Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem and Russia’s Remaking of the West. Title: Shadow State: Murder, Mayhem and Russia’s Remaking of the West. by Luke Harding. Author: Luke Harding. ‘Luke Harding is one of the best reporters in the world. . [they are] an oustanding writer, stuck in the beating heart of political and criminal power, sinking their teeth in and never letting go.’.