Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath

by Bill Browder

Red Notice was set to be published in early February, and I was slated to be in New York to launch it. There was no way I’d be able to stay under John Moscow’s radar on that trip. When Randy heard about the book tour, he was adamant I not come to New York. I might have taken that advice if my only concern had been minimizing the subpoena risk, but there was a lot more at stake. The Russians had invested so much in creating a false narrative about Sergei that it was essential I share the true story of what happened as far and wide as possible. I could brief lawmakers and prosecutors until I was blue in the face, but there would be no substitute for a bestselling book. My editor at Simon & Schuster, Priscilla Painton, thought we had a real shot. But books don’t sell themselves, especially from first-time authors, and the only way to hit the bestseller list was to take every interview and go on every TV show that would have me. I had to go to New York.