Dancing with a Cocaine Cowboy: Love and life with a Colombian drug trafficker

by Robyn Windshuttle

'After dinner a small mountain of coke was emptied onto a glass surface, the music was turned up and the party continued. This is what Colombians did. And everyone danced, including the men.'When a free-spirited young woman from Sydney's northern beaches left Australia to dance her way around the world, little did she know she would be catapulted into the middle of a European cocaine ring on her first day in Paris.A dancer with the Moulin Rouge, Robyn Windshuttle's life changed irrevocably the moment she met Daniel, a handsome and charismatic Colombian. Drawn together by an irresistible chemistry, Robyn takes Daniel at his word. But he is not, as first thought, a photographer for the Nikon Gallery and she becomes an unwitting accomplice to the cutthroat dealings of Daniel's Colombian drug syndicate.Honest, evocative and full of spirit, Dancing with a Cocaine Cowboy moves from Sydney to Paris, Ibiza, Monte Carlo and Bogota in a rich, exciting and exotic swirl. And with great strength and resilience, Robyn eventually reclaims her own life and that of the son she had with Daniel from this turbulent world.

Genres: Autobiography

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really easy book to read. I found the first half of the story a bit slow, as it talked about her life growing up and dancing, but it was very interesting and kept me captivated. But when she got to Paris and met him, that's when it all changed. I actually felt like I was in the story and could visualise the whole dancing world she was in. So many times I just wanted to yell at Robyn and say "why??", why ae you letting him do this this to you! The sort of glamorous and indulgent life she had was all from drug money, while she was living with luxuries other people are dying from drugs. I enjoyed this book, and it gave a good perspective of the life within the drug world and the power of love. Recommeded reading.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robyn Windshuttle is an Australian woman who was brought up in a dysfunctional and often violent home in New South Wales and lived to dance. She went on to dance both in Australia and overseas, including the famous Moulin Rogue, and it was in Paris where Robyn met her ‘cocaine cowboy’.
Well-travelled, Robyn tended to be naïve in many ways. Perhaps due to growing up in the 70s in a mostly carefree Aussie life, yet also a product of a home that wasn’t completely safe or loving. I suppose it was easy for her to miss so many signs in her relationship with Daniel, her Columbian lover. Robyn seemed to continually be in the right place, at the right time as job opportunities just appeared to fall into her lap. I think I was expecting Robyn to have more issues in her relationship than the infidelities and a few drug busts.
I found it easy to read, and I’d rate it 3 out of 5

[Debbie Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.

[Laci · Rating 1 out of 5]

Someone left this at my house, so even though it's not something I would typically read, I did anyway since it was here.

Engaging story, but poorly written. Would have liked to more details about the more interesting aspects of the book instead of the flashy stuff that was focused on. Would not recommend.

[Rania T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, easy to read memoir about Northern Beaches native Robyn Windshuttle's decade long tumultuous relationship with a Colombian drug trafficker. He introduced her to a world of glitz, glamour, corruption and decadence. As she became disillusioned with this lifestyle, she longed for the simplicity and stability the Australian way of life had to offer. Has to be read to be believed. Like they say, the truth is always stranger than fiction.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

W28.

[Deborah Coppleson chenney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty easy read.

[Calli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad giving this book only 2 stars because it was enjoyable but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be and I feel like I've read better books within this genre

[Angi Mcauley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read & a bit predictable but interesting nonetheless

[Kerri Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Easy reading. A little slow in parts, but great read. Amazing story.