Patrick Radden Keefe on page-turning journalism, his own celebrity, and the humanity behind his work

Empire of Pain is a comprehensive and damning narrative about the Sackler family, who built their pharmaceutical empire through aggressive marketing and questionable ethics. The book traces the family's history from their early success with tranquilizers like Librium and Valium to the devastating impact of OxyContin, which contributed significantly to the opioid crisis. Keefe's work is based on extensive research and exposes the family's ruthless business tactics, their influence on medical and governmental bodies, and their attempts to evade accountability for the harm caused by their products.

The book delves into the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath, focusing on the lives of key figures such as Dolours Price, Brendan Hughes, Gerry Adams, and Jean McConville's children. It explores the civil rights movement, the Provisional IRA's bombing campaign, the 1981 hunger strike, the peace process, and the post-conflict struggle to understand crimes like McConville's murder. The narrative also incorporates the Belfast Project, a secret oral history endeavor that collected stories from former IRA members. The book is a panoramic history that captures the complexities and tragic consequences of the Troubles.

The Snakehead is a detailed account of the human smuggling operations run by Cheng Chui Ping, a charismatic middle-aged grandmother known as Sister Ping. The book delves into the inner workings of her complex empire, the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually led to her capture, and the intricate underground economy that sustained and exploited illegal immigrants. It also explores the broader context of immigration policy in America, highlighting the struggles and risks faced by those seeking to realize the American dream. Keefe's narrative is based on hundreds of interviews with law enforcement officials, immigrants, and other key figures, providing a vivid and suspenseful portrayal of this true crime story.

London Falling chronicles the true story of 19-year-old Zac Brettler, who fell to his death from a luxury apartment building on the Thames in November 2019. His grieving parents discovered that Zac had been leading a secret life, posing as the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch and becoming entangled with dangerous criminals. Patrick Radden Keefe masterfully reports on the family's desperate quest to understand their son's death while exposing the seedy truths behind London's glamorous facade of wealth, corruption, and money laundering by post-Soviet oligarchs.