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Judas
How a Sister's Testimony Brought Down a Criminal Mastermind
The incredible true story of a woman who risked everything to put her brother, a murderous psychopath and one of the world’s most infamous crime bosses, behind bars.
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Astrid Holleeder is in hiding because she had the courage to write this book. Her brother Willem Holleeder, best known for his involvement in the 1983 kidnapping of the CEO and chairman of Heineken brewing company, is one of the most notorious criminals in contemporary history. For decades, Wim ruled over his family mafia-style, threatening death if any of them betrayed him. Astrid and her sister, Sonja, watched as their brother eliminated anyone who got in his way, and they lived in terror of inciting his rage, unable to protect even their own young children from his violence. Trained as a lawyer, Astrid served as her brother’s unwilling confidante.
Now, she’s turning the tables on him. Charged for his involvement in multiple assassinations, including that of his former partner and brother-in-law, Holleeder is finally on trial for murder, all due to the shocking testimony of his own family.
An international bestseller that has sold more than 500,000 copies in Holland, this stunning, edge-of-your seat memoir chronicles Astrid’s terrifying experience working as a double agent, preserving her brother’s trust just so that she could get enough information to put him away for life. Judas is the intimate account of Astrid’s deeply personal betrayal, set against the backdrop of their haunting family history and the astonishing world of the criminal underground.
Now, she’s turning the tables on him. Charged for his involvement in multiple assassinations, including that of his former partner and brother-in-law, Holleeder is finally on trial for murder, all due to the shocking testimony of his own family.
An international bestseller that has sold more than 500,000 copies in Holland, this stunning, edge-of-your seat memoir chronicles Astrid’s terrifying experience working as a double agent, preserving her brother’s trust just so that she could get enough information to put him away for life. Judas is the intimate account of Astrid’s deeply personal betrayal, set against the backdrop of their haunting family history and the astonishing world of the criminal underground.
reader reviews
Praise
"A harrowing, courageous account of murder and
family...riveting, sensational, unforgettable."—Kirkus (Starred Review)
"Compulsively readable... [Judas] is not
only a fascinating examination of a criminal many American readers will be
unfamiliar with, but also a moving and heartbreaking tale of the toll exerted
on the families of headline criminals."—Booklist
"Written from her place in hiding, Judas is Astrid's story of deception, turmoil and -- ultimately -- courage . . . A stark statement about how one familial tie can strangle
so many lives."—The Washington Post
"Written while awaiting her brother's trial, Holleeder's
engrossing story reads like the last will and testament of a dead woman
walking."—Publishers Weekly
"Guaranteed,
you've never read a memoir like Judas, already a runaway hit the
Netherlands where it was first published. Judas is
the story of Astrid Holleeder, the criminal lawyer who decided to testify
against her brother, crime kingpin Willem "Wim" Holleeder, knowing it would put
her life in grave danger. Holleeder is currently in hiding as she waits to
testify. Reading Holleeder's matter-of-fact account of the years leading to
this decision gives the uncanny sensation of reading a death wish."—Refinery29
