Jesse Fink
THE EAGLE IN THE MIRROR (2023/24)
Penguin Random House Australia, Bonnier Books (UK), Kensington Publishing (USA)
‘The Eagle in the Mirror immerses readers in spycraft and molehunts and emerges as a captivating biography. Acknowledging the challenges in reevaluating the life and work of the besmirched Ellis, Fink does a more than admirable job, ultimately offering a book capable of opening minds.’
Booklist
‘A fine summary of a controversial case.’
Studies in Intelligence, Center for the Study of Intelligence, CIA
‘Fink has clearly done his homework... The Eagle in the Mirror is well-written and holds the reader's attention. It offers yet another look at the inner workings of MI6, and will take its rightful place on the bookshelf next to two other eminently readable and substantive books that cover some of the same ground: Ben Macintyre's A Spy Among Friends, Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal (2014) and Jimmy Burns' A Faithful Spy, The Life and Times of an MI6 and MI5 Officer (2023). This book will remind many veterans of a good CI study.’
The Cipher Brief
‘This tense, absorbing book digs into the facts, seeking to determine if one of Britain’s greatest spies was also one of its greatest traitors.’
BookBub
‘Great tale of espionage. The Eagle in the Mirror is a successful rehabilitation of a master spy who was unfairly accused of being a double agent, and even a triple agent, at the service of Germany and the Soviet Union... after a relentless investigation, Jesse Fink’s book does justice to Ellis.’
Taline Ter Minassian, author, Most Secret Agent of Empire: Reginald Teague-Jones, Master Spy of the Great Game
‘A highly significant contribution to the literature of intelligence... Fink has performed some extremely important research.’
Antony Percy, author, Misdefending the Realm: How MI5’s Incompetence Enabled Communist Subversion of Britain’s Institutions during the Nazi-Soviet Pact
‘Remarkable story... if this book tells us anything, it is the difficulty of knowing the truth of anything in the world of the security services.’
Australian Book Review
‘Jesse Fink plays detective and uncovers the fascinating real story about Ellis. Highly readable.’
Canberra Daily
‘Very interesting indeed... with some real digging for information, Fink does a very good job of showing the inadequacies of certain writers and that there is little or no real evidence that Ellis was an agent either for the Nazis or the Soviets.’
Stephen Dorril, author, MI6: Fifty Years of Special Operations and MI6: Inside the Covert World of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service
‘This engrossing book makes a powerful case for Ellis to be seen as a hero.’
The Australian
‘Forensic and engrossing. The point of Fink’s work is to convincingly demolish various attacks on Ellis’s reputation, especially the self-serving accusations of treacherous dealings, first with the Nazis and then the Soviet Union, made by a phalanx of bitter, or simply gullible, “insiders”... it was all nonsense, if Fink is to be believed, and I think he can be... Ellis, who died in 1975, was interrogated in 1966. Nothing of any substance was found. But the mere fact that he’d been questioned spawned an orgy of bestselling “exposes”, penned for profit by men who had never felt at home with truth or loyalty. Fink’s comprehensive exoneration, while as complex as the subject demands, is written by a fellow who clearly values both.’
The Sydney Morning Herald
PURE NARCO (2020/21)
Penguin Random House Australia, Bonnier Books (UK), Rowman & Littlefield (USA), Äripäev (Estonia)
‘Gripping story ... fascinating ... those interested in how the illegal drug trade and law enforcement interact will be rewarded.’
Publishers Weekly
‘Pure Narco is an unbelievable insider’s look at the life and times of a real narco. During his 25-year criminal career, Luis Navia learned to work with all of the major Colombian cocaine manufacturing and distribution organisations, something not easily done, and miraculously survived to tell his tale. Jesse Fink and Navia provide a detailed and uncensored look at the underbelly of the beast, the international cocaine trade, and give an account that even most experienced law-enforcement professionals never see.’
Steve Murphy, DEA Special Agent (Retired) who hunted down Pablo Escobar and the inspiration for the Netflix hit series Narcos
‘In August 2000, a joint–law enforcement investigation between the U.S. and the British government resulted in the dismantling of a large drug-smuggling ring. Tons of drugs were seized, and arrests were made. Navia, a man who walked a tightrope of criminality and legitimacy, was nabbed after operating in the drug underworld for 25 years. Of Cuban heritage, Navia had worked for Colombia's Medellín and Cali cartels and gradually transferred his skills in working with various cartels in Mexico. He met and sometimes worked with the biggest names in the infamous underground empire: Pablo Escobar, Alberto Sicilia Falcon, the Ochoa Brothers. As recalled to coauthor Fink, Pure Narco amasses Navia's colourful recollections of past exploits in a candid yet guarded fashion. Navia disarms with his charisma and intelligence; his remorse is a little less apparent. He believes that the war on drugs is a hypocritical war with no end. Navia’s insights make for a revelatory look inside the treacherous world of organised crime in this new true-crime classic.’
Booklist
‘With a cast of wild, grotesque and often deadly characters, strapped into a rollercoaster they cannot or will not get off, Pure Narco is a deliriously pleasurable ride. Luis Navia was a key trafficker for the biggest Colombian and Mexican cartels, and his insight into how they flooded the USA and Europe with drugs is unparalleled. This is the best insider account ever written of the global cocaine trade and the outrageous but precarious lives of those at the top.’
Peter Walsh, author, Drug War: The Secret History
BON: THE LAST HIGHWAY (2017)
Penguin Random House Australia, Bonnier Books (UK), ECW Press (USA), Vaktel Forlag (Sweden), DU Books (Japan), Le Castor Astral (France), Editora Saraiva (Brazil), Hannibal Verlag (Germany); updated EDITIONS PUBLISHED in AUSTRALIA AND UK IN 2018 aND USA IN 2022
‘Jesse Fink is not the first writer to suggest there’s something fishy about the official version of [Bon] Scott’s death and its aftermath, but no one else has offered such a plausible or exhaustively researched alternative theory... vindicating old-school journalistic rigour, Fink compiled a vast testimony from multiple sources and invites the reader to decide where the truth lies, Rashomon-style. This is no easy task: key witnesses are either dead, like [Alistair] Kinnear, or their memories are clouded by the fog of war, like UFO’s Paul Chapman and Pete Way. But as with his previous book, the absence of co-operation from the AC/DC inner circle has been to Fink’s benefit... [he has] effectively undertaken the detective work that wasn’t conducted at the time. It’s a dense, tangled tale but Fink reveals the humanity behind the myth: Bon was a flawed, conflicted character, trapped in a persona, who ultimately chose the path he took and got unlucky.’
MOJO
‘After being made aware of the previous poor attempts to tell Bon’s story, I decided to read Bon: The Last Highway. Fink’s book deserves 10 out of 10 for effort in gathering all the information possible... Theory Two [about how Bon died] could not be any closer to the truth. I know, because I was there.’
Joe Fury, Bon Scott’s friend who went to the hospital in London when Bon was declared dead on arrival
‘The detective-like Fink... gathers more evidence that Scott likely wrote some of the lyrics for the AC/DC breakout classic lead track “Back in Black” (1980) and dabbled in opiates... Fink delivers a page-turning account of the complicated character and significant contributions of Bon Scott.’
Library Journal
‘Bon: The Last Highway by Jesse Fink is one of the most impressive biographies I’ve ever read. It is an absolute masterpiece that features more sources and research than most college textbooks. I was floored by the amount of effort and research that Jesse poured into this project. In the case of Bon Scott, both his tragic death and (potentially) his greatest lyrical work have been totally distorted for the sake of the legends that surround AC/DC. Jesse's book is one long re-examination of those legends, and he makes mince-meat out of most of the band's official stories... his work here is profoundly impressive.’
Play That Rock’n’Roll (USA)
‘A fascinating read. You won’t be able to put it down once you get started.’
Chris Jericho
‘A fascinating portrait of a troubled man with a serious alcohol addiction... the literary equivalent of a road movie.’
Irish Times
‘Over the years Bon Scott has become an untouchable rock god; but this book digs deeper. It’s something that hasn’t really been done before... it’s a whole new look on the troubled frontman and a fine biography.’
Vive Le Rock (UK)
‘Fink’s monumental work is by far the best thing that has ever been produced about AC/DC’s history.’
Combate Rock (Brazil)
‘Jesse Fink is a very courageous writer... a fact-rich, exciting book that reads in places like a crime story. Investigative journalism at its best.’
Metal Glory (Germany)
Crossing continents and tracking key figures down, Fink’s work is impressive; his book is exhaustively investigative and engrossing.’
Exclaim (Canada)
‘The best biography of Bon Scott. By all accounts Scott was a once-in-a-lifetime character, flawed to the bone but undeniably charismatic and Fink captures this perfectly.’
Metal Rules (Canada)
‘Fink’s book meticulously explores the man and the many myths about Scott’s life and death, and his hell of a ride in between.’
Herald Sun (Australia)
‘Just like the object of his desire (it is his second book on AC/DC), Fink is prone to perfectionism. He meticulously dedicates himself to the last three years in the life of Ronald Belford Scott... Fink’s book is a real gift for the fans of the tragically and much too early deceased singer.’
Classic Rock (Germany)
‘Hand-on-heart clarity and the haze of memory merge here to do justice to what is both a celebratory and cautionary tale... you will learn much on this road trip. You already know the soundtrack.’
RTE (Republic of Ireland)
‘Of the 20-plus books written about AC/DC, this one comes closest to the truth about how former singer Bon Scott died and his uncredited legacy as a songwriter... not just for fans, this is equal parts cautionary tale and meticulously researched document.’
Courier Mail (Australia)
‘A literary masterpiece.’
Soundanalyse (Germany)
‘I read this book in seven hours, with a 20-minute break for dinner, and put it down almost breathless at the non-biased, staggering research. Bon: The Last Highway is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read – on anything! And I read a lot. This book goes up to 11! Extremely well done. A magnificent book.’
Paul Chapman, guitarist, UFO
‘The most extensively researched book on AC/DC ever... it’s outstanding. If you thought you knew Bon Scott, think again. This is as close as anyone is ever gonna get to the complete truth behind the legend, warts and all.’
Canton Repository (USA)
‘This one-man investigation, born of respect for the truth and for Scott as a human being, blazes a new trail.’
Joe Bonomo, author, AC/DC’s Highway To Hell
‘Jesse Fink has done rock fans a great service. He dispels the many myths about how AC/DC’s Bon Scott lived and died, and in doing so, brings to life one of the most influential, memorable, and complex figures in rock history.’
Greg Renoff, author, Van Halen Rising
‘Fink leaves no stone unturned in this deep biography of Bon Scott.’
Publishers Weekly
‘Simply amazing.’
Metal Circus (Spain)
‘Amazing... the most in-depth researched book on Scott’s final years ever written. The story of Bon’s last days on earth has never been properly told...until now. This book is good enough it has me waiting for the movie.’
Classic Rock Revisited (USA)
