There's nothing like a true crime novel to get your emotions running hot and your blood boiling! I could barely get through this story about the evil Rod Covlin and what he did to destroy an entire family with his greed and malicious activities.
It was so clear, probably because it was already a fact that he'd been found guilty, that he had murdered his wife, Shele Danishfsky. If that wasn't bad enough, he then completely destroyed the lives of his own children by his selfish actions in keeping them from Shele's entire family and devastating the relationship his children had with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Reading this filled me with rage that a man like Rod could get away with all the hideous things that he did, wanted to do, and planned to do.
A contentious divorce is the ugliest thing on earth -- reducing people to their basest levels and watching them act out unbelievable scenarios. The two children, Anna and Myles, were pawns in a war between their parents and extended families, and I can see how they would be left so overwhelmed and confused about whom to believe and whom to love. I did find it very surprising that neither child ever testified in court or spoke to the authors so who knows what they really think.
I love a good courtroom scene and all the legal drama, but the personal anguish that came through the pages -- the suffering of Shele's family -- was hard to bear. I am always surprised, however, by the depth of loyalty that can be displayed even for the most depraved. How Rod's parents could support him after all that he did to them. How Anna and Myles could have a positive thought in their heads about their father. This mystifies me. How many lies can someone swallow -- I guess as many as they need to in order to preserve the notion that their son and their father are really not monsters. Hearing about all the things that Rod said and did and thought through the years made me sick to my stomach. I was so worried that justice would not prevail. But, then again, as in the case of any crime such as this, the result does not undue the suffering or bring back the dead.
It took 10 years for Rod Covlin to be held accountable for what he did. So many things went wrong from the discovery of Shele's body to the trial where her killer was finally given his just due. I loved reading the details of this story with all the background information and appreciate the work and research that the authors did to bring this book to publication.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend to all true crime fans everywhere.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - true crime
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