Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 49 minutes ago
Merging gripping true crime storytelling with fearless investigative journalism, Patrick Radden Keefe is undeniably one of the great non-fiction writers of our time. Here, he discusses London Falling ーa haunting true story of identity, wealth, and deception in modern London.
In 2019, a London teenager, Zac Brettler, fell to his death from a luxury apartment building. His grieving parents soon discovered he had been living a double life, posing as the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.
In London Falling, Keefe traces their search for answers—and how Zac’s fantasy life drew him into a hidden world shaped by extreme wealth, status, and power.
Here, Patrick discusses:
What drew him to Zac Brettler’s story
The psychological pull of wealth and how it is shaping young people today
How he balances intimate family tragedy with page-turning true crime storytelling in London Falling.
Working with the Brettler family and how this shaped the book.
What Zac Brettler's story tells us about our global cities now.
Timestamps:
Patrick Radden Keefe: Investigative Journalist 00:00:00
The Story of Zac Brettler 01:52
Methodology: Narrative Structure in True Crime and Family Sagas 03:39
Power, Wealth, and Global Cities 06:29
The Shift in Modern London 08:20
Teenage Ambition and Identity 11:12
Psychological Dynamics and the Digital Algorithm 14:21
The Impact of Russian & American Wealth 17:21
Ethical Investigative Reporting 20:00
Literary Nonfiction: How to Balance Tragedy and True Crime 23:54
Buy London Falling (ISBN:9781035056279): panmacmillan.com/authors/patrick-radden-keefe/london-falling/9781035056279
FIND us on:
TikTok: / panmacmillan
Twitter: / panmacmillan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panmacmilla...
Website: panmacmillan.com
Merging gripping true crime storytelling with fearless investigative journalism, Patrick Radden Keefe is undeniably one of the great non-fiction writers of our time. Here, he discusses London Falling ーa haunting true story of identity, wealth, and deception in modern London.
In 2019, a London teenager, Zac Brettler, fell to his death from a luxury apartment building. His grieving parents soon discovered he had been living a double life, posing as the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch.
In London Falling, Keefe traces their search for answers—and how Zac’s fantasy life drew him into a hidden world shaped by extreme wealth, status, and power.
Here, Patrick discusses:
What drew him to Zac Brettler’s story
The psychological pull of wealth and how it is shaping young people today
How he balances intimate family tragedy with page-turning true crime storytelling in London Falling.
Working with the Brettler family and how this shaped the book.
What Zac Brettler's story tells us about our global cities now.
Timestamps:
Patrick Radden Keefe: Investigative Journalist 00:00:00
The Story of Zac Brettler 01:52
Methodology: Narrative Structure in True Crime and Family Sagas 03:39
Power, Wealth, and Global Cities 06:29
The Shift in Modern London 08:20
Teenage Ambition and Identity 11:12
Psychological Dynamics and the Digital Algorithm 14:21
The Impact of Russian & American Wealth 17:21
Ethical Investigative Reporting 20:00
Literary Nonfiction: How to Balance Tragedy and True Crime 23:54
Buy London Falling (ISBN:9781035056279): panmacmillan.com/authors/patrick-radden-keefe/london-falling/9781035056279
FIND us on:
TikTok: / panmacmillan
Twitter: / panmacmillan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panmacmilla...
Website: panmacmillan.com
