4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Real Mr. Big by Ron Chepesiuk and Jesus Ruiz Henao is a non-fiction book about the real life experiences a former drug king-pin Jesus Ruiz Henao. Jesus was born in Trujillo, Columbia on February 29, 1960. He is the fifth child for his parents. From a young age Jesus Ruiz Henao was ambitious about owning his own car and leading a financially successful life. During his childhood he unknowingly became apart of the drug trade. His father often sent him with parcels for delivery and as it turned out Jesus Henao's father was paying for protection with produce (cocaine from the coca plant) from his farm. Many farmers did this as well.
Eventually Jesus Ruiz Henao chose to become apart of the cocaine trade, starting with money he saved, he was able to buy a few kilos of cocaine. He soon realized that the drug business was a profitable venture, however this illicit trade was dangerous at times.
Henao soon established himself as a major player in the drug business and established many contacts in Columbia, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
He gained notoriety which led to him being investigated, and he was later convicted in 2003 by British law enforcement. With the use of surveillance British law enforcement was able to prosecute Henao and many others involved in this illicit trade.
There were a number of positive aspects about this book. Firstly, the book was very detailed about the daily activities of Jesus Henao as a drug dealer. From the beginning of the book you could clearly see Henao ' s motivation for becoming a drug dealer. His story seemed unique, as it deviated from the expectation of a drug dealer as violent, which Henao clearly was not based on his own admission. The inclusion of the conversations with a drug expert as well as the inclusion of some conversations the investigators in Henao's case made the book really interesting and believable. The effective use of flashbacks kept the interest of the reader up to the end of the book. The background information provided a context for the decisions Henao made in many instances.
The book was well written and interesting and for these reasons I gave this book a 4 out of 4 rating. There was a general flow to the book which made it enjoyable to read and the language was direct and understandable.
The Real Mr. Big by Ron Chepesiuk and Jesus Ruiz Henao is a book that is best suited for an adult audience and would be a good book to read for those who are students of sociology, economics and criminology.
******
The Real Mr. Big
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
