Organized crime Books

Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe Peaky Blinders as we know them, thanks to the hit TV series, are infused with drama and dread. Fashionably dressed, the charismatic but deeply flawed Shelby family blind enemies by slashing them with the disposable safety razor blades stitched in to the peaks of their flat caps, as they fight bloody gangland wars involving Irish terrorists and the authorities led by a devious Home Secretary, Winston Churchill.But who were the real Peaky Blinders? Did they really exist? Well-known social historian, broadcaster and author, Carl Chinn, has spent decades searching them out. Now he reveals the true story of the notorious Peaky Blinders, one of whom was his own great grandfather and, like the Shelbys, his grandfather was an illegal bookmaker in back-street Birmingham. In this gripping social history, Chinn shines a light on the rarely reported struggles of the working class in one of the great cities of the British Empire before the First World War. The story continues after 1918 as some Peaky Blinders transformed into the infamous Birmingham Gang. Led by the real Billy Kimber, they fought a bloody war with the London gangsters Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomon over valuable protection rackets extorting money from bookmakers across the booming postwar racecourses of Britain.Drawing together a remarkably wide-range of original sources, including rarely seen images of real Peaky Blinders and interviews with relatives of the 1920s gangsters, Peaky Blinders: The Real Story adds a new dimension to the true history of Birmingham's underworld and fact behind its fiction.

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Book Synopsis The explosive memoir of legendary DEA agents and the subject of the hit Netflix series Narcos, Steve Murphy and Javier F. Peña For the first time, legendary DEA operatives Steve Murphy and Javier F. Pena tell the true story of how they took down Pablo Escobar. Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar''s brutal Medellin Cartel was responsible for trafficking tonnes of cocaines to North America and Europe in the 1980s and ''90s. Colombia became a war zone as his sicarios mercilessly murdered thousands of people - competitors, police and civilians - to ensure he remained Colombia''s reigning kingpin. With billions in personal income, Escobar bought off politicians and lawmen and became a hero to poorer communities by building houses and sports centres. He was untouchable. But when Escobar became one of America''s most wanted, agents Steve Murphy and Javier F Pena were tasked with ending his reign of terror. For eighteen months, Steve and JaTrade ReviewManhunters is a gripping story about two true patriots who were the difference makers in the final hunt for Pablo Escobar. They are heroes to a world that was otherwise held captive by the evil of the planet's first narco-terrorist. Their bravery is unparalleled, and we owe them a great deal of gratitude for their selfless sacrifices. It is an honor to know them and their story. * Robert Mazur, New York Times bestselling author of The Infiltrator *A fast-paced tale by two agents for the DEA who had the inside track on bringing down the most wanted man in recent U.S history. * Bruce Porter, New York Times bestselling author of Blow and Snatched *Steve Murphy and Javier Pena recount their involvement in the pursuit and ultimate victory over a savvy and ruthless killer who declared an uncivil war against his own country. Never failing to credit Colombian heroism in this gripping struggle, Murphy and Pena offer fresh details of the chase for Pablo Escobar that resulted in his defeat and reclamation of the country from the deadly forces of narco-terrorism. A must-read for any fan of Narcos! * Chris Brancato, Executive Producer, "Narcos" *Riveting. A must-read for anyone interested in one of the major campaigns on the war on drugs. * Publishers Weekly *A thriller-esque account...keep[s] the pages turning. * Kirkus Reviews *A gripping insider account of the hunt for Pablo Escobar. Brilliant, bold, and no holds barred, this is an impeccable true crime story, told by the two brave men who risked everything to bring down the world's first narco-terrorist. A five-star read! * Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Spymaster *Steve Murphy and Javier Pena are the real deal; true heroes of the drug war. Manhunters outlines the most important operation in the history of DEA; the killing of the most brutal and notorious drug lord in the world, Pablo Escobar. They give an incredible account of that day in Medellin, Colombia, when Pablo was killed by Colombian police that were supported, advised, and trained by these two American warriors who were on the scene when it all happened. This book is a great read and a critical account of DEA's finest hour * LTG (Ret.) William G. Boykin, Former Commander of U.S. Army Special Forces and Founding Member of Delta Force *Manhunters grabs you from the first page and gives you a front-row seat into the harrowing inter-agency and international hunt for the brutal narcotrafficker Pablo Escobar. Two unlikely heroes recount their stories in a way that is both compelling and captivating. * US Congresswoman Mary Bono *A compelling read about the adventures of two true American law enforcement heroes who ultimately took on the world's first narco-terrorist, the world's most wanted criminal, the world's largest cocaine baron, Pablo Escobar, and won! They include accounts of other investigations, personal challenges, and the sacrifices made not only by them but their families as well. * Barbara Comstock, former US congresswoman *Manhunters is a riveting account of two brave DEA Agents who put their lives, along with their families lives, on the line to fight the war on drugs in the US and Colombia. A must read on the take down of Pablo Escobar and the part they played in the investigation * Joe Pistone, a.k.a. Donnie Brasco *Steve and Javier's experience on the front lines of the war on drugs over the last thirty years made them an invaluable source of information for us. Their contacts, both foreign and domestic, allowed us to put together a narrative of one of the most complex, poorly reported, and misunderstood chapters in our recent past. * Eric Newman, Executive Producer, "Narcos" *

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Book SynopsisAt first glance, Gabriel Cardona is an exemplary American teenager: athletic, bright, handsome and charismatic. But his Texas town is poor and dangerous, and it isn't long before Gabriel abandons his promising future for the allure of the Zetas, a drug cartel with roots in the Mexican military. Meanwhile, Mexican-born Detective Robert Garcia has worked hard all his life and is now struggling to raise his family in America. As violence spills over the border, Detective Garcia's pursuit of the Zetas puts him face to face with the urgent consequences of a war he sees as unwinnable.In Wolf Boys, Dan Slater takes readers on a harrowing, moving, and often brutal journey into the heart of the Mexican drug trade - from the Sierra Madre mountaintops to the smuggling ports of Veracruz, from cartel training camps and holiday parties to the dusty alleys of South Texas. Ultimately though, Wolf Boys is the intimate and vivid story of the 'lobos': teens turned into pawns for cartels. A non-fiction thriller, it reads with the emotional clarity of a great novel, yet offers its revelations through extraordinary reporting.Trade ReviewA riveting story that takes us on an unforgettable descent into the dark heart of the drug trade. -- Michael ConnellyEngrossing and readable yet nightmarish vision of a hyperviolent and corporatised narcotics industry, seducing a new generation with minimal alternatives. * Kirkus *Wolf Boys should be required reading, especially for anyone who supports the blood-chilling, appalling trade in illegal drugs. -- Chuck PalahniukWolf Boys reads like an astonishing fictional thriller reminiscent of Brian De Palma's Scarface, but even more astonishingly it depicts actual events. Shocking. Eye-opening. Riveting. -- David Morrell, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of MURDER AS A FINE ARTWolf Boys is not just a page-turner, but a riveting cautionary tale. -- Allison Leotta, author of THE LAST GOOD GIRLRead this book. It will reconfigure your understanding of the ongoing horror that is the War on Drugs -- T.J. English, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of WHERE THE BODIES WERE BURIED and HAVANA NOCTURNE

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Book SynopsisFor many people around the world, instances of what is described as organized crime may be part of their everyday experience; in their neighbourhoods, their streets, and the places they work and live. Policymakers, law enforcement, and the media rarely fail to bring up the issue when discussing the nature and seriousness of contemporary criminal threats, and the appropriate responses towards them. Many more people are familiar with the notion of organized crime, as the film and TV industry regularly draw on fictional and real figures and situations. Organized crime feels like a tangible, inescapable issue in today''s world.In this Very Short introduction, Georgios A. Antonopoulos and Georgios Papanicolaou uncover the reality of organized crime in our world today. Shining a light on the people involved in organized crime, Antonopoulos and Papanicolaou question whether the term ''organized'' is used to evoke the image, the operations, and power of a legitimate organization, such as a corporation. Discussing whether there are particular crimes that the label ''organized crime'' applies to, or if any crime can be organized, they also consider what happens when organized crime extends beyond borders. Using examples from across the globe, they analyse the different cultural traditions of organized crime, such as the Mafia, Yakuza, and Triads, and also the nature of organized crime, from arms trafficking and drug dealing to extortion. Finally they explore the methods and agencies in place to control and prevent organized crime.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: Introduction: What is organised crime? 2: Organised crime around the globe 3: The business of organised crime 4: Controlling and preventing organised crime 5: Conclusion: Business as usual References Further Reading

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Book SynopsisGangs of London meets Kimberley Chambers in this gripping thriller of betrayal and survival in a world where one mistake could cost you everything. YOU THINK YOU'RE FREE, BUT THEY'LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE . . . Twenty years ago, Jon Kavanagh worked for a crime syndicate. Then one night he made a mistake.He left a witness at a crime scene. Alive. Now, he is haunted by the memories of that young girl. Her face a constant reminder of the life he chose to leave behind. Time has passed and now he wants answers: What ever happened to her?Anna Hill is an aspiring singer, but the bars and clubs she works in are far from exciting. When she is given the opportunity to work in Portugal, she takes it. This is her chance to finally kick-start her career. But the job offer comes at a price; one that will endanger the lives of those she knows, and those she doesn't. Becoming involved with the Syndicate is risky, and Anna will need her instincts to work out who to trust - and who not to . . .'One of my reads of the year' DAVID JACKSON'A gripping story that builds to a stunning conclusion. Kavanagh is a complex and original creation; a man haunted by his past and living on borrowed time' HOWARD LINSKEY'Truly sinuous suspense that when you think you've got it worked out, has a resolution that snaps back and bites' KATE BRADLEYTrade ReviewBrilliant characterisation and such a tense, winding plot. I loved the way Graham wove the story together * Lisa Hall *A damaged but engaging central character, sharp dialogue, twisty plot and great pay-off - The Syndicate has all the ingredients of an excellent thriller * Simon Brett *The Syndicate is a gripping story that builds to a stunning conclusion. GJ Minett's Kavanagh is a complex and original creation; a man haunted by his past and living on borrowed time * Howard Linksey *Captivating, cleverly written, unputdownable. I devoured The Syndicate in one night. Minett and crime at its finest * Rebecca Thornton *I absolutely loved it. I raced through this book. A beautifully written, character-focused novel that reminded me of George Pelecanos at his best. Definitely one of my reads of the year so far * David Jackson *Pacey, heart-stopping and poignant * Julie Corbin *'This is GJ Minett's best yet. Absorbing, nuanced and emotive. A superior thriller with a real sucker punch of a twist.' * Chris Whitaker *With Kavanagh, Minett has created the ultimate hero - dark, dangerous but with a depth of heart. If I was in trouble, I'd want Kavanagh in my corner. The Syndicate is a truly sinuous suspense that when you think you've got it worked out, has a resolution that snaps back and bites. More please * Kate Bradley *That rare type of novel that manages to be subtle, compassionate and with a real moral heart, but at the same time packed with enough twists and turns to the point you can't put it down. And Kavanagh is exactly my kind of hero - laconic, no-nonsense, but also credible and relatable - the sort of reluctant leading man that I can't get enough of. A really entertaining read, but made exceptional my the emotional punch it carries * Rod Reynolds *In The Syndicate, G.J Minett has brought us a compelling, intricately-plotted novel peopled with fascinating characters, particularly the brilliantly drawn Jon Kavanagh, in whose outcome I was completely invested throughout. The writing is superb, the story intriguing and what an ending. Wow! * Gill Thompson *A master of language and character, GJ Minett's The Syndicate is dark and treacherous with a real sting in its tail. * Sam Blake *What a thumping good book! And an absolute gem of a hallmark GJ Minett mystery thriller. Full of twists and turns and surprises, this particular story built to an emotive ending that I found enormously satisfying. A great story from a master storyteller. More please * C J Carver *A powerful psychological thriller, The Syndicate explores the physical and emotional scars that mould the character of a killer * Carolyn Kirby *This is an exciting, twisty novel from an author at the top of his game and in Jon Kavanagh he's created an intriguing lead character. The Syndicate is an excellent, page-turning read - one you won't want to put down * David Young *

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Book SynopsisA tour de force of investigative journalism, Killing Pablo tells the story of the violent rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the head of the Colombian Medellin cocaine cartel. Escobar's criminal empire held a nation of thirty million hostage in a reign of terror that would only end with his death. In an intense, up-close account, award-winning journalist Mark Bowden exposes details never before revealed about the covert sixteen-month manhunt that was led by US Special Forces and intelligence services. With unprecedented access to important players - including Colombian president Cisar Gaviria and the incorruptible head of the special police unit that pursued Escobar, Colonel Hugo Martinez - as well as top-secret documents and transcripts of Escobar's intercepted phone conversations, Bowden has produced a gripping narrative that is a stark portrayal of rough justice in the real world.Trade ReviewVivid, fast-paced and well researched * Sunday Times *A remarkable opus of investigative journalism * The Times *Mark Bowden's thrilling, completely engrossing book brings the man and his bloody times to vivid life. I couldn't put it down. -- Howard MarksPowerfully written and well researched * Independent on Sunday *A psychotic safari * Daily Mail *A master of narrative journalism, Bowden employs the same techniques of reconstructing scenes and dialogue that made his bestselling Black Hawk Down gripping reading. * New York Times *A well researched and staggering account. * Time Out *A brilliant reconstruction... Clear and gripping * Evening Standard *Reads like a Clancyesque thriller, it's fast-paced, full of page-turning intrigue, corruption, and thwarted pursuit. * San Francisco Chronicle *A compelling, almost Shakespearean tale * Los Angeles Times *If ever there was a real-life James Bond villain, Pablo Escobar was it... 10 times better than any fictional crime story * Uncut *

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Book SynopsisAll 20-year-old Daisy Haites has ever wanted is a normal life, but as the heiress to London''s most notorious criminal empire, it''s just not on the cards for her.Raised by her older brother Julian since their parents were murdered, Daisy has never been able to escape the watchful gaze of her gang-lord brother. But Julian''s line of work means that Daisy''s life is... complicated.And things don''t become any easier when she falls hard for the beautiful and emotionally unavailable Christian Hemmes, who also happens to be one of the few men in London who doesn''t answer to Julian.Christian''s life is no walk in the park either, since he''s in love with his best friend''s girlfriend, Magnolia Parks.He''s happy enough to use Daisy to throw off the scent of his true affections - until she starts to infiltrate those too.As their romance blossoms into something neither were anticipating, Daisy, Christian, and Julian

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Book SynopsisA gripping gangland thriller that sees heroine crime boss Kerry Casey in jail - for fans of Kimberley Chambers, Martina Cole and Jessie Keane'MARTINA COLE FANS WILL LOVE THIS' DAILY MIRRORKerry Casey is still reeling from the bombshell that her lover, undercover cop Vinny Burns, has gone missing in Spain. She's pregnant with his baby and will do anything to find him.One night, driving along a country road, Kerry and her Uncle Danny are ambushed by gunmen. In the confusion that follows, shots are fired and two men are murdered. Kerry and Danny can only look on as the bodies are dragged from their assailant's car and placed in their own.The police arrive in minutes. With cocaine, dead bodies and guns in the car, it looks like an open-and-shut case.Kerry's been framed. She is forced to wait out her fate inside a women's prison, still not knowing what has happened to Vinnie. On the outside the Casey gang are hunting down the men who did this to her and they will stop at nothing to find them.

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Book Synopsis'A powerful new voice in thriller writing' ADAM HAMDYBorn and raised in London, Pretty Boy has spent the last ten years in exile after being forced out of his hometown. He's learned patience, and how to disappear. Now Pretty Boy is ready to get his revenge on those who need to pay for his lost years. Meanwhile, back in the city, things have moved on. People still talk about Pretty Boy, of course. He's a legend, more myth than man, and rumours run wild about his deadly legacy. But most think they've seen the last of him. He's finished.Someone who never gave up on Pretty Boy is Alan Pierce. The former policeman turned corrupt businessman has always lived by his own rules: stay focussed, stay one step ahead of the enemy, stay alive. Alan and Pretty Boy have history - Pretty Boy owes him everything - so when Alan finds himself fighting a drug-fuelled war on all fronts, there's only one man he wants to turn to. But where is Pretty Boy?Sharp, fast-paced and gripping and with a cast of unforgettable characters, A Good Night to Kill is a heart-pounding tale of justice, loyalty, and of what happens when two men turn to face the fight they've been trying to outrun. Praise for Amen Alonge and A Good Day to Die'Action-packed, gripping, and wildly entertaining' ADAM HAMDY'One of those books that you hate to put down' 5* READER REVIEW'A smart, gritty, action-packed' WILLIAM SHAW'[An] ultra violent and propulsive London thriller' 5* READER REVIEW'Powerful' LITERARY REVIEW'A great non-stop action thriller with an explosive ending' 5* READER REVIEW'A cracker of a debut' TREVOR WOOD'Enthralling' 5* READER REVIEWTrade ReviewPowerful * Literary Review *Powerful thriller... which moves almost as fast as the many bullets its characters fire at each other * Literary Review *[A Good Night to Kill] has the savage verve of a Jacobean revenge play * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE MOST INFAMOUS STREET GANG IN AMERICAIn the 1980s, El Salvador was involved in a bloody fight for control of the government. To escape the guerrilla assaults and death squads many fled to the US. As a survival instinct, they formed a group called the Mara Salvatrucha Stoners, a relatively harmless social network bound by rock and roll. But later, as they brushed against established local gangs, the group took on a harder edge, selling drugs, stealing cars and killing rivals who threatened their territories. As authorities cracked down, gang members were incarcerated and deported. But in the prison system, the group only grew stronger.Today, MS-13 is one of the most infamous street gangs on Earth, with tens of thousands of members operating in a half-dozen nations and two continents, and linked to thousands of grisly murders each year. Through the story of former gang member Norman and his family, journalist Steven Dudley brings readers inside the deadly group.

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Book Synopsis‘Reads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it’s all true.’ – TimeIn this thrilling story of real-life events, the bestselling author of Empire of Pain investigates a secret world run by a surprising criminal: a charismatic middle-aged grandmother, who from a tiny noodle shop in New York’s Chinatown, managed a multimillion-dollar business smuggling people.In The Snakehead, Patrick Radden Keefe reveals the inner workings of Cheng Chui Ping aka Sister Ping’s complex empire and recounts the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually brought her down. He follows an often incompetent and sometimes corrupt INS as it pursues desperate immigrants risking everything to come to America, and along the way he paints a stunning portrait of a generation of undocumented immigrants and the intricate underground economy that sustains and exploits them.Grand in scope yet propulsive in narrative force, The Snakehead is both a kaleidoscopic crime story and a brilliant exploration of the ironies of immigration in America.‘A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown’ - The TimesTrade ReviewReads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it's all true. * Time *Essential reading. . . . A rich, beautifully told story, so suspenseful and with so many unexpected twists that in places it reads like a John le Carré novel. * The Washington Post *A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown * The Times *A masterwork . . . In this single tale about a global criminal, Keefe finds a story of quintessentially American hope. * Christian Science Monitor *Painstakingly reported and vividly told. . . . As immigration reform languishes in Washington . . . everyone involved--from policymakers to activists to the undocumented--would be wise to read The Snakehead. * Newsweek *Published in the UK for the first time, Patrick Radden Keefe’s tireless investigation of human trafficking from China to the US reveals the desperation of the migrants and the woman at the heart of it * The Observer *A formidably well-researched book that is as much a paean to its author's industriousness as it is a chronicle of crime. -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Bracing, vivid . . . Keefe writes gracefully, perceptively, insightfully . . . Without sacrificing one iota of narrative momentum, he untangles a dauntingly complicated human-trafficking operation so a reader can effortlessly follow along. * The New York Times Book Review *Thoroughly researched and creatively drawn (some scenes are highly dramatic and vivid) by the New Yorker writer, [The Snakehead] is ultimately about the risks these refugees took to play their part in the enduring, grand narrative theme of the American Dream. * The Sydney Morning Herald *Brilliant . . . Keefe’s mastery of this chapter of our ongoing immigration saga is impressive. He muses thoughtfully about its many conundrums and highlights how our ethos of welcoming the persecuted gets soured by bad policy and the pervasive exploitation of the helpless. * Los Angeles Times *Engrossing. . . . Keefe’s narrative delves deeply into Chinatown and the labyrinthine smuggling routes between China and America, but it’s also a glimpse into our conflicted feelings about illegals and the morass of America’s immigration policy. * New York Magazine *A timely, powerful and thoroughly researched book. * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisYou can see them, but you don't know them.Ultras are football fans like no others. A hugely visible and controversial part of the global game, their credo and aesthetic replicated in almost every league everywhere on earth, a global movement of extreme fandom and politics is also one of the largest youth movements in the world. Yet they remain unknown: an anti-establishment force that is transforming both football and politics. In this book, James Montague goes underground to uncover the true face of this dissident force for the first time. 1312: Among the Ultras tells the story of how the movement began and how it grew to become the global phenomenon that now dominates the stadiums from the Balkans and Buenos Aires. With unprecedented insider access, the book investigates how ultras have grown into a fiercely political movement, embracing extremes on both the left and right; fighting against the commercialisation of football and society – and against the attempts to control them by the authorities, who both covet and fear their power.Trade ReviewBrilliant and daring * Tobias Jones, Guardian *Utterly gripping. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. * Rory Smith, New York Times *

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Book SynopsisOne Nation Under Blackmail is a damning indictment of the consequences resulting from the nearly century old relationship between both US and Israeli intelligence and the organized criminal network known as the National Crime Syndicate. This book specifically explores how that nexus between intelligence and organized crime directly developed the sexual blackmail tactics and networks that would later enable the sexual blackmail operation and other crimes of deceased pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Other books on Jeffrey Epstein focus on the depraved nature of his crimes, his wealth, and his most famous/politically-connected friends and acquaintances. This book, in contrast, reveals the extent to which Epstein#&39;s activities were state-sponsored through an exploration of his intelligence connections.

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Book SynopsisThe explosive new thriller for fans of gangland fiction! It's time to get reacquainted with Ruby Darke - behind every strong woman is a good story.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the secret history behind the headlines.The Mexican drug wars have inspired countless articles, TV shows and movies. From Breaking Bad to Sicario, El Chapo’s escapes to Trump’s tirades, this is a story we think we know. But there’s a hidden history to the biggest story of the twenty-first century. The Dope exposes how an illicit industry that started with farmers, families and healers came to be dominated by cartels, kingpins and corruption. Benjamin T Smith traces an unforgettable cast of characters from the early twentieth century to the modern day, whose actions came to influence Mexico as we now know it. There’s Enrique Fernández, the borderlands trafficker who became Mexico’s first major narco and one of the first victims of the war on drugs; Eduardo ‘Lalo’ Fernández, Mexico’s most prominent heroin chemist and first major cocaine importer; Leopoldo Salazar Viniegra, the brilliant doctor and Marxist who tried (and failed) to decriminalize Mexico’s drugs; and Harry Anslinger, the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics whose sensationalist strategies paved the way for U.S. interference and the extraordinary levels of violence in Mexico today.The Dope is the epic saga of how violence and corruption came to plague modern Mexico, and the first book to make sense of the political and economic big picture of the Mexican drug wars.Trade ReviewMagisterial and immensely readable... True crime at its historical best, replete with all the larger-than-life characters and thrills and spills of a Netflixnarco drama * Financial Times *With the skills of a fine historian and the verve of a true storyteller Benjamin T. Smith unearths the twisted roots of the catastrophic drug war. A fascinating, surreal and tragic tale * Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco and Blood Gun Money *A compelling narrative that at last gives us a history-for-all of Mexico's all-out drug war * Ed Vulliamy, author of Amexica: War Along the Borderline *Smith's depth of knowledge astonishes... This searing history leaves a mark * Publishers Weekly *A well-researched, sobering view of the damage that Americans' need to get high wreaks on [their] neighbors * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis'A powerful new voice in thriller writing' ADAM HAMDYBorn and raised in London, Pretty Boy has spent the last ten years in exile after being forced out of his hometown. He's learned patience, and how to disappear. Now Pretty Boy is ready to get his revenge on those who need to pay for his lost years. Meanwhile, back in the city, things have moved on. People still talk about Pretty Boy, of course. He's a legend, more myth than man, and rumours run wild about his deadly legacy. But most think they've seen the last of him. He's finished. Someone who never gave up on Pretty Boy is Alan Pierce. The former policeman turned corrupt businessman has always lived by his own rules: stay focused, stay one step ahead of the enemy, stay alive. Alan and Pretty Boy have history - Pretty Boy owes him everything - so when Alan finds himself fighting a drug-fuelled war on all fronts, there's only one man he wants to turn to. But where is Pretty Boy?Sharp, fast-paced and gripping and with a cast of unforgettable characters, A Good Night to Kill is a heart-pounding tale of justice, loyalty, and of what happens when two men turn to face the fight they've been trying to outrun. Praise for Amen Alonge and A Good Day to Die'Action-packed, gripping, and wildly entertaining' ADAM HAMDY'One of those books that you hate to put down' 5* READER REVIEW'Smart, gritty, action-packed' WILLIAM SHAW'Powerful' LITERARY REVIEW'A great non-stop action thriller with an explosive ending' 5* READER REVIEW'A cracker of a debut' TREVOR WOOD'Enthralling' 5* READER REVIEWTrade ReviewPowerful * Literary Review *Powerful thriller... which moves almost as fast as the many bullets its characters fire at each other * Literary Review *[A Good Night to Kill] has the savage verve of a Jacobean revenge play * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisFinancial crime seems horribly complicated but there are only so many ways you can con someone out of what's theirs. In fact, there are four. A veteran regulatory economist and market analyst, Dan Davies has years of experience picking the bones out of some of the most famous frauds of the modern age. Now he reveals the big picture that emerges from their labyrinths of deceit. Along the way you'll find out how to fake a gold mine with a wedding ring, a file and a shotgun. You'll see how close Charles Ponzi, the king of pyramid schemes, came to acquiring his own private navy. You'll learn how fraud has shaped the entire development of the modern world economy. And you'll discover whether you have what it takes to be a white-collar criminal mastermind, if that's what you want. (Which you don't. You really, really don't.)Trade ReviewDan Davies tells all these stories with verve and wit ... Much of the book is a romp through the crimes of scoundrels - Ponzi, Madoff, Keating, the Krays ... Yet what takes it from absorbing to excellent is the author's insight. Read Lying for Money and you will look at fraud in a whole new way. Actually, you will look at every market transaction you take part in in a whole new way. -- Daniel Finkelstein * the Times *Entertaining * Financial Times *Highly entertaining, historically fascinating but also intellectually rigorous -- Ann Pettifor * TLS *If you want to learn to fend fraud, read this. And if you want to commit fraud ... don't. But if you absolutely must, first read this -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb author of The Incerto (Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, Antifragile, Skin In The Game)An engaging and indispensable guide for novice fraudsters - and for those who want to keep out of their clutches. -- John Kay, author of Other People’s MoneyA vivid, historical account of scams and the con artists behind them. Beyond the individual stories, Davies makes a deep and important point about market societies ... This delightful book is as instructive as it is entertaining. -- Dani Rodrik, author of Economics Rules and The Globalisation ParadoxI haven't had this much fun and learned this much reading a finance book since The Money Game. -- J. Bradford DeLong, author of The End of InfluenceDavies is one of these people who's automatically the smartest person in any conversation that he joins. -- Joe Weisenthal, presenter of Bloomberg’s What'd You Miss?Fascinating, gripping - and true ... This is a terrific read. -- Diane Coyle, author of Sex Drugs and Economics

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Book SynopsisIn The Dirty Game, investigative reporter and BBC Panorama presenter Andrew Jennings, who has been heralded around the world for his decade-long pursuit of this story, uncovers the eye-watering level of fraud and criminal activity at the heart of FIFA, which has been described as the biggest sporting scandal of the century. From Blatter to Blazer, from bribery to embezzlement, Jennings reveals the key protagonists, crimes and evidence he handed to the FBI which led to the arrests of FIFA executive and the resignation of Sepp Blatter. Written in a gripping narrative, and based on years of research and never-before-seen documents, this is the definitive portrait of the downfall of FIFA, and the men who stole football.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Daily Telegraph Football Book of the Year Ultras are often compared to punks, Hell's Angels, hooligans or the South American Barras Bravas. But in truth, they are a thoroughly Italian phenomenon... From the author of The Dark Heart of Italy, Blood on the Altar and A Place of Refuge. Italy's ultras are the most organised and violent fans in European football. Many groups have evolved into criminal gangs, involved in ticket-touting, drug-dealing and murder. A cross between the Hell's Angels and hooligans, they're often the foot-soldiers of the Mafia and have been instrumental in the rise of the far-right. But the purist ultras say that they are are insurgents fighting against a police state and modern football. Only amongst the ultras, they say, can you find belonging, community and a sacred concept of sport. They champion not just their teams, they say, but their forgotten suburbs and the dispossessed. Through the prism of the ultras, Jones crafts a compelling investigation into Italian society and its favourite sport. He writes about not just the ultras of some of Italy's biggest clubs – Juventus, Torino, Lazio, Roma and Genoa – but also about its lesser-known ones from Cosenza and Catania. He examines the sinister side of football fandom, with its violence and political extremism, but also admires the passion, wit, solidarity and style of a fascinating and contradictory subculture.Trade ReviewColourful first-hand accounts... Jones is too smart a writer... Ultra does speak direly to wider issues' * Financial Times *[An] intense book... A positive story to tell as well' * Times Literary Supplement *A serious, detailed and entertaining exploration of a fascinating subject... While Jones's analysis of the rise of the ultras is interesting, it is the anecdotes that truly hook the reader' * Catholic Herald *An excellent book * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisThe unbelievable account of life as a hitman from a man who has been doing it for decades. Hitmen commit heinous crimes virtually every day of the week and, in most instances, we don't even realise.I've been a killer for hire for more than twenty years now, but life as a fulltime professional assassin has never been easy.There have been close calls, failed attempts and a lot of looking over my shoulder.And now, I've decided to come clean and seek atonement for my life as a murderer and one of the most covertly dangerous men alive.This is an account of a life lived between our world and a shadowy underworld of criminals... a life lived under the radar of the law... a life lived in death.This is the story of my life as a hitman.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author, Carl ChinnThe Peaky Blinders as we know them, thanks to the hit TV series, are infused with drama and dread. Fashionably dressed, the charismatic but deeply flawed Shelby family have become cult anti-heroes. Well-known social historian, broadcaster and author, Carl Chinn, revealed the true story of the notorious gang in his bestselling Peaky Blinders: The Real Story and now in this follow-up book, he explores the legacy they created in Birmingham and beyond. What happened to them and their gangland rivals?In Peaky Blinders: The Legacy we revisit the world of Billy Kimber's Peaky Blinders, exploring their legacy throughout the 1920s and 30s, and how their burgeoning empires spread across the UK. Delve into the street wars across the country, the impact of the declaration of War on Gangs by the Home Secretary after The Racecourse War in 1921, and how the blackmailing of bookmakers gave way to new and daring opportunities for the likes of Sabini, Alfie Solomon and some new faces in the murky gangland underworld.Drawing on Carl's inimitable research, interviews and original sources, find out just what happened to this incredible cast of characters, revealing the true legacy of the Peaky Blinders.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating account of the author's career in some of the most sensitive covert areas of crime investigation and intelligence.

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Book Synopsis136,000 people in the UK are in some form of slavery. This is big business, generating more than £120 billion annually for criminal organisations across the world. Stolen Lives examines trafficking and slavery in Britain, hearing from those on the front line. Powerful and moving testimony from survivors reveals the individual stories behind the headlines and charts one young woman’s terrifying and ultimately inspiring journey to freedom and independence. Finally, it shows us what we can do to make a difference.Trade Review‘If you’ve ever doubted slavery exists in the 21st century, this is the book for you. Louise Hulland has a reporter’s grip on the facts and the heart to understand the brutal realities. A story about one person, and a story about millions. A must-read — how slavery came back. Modern slavery won’t end without books like this and investigators like Louise.’ -- Jeremy Vine‘A powerful, shocking and moving investigation into this horrendous crime lurking all around us.’ -- Ayesha Hazarika‘Louise tells the stories of trafficking survivors with a sensitivity and tact that is too often missing from mainstream discourse on the issue.’ -- May BulmanImportant. -- Martin Chilton * The Independent *Notwithstanding the book’s careful, thoroughly-researched account of the high-level background, it is a gripping read. Highly recommended. * Scottish Legal News *

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Book SynopsisTO KNOW THE TRUE STORY BEHIND A WAR, ASK THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT IT 'An observation van is running surveillance on a high-level Bradford gangster. Suddenly the van is surrounded by men in balaclavas and tied shut. Out comes the can of petrol. It is set alight and the two cops inside barely escape with their lives. This incident is never reported. The gangsters clearly have informants inside the police and alerting the public would undermine the force. Everyone shrugs it off – with so much money in the drugs game, corruption is part and parcel of the whole deal' The Drug Wars have been fought on British streets for decades, bringing destruction, corruption and violence in their wake. Yet it is a story that remains fundamentally untold. Until now. In this groundbreaking book, former undercover police officer Neil Woods, who risked his life infiltrating some of the UK's most vicious gangs, pieces together the complex and terrifying reality of the drug war in Britain. Calling upon gripping first-hand accounts from those on both sides of the battle, Drug Wars is told by those who are fighting it.Trade ReviewAnyone who cares about Britain should read this extraordinary and riveting book. It will change how you see our country - and lots of things that seemed strange will start to make sense. -- Johann HariIf you want to understand how Britain succumbed to a self-defeating war on drugs benefiting only the most vicious gangsters, this book is the perfect primer with its highly-readable fusion of analysis, history and first person testimonies from the front line. -- Ian Birrell

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Book SynopsisThe classic, bestselling account of the infamous Kray twins, now a major film, starring Tom Hardy.Reggie and Ronnie Kray ruled London's gangland during the 60s with a ruthlessness and viciousness that shocks even now. Building an empire of organised crime that has never been matched, the brothers swindled, extorted and terrorised while enjoying a glittering celebrity status at the heart of the swinging 60s scene, until their downfall and imprisonment for life.Trade Review'The most famous biography of criminal life to have been published in Britain…a cult’ Time Out 'All credit to Mr. Pearson for a brave and disturbing book' Daily Express 'A scrupulous dossier of the Krays’ weird career' Daily Telegraph 'An exciting read' The Times 'Extremely well written and fittingly dead-pan' New Statesman

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Book SynopsisJoe Coughlin is nineteen when he meets Emma Gould. A smalltime thief in 1920s Boston, he is told to cuff her while his accomplices raid the casino she works for. But Joe falls in love with Emma - and his life changes for ever.That meeting is the beginning of Joe''s journey to becoming one of the nation''s most feared and respected gangsters. It is a journey beset by violence, double-crossing, drama and pain. And it is a journey into the soul of prohibition-era America...A powerful, deeply moving novel, Live By Night is a tour-de-force by Dennis Lehane, writer on The Wire and author of modern classics such as Shutter Island, Gone, Baby, Gone and The Given Day.Trade ReviewDennis Lehane's speciality is the fast-paced gangster thriller that's also a deeply felt novel. His latest, about a Boston criminal, doesn't disappoint on either count... I guarantee that all you'll be able to do is keep on turning the pages. The prose crackles with Chandleresque jokes, the narrative never flags and there's even a genuinely heart-stopping love story. In addition to all that, the book beautifully evokes the entire era of early Thirties Prohibition America * Readers' Digest *This is a book that should put [Lehane's] name right up there where it belongs, right up there alongside Doctorow and Dreiser * Scotland on Sunday *This is noir with added value: Lehane is terrific on family ties and at conveying the buzz of a city powered by immigrant labour of often dubious legality * Guardian *History is merely a backdrop in a story that seeks just to be exciting, sexy and atmospheric. The author's trademark combination of dark deeds, graceful pose and sassy dialogue ensures it succeeds * Sunday Times *Lehane's tough, muscular prose captures the era well; and his dialogue brings to life the inhabitants of its underworld * Spectator *This is not just brilliant period crime writing, but brilliant writing full stop * Independent *The crime writer's crime writer; with a spare, stark edge to his work that lifts it into the truly great class... The gangster world is superbly evoked and the story is as tight and powerful as the trigger on a Thompson sub-machine * Daily Mail *Sophisticated, literary and barbed enough... it makes this book a sentence-by-sentence pleasure. You are in the hands of an expert. And you'll know it * Scotsman *Exciting, sexy and atmospheric. Lehane's combination of dark deeds, graceful prose and sassy dialogue ensures it succeeds * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisJoe Coughlin is nineteen when he meets Emma Gould. A smalltime thief in 1920s Boston, he is told to cuff her while his accomplices raid the casino she works for. But Joe falls in love with Emma - and his life changes for ever.That meeting is the beginning of Joe''s journey to becoming one of the nation''s most feared and respected gangsters. It is a journey beset by violence, double-crossing, drama and pain. And it is a journey into the soul of prohibition-era America...A powerful, deeply moving novel, Live By Night is a tour-de-force by Dennis Lehane, writer on The Wire and author of modern classics such as Shutter Island, Gone, Baby, Gone and The Given Day.Trade ReviewSo beautifully written and so sharp in its details and atmosphere that it's no wonder Lehane's books attract filmmakers with such ease * Irish Voice *Lehane's thrillers mix viscerally violent excitement with a thorough airing of ethical dilemmas * Daily Telegraph *Lehane is one of the great contemporary American crime writers * Daily Mail *Dennis Lehane's speciality is the fast-paced gangster thriller that's also a deeply felt novel. His latest, about a Boston criminal, doesn't disappoint on either count... I guarantee that all you'll be able to do is keep on turning the pages. The prose crackles with Chandleresque jokes, the narrative never flags and there's even a genuinely heart-stopping love story. In addition to all that, the book beautifully evokes the entire era of early Thirties Prohibition America * Readers' Digest *This is a book that should put [Lehane's] name right up there where it belongs, right up there alongside Doctorow and Dreiser * Scotland on Sunday *This is noir with added value: Lehane is terrific on family ties and at conveying the buzz of a city powered by immigrant labour of often dubious legality * Guardian *History is merely a backdrop in a story that seeks just to be exciting, sexy and atmospheric. The author's trademark combination of dark deeds, graceful pose and sassy dialogue ensures it succeeds * Sunday Times *Lehane's tough, muscular prose captures the era well; and his dialogue brings to life the inhabitants of its underworld * Spectator *This is not just brilliant period crime writing, but brilliant writing full stop * Independent *The crime writer's crime writer; with a spare, stark edge to his work that lifts it into the truly great clas . . . The gangster world is superbly evoked and the story is as tight and powerful as the trigger on a Thompson sub-machine * Daily Mail *Sophisticated, literary and barbed enough... it makes this book a sentence-by-sentence pleasure. You are in the hands of an expert. And you'll know it * Scotsman *Exciting, sexy and atmospheric. Lehane's combination of dark deeds, graceful prose and sassy dialogue ensures it succeeds * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisWickedly funny. Wildly twisty. The new book from the master of the heist novel. A super-thief who leaves no trace.-Andy Garcia An anti-hero for our times.-Sarah Dunn A can''t-miss master.-David Baldacci Super thief Riley Wolfe can do it all. He is a master of disguise, can scale a wall, and can vanish into thin air (thick air, too). He uses these unique talents to rob the richest. But this time, it''s the most powerful who have him in their grips. ONE MADMAN. TWO HOSTAGES. It''s not just that the high-up, rogue government agent has abducted the only two people Riley loves: it''s the fact that Riley has to do the man''s dirty work to set them free. It''s something Riley ordinarily would find a modest day''s work, infiltrating a madman''s Soviet missile silo in one of the world''s most remote places, all to find a secret on a tiny flash drive-but he''s never had to race the clock like this. STrade ReviewOne of the best books in the series -- David Pitt * Booklist *As usual with a Lindsay Thriller, the darkly humorous tale is tightly written * The Associated Press *Readers will be transfixed by Riley's every move as he engages in astonishing transformations and clever ruses in pursuit of his seemingly impossible goals in this audacious and action-packed thriller. * Book Page *

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Book SynopsisFast paced and full of grit, this is the first crime novel from the UK''s most charismatic sporting genius.WHEN THE GAME IS MURDER, YOU CAN''T AFFORD TO LOSE.An innocent man. Frankie James is a young man with a lot on his shoulders. His mother disappeared when he was sixteen; his father''s in jail for armed robbery; and he owes rent on the Soho snooker club he inherited to one of London''s toughest gangsters. A brutal murder.And things are about to get a whole lot worse when Frankie''s brother Jack is accused of killing a bride-to-be. He needs to find out who framed Jack and why; but that means entering the sordid world of bent coppers, ruthless mobsters and twisted killers. But in the dog-eat-dog underworld of 1990s Soho, is he tough enough, and smart enough to come out on top?If you like Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers, you''ll LOVE this.Trade ReviewThe running is literal as well as metaphorical...it's a heartbreaking story - METRO on RUNNINGRUNNING is a chaotic race through O'Sullivan's life, but this does little to dethrone him as the people's champion - it simply adds further to his legend. - PRESS ASSOCIATION on RUNNINGWhen he starts talking about snooker and his rivals, he is fascinating. Yet it wasn't snooker that ended up saving him from the booze and drugs - it was distance running. - DAILY TELEGRAPH on RUNNINGAt snooker, O'Sullivan is easily the best in the world. At running, he is club class...His frank memoir, which reads like a transcript from the psychiatrist's coach, explains that running - and the running community - gave him a sense of acceptance and achievement. - THE SUNDAY TIMES on RUNNINGLike a lot of shy people, he can look arrogant and aloof when he is performing, while underneath there's turmoil. - DAILY MAIL on RUNNING

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Book SynopsisFans of Peter James and his bestselling Roy Grace series of crime novels know that his books draw on in-depth research into the lives of Brighton and Hove police and are set in a world every bit as gritty as the real thing. His friend Graham Bartlett was a long-serving detective in the city once described as Britain's 'crime capital'. Together, in Death Comes Knocking, they have written a gripping account of the city's most challenging cases, taking the reader from crime scenes and incident rooms to the morgue, and introducing some of the real-life detectives who inspired Peter James's characters. Whether it's the murder of a dodgy nightclub owner and his family in Sussex's worst non-terrorist mass murder or the race to find the abductor of a young girl, tracking down the antique trade's most notorious 'knocker boys' or nailing an audacious ring of forgers, hunting for a cold-blooded killer who executed a surfer or catching a pair who kidnapped a businessman, leaving him severely beaten, to die on a hillside, the authors skilfully evoke the dangerous inside story of policing, the personal toll it takes and the dedication of those who risk their lives to keep the public safe.

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Book SynopsisAn astonishing read -- full of corruption, greed, strong drink and stronger language -- that reveals the rotten heart of the global economy - Oliver Bullough, author of MoneylandCrackles along ... they deserve credit for exposing the dark underbelly of the jewellery industry and giving us another glimpse into the real cost of the global obsession with gold - Spectator__________All that glitters is not gold.Gold is the new cocaine - and it's just as lucrative, dangerous, and destructive.__________Dirty Gold is a searing expose on the booming gold mining industry and destruction on the land and people of Latin America. It looks closely at a small US firm in Miami that helped transform the city into the nation's No.1 importer of gold into the United States.The book follows the meteoric rise and fall of a group of drug traders known as 'the three amigos' who laundered narco money through gold illegally brought into the US and raked in millions before they were caught. Whilst they were making their millions, the humanitarian situation in Colombia, Peru, and many other countries deteriorated dramatically.

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Book Synopsis*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER ***'A brilliant historical crime read' Bella'This thrilling and twisty crime novel is perfect for fans of Martina Cole' My Weekly'A rollercoaster of crime, revenge and murder' The SunBEHIND EVERY STRONG WOMAN IS AN EPIC STORY...In the early years of the last century, a desperate young girl changes her name and flees the confines of her brutal, dominating gangland family in London. Now calling herself 'Diamond Dupree', she goes to Paris to become an artist's model but the world there is different to what she had supposed it would be and she soon falls on hard times. When she manages to escape at the end of the First World War, she leaves behind her a mystery - and a dead man.Back home in London, she reluctantly re-joins the Soho family 'firm' she'd once been glad to leave behind. Having grown tougher during her time in Paris, she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with, a feared and respected gangland queen. But then she meets Richard Beaumont, the youngest son of a wealthy aristocratic family, and sparks fly. But can she escape the long arm of the law and the hangman's noose, when the crimes of her past finally catch up with her?For fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers, as well as viewers of Peaky Blinders, this is historical crime fiction at its most compelling.'No one delves into the underworld like Keane!' Woman's Weekly'A gritty and enlightening read' Yours'Authentically gritty' Crime MonthlyTrade ReviewA brilliant historical crime read * Bella *An epic drama starring an unforgettable heroine. Keane...has a wicked eye for the ruthless, fiercely factional criminal underworld and her books never fail to pack a powerful punch... Every story that Keane writes transports her readers into the heart of a terrifying but addictive underworld, and into the lives of people of every shade... And this cracking page-turner is certainly packed with Keane's trademark cast of larger-than-life characters - each superbly fleshed out and each inhabiting a world so palpably real that we can feel the menace... Brimming with drama, suspense, cruelty and the kind of gobsmacking violence that has made Keane one of the most powerful writers in contemporary crime fiction, this is full-on, eye-watering (of every kind!) entertainment from start to finish * Lancashire Evening Post *This thrilling and twisty crime novel is perfect for fans of Martina Cole * My Weekly *Mills & Boon meets Peaky Blinders in a mix of heaving bosoms and cut-throat razors * The Sun *A gritty and enlightening read * Yours *No one delves into the underworld like Keane! * Woman's Weekly *Authentically gritty * Crime Monthly *

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Book SynopsisTHE CARTER WOMEN DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES: THEY MAKE THEM.The brilliant new gangland thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of DIAMOND.Gangster Max Carter and his ex-wife Annie Carter are leading separate lives in separate countries: past hurts and broken promises cannot be resolved. But then a summons to Majorca and a tragic death makes Max question all that has happened to him over many years.He had two brothers - both are now dead. His closest friend has been found hanging from a London bridge. As the police wrestle with a seemingly unsolvable case, Max is forced to revisit his painful past to find answers to a mystery that seems to make no sense at all. Who is targeting his family and why?Annie Carter is at a crossroads in life. She has a luxurious lifestyle but no one to share it with, and Max clearly thinks she is in danger too. Her daughter, Layla, has left her mafia lover Alberto Barolli and is back in London, stumbling into the police investigation and making waves. You should never go back, so the old saying goes. But then, the Carter women don't follow the rules, they make them.And when the truth of what's been happening is finally revealed, will the Carter family stand together - or will it finish them for good?'We love a gangland thriller - and no one writes them better than Jessie Keane' CLOSER'If you enjoy gangster flicks such as Legend you'll love Never Go Back' YOURS* PRE-ORDER JESSIE'S NEXT NOVEL, DEAD HEAT, NOW! *

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Book SynopsisThe much anticipated follow-up to the bestseller that exposed the escalation of organised crime in New Zealand. Gangster's Paradise is about drugs, guns, gangs and money. Lots of money.A gang which took over a small rural town. A police officer shot and killed in a routine traffic stop. A port-worker who helped a gang whisk a shipping container off a wharf in the middle of the night. A crew of corrupt baggage handlers smuggling meth into the country during Covid lockdowns. A shooting inside a 5-star hotel in broad daylight. Turf wars, retaliation, and retribution: new gangs like the Mongols and Comancheros have brought with them better connections with international syndicates, challenging the established gangs like the Head Hunters - so dominant for many years - who have had to up their game in response. Jared Savage's bestselling book Gangland was about the evolution of gangs in New Zealand. Gangster's Paradise is about the deadly escalation.

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Book SynopsisAmong the ethnic gangs that rule America's inner cities, none has had the impact of the Jamaican posses. Spawned in the ghettos of Kingston as mercenary street-fighters for the island's politicians, the posses began migrating to the United States in the early 1980's, just in time to catch and ride the crack wave as it engulfed the country.Laurie Gunst's provocative exposé of the Jamaican politicians' role in creating this problem is also a moving and compelling tale of suffering and exploitation. Leone Ross' substantial afterword examines further the issues raised by the book from a British and Jamaican perspectiveTrade ReviewA truly remarkable achievement * * Washington Post * *one of the true classics of the genre...The versatility of her writing, whether from a personal, analytical, historical, creative or academic point of view, is simply outstanding, as is the depth of her research...a recommended read. * * The Voice * *This book is a fine piece of investigative journalism, jettisoning any pretence at objectivity, distilling dispassion and compassion in equal measure. * * The Herald * *Laurie Gunst's reportage brilliantly traces the tangled nexus of Hollywood gangster movies, corrupt party politics, archaic class structures and transglobal cocaine routes that feed into Jamiaca's nomadic criminal posses. A dense and complex analysis of predatory hypercapitalism. * * ID Magazine * *fuelled by a deep empathy * * Independent on Sunday * *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Elliott Hazelgrove is the national bestselling author of ten novels and fourteen narrative nonfiction titles. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, Book of the Month Selections, Distinguished Book Award, ALA Editor's Choice Awards Junior Library Guild Selections, Literary Guild Selections, History Book Club Selections, and optioned for the movies. He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence where he wrote in the attic of Ernest Hemingway's birthplace. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today, The Smithsonian Magazine, Daily Mail UK, and other publications and has been featured on NPR's All Things Considered. The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, CSPAN, Variety, and USA Today have all covered his books with features. His books Tobacco Sticks, The Pitcher, Real Santa, and Madam President have been optioned for screen and television rights. Most recently, Dead Air: The Night Orson Welles Terrified America (Rowman & Littlefield) received a Booklist starred review and reviews in Publisher's Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, New York Review of Books, Associated Press, and more. He resides in Illinois.

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Book Synopsis''Well into MARTINA COLE territory'' Independent''A cracking good read'' JESSIE KEANEON THE STREETS OF LONDON, DANGER LURKS EVERYWHERE . . . Liv Anderson can take care of herself and she knows how to make money in a man''s world. The daughter of a convicted murderer, she''s made her way in one of the roughest parts of London by entrapping men and extorting them for money. But Liv is playing a dangerous game and soon finds herself in trouble with the city''s most notorious gangster . . . To repay her debt, Liv is forced to pose as a secretary for a local property developer and report back on his movements. She has no idea what she''s looking for, but she''ll do anything to stay alive. And after the murder of a local prostitute and the disappearance of a friend, Liv is starting to think survival may be harder than she realised. But Liv isn''t only concerned wTrade ReviewHer hard-edged writing has made Kray a gangster-saga rival to Martina Cole. Fans will love Liv Anderson * Peterborough Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis_____________________________At Ronnie Kray''s funeral, London crime expert John Pearson saw a man he didn''t recognise - but who all the notorious criminals present deferred to.This is the remarkable true story of that man: ''the Englishman''.Investigations revealed that the Englishman was never mentioned in any of the previous books on organised crime, not because he wasn''t involved, but because everyone was too scared to speak his name. Moreover, he was as legendary a figure on the streets of New York as on the streets of London.Pearson persuaded the mysterious criminal leader to talk to him - and the result was a story even more extraordinary than that of the Kray twins. Here Pearson reveals the true story of the Englishman who became the adopted son of Joey Pagano, the head of one of the major New York crime families. Here the Englishman tells the story that no-one else dared to tell._____________________________<Trade ReviewStraight out of The Godfather ... this insight into the hidden world of the mafia is well worth reading * The Oldie *Brilliantly thrilling * Heat *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA fascinating read -- Seán O'Rourke * Today with Seán O'Rourke, RTÉ *Explosive * Irish Sunday Mirror *

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Book SynopsisTough, resourceful and ruthless, ex-SAS trooper Nick Stone is now working for British Intelligence on deniable operations. And is desperately in need of cash.When he is offered a lucrative freelance job, Stone thinks his problems are over. All he needs to do is kidnap a Russian mafia warlord.And so Stone is thrust into the grim underworld of Estonia, with unknown aggressors stalking the Arctic landscape. Russia has launched a cyber-espionage attack, hacking into the West''s most sensitive military secrets. Stone must stop them. But the mafia are waiting in the wings with their own chillingly brutal solution...Trade ReviewMcNab is a terrific novelist. When it comes to thrills, he's Forsyth class * Mail on Sunday *McNab's great asset is that the heart of his fiction is non-fiction: other thriller writers do their research, but he has actually been there * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisEvan Ratliff is an award-winning journalist and the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of The Atavist Magazine. As a longtime contributor to Wired, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Outside, and other magazines, he has reported from around the globe on transnational crime, science and technology, the environment, terrorism, and corruption. He is a two-time finalist for the National Magazine Awards, and his writing has been selected for numerous Best American collections. His 2009 Wired story Vanish, about his attempt to disappear and the public's effort to find him, was selected by the magazine as one of the twenty best stories in its history. He also cohosts the acclaimed Longform podcast and was a founding editor of Pop-Up Magazine, a live journalism event that tours the United States. He is the co-author of Safe: The Race to Protect Ourselves in a Newly Dangerous World, about innovation and counterterrorism, and the editoTrade ReviewWith his relentless and fearless reporting, Evan Ratliff has pried open a hidden world filled with high-tech gangsters and drug kingpins and double-crossers and stone-cold hitmen. The story is as fascinating as it is terrifying, and one that will hold you in its grip. * David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z *One of the most prodigious criminal masterminds or modern times. Compelling... meticulously researched and written with a feverish intensity. A masterwork of investigative journalism. * Daily Mail *A true crime classic. * Publishers Weekly *This is a riveting, mesmerizing, absolutely bonkers story about a man as brilliant as he is villainous. You'll find yourself sucked in, freaked out, and, ultimately, blown away by Ratliff's storytelling and tireless reporting. The Mastermind is a masterpiece. * Nicholas Thompson, editor in chief, Wired *The best book I read this year. It is the insane story of an internet drug lord and the years it took to bring him down. I read this with my heart in my throat—not just because of the violence and mystery, but because it made me jealous as a journalist (how’d he find that out?) and, though it is a true story, as a novelist. -- Taffy Brodesser-Akner, author of Fleishman Is in Trouble * GQ - Best Books of 2019 *

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Book SynopsisThe enthralling story of Henry Hill's life as a gangster and notorious participation in the Witness Protection Programme, made into the hugely acclaimed Martin Scorsese filmTrade Review‘Absolutely engrossing' * New York Times *‘The best book ever written on organised crime' * Cosmopolitan *‘A riveting account of organised crime as a way of life ... extraordinary' * Publishers Weekly *‘This book chronicles Hill's criminal successes ... smuggling, hijacking, union racketeering, credit card fraud, robbery, bribery, drug dealing, prison, marriage, and assorted girlfriends ... faithfully portrayed' * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisHow did the Mob evolve from a disorganised gang of uncouth killers into the deadly ''international corporation'' it is today?Tracing its beginnings as an underground society which sprang up in Sicily, to the Mob which went on to run organised crime throughout Italy and America, William Balsamo great-nephew of the original godfather and George Carpozi Jr draw on two decades of research to tell the true story of the most mythical and misunderstood criminal organisation in history.

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Book SynopsisJoin the deadly journey of cocaine, from farmer to kingpin.Meet Maria. Maria doesn’t see herself as a criminal. She’s just a farmhand picking the crops that never lose money: coca.This is Cachote. He prays to the Virgin of the Assassins that his bullets find their target. If he misses, he’ll have to answer to the cartel who pay him to take out their enemies.Pedro works the coca labs. But this laboratory is hidden deep in the jungle, and he turns coca leaves in to coca paste, a step just short of cocaine.And finally, here is Alex. Alex is a drug-lord and decides where the drug goes next: into Europe or the US. And he wields the power of life and death over everyone around him.In Kilo, Toby Muse takes us deeper into the drug trade than ever before, following a kilo of cocaine as it travels from its origins to the street. On the ground in the drug war for over a decade, earning the trust of those involved on all sides, Toby Muse takes us with him through the endless blood-soaked horror and economic logic at every level of the journey of the world’s most alluring and dangerous drug. We come to meet and ultimately understand the tainted personal psychology and motivations of each player in this dark El Dorado. But there are no winners here. Anyone who tries to hold the power of the ‘white goddess’ cocaine is ultimately undone, violently stripped of their humanity, their souls and their lives in this endless, pointless dance of death.Trade ReviewKilo is one of the best books I've read on the cocaine trade... Forget all the TV stuff, this is the real deal * Max Daly, Vice *Poetic but also brilliant journalism. I loved it. One of the best books on drugs ever written * Mark Townsend, Observer *Absolutely hair-raising * Sam Leith *Compelling and unforgettable. With Kilo, cocaine now has its own Dispatches. - The New Yorker * The New Yorker *In Kilo, Toby Muse teleports the reader into the mad, bloody, tragic world of Colombian cocaine trafficking. You can feel the beats at the discos packed with drug lords and beauty queens; smell the sweat of laborers toiling in the coca fields for a pittance; hear the dog of the gun slinger barking in the barrio. In doing so, he pens a love letter to one of the most beautiful and bloodiest countries on earth * Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco and Blood Gun Money *

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