Relentless Pursuit My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

by Bradley J. Edwards, Brittany Henderson

This is the definitive story of the case against Jeffrey Epstein and the corrupt system that supported him, told in thrilling detail by the lawyer who has represented Epstein’s victims for more than a decade.

In June 2008, Florida-based victims’ rights attorney Bradley J. Edwards was thirty-two years old and had just started his own law firm when a young woman named Courtney Wild came to see him. She told a shocking story of having been sexually coerced at the age of fourteen by a wealthy man in Palm Beach named Jeffrey Epstein. Edwards, who had never heard of Epstein, had no idea that this moment would change the course of his life.

Over the next ten years, Edwards devoted himself to bringing Epstein to justice, and came close to losing everything in the process. Edwards tracked down and represented more than twenty of Epstein’s victims, shined a light on his shadowy network of accomplices, and uncovered the scope of his sexually exploitative organization, which reached into the highest levels of American society.

Edwards gives his riveting, blow-by-blow account of battling Epstein on behalf of his clients, and provides stunning details never shared before. He explains how he followed Epstein’s criminal enterprise from Florida, to New York, to Europe, to a Caribbean island, and, in the process, became the one person Epstein most feared could take him down. Epstein and his cadre of high-priced lawyers were able to manipulate the FBI and the Justice Department, but despite making threats and attempting schemes straight out of a spy movie, Epstein couldn’t stop Edwards, his small team of committed lawyers, and, most of all, the victims, who were dead-set on seeing their abuser finally put behind bars.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Biography, Audiobook, Law, Crime, Mystery

400 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2020

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

On July 6th 2019 convicted billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was arrested by the FBI on sex trafficking charges as he returned from France on his private jet. Trial lawyer Bradley J. Edwards and author of “Relentless Pursuit: My Fight For The Victims of Jeffrey Epstein” (2020) is an excellent and captivating chronicle of a fierce and courageous battle for justice, despite the forces of dark law that can shield a powerful wealthy criminal from the legal ramifications of illegal activity and conduct.

Bradley Edwards hadn’t heard of Jeffrey Epstein when he was contacted to represent Courtney Wild in 2008. Edwards would learn of a sex ring that began in 2002, and involved potentially hundreds of teen girls who sexually serviced Epstein at his Palm Beach Florida mansion. Some of these girls were taken to other locations both inside and outside the U.S. on Epstein's private jet. The allegations and lawsuit Edwards brought against Epstein in a Florida courtroom would continue for over a decade.
Edwards also revealed his poor career choice to join the prestigious RRA firm in 2009. The owner founder of RRA Scott Rothstein was found guilty as the mastermind of a $1.2 billion dollar Ponzi scheme that bilked millions in investor funds to finance his lavish lifestyle.
To further manipulate and control the investigation against him, Epstein was unsuccessful in proving his allegations that Edwards knew about Rothstein’s criminal financial conduct. It was clearly evident that the same law that prosecuted and sentenced Rothstein did not work in the same manner for Epstein.

Every maneuver and legal tactic at Epstein’s disposal was used that included intimidation and threats against the personal safety of Edwards, his family, and clients he represented. Epstein employed a high powered criminal defense team that included celebrity attorney’s Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr. Epstein was affiliated with Bill Clinton, Donald Trump (Mara-Lago wasn’t far from Epstein’s mansion) and other notable politicians, dignitaries, academics, and scientists. As a brilliant and cunning manipulator, Epstein met Edwards and discussed the subject of ethics and fairness, and encouraged Edwards to consider all sides and points of view as the book continued towards the unusual and totally unexpected conclusion. This is a book reader’s of True Crime stories will not want to miss. ** With thanks to the Seattle Public Library.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been following the Epstein case since 2017, and I will never forget how the general public dismissed claims by those who knew what was going on until Epstein got arrested. Then it was crickets, and ignoring those same people who were saying this since the beginning.

Anyway, because I've been researching this case for so long, I knew what to expect from this book, and yet there were still scenes that surprised me. Or things I forgot about and got reminded of by listening to this (about Epstein's sexual preferences, what he wanted his young "masseuses" to do to him, I think I willingly blocked that out).

Relentless Pursuit covers the legal angle more than any other and I did enjoy it. The writing style was pretty simple and easy to understand for the average reader, which I appreciate.

And of course, this book made me mad all over again, for all those times Epstein got away with what he was doing because he was rich, he had connections, he was most likely intelligence like Robert Maxwell.

But if you want his full detailed life you'll have to look elsewhere. This wasn't a problem for me, but I've seen a few reviews saying it wasn't explained how he got all his money, what he did for a living etc. And to cover all of that this book would have to be much longer.

And also, this doesn't include a conclusion about Ghislaine Maxwell, but it couldn't have anyway because of when it was published. So be mindful of that when you pick it up.

I have even more thoughts about this, might add them here some other day.

P. S. Living for all the "Stanley Pottinger is also Intelligence" jokes & references.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While sitting off the lock-down against Clovid-19 I retired, packed up my 22 years of NYC/NJ life and moved across country to begin a quieter and less crowded next chapter. Once unpacked and beginning to settle in, I set aside 5 days to read this book. It’s a “cannot put it down” read for sure! Jeffrey Epstein is the subject of this book. Author Brad Edwards is the star!

So many times in my NYC days I walked past the phenomenal townhouse on the Upper East Side and wondered who lived there and imagined what a glorious NY life it must be. Now I know....and it’s not what I imagined at all.

This true story memoir champions “our US moneyed elite vs America’s moral core and ethics”. It is so worth the read because in these dark days of pandemic chaos Bradley Edwards convinces clearly that there is true American uniqueness and its the pursuit of fair justice and the value of perseverance.

I must credit Bobby Capucci’s Podcast: The Jeffrey Epstein Show for introducing me to the release of this book. His review was spot on. And Anthony Mason’s interview segment on CBS This Morning featuring Bradley Edwards captured that attorney style of fair justice loud and clear. Both are available online.

I have to say—I felt a little sorry for Epstein in the end. I think his philanthropic history actually did have significant merit. And in his last days did he ever wish he could have been more Bradley Edwards and less Jeffrey E.? I guess we will never know.

[HR-ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book written by attorneys Bradley
Edwards & Brittany Henderson ("the authors")
who fought for justice for the sex abuse victims of
billionaire J. Epstein. I gave this Kindle bk 4.5 stars
of 5.

Epstein had high powered friends IE former President
Clinton, former PM of Israel, Prince Andrews, those in
business & government, politics & the arts. The authors
hinted that several men in Epstein's inner most circle
were pedophiles too. A model agency owner, another
billionaire, a famous attorney etc. Epstein had several
homes around the world, including at least 3 in the US.
He was ultimately charged with sex trafficking. He was
arrested in NJ in July 2019 & allegedly killed himself,
while incarcerated, about a month later.

According to the authors, Epstein wanted sexual pleasure
from young girls (ages 12-17) & to have at least 3 orgasms
daily. And at least 3-4 different girls daily. He thought the
"age of consent" in states or countries arbitrary and that
the laws did not apply to him. He paid a young girl $200. to
give him a "massage" & $1000. to bring him a new girl.
He preyed on young girls who had chaotic families or lived
in trailer parks. Mostly naïve or lost girls. Most of these girls
dropped out of high school. He groomed these girls to
sexually exploit them. He later claimed in legal depositions
the girls lied and told him they were older. An unoriginal lie.

The solid evidence against Epstein (hereafter 'E')?
1) Phone messages in his trash mentioning girls (some by
name & phone #) and when they were available.
2) His personal pil0t kept years of manifest records of who
he flew/ what/ where/ when.
3) A butler, fired by Epstein, printed off Ms Maxwell's
computer the names and phone #s of 97 girls involved
w/ E. Maxwell reportedly had the role of girlfriend
and procurer of girls for E.

One girl was stuck in Thailand w/ E & his creepy
friends & she ran away to Australia! Good for her!!!

The fly in the ointment? A federal prosecutor in Florida
made a non-prosecute deal w/ Epstein, w/o the knowledge
+ consent of the victims!!! Against the law! The crew
connected, IE the judge and parties from both sides, with
this deal should have all been disbarred. Epstein was
convicted of a state misdemeanor instead. Epstein's
large contribution to the Clinton Global Initiative might
have eased this deal through federal court? Edwards
became aware of this deal after the fact, before he took
on Epstein in court.

This felt like Edwards and Epstein had a continual chess
game and Edwards quite often out-smarted him. E came
across as manipulative and pathetic. His attorneys should
have been ashamed of shielding his felonies. E hired goons
to intimidate his victims & Edwards. E used some of the
same tactics as H. Weinstein did. And B. Cosby who also
blamed the victims. E's former bodyguard implied E had
a hand in the mysterious death of a female attorney.

Edwards & associates validated the victims & fought hard
for them in legal strategies and motions & settlements.
I was so proud of the strength of these victims!


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Finished a re-read on 02/15/24. Hardback edition.

The author reinforced that the underage girls Epstein sex-
ually exploited and raped felt like prisoners. He had about
6 abodes, some in US, some not. He had goons intimidate
girls and adult females, follow them, threaten their lives
or livelihoods, if they reported his crimes to the police or
media. Epstein considered himself above the law.

Per the author, "According to Epstein, the age of consent,
if dictated by anything other than biology, was arbitrary-
which was a word signifying that it should have no
application in any aspect of his life." (pg 274). Epstein
shared his underage girls w/ friends, some famous, some
billionaires. He sponsored science and tech symposiums
at his various mansions- so who was there for the science?
the girls? both? Bill Clinton, no longer President, allegedly
intervened with the DOJ to allow Epstein to dodge federal
rape & sex trafficking charges. "Allegedly" in exchange for
a lg. Epstein contribution to Clinton's new Clinton's Global
Initiative.

In 2019 and 2020 I read 4 books on sex trafficking/
exploitation. Epstein procurer/ girlfriend Ghislaine
Maxwell, kept a master list on the computer of Jeff's
friends and their sex preferences with underage girls.
I recall reading a specific name on this list. Could not
find this in this author's book.

Maxwell's list was copied by his butler (later fired) who
tried to blackmail for $, the attorney/ author of this
book, Bradley Edwards.

[Tracey Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine the government working overtime to protect your rapist and invalidate your claims. You're not a child that was sex trafficked across the world. You were an adult earning an income through your own determination! Oh, also, you'll never know they decided this about you. They'll lie to you every time you check in on how prosecution is progressing and tell you your case is alive and well. Meanwhile they've signed an agreement that keeps your rapist out of jail and declares you a prostitute. Once you find out what has really transpired, they'll gaslight you for a decade until media speculation spins out of control and they're forced into accountability. Yay justice!

This book was an incredibly detailed chronology of Bradley's various civil lawsuits against Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade, one of which was his own suit for malicious prosecution. The others were on behalf of Jeffrey's victims of sexual assault and sex trafficking. I'm incredibly impressed by Bradley's determination and resilience in tackling these various cases in the face of an absurdly corrupt legal system that was continually manipulated by a sociopath with unlimited resources. Not to mention during the midst of his attempts to sue Jeffrey, his own law firm was prosecuted for its secret involvement in one the largest ponzi schemes in US history -unknown to Bradley. He himself was faced with the potential of being ordered to pay millions of dollars to Jeffrey multiple times throughout his lawsuit as various new cases changed precedent that would govern his case, and as confidential materials were stolen from him by Jeffrey. Somehow he managed to raise kids and coach their football teams during this time. I've never felt lazier reading a book.

For those looking for greater insight into Jeffrey's upbringing, career, relationships, and psychology, I would recommend another book as there are a great deal out there that focus on these specific topics. This book also doesn't address the criminal prosecution of Jeffrey in much detail, beyond Bradley challenging the now infamous sweetheart deal of a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) that was signed behind closed doors. Rather, this book lays out the unfolding of a few civil lawsuits, in particular the violation of Courtney Wild's rights under the Crime Victims Rights Act (CVRA). This was perhaps the most famously corrupt aspect of Florida's dealings with Jeffrey, where federal prosecutors hashed out a secret and shockingly lenient plea deal with Jeffrey. CVRAs are supposed to make certain that victims of crime are treated with dignity throughout a criminal case and avoid further victimization, and this was clearly not what transpired in Jeffrey's secret plea deal. I mean this is rarely the case with the prosecution of most sexual abuse cases, but Jeffrey's took on a whole new level of re-victimization. Hundreds of emails were sent by federal prosecutors to Jeffrey's lawyers trying to figure out the most lenient agreement possible, not the other way around. What the actual #$@%.

With that said, this book is exceptionally fascinating. Possibly even more so than an in-depth psychoanalysis or chronological account of Jeffrey's perverted descent into founding an international child sex trafficking pyramid scheme. Yes, it is heavy on the legalities and light on the accounts of sexual exploitation. It is not dry at all though. If anything I would compare it to an episode of Suits or some glamorous legal drama that almost makes you forget how dull law practice is in its day-to-day realities. Also, make the legal issues of a wildly unbelievable true crime nature instead of boring mergers and acquisitions (no offense, Harvey Specter).

I think my main take away from this book is that it is truly the survivors of sexual assault and their lawyers that ultimately stop predators. It is their resiliency and pursuit year after year to get justice that allows them to pursue these sick criminals and finally end their harm, because they never do until their freedom is taken away. Even in jail Jeffrey was molesting underage girls while on supposed work outings.

Honestly, the only way I can make any sense of this prolific pedophile is by assuming some sort of diplomatic immunity due to intelligence work (Ghislaine Maxwell's father was famously tied to the Soviet KGB, Israeli Mossad and British MI6).

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.bookwormblues.net/2020/06/...

I’m not a big fan of courtroom drama. I mean, it is interesting and all, but it’s just never my bag of oats. I don’t really find lawyer-speak that captivating, or the like. I’m not someone who is all, “Yes! Let’s watch Law and Order SVU!” It’s just not part of who I am.

However, I recently watched a documentary about Jeffrey Epstein on Netflix, and I was wandering through my library’s online audiobook selection and saw this one. I decided to jump on it. To be honest, dear reader, I didn’t expect to make it past the first chapter. I just honestly did not think it would be interesting enough to keep my attention (re: I don’t find lawyer-ing that interesting).

I actually ended up blazing through this book, and while it is horrifying, and it is written by some lawyers about lawyer-ing, it is also a very captivating inside perspective in what it took to get someone as powerful as Jeffrey Epstein behind bars. While I did know some of these details, about 90% of this book came as a huge surprise to me.

First, I will say that the writing is really easy to sink into. It’s workman-style prose, but I don’t think anything else would be fitting. Nothing is jazzed up or pretty in this book (again, I don’t think that would be fitting). This is all very matter-of-fact, here’s what happened. Like I said, I don’t think anything else would be right. This is a very complex topic, and a very difficult one, full of emotional triggers, and absolutely overwhelmed by victims. So, for the tone of the book, I think the tone and style was right.

Furthermore, the author never gets overly bogged down in lawyer jargon, which is one big thing that keeps me away from fully appreciating lawyer things. Like, I get that the job is wonderful and all you lawyers are fantastic and all this, but I just find that so often the interesting bits of the story are flooded by information that is important for the career but not as much for the reader. I didn’t get that here. Edwards fills in information and gives background where needed, but he doesn’t go overboard, and there were only two or three times I kind of tuned out due to this sort of thing, which is a record for me.

Okay, so that’s out of the way. Let’s talk meat and potatoes, here.

Jeffrey Epstein was very, very wealthy and very, very connected and very, very powerful and taking him down was nothing short of an odyssey that spanned years, and so many countless hours. When Bradley Edwards was asked to represent Courtney Wild, he had no idea who she was and had never heard the name “Jeffrey Epstein”. From that point on, however, his world seemed to circle around Epstein as they played a cat and mouse game. Epstein used everything he had at his disposal to make bringing him to trial as difficult as possible for Edwards. From frivolous lawsuits, to potential bankruptcy, to hiring private investigators to trail Edwards and threaten his family, to really anything else you can think of, Epstein did it. However, there was always some weird respect that Epstein held for Edwards. It was a chess game, and I think Epstein probably liked the fact that Edwards was a person who played against him, and wasn’t cowed by his power.

On Edwards’ part, having to deal with all this stuff, as well as life in general (for example, one of the firms he worked for went belly up because the dude running it was a con man), must have aged him a million years. I cannot imagine the number of ulcers I would have if I was him. I was also really amazed by how many hours and hours and hours of research went into researching these women, gathering evidence, creating a case. Bringing readers through the process of gathering information, talking to victims and witnesses, and some of the trials they faced in doing that (people were terrified to speak out, as you could likely imagine, and many were being trailed and threatened by Epstein’s people, so they felt very unsafe) was a test all on its own.

Edwards does go into a bit of how Epstein operated here, how he lured girls with massages, had them bring others with them, and the people who worked for him in various capacities. He gives some victim stories, which are hard to read. Often, the women he preyed on were already beat up by life by the time he got them, and he knew just how to groom them to be and do what he wanted. He knew how to make them feel special. While Edwards never glorifies victim stories, I will frankly say that there were one or two of them that made me have to step away from the book for a day or two just to process what I’d read before I could move on.

There were also moments when I felt like I was reading a book about someone who lived on a different planet. For example, Epstein spent some time in the Florida correctional system, and it ended up being less a stint in jail and more of a vacation for him. He left every day, had meetings with people, had his own office in town, and an email address set up. People would fly him in girls, and the like. Then his sentence was done, and he left to go to his private island so he can talk to some IT guys about making an app that would help people like him find young girls without the cops finding out about it, and you know, that really took my breath away because wow… who does that?

Well, Epstein, obviously, but still.

And that’s really where Edwards came in handy for me. It was less about the courtroom drama and the legalese that went into getting Epstein, and more about how well this lawyer did with taking someone like Epstein and distilling him a bit. For example, I watched that Netflix documentary, and it was interesting, but I never really felt like I understood how he mentally maneuvered his way into thinking that any of this was okay. Sure, the guy was a sociopath, but still. However, Edwards kind of broke it down. In a few places of the book, he explained that to Epstein, there was nothing wrong with his attraction to girls, rather he saw it as a problem with the law. As long as women were capable of breeding, they should be given the option to entertain situations where such a thing was possible, and if they don’t, isn’t that a problem with the law holding back nature, rather than a problem with him raping and molesting underage girls?

The mental gymnastics there makes me blood curdle, but once it was explained that way, I understood a lot of Epstein and his sick, twisted, perverse, monied self. Edwards also spoke a bit about the “cult of Epstein” and how he groomed women into his way of thinking, and how long it took to graduate between various levels of his organization, from first massage, to traveling with him on international flights. He also spoke a bit about the people who were commonly attached to Epstein, like Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Harvey Weinstein and the like. It’s quite a long list. I think the man was connected to just about everyone, and he cultivated those connections, likely as a way to both threaten others (“I can destroy you. I know everybody.”) and a way to further his own business aims.

The one thing this book does not do, is talk about how Epstein got his money, or really what he did as a businessman/philanthropist that kept his coffers so full. He also does not speak much on what happened to his enablers, like Ghislaine Maxwell, after it all went down. She’s probably hiding in some hole somewhere, but in my mind, that woman is just as guilty as Epstein, and I think it’s damn near criminal that she’s not accessible/found/able to be brought on trial because she deserves it, as the facilitator who was often responsible for recruiting underage girls.

He does talk a bit about what happened to some of the victims after, and I daresay that life has not been easy on any of them, nor would I expect it to be. Some of them have found ways to move through this to the other side, and some haven’t. What, perhaps, haunts me the most is that there will likely never be a true accounting of just how many girls Epstein abused, nor will there ever be any true knowledge of just how wide his network was. Money and connections covered up his crimes for years upon years, and he was quite a world traveler, so I have a feeling that as horrifying as this is, it really is only the surface. Furthermore, I keep coming back to something I said earlier in this review: I feel like I read a book about someone who lives on another planet. This man was able to buy and maneuver his way out of just about every situation you could think of. Ultimately, that fact right there left me with the absolutely haunting thought, I wonder just how many other Jeffrey Epsteins there really are?

And I wonder if there are enough Bradley Edwards to catch them all.

So, very good book, but it did not leave me feeling resolved, and it did not leave me satisfied. Instead, while I’m glad I read it, I cannot stop thinking about Epstein’s victims, both the known and unknown, and I can’t stop wondering just how many other people in the world there are like him.

And where is Ghislaine Maxwell?

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a shocking, disgusting, and compulsively readable account of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, as told by the lawyer who spent years battling Epstein and defending girls/women he violated.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been fascinated by the Epstein story for a long time. I read Filthy Rich shortly after the July 2019 arrest. I’ve listened to countless hours of podcasts about Epstein, so I couldn’t help but pick this book up off the clearance rack at work. Edwards delivers a highly compelling narrative of his legal battle against Epstein. It took me awhile to finish this because some of the details are too disgusting, but the book was overall pretty good.

Still more questions than answers but it’s nice to see Edwards got his catharsis with this story.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely incredible insight into those who worked tirelessly to bring Jeffrey Epstein, and his accomplices, to justice. I knew of the allegations against Epstein, but the 10 year legal battle from Edwards was unbeknownst to me prior to reading this book. Edwards deserves the highest of praises for the work he did for the victims. I highly recommend reading this.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year's Catch and Kill, but even better, I think. Bradley Edwards is a remarkable person who has written a remarkable book. He spent nearly a decade trying to bring Jeffrey Epstein to justice, enduring death threats, bullshit lawsuits, potential bankruptcy, and more. He was David to Epstein's Goliath. And as heinous as Epstein's crimes were, the cover-up and conspiracy to protect him was the real story here and nothing short of appalling. Over the years, Edwards and Epstein developed a cat-and-mouse type relationship, and an odd and fascinating rapport developed between them born out of both respect and contempt. Edwards's greatest strength, as a person, as an attorney, and as a writer, is that he's able to find humanity in someone most people would see as inhuman.

[Cazlam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story about the pursuit for justice against Jeffrey Epstein. While it never really delved into who Jeffrey was and what led him to become that man, it was still interesting and a complete page-turner.

But whatever became of Ghislaine Maxwell...? Maybe that’s for the sequel. Maybe she’s out there reading these reviews right now.

[Ruthie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Giving this book 3 😧😧😧, 😳,🫢, 😵‍💫, and 5 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐.

The details of this case are disgusting, but the most chilling aspects are read between the lines. At every turn, the United States judiciary gave known serial pedophile Jeffrey Epstein the most favorable treatment imaginable. From a secret non prosecution agreement, to allowing stolen attorney-client emails into the record, to strange appellate court rulings that supported his malicious prosecutions of people who’d accused him, judges fell over themselves to let Epstein off the hook and give him the advantage over his accusers.

One memorable anecdote by his bodyguard has Epstein marching unannounced into the office of an unnamed hedge fund manager (Dubin? Black? Dimon? Fink? Blankfein? Many suspects) and demanding $30 million dollars for “Israel”, only to be told that the money was sent that morning. That’s the closest the author comes to addressing Epstein’s real job. How did Epstein become a billionaire? There’s no clear source of the wealth that gave him the opportunity to spend his life doing 5-7 sex crimes a day.

Epstein read Edwards as an egotistical lawyer obsessed with fairness, and successfully enmeshed him in frivolous litigation, knowing that Edwards would take the bait. Edwards is unable professionally to admit that judges were acting on Epstein’s behalf, because his job requires that he argue before these same judges in further cases. If Edwards were to admit that any judges acted suspiciously, he’d never win a case in front of them ever again. Edwards is understandably not ready to confront contradictions at the heart of the legal profession.

Over the course of his Epstein cases, Edwards is recruited by not one but two extremely sus law firms - the first of which turns out to be a $1.2B Ponzi scheme (Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler) and at the second one, Boies Schiller Flexner, Edwards jokingly suspects his co counsel, Stan Pottinger, of intelligence ties. Edwards provides several throwaway anecdotes that seem to explain how his moves were monitored and exploited by Epstein, then fails to tie those incidents to his newest allies, whom he continues to trust.

Can’t help but come away from this with the impression that Edwards is a self obsessed egomaniac and useful fool. Unfortunately, he’s the only one Epstein’s victims had in their corner. No wonder Epstein got away with it. Edwards makes sure to maintain that it was a suicide.

[Sergio Melendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

money and the power power and the money!!!

[Roxanne Cordonier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I was looking for some deeper meaning in this book and was disappointed. This is a well written book about the legal battle to bring Epstein to justice and that's admirable but
I wanted more details about Epstein's source of wealth and his ability to charm and con some of the world's richest people. My biggest question what the hell was the connection between Wexner and Epstein. What did Epstein do for Wexner that prompted Wexner to hand over much of his fortune and gift him with the biggest brownstone in Manhattan.
I guess that's a different book.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written, interesting and enlightening book which details the long, LONG road to even approach the edge of justice by some of Epstein's hundreds of victims.

Written by the lawyer (though by no means the only one), who since 2008 has been most heavily and intimately involved in the many cases against Epstein it is well written in a consistent and linear fashion that made it easy for me to follow the journey. I suspect that some people, less interested in factual crime and legal issues, might find it dry at times; it certainly makes no attempt to sensationalise or catastrophise the subject. I found the matter of fact, respectful tone to be the perfect one for the subject matter.

Probably we all know (or think we know) somewhat about the case: Epstein was quite clearly completely morally corrupt and I don't suppose there is any doubt in many peoples mind that he groomed and sexually abused many women and girls. He was also wealthy and connected, and because of that escaped justice for many years. This book exposes, in part, the horrific depths of iniquity that the USA 'justice' systems descended to in protecting Epstein's rights for decades. That, in many ways, is more nauseating than reading about Epstein raping a fourteen year old.

While Epstein's wealth is never fully explained, nor his web of connections to powerful people, the book does describe some of the effects of this level of power. The implications of that web are much wider than the scope of the book.

The blow by blow descriptions of the battle to bring Epstein to justice are gruelling for the reader and I can only imagine the toll it took on the actual participants.

There were some unexpected take home messages for me. Epstein died in prison, so his victims never got proper closure, I know that there are theories about how he may or may not have died, this book does not get into them but the author seems to side toward the suicide notion. I have always thought of the pursuit of Ghislaine Maxwell as something of a witch hunt. It seemed to me that since Epstein was out of the way, Maxwell was taking the heat for him as well as for her own actions. How wrong I was! From the mainstream press' reporting I gathered that Maxwell was besotted by Epstein and acted on his behalf. Well, probably, but the systematic, organised recruitment of children seems to have been devised by her. Before Maxwell entered the picture Epstein was abusing minors, yet, but Maxwell apparently devised the system where victims who procured more victims were paid at the same rate as if they had 'given a massage' themselves. A kind of pyramid scheme of underage grooming, paedophilia and abuse, and the systemic organisation of it seems to be credited to Maxwell.

Another thing this book changed my mind about was the involvement of Virginia Giuffre. Her story, as presented by the Murdock/Packer machine, had always seemed both suspicious and unlikely to me. It isn't, and I now have much more respect for her actions, her courage and her involvement in the cases against Epstein and Maxwell as well as her established victims fund.

This next opinion is going to be controversial as I have never quite seen Prince Andrew's involvement - at least from what has been reported publicly as being as villainous as it has been, at times, represented as. He has, in any case always maintained his innocence (anyone remember innocent until proven guilty? No? I noticed that) in terms of having had sex with Guiffe (I am sitting the fence on that one). But my understanding is that wrong dong in this case is complicated. Even IFF he had sex with Guiffe when she was 17 in London, that is over the age of consent at the location. If she had been paid for it (by Epstein), that makes it a crime. If she was brought over international borders for the purpose, that is a crime. But did Andrew (if he did in fact have sex with her) know it was a crime? Tricky.

Settling out of court makes equal sense for the royal family whether or not it is true and every generation of the English royal family seems to include at least one member with poor decision making practices, who gets into silly scrapes. Andrew is the unabashed poor decision maker of his generation (it is pretty clear who is carrying the flame this generation too), but that does not make him necessarily guilty of statutory rape. This book did not really change my mind on that point.

What it DID surprise me with is, while Prince Andrew has lost status and been removed from his jobs and honours (quite understandably) other public figures have suffered NO CENSURE AT ALL for FAR greater involvement in the Epstein scandal. Donald Trump, in particular, a known, regular associate of Epstein, frequently present at times when abuse MUST have been occurring. Who's Mar-a-Lago resort was a recruiting ground for at least one underage victim.... Apparently he and others like him are just fine! Even considering running for president of the USA again.

A fascinating and horrifying book in so many ways, both expected and unexpected. Very glad I read it and would recommend it to anyone who wanted more insight on the Epstein and Maxwell cases.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously heavy subject matter, but the author did a great job of telling these girls' stories. It was powerful and haunting.

[Debra B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read written by the attorney representing many of Epstein's victims. It describes the long and arduous process of trying to bring Jeffrey Epstein to justice. He used influence, legal maneuvers and intimidation to manipulate everyone involved in order to avoid prosecution. Worse, he was so smug about everything because the secret sweetheart deal he got from the government ensured he and his accomplices could never be prosecuted.

The book was difficult to read not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the extreme measures he used to defend himself and inflict emotional damage on his victims. He never apologized for his actions or lifestyle and used every dirty trick in the book to escape justice. His wealth and use of the legal system to protect himself and intimidate his victims was truly frightening. What a pity he "died" before he could be tried by the legal system, but it is not surprising considering the number of the rich and famous that had much to lose if Epstein started talking.

I watch the developments in this case eagerly because I'd really like to know how he was able to buy influence at the highest levels. The sweetheart non-prosecution deal managed by Alex Acosta at the Justice Department that labeled these girls as prostitutes effectually raped the girls both physically and emotionally.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰ 4.25 ✰

one of the most disturbing cases i've ever read about. such a vile abuse of power that is still so prominent in society today *cough* prince andrew *cough* donald trump. i re-watched the filthy rich documentary whilst i was reading this and it helped with familiarising myself with the victims and brad edwards to make this case feel more tangible. i imagine this is the first book of many about jeffrey epstein and his co-conspirators and i look forward to the justice system learning from their mistakes with epstein by putting ghislaine maxwell away for life

[Shannon Blyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book.

A very powerful, tough, emotional read.

Not only did the author express the horror of what the victims endured but further the frustration of trying to achieve justice against such a powerful figure.

In some chapters the victims would reflect in detail about the abuse they suffered. Which at times meant the book needed to be put down to recollect the emotions. But as hard as it was to read I can’t imagine the pain these women went through.

Reading this book knowing that Jeffery ‘died’ was a frustrating angle because he deserved to loose his freedom and spend his life in jail. This book captures the way he felt about control and his comfortably with being in control.

I applaud the author for all the legal work his team, the victims and himself did to achieve a sense of justice.

I would highly recommend this book to gain a deeper insight into this case and the events that unfolded.

However it can have moments of difficulty and detailed recollections of sexual abuse, which could be triggering for some readers.

5 stars for this book.

End note: fuck rich old white men.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well thought out and well written book

Excellent, well thought out, well written. I'm grateful for those who fight for the truth. Thought provoking and well rounded presentation as well.

[Santi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for telling the story of what happened then, is happening now, and what will continue to happen because we dont like holding people accountable.

[Gustavo Obregón · Rating 5 out of 5]

...after finishing this book I don't think Ghislaine Maxwel will ever tell the truth about Jeffrey Epstein, it would be very naib to think that all the powerful men Epstein had as close friends did not take part in some way or another in his illegal activities abusing underage girls. Men with money are very easy to predict but the names of those men will forever be in secret, It wouldn't be a surprise to read in the news that Maxwell "killed herself" while waiting trial until July 2021.

I thought the book would bring to light new things that you don't hear in the news about Jeffrey Epstein and on the contrary I got to read an amazing story about the lawyer that stood up against such power, he truly is someone who believes that justice hast to be served in this lifetime.

I'm also hoping for Dershowitz to pay for whatever he did, he has that guilt face.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damning indictment of serial pedophile & sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein

Excellent, detail-driven chronology of attorney Bradley Edwards' fight to secure justice for multiple victims. The book provides compelling victim testimony about Epstein and primary co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell's evil, sadistic and manipulative sex assault crimes. One of Maxwell's controlling threats: "If you report us to the police again, I will have you killed." Please write, post, and tweet the FBI and SDNY to charge Maxwell. This narcissistic sociopath must be held accountable for her criminal perversions.

[Charmaine Vietzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

I loved how the attorney fought so hard for these frightened women. He put himself in danger and kept fighting for years. I can’t believe Epstein got away with hurting so many people and all of his powerful friends that tried to keep his crimes hidden and him from being prosecuted ...

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This author was one determined lawyer! He definately knew how to take the best care of his clients and get them closure. Jeffery was a very devious person and a narcissist. This was a not putdownable book for me.

[Seymour Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brad Edwards is a hero and has single-handedly restored my faith in men's ability to take a stand on behalf of women who have been victimised and fight literally to the death. We need more men like him who will pursue justice at any cost.

[Lafourche Parish Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier, was convicted in 2008 of solicitation of prostitution of a minor and served 13 months in federal prison. In 2019, he was arrested for sex trafficking of minors and was facing a sentence of life in prison. Instead, a month after his arrest, he committed suicide in his jail cell. Relentless Pursuit, written by one of the lawyers who sued Jeffrey Epstein for one of his victims, recounts lawyer Bradley Edward’s 11-year search for justice against the sexual predator who had the resources, the connections, and the sheer gall to manipulate and exploit the American judicial system for over 20 years.

Edwards brings to light the sweet deals Epstein and his lawyers (including the infamous Alan Dershowitz) negotiated with federal prosecutors where the 13 months he spent in prison were more like a work release program than actual punishment. Epstein’s legal team also used years of suits and counter suits, depositions, and other legal maneuvers to bog down the legal process. Edwards also names some of the famous and powerful men Jeffrey had in his elite circle-Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, Prince Andrew-never accusing, but wondering what roles they may have played in easing his legal complications. He also describes in great detail the disturbing acts that Epstein perpetrated throughout the world, including on his private island in the Caribbean, against minor girls, some as young as 12.

Readers will be astonished at the lengths Jeffrey Epstein went to with his coterie of lawyers, friends, staff, and money to continue his criminal acts. Edwards and his small law firm were able to finally bring him to justice, but the story is far from over. The book also discusses the role that Ghislaine Maxwell, who was recently arrested for her part in the crimes, played as accomplice and willing participant in the sexual exploitation of hundreds of young girls for Jeffrey’s amusement.

Availability: Book; eBook & eAudiobook in CloudLibrary
Rating: *** Stars (I liked it)
Reviewer: Helen, Technical Services Librarian

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GENRE: Autobiographies & Memoirs; Life Stories; True Crime
SUBJECT: Capitalists & Financiers; Justice; Lawyers; Rape Investigation; Serial Rapists; Sexual Violence Victims; Statutory Rape; Victims of Crimes

[Nin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly brilliant legal account of an incredibly convoluted and jarring story. For a totally green-with-US-law individual such as myself, I found I was able to keep up with the different lawsuits and terminology and how separate things applied in differing jurisdictions. Edwards managed to convey all of this in order to make it easy to follow, and yet I think he managed to also respect the reader enough to not turn it into “Law 101 for dummies”.

He has earned my respect for his unwavering commitment to what is right, even if that is the road less travelled. It is a testament to Epstein’s enormous power, charisma and influence that he was even able to manipulate the emotions of an opposing legal team he was actively suing for $10 million. When you understand the reaction of the lawyers tracking him down for the best part of 15 years, you understand so much more the way his victims, house staff, drivers and pilots saw him. A spider weaving a terrifying web of influence, mystery and menace. If it’s frightening for Bradley Edwards and his team, imagine being a 14 year old girl.

Great book, but don’t pick it up if you want a more in depth account of who Epstein was or a biography of how he lived his life - this is a pretty strict legal account of the determination of his victims and their lawyers to bring this monumentally dangerous pervert down.

On a anecdotal side note-
I was interested to see Edwards errs towards him killing himself, having met him in litigation, mediation and less formally in Starbucks so many times. Obviously it goes against the popular narrative of #Epsteindidntkillhimself, but it’s always been my personal feeling that he did. When the person who’s entire life has been about control realises he’s about to forever lose it, killing yourself seems the final fuck you to a world that was pushing back far, far too late. See also; Harold Shipman, Fred West.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say that this was an enjoyable read, but it was certainly unforgettable and mind-boggling. Bradley Edwards goes into great detail about his relentless pursuit of Jeffrey Epstein. Edwards was a young lawyer in his early thirties when a young woman by the name of Courtney Wild came into his office and told him her tale of the abuse she received at the hands of Jeffery Epstein when she was 14 years old. Her shocking story started Bradley on his ten year journey to have Epstein pay for his many, many crimes. Bradley and the women who came to him for help wanted this serial predator to be charged to the full extent of the law. Men with very recognizable names like Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and Donald Trump, as well as many others, were involved with Epstein's criminal operation for a number of years. The details of this fight are told in stunning detail. We follow Epstein's empire through Florida, New York, the Caribbean, all over Europe and beyond. This very charismatic man with unlimited funds had no one that would attempt to stop him as he had politicians, judges, country leaders, law enforcement and financiers in his group of trusted allies. Bradley, his law firm and his clients who were Epstein's victims were the giant killers in this revealing story. Before I began this book, I thought that the book might get repetitive or so repulsive that I wouldn't be able to finish it. That did not happen at all. Bradley's story kept me going and maintained my interest right up to the end. The only disappointment was that in the end, Epstein did not have to face the consequences of his actions, as he died just three weeks after he was finally arrested on child endangerment charges. Was it murder or suicide? That we don't find out. Good riddance to the most notorious sexual deviant that we've seen in our era.

[The Reader Ignites · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching the Netflix documentary ‘Jeffrey Epstein- Filthy Rich’, I became curious about this case and I have to say this book answered so many of the questions that I still had after the documentary.
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Bradley Edwards is a lawyer who represented a large amount of Epstein victims and as he says in this book, it became his life’s mission to bring down Epstein. Whilst parts of the book go into the legalise of trying to get Epstein to trial, I found the areas surrounding the victims and their stories the most fascinating and by fascinating I mean how they fought countless times just to be listened to and believed. Epstein, a very wealthy man, had an insatiable appetite for young teenage girls and it was so sad and frustrating how his wealth allowed him to keep out of jail for so long. Surrounded by enablers (Ghislaine Maxwell you disgust me) and having countless high profile friends here, there and everywhere, Epstein managed to keep his escapades out of the limelight and continue abusing hundreds of teenage girls as far back as the 1990s.
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Edward’s starts the book by recounting how he finally heard in 2019 that Epstein was arrested and would be going to trial. The book then goes on to document the lead up to this, giving fascinating accounts of how victims were brought to Epstein’s Miami mansion many times a day as well as flown to his private island. Some of the victim accounts from this time were the most harrowing and hardest to read. At times, I had to leave down the book and walk away, not picking it back up as I found it hard to process what I was reading.
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This book was very well written. It gave a much more detailed look at the case, at Epstein’s life and what the victims went through. So well worth the read!