Chasing Shadows

'Compelling, visceral and highly readable' Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Moneyland

A compulsive true crime thriller about modern-day international drugs trafficking, terrorism and geopolitical intrigue following an investigation driven by one DEA agent, Jack Kelly.

Three very different men battle to control their destinies as they hurtle through the hall of mirrors of the global shadow economy.

Jack Kelly, a veteran US Drug Enforcement Administration agent, tasked with following a trail of dirty money across continents from a top-secret investigative unit based in Virginia.

Salvatore Pititto is an ambitious Mafia capo working on a vast cocaine shipment who becomes unexpectedly pulled into an arms-smuggling conspiracy.

Mustafa Badreddine is a ghost-like master terrorist wanted by governments across the world who has been secretly dispatched to Syria for his final mission.

Each man, born in radically different circumstances in the 1960s, is in his own way grappling with the powerful and unstoppable forces that shape the world around us; forces which topple governments, send refugees fleeing across borders, and put guns in the hands of mercenaries and militias. Each has devoted his whole life to an institution - the DEA, the Mafia and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah - and each will eventually be destroyed or betrayed by the thing they believe in the most.

Set during 2015 and 2016, as the global order began to implode under the pressures of the Syrian civil war and the European refugee crisis, CHASING SHADOWS looks back over the historical conflicts, events and personal histories that have shaped the lives of these three men. It's a book that shows the betrayals, the disillusionment and the violence as Jack Kelly hunts down his targets.

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
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
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
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

Miles Johnson is an award-winning foreign correspondent for the Financial Times who specialises in covering organised crime and financial corruption across the world. In over a decade at the FT, he has held senior roles in London, and worked as a correspondent in New York, Madrid and Rome. In 2021 he was nominated for British Foreign Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards for his work covering the Italian Mafia.

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