The most recommended money laundering books

Who picked these books? Meet our 14 experts.

14 authors created a book list connected to money laundering, and here are their favorite money laundering books.
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Book cover of Fields' Guide to Dirty Money

DK Coutant Author Of Evil Alice and the Borzoi

From my list on mysteries with sleuths who love their dogs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I don’t remember a moment in my life when there wasn’t a dog in it.  They are members of my family, and I identify with protagonists who have the same connection in their lives. In my day job, I write mysteries and forecast geopolitical events. Mysteries with dogs help me balance the darkness in the world with the sheer delight that can be found with a dog.

DK's book list on mysteries with sleuths who love their dogs

DK Coutant Why did DK love this book?

I love this entire series, but the first one is where Poppy meets Consuela (her Chihuahua with attitude). One of my favorite micro-genres, the funny-cozy-romantic-spy mystery, Poppy Fields is a poor little rich girl. But what redeems her for me, is her drive to do something important in the world. I found it impossible not to fall for her and her bossy Chihuahua. And the communication connection between Poppy and Consuela is one we all hope to have with our dogs. Consuela yaps and Poppy understands her. Not to mention, Poppy couldn’t ask for a better partner in solving crime. 

By Julie Mulhern,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Fields' Guide to Dirty Money as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Poppy Fields, social influencer and secret spy, is on Grand Cayman. Her mission? Maid of honor at her mother’s wedding to Russian billionaire Yurgi Prokorhov. No surprise, Chariss Carlton is a difficult and demanding bride.

When Poppy witnesses a murder, her days change from irritating to dangerous. She and her partner Thor (real name Mark Stone—but a dead-ringer for a Norse god) are tasked with catching a killer and shuttering a billion dollar money laundering scheme.

Between bombs, bridal showers, high-speed car chases, a missing wedding planner, and a femme fatale with her eye on Thor, it will be a



Book cover of Money Laundering: A Guide for Criminal Investigators

MĂłnica RamĂ­rez Chimal Author Of Don't Let Them Wash, Nor Dry!: A Simple and Easy Guide to Protect Your Company from the Risk of Money Laundering

From my list on tackling money laundering risk.

Why am I passionate about this?

The prevention of money laundering caught my attention, and at that time, with so little information on the market, I decided to write my first book so that more people can protect themselves from this crime. I have a gift: explain complicated topics in an easy way. This has helped me to write several articles on different topics in international magazines. I’m a passionate-effective trainer who believes that helping people to grow helps to make this world better. It’s my legacy! I like to do the right thing; take this as a reliable fact: I consult my own book and articles written. I hope to help you grow too!

MĂłnica's book list on tackling money laundering risk

MĂłnica RamĂ­rez Chimal Why did MĂłnica love this book?

This book is a comprehensive guide to US regulations regarding money laundering; it also mentions some international organisms that fight against this crime. By including real-life cases in which it is specified how money laundering was carried out, I learned a lot because money laundering is a complex crime, believe me! It’s ideal for those who also want to know how a financial investigation is carried out since it takes you by the hand to understand what to do. Without a doubt a very complete guide.

By John Madinger, Sydney A Zalopany,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Money Laundering as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The crime of money laundering is widespread, not only figuring in obvious cases such as Al Capone's, but in major events as diverse as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and the Watergate scandal.

Money Laundering gives law enforcement professionals a clear understanding of money laundering practices, legislation, and investigation.
Two frontline investigators - a narcotics investigator/supervisor, and a special agent for the IRS - have co-authored this authoritative study.

Case studies establish a historic perspective on Money Laundering, and the progressive changes in its methods through the years. For today's investigator, the authors also take a broad approach to forfeiture, financial



Book cover of Reamde

Geoffrey Morrison Author Of Budget Travel For Dummies

From my list on inspire travel road trips to international fun.

Why am I passionate about this?

For the last decade, I’ve spent the majority of each year traveling. I’ve been to 60 countries across 6 continents and every US state. My love of travel was inspired and encouraged by my parents from a very early age. I’ve also been inspired by a wide variety of other sources, like movies, TV, photography, and, of course, books. Often, I’ll plan an adventure around a cool location I saw or read about and then just go. I’ll just show up and see what happens. All it takes is that little initial nudge, like what I found in these books.

Geoffrey's book list on inspire travel road trips to international fun

Geoffrey Morrison Why did Geoffrey love this book?

Neal Stephenson is my favorite living author largely because of his remarkable ability to weave compellingly rich tales in a variety of genres. This is a straight up action-adventure novel set in the modern world with multiple characters getting into epic adventures all over the world.

It’s so detailed and engaging it might inspire you want to visit some of the locations. It did for me. I detoured out of my way on several trips to see how accurate Stephenson’s portrayal was (it was spot on). 

By Neal Stephenson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Reamde as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Across the globe, millions of computer screens flicker with the artfully coded world of T'Rain - an addictive internet role-playing game of fantasy and adventure. But backstreet hackers in China have just unleashed a contagious virus called Reamde, and as it rampages through the gaming world spreading from player to player - holding hard drives hostage in the process - the computer of one powerful and dangerous man is infected, causing the carefully mediated violence of the on-line world to spill over into reality.

A fast-talking, internet-addicted mafia accountant is brutally silenced by his Russian employers, and Zula - a



Book cover of Cliff Diver

Berrick Ford Author Of Dead Water

From Berrick's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Berrick's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Berrick Ford Why did Berrick love this book?

Set in modern-day Acapulco, a small team of detectives wade through the increasing violence of gangs and cartels, where every night another two or three people lose their lives, widows pray in church while their sons are recruited to crime, their daughters are kidnapped and sold as sex slaves, and orphans wear plastic bottles around their necks, a drop of glue at the bottom, the fumes a way to ward off hunger.
Emilia Cruz is the newest detective on the team – the first and only woman. The welcome mat is deployed only to try and trip her up as she investigates a murder, kidnapping, and millions of counterfeit pesos, all somehow linked.
I felt Cruz’s fear and frustration, the blazing heat of the Mexican sun, and I drooled at the lush descriptions of fish tacos, ceviche with fresh limes, and ice-cold mojitos. The plot was tight, the writing superb,


By Carmen Amato,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Cliff Diver as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Acapulco’s first female police detective dives into an ocean of secrets, lies, and murder when she investigates her own lieutenant’s death.

In this explosive start to the award-winning Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series set in Acapulco, Emilia beat the odds to become the resort city's first female police detective. But she lives in a pressure cooker where trust is in short supply.

Her fellow detectives are scheming to push her out. Her lieutenant is a shady character playing both sides of the law. The police department is riddled with corruption and drug cartel influence.

When her lieutenant is murdered, Emilia



Book cover of Crime School: Money Laundering: True Crime Meets the World of Business and Finance

MĂłnica RamĂ­rez Chimal Author Of Don't Let Them Wash, Nor Dry!: A Simple and Easy Guide to Protect Your Company from the Risk of Money Laundering

From my list on tackling money laundering risk.

Why am I passionate about this?

The prevention of money laundering caught my attention, and at that time, with so little information on the market, I decided to write my first book so that more people can protect themselves from this crime. I have a gift: explain complicated topics in an easy way. This has helped me to write several articles on different topics in international magazines. I’m a passionate-effective trainer who believes that helping people to grow helps to make this world better. It’s my legacy! I like to do the right thing; take this as a reliable fact: I consult my own book and articles written. I hope to help you grow too!

MĂłnica's book list on tackling money laundering risk

MĂłnica RamĂ­rez Chimal Why did MĂłnica love this book?

When I attended an international conference, I had the opportunity to be at Chris Mathers' session: I simply loved his presentation. He gave me as a gift his book, which is a great guide to knowing how organized crime operates in real life since it is written using his experience as an undercover policeman. He explains in detail the techniques seen/used and what he experienced. The way it is written (in simple language and with humor) makes you feel interested and read it quickly. And the best thing: it will also help you so that you are not a victim of organized crime or an accomplice in money laundering. It is one of the few books that reflect the real world of money laundering; bravo!

By Chris Mathers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Crime School as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The chilling details of cleaning blood money.

What is money laundering? How does it work? And why is it such a threat to any democratic society?

International terrorism has focused federal and state law-enforcement's attention on the shadowy world of money laundering. While the media has examined money laundering, the topic is still little understood by the public.

In Crime School: Money Laundering, a twenty year law enforcement veteran of financial crime explains this felony in simple terms. Written anecdotally, the book describes what money laundering is and how the crimes behind it fit together.

Organized criminals operating both domestically



Book cover of Playing for Keeps

Bonnie Tiell, Ed.D Author Of Governance in Sport

From my list on power structures and politics in sports.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for power and leadership in global sports began with leading a study abroad program at the 2004 Athens Olympics, sparking a tradition of involvement in every Summer Games since. In 2011, I gained unique insight into global sports politics as a featured speaker at the World Olympians Association Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland. The event included a high-stakes Presidential election, with intense political maneuvering and Olympians delivering 60-second appeals in a "Minute to Win It" style presentation. Beyond the Olympics, my interest has been enriched by trips to Thailand (four), China, and Bahrain to lead workshops for hundreds of national sports federation administrators. This fascination with global sport leadership continues to inspire me.

Bonnie's book list on power structures and politics in sports

Bonnie Tiell, Ed.D Why did Bonnie love this book?

This book reads like a fictional suspense novel, but it’s not! It was engaging from the beginning where the opening lines seemed like the author was staging a murder mystery in a small town. However, the familiar characters from sports agents to owners to players in the 1980s quickly piqued my interest, and soon it was apparent that the story was about the mafia’s unsuccessful attempt to infiltrate the NFL in the eighties through money laundering, racketeering, bribery, wire fraud, and more.

I was intrigued by the political gamesmanship of the NFL, which was determined to eradicate the mafia’s takeover attempt, but was almost equally caught off guard by the previously untold story of its vulnerability to corruption, especially from an almost equally powerful organized crime affiliate.

The story-telling was especially compelling and read like a legal drama. Conspiracy was at its finest, and this book was exceptional for its


By Chris Mortensen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Playing for Keeps as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A look at how close the Mafia came to gaining control of professional football explores the seamy underside of college sports, money laundering, gambling, and game fixing


Book cover of Red Team Blues: A Martin Hench Novel

C.L. Pauwels Author Of Fatal Errors

From my list on for the puzzle-solving reader.

Why am I passionate about this?

I inherited a love of puzzles from my mother, and we still share crossword clues, looking for answers. I also shared her love of reading mysteries and trying to solve crimes, from the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie and Sue Grafton. So, when I started writing, it was only natural that I create my own literary puzzles. Add in an ingrained sense of justice–so often missed in society–and I love it when the bad guy (or gal) gets their comeuppance. I also love the mental workout I get when I need focused logic to puzzle out the ending before the final pages.

C.L.'s book list on for the puzzle-solving reader

C.L. Pauwels Why did C.L. love this book?

I’m not usually a fan of dystopia, but Doctorow created an immersive, just-enough-in-the-future-to-be-believable world and filled it with compelling, conflicted characters. The protagonist, Martin Hench, is a self-employed forensic accountant (read: hacker!) with high-end computer skills.

While navigating an increasingly hostile environment–including a spell in a homeless camp–Hench digs into dark-web cryptocurrency and the shadowy figures who mine it, upsetting some powerfully dangerous people along the way. Hacking at its finest!

This book kept me guessing all the way to the end, and that doesn’t happen often these days. I’ve read so many mysteries over the years that it’s hard to fool me, but Doctorow manages and then some.

By Cory Doctorow,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Red Team Blues as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestseller Cory Doctorow's Red Team Blues is a grabby next-Tuesday thriller about cryptocurrency shenanigans that will awaken you to how the world really works.

Martin Hench is sixty-seven years old, single, and successful in a career stretching back to the beginnings of Silicon Valley. He’s a―contain your excitement―self-employed forensic accountant, a veteran of the long war between people who want to hide their money and people who want to find it. He knows the ins and outs of financial records that are designed to conceal rather than reveal. He’s as comfortable with social media as people a



Book cover of Our Kind of Traitor

Mark McKay Author Of A Terminal Agenda

From my list on the authentic world of espionage.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been into spy stories for many years. I love the intrigue, the deception, the secrecy of that world. Of course, real spying may involve lots of periods of doing nothing, possibly followed by manic, dangerous action. All while dealing with the anxiety of hiding the fact that you might be a traitor to your country or simply not the person the world thinks you are. It’s a fascinating world, and that fascination is what draws me in.

Mark's book list on the authentic world of espionage

Mark McKay Why did Mark love this book?

I love the fact that Le Carre’s books are written by a man who was actually a member of MI6, if only for a short while. He takes real-world scenarios and writes a compelling story around them.

This book is about a Russian mafia moneyman who wants out and the interest that arises from British intelligence. Le Carre can be a slow-burner type of author, but he’s always compulsive, and this particular book was made into an excellent movie.

By John le Carré,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Our Kind of Traitor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Legacy of Spies. 

In this exquisitely told novel, John le Carré shows us once again his acute understanding of the world we live in and where power really lies.
 
In the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and with Britain on the brink of economic ruin, a young English couple takes a vacation in Antigua. There they meet Dima, a Russian who styles himself the world’s Number One money-launderer and who wants, among other things, a game of tennis. Back in London, the couple is subjected to an interrogation by



Book cover of Second Wind

Leah St. James Author Of Adrienne's Ghost

From my list on series that should be made into movies or TV shows.

Why am I passionate about this?

Aside from reading (preferably at the beach), one of my favorite pastimes is watching movies or TV with my husband. We enjoy analyzing plots and talking about what we do or don’t like, what surprised us, or how we might have handled a scene differently. It seems the better ones are most often based on novels, usually with strong, well-developed characters, emotional punch, interesting settings, and/or hard-to-guess plot twists. This is my list of stories I think are strong in those characteristics and would make great movies or TV shows/series.

Leah's book list on series that should be made into movies or TV shows

Leah St. James Why did Leah love this book?

This story is filled with quirky characters, a beautiful backdrop, suspense, and sweet romance, perfect for a romantic comedy. Escaping an abusive fiancĂ©, Laurel McDowell flees with her feisty feline Rufus and her few belongings to her family home in California’s Big Sur. Trouble quickly follows. Soon, she is embroiled in a money laundering conspiracy and finds herself in the cross-hairs of the Russian Mafia. Luckily, FBI forensic accountant Jake Carlson is on the case. This author has a gift for humor, and I found myself chuckling as I read. The supporting characters—Laurel’s restaurateur mother, her two artist sisters, and a high school friend—are likable to the point I wish I could take a cross-country drive to visit. 

By Alison Henderson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Second Wind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Action. Suspense. Mystery. Romance.

Desperate to escape her abusive fiancé, sculptor Laurel McDowell pawns her engagement ring, loads everything she owns into her VW Beetle, and heads for the sanctuary of her family home in Big Sur.

After her ex’s body washes up on Carmel beach, she finds herself dragged into a scheme involving money-laundering Russians, a pair of bikers named Snowflake and Twitchy, and a hot FBI number-cruncher who’s more comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts than a suit.


Book cover of Junkie: A Cal Rogan Mystery

Randi-Lee Bowslaugh Author Of Good-Bye Too Soon

From Randi-Lee's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Author YouTuber Mental Health Advocate Reader Animal Lover

Randi-Lee's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Randi-Lee Bowslaugh Why did Randi-Lee love this book?

I loved that each chapter was a different character’s perspective. It kept the story moving through internal dialogue.

I am a big advocate of mental health and the author did an excellent job of respectfully incorporating the main character’s addiction. I enjoyed the colourful characters and unearthing the murderer!

By Robert P French,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Junkie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How do you hunt down your best friend’s killer when you’re a drug-addicted ex-cop living on the streets?

Cal Rogan has reached rock bottom.

Once a rising-star detective, he has one friend left from his old life. When he finds him dead, his former colleagues rule it a suicide. Cal is determined to prove them wrong and sets himself on a chilling path he never could have imagined.

If you like heroes who struggle with their demons, gritty urban police detectives, and clues you won’t see coming, get Robert P. French’s compelling debut novel and follow Cal’s wild ride from



Book cover of Fields' Guide to Dirty Money
Book cover of Money Laundering: A Guide for Criminal Investigators
Book cover of Reamde

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