Review of Patrick Radden Keefe’s London Falling
This article reviews Patrick Radden Keefe’s book 'London Falling,' which explores the dark underbelly of London as a hub for global kleptocrats and criminals. The reviewer praises Keefe's narrative nonfiction style for its depth and journalistic rigor.
Why it matters
It sheds light on the intersection of investigative journalism and the geopolitical role of major financial capitals in facilitating illicit wealth.
In November 2019, in London, among the most surveilled cities in the world, a security camera captured a young man in a luxury high-rise on the banks of the Thames. It watched as he stepped out into the balcony in the middle of the night, walked from end to end before returning to the centre, and then pitched himself over, into nothingness, into the river. It was a matter of minutes, possibly seconds. But what led to those seconds? And what followed after?
In the hands of seven different novelists, the story could move in seven different directions. None of them would be wrong, but none would be correct either. The willing suspension of disbelief — that unstated, ever-present compact between the reader and the novelist — would possibly ensure satisfaction, even closure: the kind achieved after a particularly good crime thriller.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in