From Russia with Blood

The Kremlin's Ruthless Assassination Program and Vladimir Putin's Secret War on the West

By: Heidi Blake

Narrated by: Marisa Calin

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

The untold story of how Russia refined the art and science of targeted assassination abroad: “A compelling rendering of Putin’s frightening extensions of power into Europe and the United States” (Associated Press).

They thought they had found a safe haven in the green hills of England. They were wrong. One by one, the Russian oligarchs, dissidents, and gangsters who fled to Britain after Vladimir Putin came to power dropped dead in strange or suspicious circumstances. One by one, their British lawyers and fixers met similarly grisly ends. Yet, one by one, the British authorities shut down every investigation—and carried on courting the Kremlin.

The spies in the riverside headquarters of MI6 looked on with horror as the scope of the Kremlin's global killing campaign became all too clear. And, across the Atlantic, American intelligence officials watched with mounting alarm as the bodies piled up, concerned that the tide of death could spread to the United States. Those fears intensified when a one-time Kremlin henchman was found bludgeoned to death in a Washington, DC, penthouse. But it wasn't until Putin's assassins unleashed a deadly chemical weapon on the streets of Britain, endangering hundreds of members of the public in a failed attempt to slay the double agent Sergei Skripal, that Western governments were finally forced to admit that the killing had spun out of control.

Unflinchingly documenting the growing web of death on British and American soil, Heidi Blake bravely exposes the Kremlin's assassination campaign as part of Putin's ruthless pursuit of global dominance—and reveals why Western governments have failed to stop the bloodshed. The unforgettable story that emerges whisks us from London's high-end night clubs to Miami's million-dollar hideouts ultimately renders a bone-chilling portrait of money, betrayal, and murder, written with the pace and propulsive power of a thriller.

Based on a vast trove of unpublished documents, bags of discarded police evidence, and interviews with hundreds of insiders, this heart-stopping international investigation uncovers one of the most important—and terrifying—geopolitical stories of our time.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Heidi Blake (P)2019 Mulholland Books

Critic reviews

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"[Blake's] gripping descriptions of intrigue and violence brim with details about the grotesque lifestyles of the über-rich."—New York Times Book Review

"A compelling rendering of Putin's frightening extensions of power into Europe and the United States."—Associated Press

"A well-written and well-researched book that reads like a thriller."—Washington Times

Great book, just hard to follow

ALOT of Russian surnames makes it hard to remember who did what, when, etc.

Frightening!!!

More gripping and truly worrisome than any fictional spy novel. Well done narration, different used accents was enjoyable.

Excellent book

Very well researched and written. Absolutely exceptional, definitely one of the best works about Putin.

In depth look at Putin's assassinations...

Engaging book. We know that Putin is a criminal and puts out hits on people.This book looks at that. I just never thought I'd see our government okay with it. Currently we know that Putin has put hits out on American soldiers. Trump and the current GOP do nothing. Wonder why? GOP used to be the noble party that stood up to Russia. Disgraceful.

Solid read by Calin.

Truly Embarrassing Accents

Great read, great narrator except... the accents are truly laughable and pull the reader out

Stunning, terrifying absolutely great book

For those who really want to know the reality they live in, true face of their leaders, the true level of corruption, fear, blood shed ….. this is the book to read.
Narration is just fantastic.

narrator was good when not trying to do accents

Narrator has a nice voice, but her trying to do accents made everyone sound like a Yiddish Scotsman.

Enjoyed every second

I was able to follow along and learn the cadre of characters with less familiar names because of the author’s talent for painting a picture of temperament and character that carried through. I’m on a bit of a Putin marathon and appreciate the author’s approach to storytelling.

Eye opening story!

Great story, incredible claims. I felt some of the finer details and introduction / re-introduction of characters and names could have been clearer. I would have preferred the narrator didn’t attempt the foreign / regional accents.

Fascinating breakdown of the Russian cucking the west

Incredible breakdown of the events and players in Putin's rise to power and subsequent stranglehold of the domination of the former Soviet states. No doubt he is the most powerful and likely ruthless man on earth and rules without fear of meaningful penalties. His hit program and the look the other way attitude of the West is the most blatant display of power in post WW2 history. Great book and work