In words of a thriller author, Filthy Rich is a real-life story of Jeffrey Epstein. His rise among the richest in the US ans his fall from grace. But more than just a biography, the book looks deep into what happened and how Epstein tried to influence the American Justice System.
Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy – The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein
Author: James Patterson, John Connolly
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 10, 2016)
ISBN: 0316274054, 978-0316274050
Filthy Rich Summary
Jeffery Epstien came from Brooklyn, New York with an average background. A college dropout, Epstein had a way with number and soon rose to an envious position in the financial sector. He started off at Bear Sterns and then went on to form his own company – J. Epstein & Co.
His troubles began in 2005 when a woman complained to the police that her 14 year old daughter was taken to his mansion and asked to give him a massage in a compromised position. A secret investigation revealed that Epstein regularly got underage girls for massage and to perform lewd acts.
Filthy Rich follows this legal battle that went on for next three years. The book chronicles the various charges, how the investigation was conducted and how things which could have been done weren’t. In the end, Epstein got off with just 18 months sentence, which was relaxed in many ways.
Filthy Rich Critics Reviews
David Holahan of USA Today warns that the verbatim account of girls given to the police are graphic enough to lock the book away from your kids. Page after page, these are more to shame the subject than to make a point. Overall the effort is not that great and he gives Filthy Rich * * out of five.
Michael Thomas Barry of NY Journal of Books echoes many of the readers’ views when it says that the books lacks research and fails to provide answers to the questions it puts forward.
Filthy Rich Readers Reviews
Readers are appalled by how the investigation and prosecution progressed in the intervening period. They agree that it is not the usual Patterson stuff, but as much a page turner as any of his fictional thrillers. With 377 ratings, most readers have rated the book as above average.
One of the common complaints seems to be that for a non fiction, the book lacks research and the level of detail they would have liked to see.