When an appalling & seemingly inexplicable murder shattered the peace of a quiet English suburban street it revealed the extent to which organised crime has now seeped into our lives often without our knowledge. In his groundbreaking book Misha Glenny takes us on a journey through the new world of international organised crime from gun runners in Ukraine to money launderers in Dubai by way of drug syndicates in Canada & cyber criminals in Brazil. During his investigation into the dark side he spoke to countless gangsters policemen & victims of organised crime while also exploring the ferocious consumer demands for drugs trafficked women illegal labour & arms across five continents. This constantly riveting account unveils the nature of crime in todays world but it also offers profound insights into the pitfalls of globalisation where the rules dividing the legal from the illegal are often far from clear.