This 320 page book is subtitled “A true story of money laundering, murder, and surviving Vladimir Putin’s wrath”. It was published in April 2022. Book review completed by Richard Zell Donovan, November 2024.

Given to me by my nephew Daniel (Booie) Donovan, this is a surprisingly easy to read book, with 41 well-written chapters that read like a suspense novel. It chronicles the history behind the creation of the Magnitsky Act, named in honor of Serge Magnitsky, who was killed in a Russian prison for raising corruption and money laundering issues involving the Putin regime. The Magnitsky act passed in the USA in 2012, and the adoption of acts similar to the USA law have now been approved in the UK, the EU and elsewhere.

The target of this expose is money laundering fostered by the Putin regime, in consort with his allies and henchmen, and the many people affected by money laundering dynamics. The 299 page book ends with an Epilogue wrapping up this horrifying picture of how Putin threatens and then has killed numerous people who are exposing corruption, and the associated greed and murder inside and outside Russia. It also provides cautionary notes on in terms of the past dynamics (and potential future implications?) of newly-re-elected Donald Trump, due to his relationship with Putin over the years. Note: continuing concerns about new actions by Putin and his collaborators remain. For example, names have been changed in the book in some cases to protect people who either have pursued, or are pursuing these issues now – the implication being that Putin will continue to target and seek to eliminate threats to him, his cronies, and their business interests, wherever they reside (inside or outside Russia). Even now. Frightening…