true story or not. The details were there and perfect but not overwhelming. I don't think it was true, but I read it as such and therefore kind of liked it more because of that mindset. A couple who is living the high life gets beaten down in the downturn of the economy and takes to muling drugs across the country for the sweet sweet cash. They are scared, but the money is too good. There was a perfect amount of conflict involved that wasn't overwhelming. I liked the setting of smaller (but true) towns. There may have been slightly too many characters, but once I straightened everyone out, it wasn't too bad. The relationship wasn't perfect, but it worked. Everything was just really good in this book and story. Definitely recommended for those that like realistic but fiction stories.
April 20, 2014
Awesome book. The pacing is fantastic. It's a story about a man and his wife and how they deal with the Great Recession. When they lose their jobs and move to the west coast, an opportunity for big money presents itself in the form of drug trafficking, specifically, the movement of marijuana from west coast to Texas and then, later, to the east coast, Florida. The novel moves slowly at first, developing character and exposition, but the pace gradually picks up and eventually reaches lightning pace as the complications add up and the stakes are raised. While the narrator becomes a mule, which means he drives the car full of weed from one place to another, this story is not really a drug story. It's more about the effect that the lifestyle has on the narrator, who becomes enthralled with the excitement, and what that does to his relationship, his family. Very good book that "I predict you gone enjoy." :)
December 26, 2011
I never really expected to find myself reading a book about the inside of the drug trade – even fiction. However, I found myself completely fascinated and captivated reading James account of how he found his way as a mule. The anxiety of ever y cross country trip and the toll it took on his psyche, constantly vigilant and mindful of obstacles and hazards – like the police.
I was riveted – would James get pulled over? Would he find himself in a situation with one of his contacts that he couldn’t control and end up losing it all? Who in this could he trust – was it even worth it? I pondered it all as I turned the pages, nearly as anxious as James was in the driver’s seat.
Continue reading the review at My Shelf Confessions Book Review: Mule
I was riveted – would James get pulled over? Would he find himself in a situation with one of his contacts that he couldn’t control and end up losing it all? Who in this could he trust – was it even worth it? I pondered it all as I turned the pages, nearly as anxious as James was in the driver’s seat.
Continue reading the review at My Shelf Confessions Book Review: Mule
January 20, 2016
All the paranoia without the high (or the money)!
I read this book in two days and wanted to keep reading so much that I would have preferred to have read it in two sittings!
The author weaves a realistic detailed tale written in practically the memoir-like structure and style of an ordinary regular guy stumbling into the very profitable and paranoid world of cross country drug smuggling and selling. He takes you along for the ride of a guy that starts doing it for the money and then the power and then because he can't leave it behind.
A creative take on the recession fantasy fiction model where I got completely sucked into the story and needed to know what happens, but in a well told and written contemporary novel that I'd suggest to any Weeds fan that wished the show could have stuck to what made it good all along.
I read this book in two days and wanted to keep reading so much that I would have preferred to have read it in two sittings!
The author weaves a realistic detailed tale written in practically the memoir-like structure and style of an ordinary regular guy stumbling into the very profitable and paranoid world of cross country drug smuggling and selling. He takes you along for the ride of a guy that starts doing it for the money and then the power and then because he can't leave it behind.
A creative take on the recession fantasy fiction model where I got completely sucked into the story and needed to know what happens, but in a well told and written contemporary novel that I'd suggest to any Weeds fan that wished the show could have stuck to what made it good all along.
January 24, 2013
A decent page-turner about a freelance writer turned drug mule. The author sets up what should be a convincing set of events that lead to young couple James and Kate's decision to turn to a life of interstate drug trafficking. In fact, the plot is too fast-tracked and their hesitations aren't convincing enough. Harrowing situations don't read as such, especially when there are little or no consequences to any of them.
The overuse of both the Jo-Jo Bear toy as a symbol and the recession as a backdrop wears then. It also becomes too easy to see where the story is going about halfway through and I wish D'Souza had allowed for the plot to slow down in places; instead he takes a cue from the Cormac McCarthy School of Screen Adaptable Fiction and just builds up to an action set-piece finale.
The overuse of both the Jo-Jo Bear toy as a symbol and the recession as a backdrop wears then. It also becomes too easy to see where the story is going about halfway through and I wish D'Souza had allowed for the plot to slow down in places; instead he takes a cue from the Cormac McCarthy School of Screen Adaptable Fiction and just builds up to an action set-piece finale.
September 26, 2011
Mule, which is out on Tuesday, is a great ride! Oh my...my heart was pounding as I followed James's adventures as a Mule. A Mule is someone who transports drugs from one locale to another. Being a mule was just the beginning for James. Any illegal activity brings on heart racing as you the story moves from one tense situation to another.
I loved the Siskiyou County connection. My father lived there for years and if there ever was a stranger more diverse place I've never found it....from all-American ranchers, to backwoods hippies to crystal loving wackos...they do have everything there. It is no wonder James descent into a life of crime began there.
Excellent read that was praised by Entertainment Weekly this week. Good job.
I loved the Siskiyou County connection. My father lived there for years and if there ever was a stranger more diverse place I've never found it....from all-American ranchers, to backwoods hippies to crystal loving wackos...they do have everything there. It is no wonder James descent into a life of crime began there.
Excellent read that was praised by Entertainment Weekly this week. Good job.
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