Gripping, rigorous and smart, London Falling takes a terrible mystery with an extraordinary cast of characters and somehow manages to make it perfectly encapsulate the weirdness of how London has mutated these past decades . . . breathtaking -- Jon Ronson I've barely left the house since starting Patrick Radden Keefes superbly gripping London Falling . . . it will become a defining book of our time -- Johanna Thomas-Corr, chief literary critic, The Times and Sunday Times A compulsive tale of money, lies and avoidable tragedy . . . a scrupulously researched work of narrative nonfiction . . . London Falling, grimly absorbing from start to finish, opens a window on to a world of financial dirty work and Walter Mitty-like fantasies of aspirational wealth -- Ian Thomson * The Guardian * Keefe's mastery of timing makes this investigation a page-turner . . . we are fortunate to have him pounding the pavement to expose real-life darkness . . . in London Falling, the Brettlers' private story points to a larger one of a city changed by money . . . like all of Keefes work, the book makes for propulsive reading -- Mia Levitin * The Irish Times * A masterclass of evidence-chasing, narrative clarity and authorial empathy . . . unputdownable -- Martin Vander Weyer * Literary Review * Mesmerizing. More addictive than any box set, this book will break your heart, instil you with cold rage, and make you see London in a completely new light -- Sathnam Sanghera Patrick Radden Keefe has done it again - a phenomenal book that will stay in your soul long after the last page. London Falling is a tale of money and fantasy, fear and deception - that leads a deeply loved teenager to his death. Haunting, harrowing, and rich with empathy - it captures how easily a life can go wrong in the shadows of a city bankrolled by billionaires. A grieving parents questions go unanswered; a vital clue is met with an official shrug. And the crimes of the capital are swallowed up beneath a gleaming corporate veneer. This is a chilling story - told with humanity, curiosity and quiet outrage. Its one that simply will not let you go. Put the phone to airplane mode, turn on the out-of-office: I guarantee you wont want to be disturbed -- Emily Maitlis [ Keefe] has a real gift for storytelling, an ability to unfurl the narrative in a way that is completely engrossing -- Louis Theroux Monumentally good. Patrick Radden Keefe is the finest non-fiction writer we have: a born storyteller with a fluent mastery of structure who marshals exceptional reporting with unsentimental compassion. London Falling tells the story of a family tragedy and of a city in flux, while also tracing a lineage of generational trauma and the human capacity for reinvention. I will never look at my city in quite the same way again -- Elizabeth Day Troubling, humane and gripping, a journey across Londons dark heart and the murky death of a young man part thriller, part psychological journey, part modern morality tale, Keefe is a literary non-fiction great and hes done it again -- Philippe Sands A gripping, heartbreaking and unsettling book about my city - a city, it turns out, I dont know at all. Patrick Radden Keefes X-ray vision exposes the hidden networks, the dirty money, and our depressing surrender to malevolent billionaires. London Falling is important and brilliant -- Nick Hornby Nobody writes like Patrick Radden Keefe; nobody makes achieving something so powerfully complex and difficult look so easy. Its a form of intellectual generosity and, I think, a form of genius. London Falling is a book everyone should read; it grips like a steel trap. To finish it is to be furious at the corruption, criminality and brutality hidden behind the facades of Londons wealth - but the warmth of the authorial voice, and the grace of the Brettler family, keep you from despairing -- Katherine Rundell Fabulous. Humane, rigorous, utterly fascinating and a page-turner -- Mark Haddon Absolutely incredible. He simply can't write a bad book -- Josh Widdicombe Another tour de force, as gripping and compulsive as Say Nothing and Empire of Pain . . . Keefe beautifully interweaves the broader tale of Londons historical descent into stench and corruption with a painfully humane family story. As with all his books, theres a quiet but deeply moral purpose behind the bravura storytelling. I found the book impossible to put down and many, many times I found myself burning with rage -- Dr Rachel Clarke Eye-opening about a city you may think you know, enraging, and profoundly moving. Patrick Radden Keefe has done it again, showing he is one of the finest investigative journalists and non-fiction writers of his generation -- Kavita Puri Keefes approach is profoundly humane, particularly in his intimate interviews with Zacs parents, Matthew and Rachelle, who convey a deep desire to understand their late son. Despite the murky material, Keefe arrives at an artful and clarifying explanation. Its a remarkable new turn for the celebrated author * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * Gripping . . . Keefe is a master at using true crime as a vehicle for exploring social and political pathologies * NPR *
