Its topical following the death of former spy Alexander Litvinenko as i was reading about a book, Definance (Book Website) which tells the true story of Alex Konanykhin who became a self made tycoon in post Soviet Russia woth $300 million by age 25. It all went downhill when the KGB kidnapped him and stole his fortune, forcing him and his wife to escape to America.

As if that wasn’t bad enough the nightmare was continue as he fought the FBI, INS and Justice Department to hold on to his freedom and life. The Russian mafia took out a contract on him and the US governemtn is still trying to deport him back to Russia.

It all sounds like a good conspiracy/spy novel but it is true. Konanykhin describes the end of the Soviet union, the wild west nature of the early Yeltsin years and secret deals between the FBI and Russia. It all sounds like a facinating read and is available from the Book Website