With the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Russia emerged from its rubble as a country looking to re-establish itself on the world stage of geopolitics. Capitalism, or the West’s brand of capitalism, was an option but one that members of the Communist Party hardly embraced. In its place, the underworld and the upper world merged, creating an oligarchy that has extended its tentacles across the globe. From Australia to Africa, thru North and South America, and Europe, this Russian oligarchy has enriched itself and members of the Communist Party through financial chicanery, wrongful detentions, assassinations, and extortion. Martin “Marty” Grimes, a private investigator, was enveloped in this seedy, unforgiven, and lucrative world. His investigations, one after the other, ultimately led to the highest levels of the Russian government, where the term “investment banking” was synonymous with “money laundering.”

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

“Dark Forces captures the unexplored atmosphere of the former Soviet Union at a time when few knew where it was headed politically and economically. It is a deep dive into the world of intrigue, romance, crime and corruption. Having represented several Russian oligarchs and their minions, Grimes’ journey is one that few live to tell about.”—Blair R. Zwillman, Esq. Criminal Defense Attorney

“I spent 20 years on the streets of New York as a high-ranking member of the Columbo family. Six of those years in partnership with Russian mobsters. I know “Marty” personally. He is the real deal. Best at what he does. The book is amazing. Spot on. A page-turner throughout.—Michael J. Franzese, Author, Blood Covenant  (2018) and Mafia Democracy (2022).

“Martin Grimes expertly captures the murky world of Russian Crime from personal experience. You had to live it to believe it.”—Joe Serio, author, Vodka, Hookers, and the Russian Mafia (2020).

“Martin Grimes” is the real deal. An organized crime investigator with a long pedigree, he tells a fascinating tale of dealings with Russian mobsters, oligarchs, and former KGB officers in the 1990s, after the fall of communism turned Russia into a kleptocracy. The stories he recounts are not only entertaining but instructive as we confront the ugly legacy of that era in the age of Putin.” —Jonathan Marshall, author of Dark Quandrant: Organized Crime, Big Business, and the Corruption of American Democracy, from Truman to Trump (2021).

“Reading Dark Forces left me to reflect on my time in Moscow while working on the TV mini-series Stalin. This vivid portrait of the city, the people, and the times I shared there leaped from the pages. Grimes and his colleague Tony Pullman have captured a piece of history characterized by political turbulence, economic dislocation, and strategic executions that allowed for the emergence of who are now known as oligarchs. For those interested in high finance, wealth management, and how power and privilege intersect, Dark Forces is a troubling and prescient story.” —Adrian Wood, freelance researcher, Stalin  (1990).

Author: Martin Grimes
Page Count: 212
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: June 20, 2023
Imprint: The Agency Books
Genre: True Crime

TRUE CRIME / Espionage
TRUE CRIME / Organized Crime
TRUE CRIME / White Collar Crime