A Fraudster's Shadow
From the technology and adventure writer of ‘A Dishonest Code’ and ‘Gone One Night’ comes a new adventure and mystery based upon a centuries old foundation, real cyber crimes and true, unsolved murders – ‘A Fraudster’s Shadow’.
‘A Fraudster’s Shadow’ is the story of a nobody turned millionaire somebody very quickly through the murky world of big business and online security flaws. The story is based upon three currently unsolved murders and the latest security issues that made one man seriously wealthy within a very short period of time.
From Aston Martins to yachts and from Zermatt, Switzerland to London, England to Barcelona, Spain and beyond, the work for a centuries old foundation continues until the spectre of death, intrigue and competition catch up. With a determined officer on one side and a foundation wising to hold onto power its only a matter of time before he’s found and meets his fate…
The Story Behind The Story… writer and journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in Room 517 of the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, at the time of his death, he was investigating a sprawling criminal conspiracy he labelled ‘The Octopus’.
The exact nature and extent of Casolaro’s Octopus, or whether it existed at all has been subject to much debate and speculation since.
Casolaro raised stories on the collapse of the BCCI – a bank which lost $20bn and was accused of hiding the proceeds from crime. Police and intelligence experts nicknamed BCCI the “Bank of Crooks and Criminals International” for its penchant for catering to customers who dealt in arms, drugs, and hot drug cartel money.
Casolaro also investigated and published stories on Iran–Contra, political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to the Khomeini government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. The administration hoped to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. Contras took part in guerrilla warfare inciting mob violence, “neutralizing” civilian leaders and government officials and attacking “soft targets” — including schools, health clinics and cooperatives.
Casolaro’s enemies were numerous and experts in crime and all the dangers that brings.
From Aston Martins to yachts and from Zermatt, Switzerland to London, England to Barcelona, Spain and beyond, the work for a centuries old foundation continues until the spectre of death, intrigue and competition catch up. With a determined officer on one side and a foundation wising to hold onto power its only a matter of time before he’s found and meets his fate…
The Story Behind The Story… writer and journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in Room 517 of the Sheraton Hotel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, at the time of his death, he was investigating a sprawling criminal conspiracy he labelled ‘The Octopus’.
The exact nature and extent of Casolaro’s Octopus, or whether it existed at all has been subject to much debate and speculation since.
Casolaro raised stories on the collapse of the BCCI – a bank which lost $20bn and was accused of hiding the proceeds from crime. Police and intelligence experts nicknamed BCCI the “Bank of Crooks and Criminals International” for its penchant for catering to customers who dealt in arms, drugs, and hot drug cartel money.
Casolaro also investigated and published stories on Iran–Contra, political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to the Khomeini government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. The administration hoped to use the proceeds of the arms sale to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. Contras took part in guerrilla warfare inciting mob violence, “neutralizing” civilian leaders and government officials and attacking “soft targets” — including schools, health clinics and cooperatives.
Casolaro’s enemies were numerous and experts in crime and all the dangers that brings.
You can run but can you run fast enough...?
The story behind the story…
“On 29th November 1970 at approximately 13:15, while hiking in the foothills of Mount Ulrikens north face, Norway, in an area known as Isdalen valley, a university professor and his two young daughters came across the partially charred remains of a naked woman hidden among some rocks at a remote hiking trail.
A full scale murder investigation was immediately initiated and the case has since evolved to become the most comprehensive criminal case by the Bergen police, Norway Police traced the woman back to two suitcases that were found in a train station in Bergen, Norway. Police also found that the labels had been removed from every piece of clothing she wore, and that her fingerprints had been sanded away. Police eventually found out that the woman had travelled around Norway and Europe with nine different identities: Jenevive Lancia, Claudia Tjelt, Vera Schlosseneck, Claudia Nielsen, Alexia Zarna-Merchez, Vera Jarle, Finella Lorck and Elizabeth Leen Hoywfer. All of these identities were false.
According to witness sightings the woman used various wigs, and in the trunk there were found several cryptic diary entries. The codes were later deciphered by police who concluded that they were coded dates and places the woman had previously visited. The woman’s teeth were thoroughly checked during the autopsy, and the way the dental work was performed indicated that the woman had been to a dentist in Latin America. Witnesses reported that the woman had spoken several languages: French, German, English and Dutch. The woman had stayed at several hotels in Bergen. She had repeatedly changed rooms after checking in, when she wanted a room that had a balcony. In the papers she signed the cheque specified that she was a travelling saleswoman and an antiquities collector.
On 24th November, five days before the discovery of the woman, a local 26-year old man was hiking with friends around the same area. He reported to have come across a woman of foreign appearance, her face completely distorted by fear. He noted that the woman was dressed elegantly, although not appropriately for being outdoors, let alone hiking in the hills.
As they passed each other she formed her mouth as if to say something but appeared intimidated by two black-coated men who followed close behind her. The 26-year-old contacted the police after hearing that a young woman had been found dead in the same area. He immediately recognized her from the composite sketches, but according to him the policeman with whom he spoke answered “Forget her, she was dispatched. The case will never be solved.”
“On 29th November 1970 at approximately 13:15, while hiking in the foothills of Mount Ulrikens north face, Norway, in an area known as Isdalen valley, a university professor and his two young daughters came across the partially charred remains of a naked woman hidden among some rocks at a remote hiking trail.
A full scale murder investigation was immediately initiated and the case has since evolved to become the most comprehensive criminal case by the Bergen police, Norway Police traced the woman back to two suitcases that were found in a train station in Bergen, Norway. Police also found that the labels had been removed from every piece of clothing she wore, and that her fingerprints had been sanded away. Police eventually found out that the woman had travelled around Norway and Europe with nine different identities: Jenevive Lancia, Claudia Tjelt, Vera Schlosseneck, Claudia Nielsen, Alexia Zarna-Merchez, Vera Jarle, Finella Lorck and Elizabeth Leen Hoywfer. All of these identities were false.
According to witness sightings the woman used various wigs, and in the trunk there were found several cryptic diary entries. The codes were later deciphered by police who concluded that they were coded dates and places the woman had previously visited. The woman’s teeth were thoroughly checked during the autopsy, and the way the dental work was performed indicated that the woman had been to a dentist in Latin America. Witnesses reported that the woman had spoken several languages: French, German, English and Dutch. The woman had stayed at several hotels in Bergen. She had repeatedly changed rooms after checking in, when she wanted a room that had a balcony. In the papers she signed the cheque specified that she was a travelling saleswoman and an antiquities collector.
On 24th November, five days before the discovery of the woman, a local 26-year old man was hiking with friends around the same area. He reported to have come across a woman of foreign appearance, her face completely distorted by fear. He noted that the woman was dressed elegantly, although not appropriately for being outdoors, let alone hiking in the hills.
As they passed each other she formed her mouth as if to say something but appeared intimidated by two black-coated men who followed close behind her. The 26-year-old contacted the police after hearing that a young woman had been found dead in the same area. He immediately recognized her from the composite sketches, but according to him the policeman with whom he spoke answered “Forget her, she was dispatched. The case will never be solved.”
