Relentless Pursuit

 

I didn't watch the Jeffrey Epstein doc on Netflix. The world is dark and heavy enough right now as it is, and I just didn't feel like bringing more horror into my life. Yet, last week, I decided to pick up a nearly 400-page book detailing the legal pursuit of this monster. What I found was horror about the crimes, of course, but incredible detail of the frustrating legal process as well.

If you've been around this blog awhile, you know I'm persuaded to read books by the Dax Shepard Armchair Expert podcast. I've read books I wouldn't have otherwise chosen because I've heard the authors as guests. When I heard attorney Bradley Edwards on a couple of weeks ago, I immediately paused the pod and put this book on my library 'holds' list. His energy was incredible and I was so impressed with the diligence with which he pursued this case. His book picked up that energy and you could feel the passion until the very end.

I don't need to fill you in on the horrific crimes Epstein committed. But, I didn't know where it all started. Our public knowledge of the case would likely not have come to light if a young woman hadn't walked into Edwards' office with a story to tell. 

That young woman's story not only revealed the abuse she and others suffered in Epstein's web, but also the legal bullshit that protected him and his accomplices for so long. I found myself enraged at the fact that so many people who are paid by taxpayers to protect us and be transparent actually hid this monster behind legal paperwork and non-prosecution agreements. It is because of the bravery and strength of those women - and, Edwards' stamina - that we ended up knowing as much as we do. 

This book gets tedious at times as Edwards relates every little twist and turn they took to get through the legal labyrinth that threatened to shut them down at every turn. Every time it starts to feel that way, though, it takes off again. It's worth it to read who cooperated and who didn't and about the strange relationship Edwards developed with Epstein, even as the two were at war.