BookBrowse Reviews London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

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Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe delves into the death of a London teenager in this true crime thriller.

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In the early hours of November 28, 2019, a security camera on London's MI6 building recorded movement on the fifth floor of the luxury apartments directly across the Thames. On the footage, a lithe figure was seen exiting a lit room to the narrow balcony over the river. He seemed to look over one side of the railing and then the other before jumping from the center of it to his death. The police eventually identified him as 19-year-old Zac Brettler, and determined his death was a suicide—but was it really? In London Falling, investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe explores this question, digging into the teen's life and exposing the web of lies that ultimately led to his demise.

Zac's parents, Rachelle and Matthew Brettler, had begun their own inquiries into the circumstances surrounding their son's death before Keefe offered to help. They discovered almost immediately that Zac was living a double life, passing himself off as Zac Ismailov, the supposed son of an ultra-wealthy Russian oligarch. They had started to suspect that he'd gotten involved with something illegal—at one point he showed his father a genuine-looking bank account with a balance of £850,000—but they had no idea just how entangled his deceptions had become. Through a friend, Keefe heard of their story, and using resources unavailable to the couple, he dug into Zac's life until he discovered the truth: the boy was trying to fool some very dangerous men.

In Keefe's hands, the account is first and foremost a thriller as he unpacks Zac's increasingly dangerous pretense (think something akin to the Anna Delvey story, only with murderous gangsters). The pages fly by as we learn how Zac managed to insinuate himself into a world of ostentatious wealth and money laundering, and as we watch him fall deeper and deeper into trouble. The author's skills as an investigative journalist really shine here as he unpeels the layers of the young man's life, finding the key puzzle pieces that ultimately explain Zac's untimely death.

There's a lot more to the account, though, than Zac's story. The author builds a portrait of a London that became home to a large population of wealthy Russians after the fall of the Soviet Union—so much so that the city was referred to as "Londongrad" for a time. He demonstrates how U.K. policies, such as an availability of a "golden visa" and lax monetary regulation, made it an attractive place for investment, both legal and illicit. Although it's fascinating information in its own right, understanding this background is also critical to comprehending how Zac's deception was able to thrive.

Additionally, Keefe paints detailed pictures of the two men most involved in Zac's death: Akbar Shamji, a con man who one person interviewed said "deserves the Oscar for grifting"; and Verinder "Indian Dave" Sharma, a gangland enforcer known to torture his victims with hot knives. The author gives a full account of the pair, who were the last to see Zac alive, going back decades to outline how each developed their questionable business practices while largely avoiding legal repercussions.

Finally, the narrative delves into the lives of Zac's parents. We learn about their family histories as well as the challenges they faced raising their son, particularly as he became a teenager. Perhaps the most heartrending part of the book is witnessing their bewilderment about their son's untimely death, followed by their means of coping with their grief arising from the tragedy. One can feel their frustration as they attempt to get answers from a less-than-helpful Scotland Yard, and as they realize those who supposedly befriended their son were lying about his last moments.

London Falling is masterful from start to finish—perhaps Keefe's best work to date. His narrative is gripping as he disentangles Zac Brettler's complex tale. It will keep readers transfixed late into the night, and even those who don't generally enjoy nonfiction will likely be riveted. This is highly recommended for all audiences.

This review first ran in the April 8, 2026 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.