Review of Hunting LeRoux: The Inside Story of the DEA Takedown of a Criminal Genius and His Empire by Elaine Shannon Rating ****
This book had a little of everything. On the one hand, it was like reading a Jason Bourne thriller. On the other hand, it was a bit like reading about a cartoon villain in the next Incredibles. The main antagonist in this story is so unlikeable, so depraved, that it made the book hard to get through at times.
There are plenty of psychopaths running around in society. The worst kind are those who achieve a level of power and wealth. Paul Leroux had started with honest intentions. There is plenty of money to be made from online pharmacies. But LeRoux wanted more, not that it took much prodding to move from legal drugs to those with more profit potential.
As LeRoux’s empire grew, so too did his need for more revenue. So LeRoux branched out into other money-making ventures like arms sales. If someone deceived him, or if LeRoux suspected someone had deceived him, he had his hit squad dispense with the offender.
LeRoux’s greed had no limit. It’s what ultimately led to his downfall. The careful LeRoux let his guard down, blinded by the prospect of gaining even more wealth. In the end, it was a man with a conscience that brought him down.
The disappointing thing about LeRoux’s story is that he did not face charges for any of the murders he orchestrated.