At Any Cost

Brutal and Dark

Mystery and thrillers are usually my cups of tea. Sometimes I need to sink my teeth into some true crime. This was given to me for an honest review by NetGalley. I am so glad that it hit my radar. This is a sad story about a woman who continued to make excuses for the man she loves and was constantly hoping will change. At the end of the day, it costs her a life and destroyed the lives of the two people she loved the most her children. Shele Danisheefsky who was the breadwinner in the family, put aside her pride and funded the lifestyle of the man she married without knowing what kind of monster he was and would become.
He was the type of person who is good at conniving and convincing those around him what a good father and great guy he was. Truth be told, he was a narcissistic scam artist, all show with no substance.
His life revolved around backgammon and women he met online. He thought of nothing and no one but himself. I do not understand how money could be more important than the health and wellness of his kids. When he saw that bad-mouthing Shele didn't get the result he wanted he changed tactics to get what he wanted he turned her beautiful kids against her. She was willing to do anything to keep her kids' lives stable. When things failed to work in his favor, he brainwashed both the kids but especially Anna to think that her father was the best and that her mother was nothing.

In the end, he decided to eliminate her to try and get his hands on her money and the kids. I paced myself with this one because a large portion of this book is heavy and it requires time to process. I am so happy that after so many years that justice was served and Rod is in jail. This book should be read by anyone who is in an abusive relationship. Not so they can cry but so they can see themselves in Shele and get help before it's too late to get help and all that is left is for their families to grieve them. This story has such a sad and satisfying ending. It is sad because these kids were shown that their father was the only one who loved them and it is so far from the truth. Satisfying because after ten long years justice was served.