The Spider

December 1, 2020
The surreal and sordid saga of Jeffrey Epstein, from Brooklyn boyhood to Manhattan jailhouse death. In a narrative as gripping as the documentary series Filthy Rich--and that adds previously unreported details to the well-known story--Levine, whose previous book exposed Donald Trump's predatory nature, offers an unblinking account of how the world's most flagrant pedophile made his money--and what he did with it. "It would be a conservative estimate," writes the author, "to say that since the 1980s, Jeffrey Epstein spent more than $35 million related to his abuse of women and girls." Levine is to be commended for so thoroughly and indelibly laying out the truth about the scores of victims as well as Epstein's fellow perpetrators. Numerous faces from both sides are included in a riveting 16-page insert that begins with Epstein's high school yearbook photo and ends with the "unmarked stone crypt believed to be Epstein's final resting place." Among the many people who won't like this damning book are Ghislaine Maxwell, Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton. While nothing can redress the lifelong damage suffered by Epstein's victims, it is essential that their stories be told with understanding and without prurience, as Levine does here. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a long section covering Epstein's imprisonment and death adds new details but does not preclude the possibility that he was murdered. Some readers may wish for more psychological analysis: Why and how did he turn into a sociopath so obsessed with underage girls that he went through his entire adulthood without a normal romantic relationship and never came anywhere close to marrying or having a family? However, that minor shortcoming doesn't detract from the power of the story--or the appalling revelations: "Beginning around 2001, Epstein started confiding to acquaintances that he wanted to seed the human race with his DNA by impregnating women at his vast New Mexico ranch." The most horrifying story about what money can buy that you will ever read.

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December 14, 2020
Investigative reporter Levine (All the President’s Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator) provides a thorough if largely unrevelatory survey of the criminal career of Jeffrey Epstein (1953–2019) and who he calls Epstein’s main accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. He begins with Epstein’s childhood in Coney Island before covering Epstein’s rapid rise in the world of finance, which led to him becoming fabulously wealthy and an associate of celebrities including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew. Levine details Epstein’s endemic child abuse and Maxwell’s alleged role in procuring underage girls for his sexual needs. Epstein was charged with various sex crimes in Florida, but was given a sweetheart plea deal in 2008 by U.S. attorney Alex Acosta that allowed him to avoid a lengthy prison sentence; Levine’s analysis makes clear that Epstein’s 2019 arrest for the sex trafficking of minors may not have happened had President Trump not nominated Acosta as labor secretary, a choice that put the plea deal under the microscope. While there are a few new tidbits, such as Epstein, who hanged himself in jail awaiting trial, having been on suicide watch, the arc of the narrative will be familiar to anyone who has followed the story. Major questions about Epstein’s long run as a sexual predator remain unanswered, including why his powerful enablers justified sticking by him, even after his 2019 arrest. Maxwell’s upcoming trial is expected to provide further revelations about her dealings with Epstein, leaving a definitive look at the full sweep of Epstein’s crimes for a future book. Agent: Lisa Leshne, Leshne Agency.