At Any Cost unravels the twisted story of Rod Covlin, whose unrepentant greed drove him to an unspeakable act of murder and betrayal that rocked New York City. Wealthy, beautiful, and brilliant, Shele Danishefsky had fulfillment at her fingertips. Having conquered Wall Street, she was eager to build a family with her much younger husband, promising Ivy League graduate Rod Covlin. But when his hidden vices surfaced, marital harmony gave way to a merciless divorce. Rod had long depended on Shele's income to fund his tastes for high stakes backgammon and infidelity--and she finally vowed to sever him from her will. In late December 2009, Shele made an appointment with her lawyer to block him from her millions. She would never make it to that meeting. Two days later, on New Year’s Eve, Shele was found dead in the bathtub of her Upper West Side apartment. Police ruled it an accident, and Shele’s deeply Orthodox Jewish family quickly buried her without an autopsy on religious grounds. Rod had a clear path to his ex-wife's fortune, but suspicions about her death lingered. As the two families warred over custody of Shele’s children—and their inheritance— Rod concocted a series of increasingly demented schemes, even plotting to kill his own parents, to secure the treasure. And as investigators closed in, Rod committed a final, desperate act to frame his own daughter for her mother’s death. Journalists Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar reconstruct the ten years that passed between the day Shele was found dead and the day her killer faced justice in this riveting account of how one man’s irrepressible greed devolved into obsession, manipulation, and murder. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press
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"Beautiful, smart and rich, Shele Danishefsky had it all. She was a well-known investment banker who was eager to start a family with her much younger husband, Rod Covlin. Unfortunately for Shele, Rod liked to play backgammon and loved women. Shele vowed to cut him from her will. In late December 2009, Shele made an appointment with her lawyer to remove him and block him from any access to her millions. She would never make it to that meeting. A few short days later, on NYE, Shele was found dead in the bathtub of her Upper West Side apartment. Police detectives ruled her death an accident, and in sticking with their deeply religious views, her Orthodox Jewish parents quickly buried her without an autopsy. As the two families fought for custody of the children in court, Rod concocted a series of increasingly demented schemes, even plotting to kill his own parents, to secure the treasure. Meanwhile, suspicion of Shele's death lingered. And as investigators closed in, Rod committed a final, desperate act to frame his own daughter for her mother’s death.This is a chilling story of a monster masquerading as a father. "
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JM (5 out of 5 stars)