The Mastermind - Evan Ratliff

True Crime Biography

Rating: 8/10

It all started with a spreadsheet. The dawn and meteoric rise of a sprawling criminal empire. One that encompassed the syphoning of drugs through phony web-based prescriptions into a country that was primed for an epidemic. Headed by the biggest criminal you’ve never heard of.

This is the incredible true story of the decade long quest to bring down the man behind this frighteningly powerful internet enabled cartel. One that merged the ruthlessness of a drug lord with the tech savvy of a Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

Criminal enterprises are not as they are frequently portrayed in the movies. They are painstakingly built on a contained individual illegal action and are rarely brought down in a sweeping motion. And from the perspective of the justice system, it’s like whack a mole. Smack one down and another pops up.

This author/reporter connects a seemingly endless number of threads that in my imagination resembles the inner workings of a computer. Fitting imagery as it turns out.

Footnote: The structure of the book may a deterrent initially.  Divided by the key players and jumping back and forth in time might seem confusing, but trust me it works!