Rogues

March 1, 2022

Keefe (Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty) collects 12 of his New Yorker pieces: thematically (albeit loosely) related examinations of people who live on (or outside of) the edge of the law. What follows is a combination of investigative journalism and personality profiles that often take the author on a globetrotting adventure--complicated stories that have room to breathe in the long-form format. Whether Keefe is exploring the wine fraud that plagues the world of the one percent or digging into a university shooter's past, he shows remarkable skill in explaining complicated schemes and a dogged determination to track down leads. He emphasizes the importance of fact-checking, and he documents his attempts to get as close as possible to his subjects. While El Chapo was not sitting down for interviews, the author does hop on the back of Anthony Bourdain's scooter for a tour of Hanoi. (Yes, the inclusion of the Bourdain profile does seem to stretch the book's premise.) The original essays are unaltered, but Keefe provides updates at the end of each one. VERDICT A strong collection of essays of most interest to true crime readers, but also on display is a model of journalistic credibility.--Terry Bosky

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2022
In these days of disposable tweets, fake news, and celebrity insta-pundits, there is still a place for long-form journalism, as this sharp collection of essays from award-winning writer Keefe shows. Keefe, a Kirkus Prize finalist for Say Nothing, is one of our most diligent investigators and skilled journalists. In this gathering of his New Yorker articles, the author covers subjects ranging from the counterfeit wine business to Swiss banking to the illegal arms trade. Each piece revolves around a particular person, often a nefarious character--e.g., El Chapo, Dutch gangster Wim Holleeder, and Amy Bishop, a university academic who, after being denied tenure, shot and killed several colleagues. Elsewhere, Keefe profiles a lawyer who specializes in defending serial killers and mass murderers, and Mark Burnett, who created junky but addictive TV shows like Survivor and The Apprentice. In some cases, the author interviewed his subjects; in others, he had to piece the story together from the opinions of other people and public records, a challenge Keefe seems to enjoy. He is aware that examining the background of a criminal can make them seem unduly sympathetic, even like victims themselves. He does his best to stay on the right side of the line, noting that El Chapo, while slightly comical in his liking for Viagra and gourmet food, was responsible for countless murders. Keefe effectively shows how we can seek to understand why people commit evil acts without absolving them. Some of these articles are more successful than others in finding the core of their subject. For example, Keefe clearly respects celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and he colorfully chronicles his explorations of Hanoi's hawker stalls. So the fact that Bourdain committed suicide in 2018, mentioned only in a coda, comes as a shock. Nevertheless, there is plenty to like in this book, and as always, Keefe writes with flair, color, and care. Thought-provoking examinations of human motivation, choices, follies, and morality.

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Starred review from April 4, 2022
The 12 essays in this superlative collection from New Yorker staff writer Keefe (Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty) reflect, as he says in his preface, his abiding preoccupations: “crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.” “The Jefferson Bottles” chronicles how the sale of bottles of wine that supposedly belonged to Thomas Jefferson, for hundreds of thousands of dollars, resulted in a lifelong crusade against wine fraud by billionaire Bill Koch. “Crime Family” charts the daily life in hiding of Astrid Holleeder, a Dutch woman who brought down her own crime family by testifying against her brother. “A Loaded Gun” explores why neurobiologist Amy Bishop shot and killed three colleagues at the University of Alabama decades after she was suspected of killing her own brother. “Winning” takes a look at the rise of Donald Trump from the point of view of Mark Burnett, creator of The Apprentice, and in “Journeyman,” chef Anthony Bourdain, more rebel than rogue, muses on dining with Barack Obama. Every one of these selections is a journalistic gem. Immensely enjoyable writing married with fascinating subjects makes this a must-read. Agent: Tina Bennett, WME.

Starred review from April 1, 2022
Prize-winning and best-selling Keefe follows his highly lauded Empire of Pain (2012) with a collection of New Yorker pieces of astounding variety, each more riveting and extraordinary than the last. A wine connoisseur turned counterfeiter creates vintages said to have provenance in Thomas Jefferson's collection. A stock trader cultivates a relationship with a respected doctor to gain leverage for an insider deal. An Israeli billionaire hopes to monetize a rich iron ore deposit in an African country rife with corruption. Keefe provides scrupulous detail and keen insight into notorious criminal minds in profiles of a powerful international arms dealers, a Dutch gangster who is betrayed by his sister, and the notorious drug trafficker El Chapo. The ego is prominently examined in a portrait of Mark Burnett, creator of hit reality television shows Survivor and The Apprentice, and his role in Donald Trump's ascent. The pi�ce de r�sistance is the closing profile on chef turned television star and provocateur Anthony Bourdain, whose humanity and vulnerability are shown with incredible sensitivity. Many of Keefe's subjects exemplify greed, power, and self-delusion, but he also illustrates with remarkable nuance the stigma of mental illness and the compulsion toward ethical principles, reminding us that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it does bend towards justice.

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