Kirkus Reviews QR Code
RELENTLESS PURSUIT by Bradley J. Edwards Kirkus Star

RELENTLESS PURSUIT

My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

by Bradley J. Edwards with Brittany Henderson

Pub Date: March 31st, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9821-4813-3
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster

The lawyer who represented Jeffrey Epstein’s victims tells his riveting story.

In 2008, Courtney Wild approached Edwards about being sexually abused by Epstein. When Edwards agreed to seek damages on her behalf, that case became the trigger for an 11-year odyssey, ending with Epstein's death in federal custody. In graphic, sometimes nauseating detail, the author powerfully illuminates how Epstein used his wealth and connections to rape and traffic hundreds of girls, most of them teenagers. Edwards was able to document Epstein's illegal exploits going back to at least 1994, showing his use of payment and manipulation to coerce his victims. Law enforcement agencies received reports about Epstein's assaults as early as 1996, but no punishment occurred until 2008, when Epstein pled guilty to minor charges, served no meaningful jail time, and resumed his predatory behavior almost immediately. Edwards shares his outrage not only at the cop-out by Florida prosecutors, but also the federal prosecutors, who lied to Epstein's victims, lawyers, and even a judge about why they chose not to file harsher charges. Throughout the book, the author seeks to understand the suspicious roles played by the famous, powerful men within Epstein’s orbit. Did they hide his crimes? Did they also engage in rape? Though he doesn’t draw significant conclusions, the names include, among others, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, Prince Andrew, and Alan Dershowitz. In numerous passages, Edwards explores his mix of personal fascination and revulsion. Among the many important elements of the story that the author effectively conveys are the vital role played by Julie Brown, investigative reporter at the Miami Herald, and the shocking retaliatory measures mounted by Epstein to frighten those he raped, their lawyers (including the author, against whom Epstein filed a lawsuit), and his own employees. Edwards is also to be commended for his time-consuming, costly efforts to get Epstein’s victims to go on the record.

A revelatory exploration of the long fight to bring a monstrous man to justice.