[8] The series centers around Teresa Mendoza, a poor Mexican woman who becomes wealthy by building a vast drug empire.

She crosses the border to the United States, where she ends up in the criminal organization of the wife of the cartel boss who is after her.

Teresa becomes very successful, which presents her with more problems, makes her endure sacrifices and attracts the attention of covert government forces.

The site's consensus reads: "Queen of the South enlivens an overdone premise with action and narrative vigor—and shows hints of intriguing potential.

One of the real-life characters who inspired the novel is Sandra Ávila Beltrán,[60][61][62][63] known as the "Queen of the Pacific", famous for being one of the first female drug traffickers to reach the level of "boss" in the Mexican cartels, a place usually reserved for men.