Chasing Shadows

Critics Review

• Gripping… Part geopolitical essay, part toothsome slice of true crime … [a book with] humour, tension and pathos – Four stars

  Jake Kerridge, The Daily Telegraph

• Johnson has recreated the most private of criminal moments, including dialogue and even thoughts. He has opened a window on the narco-terror nexus that most observers knew very little about … Johnson’s writing gallops along.

  The Guardian

• Reads like a first-rate thriller. [A] vivid exposé of the murky world of transnational crime … the overall narrative is so compelling and well-presented.

  Andrew Lycett, Spectator

• A page-turner that criss-crosses borders and time zones, told in brisk, episodic, non-linear chapters

  Sunday Irish Independent

• As breathless, complex and on-the-edge suspenseful as the finest thriller fiction – but it’s all real, which makes it truly extraordinary

  Lee Child

• A truly impressive book that takes the reader deep into the dark underbelly of global money laundering where Hezbollah, Russian arms traders, the Italian mafia and Colombian drug lords meet. This McMafia for a new age is vital for understanding the black cash networks that have funded wars and terrorism across the Middle East.

  Catherine Belton, author of Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and then took on the West

• This book is like being inserted deep into the secret heart of the global criminal economy, where mafiosi, terrorists and traffickers are all on the same side. It’s compelling, visceral and highly readable

  Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Moneyland

• A terrific and utterly absorbing account of the murky and lethal connections between transnational organised crime and global politics. Enthrallingly and lucidly written with great authority and expertise, it is a classic of its kind

  William Boyd

• Chasing Shadows is a true crime work of international intrigue as gripping and suspenseful as any novel you’ll read this year

  Harlan Coben

• Holy Mackerel, what a story! Miles Johnson exposes the interlocking worlds of terror and drugs with verve and drama in this tale of truck bombs, arms deals, political assassinations, undercover cops and several tonnes of cocaine. Chasing Shadows is an astounding true crime epic that puts us in the room as a Calabrian mob boss whispers to his mistress, a Lebanese militant plots to set the world on fire, and a US agent races to expose it all

  Dan McCrum, author of Money Men

• This astonishing and cinematic rollercoaster of a debut will bring Miles Johnson’s talent into the brilliant light. Delivered with trademark verve and precision, it achieves that rare and precious thing that is the goal of all great reporting: it reveals the world to itself

  Alex Perry, author of The Good Mothers

• This is an extraordinary story of improbable but lethal connections across continents. Miles Johnson writes with verve and insight about ruthless men and the terrible consequences of their crimes

  Fergal Keane

• Chasing Shadows offers a captivating glimpse into the complex world of international intrigue. This skilfully written thriller intertwines the compelling stories of three distinct men whose fates are undeniably linked. With its engaging prose, well-structured plot, and memorable characters, Chasing Shadows provides a thought-provoking look into the darker aspects of humanity and the high-stakes realm of drugs, terrorism, and power. Readers will find themselves fully immersed in this fascinating tale from start to finish.

  Eliot Higgins, author of We Are Bellingcat

• Read this powerful book by Miles Johnson right now. It will make you realise that what we call terrorism is actually drug trafficking, what we call politics is organised crime and what we call peace is just a truce between mafias.

  Roberto Saviano, author of Gomorrah

• Chasing Shadows is a fascinating journey into the intersecting worlds of politics, terrorism and organised crime. Miles Johnson adopts a narrative technique reminiscent of the late John le Carré, while telling a true story. The result is an impeccably researched book, which is also a pleasure to read

  Federico Varese, Professor of Sociology, Sciences Po