This is a hard one to review as it's not a work of fiction. This was not a case that I was very familiar with prior to reading this book. I can say that I was gripped from page one and that is not something that always happens with true crime. The author was able to make me feel the heartbreak of Shele's family, not only loosing a daughter/sister but loosing out on a relationship with her two children as well. Very well written and I look forward to checking out other works by Rebecca Rosenberg.

4.5 stars

I had never heard of this murder case before being offered an ARC of this true crime book. As I started reading it, I was glued to the pages. It was a horrendous yet riveting account of events leading up to Rod Covlin murdering his wife Shele, the aftermath, the investigation and the trial. It was a story about greed and betrayal, just as advertised. Rod was a nasty piece of work and his schemes were unbelievable! I was seething with anger and gripping the edge of my seat in extreme tension as I turned each page.

Shele Danishefsky had a successful career, a loving family and two beautiful children. She was in the prime of her life when Rod Covlin murdered her in cold blood. The other tragedy was the ensuing bitter custody battles between the Covlin’s and the Danishefsky’s and the children being used as pawns by not only Rod Covlin but his parents too. Shame on them!

I felt for the Danishefsky’s, and the children Anna and Miles. The Covlin’s are one dysfunctional family! This book is worth the read to learn more about this true crime and how it all ends.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this generally well-written and well researched true crime book from start to finish. I had not heard of this case for some reason which is odd as it is pretty high-profile. The story is sad of course and the perpetrator is one crazy SOB. I’m glad justice was served. The book doesn’t just follow the investigation and trial, it also gives us a birds-eye view of the extent to which the defendant went to destroy the lives of two families in so many ways. Truly diabolical and a good lesson in what psychopathy looks like.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and thank them and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Very well written. Read more like a fiction. True crime enthusiast will love this book. I was amazed of some of the things this man did. Would definitely recommend this book

This novel tells the story of a mother of two who is murdered and uncovers the events of her life and tells what happened that fateful day she was murdered. A great true crime novel that I really enjoyed and recommend that you read. The writing was well done and told the story in a way that keeps you interested in the story and keeps your attention to the very end.

This is one of those books that grabs you in the beginning and does not let go until you finish it. This book was consistently good all the way through and there were no peaks and valleys that caused my interest to fluctuate. The authors did an excellent job researching and writing this very complex case.

Shele Danishefsky suffered burns on her chest and arms when she was very young and then had a weight problem in school which caused her to suffer from low self-esteem. After college, she entered the finance business joining her father's firm where she was a big success and soon gained confidence. She thought she had grabbed the brass ring, so to speak, when she met Roderick Covlin, 10 years her junior, and married him. They went onto have two children, Anna and Myles. Things rapidly went downhill when Rod decided he would rather not work and instead go around the country playing in backgammon tournaments and womanizing while his wife worked and paid the bills. Shele ends up dead and it took 10 years before justice was served.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this nail-biter that I just could not put down in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a read. This book really makes you think. The deviousness and pain that this man put his kids through is totally mind shattering. As a parent it’s crazy to think someone would try to manipulate and abuse their own flesh and blood. Totally worth the read.

At Any Cost by Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar is a true crime stunner.

On the surface, it seemed Shele Danishefsky had it all: marriage to a handsome husband (10 years her junior), two beautiful children, and a successful career in wealth management. But beneath the façade, hers was a life unraveling. Rod Covlin’s penchant for women, backgammon, and other destructive behaviors intensified over the course of the couple’s marriage culminating in Shele’s decision to divorce her husband and cut off his financial support. She wouldn’t live to see that happen.

From the outset, the investigation into Shele Danishefsky’s death was beset by misunderstandings, misinformation, and mismanagement. Justice for her family would limp along for nearly 10 years as Rod Covlin’s desperate, downward spiral produced increasingly more bizarre schemes to lay hold of Shele’s fortune.

Rod Covlin was a man without conscience, and not a single person in his orbit was free from his psychotic manipulations - not even his children. The emotional and physical abuse his children endured was some of the most disturbing I’ve ever encountered in print, and for that reason, parts of this book may be hard for some readers to stomach. That said, this was an excellent true crime read for me. I sat down intending to read just a few chapters and was half-way through before I got up. Readability and pacing make this a swift read – one true crime fans will devour.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for this NetGalley copy. This one will be an easy sell in my store.

Shele and Rod had two young children and as Shele had a prestigious job on Wall Street, all seemed great with their lifestyle. Shele was the breadwinner as Rod did not seem to have much of a career as he considered playing backgammon would make him rich. Although he did travel and play consistently, he never seemed to come out on top. Finally Shele had enough supporting her husband and family and planned to change her will and get a divorce, but Rod could not let those millions of dollars slip through his hands at any cost and took Shele's life. He was so devious that he even tried to frame his family. This true crime story is sad and fascinating and I thank Netgalley for my ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: April 6, 2021
Shele Danishefsky is a successful financial officer, working for her family’s investment business. After overcoming a childhood accident that left her with a physical deformity, she has finally started showing confidence and embracing her strengths. When she meets Roderick Covlin, she feels like she has the final piece in her puzzle; a man she loves and wants to raise a family with. After the birth of two children, Shele and Rod’s marriage starts to break down in the worst way; not only has Rod been unfaithful (numerous times), but his backgammon habit has left him broke, relying solely on Shele for money. After years of physical, psychological and emotional abuse Shele finally decides to divorce Rod and sue him for custody- but she never makes it to court. Shele is found drowned in a bathtub, which is ruled an accident. But six years later, gruesome details come to light and the case is reopened- with Rod as the main suspect.
Rebecca Rosenberg is a journalist for the New York Post, who has chronicled several high profile legal cases, such as Robert Durst and Harvey Weinstein. She, along with her husband Selim Algar, have combined their talents to bring this true crime story to the world.
This novel is definitely more of a legal drama than a case study of a murderer. The tedious and exacting legal proceedings play out over the course of four years, telling a horrendous story of abuse, child manipulation and murder. If you are looking for a deep dive on the inner workings of the suspect, Rod Covlin, you won’t get it. You will, however, get an in depth examination of his evil deeds, from a legal perspective, as well as a graphic and detailed description of a very acrimonious divorce.
Although Shele generates sympathy from the get-go, I was tortured most by Anna and Myles, Shele and Rod’s children. Right from their birth, they are immediately pulled into a controlling, abusive relationship and they become pawns for a bitter divorce that spans years of their young lives. Then, once their mother dies, they are once again in the middle of a custody debate, between their biological father and their maternal grandparents. There is nothing to feel but heartbreak for these poor souls.
“At Any Cost” highlights the lengths someone will go to in order to quench their unrelenting greed, and the ins and outs of an abusive and entirely dysfunctional marriage, leading to an in depth description of the legal proceedings that stem from a murder charge. Although thick and wordy in parts, “At Any Cost” will definitely trigger a lot of emotions as the despicable acts of Rod Colvin are displayed in detail. Thankfully, the ending provides a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Should never have happened. What a tragedy for a seemingly remarkable woman and great mother. I feel particularly sad for her children and her family. This true crime book is very well written and does not drag. Deserves all its five star ratings.

This is a well written true crime story ripped from the headlines of NYC. I enjoyed all the background info on the families from the previous generations. This is a heartbreaking story - Shele was a brilliant, beautiful and sophisticated woman. She shined at her career and was ready for the next steps... marriage and a family. Rod comes into the pictures and settles in quickly- his greed, selfishness and abusive manner was definitely difficult to read. This story unfolded and I was quickly swept up. . Beautiful written I was captivated by the storyline and ended up finishing it on one sitting . This family will stay with me and It’s so sad Rod ruined the lives of so many....

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of At Any Cost in exchange for an honest review.

I just reviewed At Any Cost by Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar on my Goodreads. #NetGalley #atanycost.

At Any Cost
By Rebecca Rosenberg
Selim Algar

This is the true story of what can happen when you make excuses for an abuser,because you don't want to admit things are happening in your life.
This was a woman who was the bread winner in the family, who put aside her pride and funded the lifestyle of the slacker she married.
He was the type of person who is good at conniving and convincing those around him what a good father and great guy he iwas. Truth be told, he was a narcissistic scam artist, all show with no substance.
His life revolved around backgammon and women he met on line. He thought nothing of denigrating his wife to any who would listen and when she had enough and wanted a divorce he put his vindictive plan into action.
He thought nothing of running her down to friends and employers, painting her as a drug addictive child abusers. When that didn't result in a large payday, he started on the children, convincing them to do,just about anything he wanted. She was willing to share custody with him, because she believed he truly loved the children. He thought nothing of spying on her, comprising her computer and phone and cloning her emails to add and delete things.
When he pushed as far as he could, he decided to eliminate his children's mother, going so far as to let them find her body. By this time he had brainwashed his oldest child to believe he was her savior. Destroyer is more like it, asking her to do unspeakable things to herself and blame her grandfather. He plotted to kill his own parents using his own children to destroy them. His ego and evil knew no bounds.

This book should be required reading for any person in an abusive relationship where children are involved. Sometimes you have to take your children and your life back before the violence destroys you all. Even if you do everything right, you can still be in danger. Once an abuser and cheater show themselves, don't expect them to suddenly change, don't invite them back for the sake of the children. The charmers will turn your children and others against you, blaming you for what they are doing.

This man destroyed so many lives by his greed and his own parents helped to convince his children that everything was the fault of others. I feel sorry for his children who grew up convinced their father was the only person who loved them and knew what was best for them.

So many mistakes were made after her death by so many that it took 10 years to bring him to justice. In that time, his children were convinced he was the only one to love and cared about them.

I was given this book,by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I will post on Goodreads, Facebook, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Like watching a slow moving train wreck, this book will keep you glued to this book. Its so engrossing, hard to put down, and you just want to scream at SHELE.....GIRL MOVE! GIRL...WATCH OUT!
This is a fascinating and deeply disturbing true crime about a man, Rod, who would DO ANYTHING for money and sex.
When his wife, Shele, finally got enough courage up to leave him, he went ballistic. Through court filings, emails, phone messages, the depths of Rods depravity emerges.
Caught in the middle are the 2 kids, Anna and Miles.
This is one true crime book that is so hard to put down.
With mounting horror, the reader begins to see the lengths that Rod will go to, to control the people in his life.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me early access to the book in exchange for this honest review.

Hard-to-believe story of greed, murder, and deception. Well-researched and very interesting as the reader follows the exploits of a truly evil character.

What a heartbreaking, scary, and maddening series of events this non-fiction book takes us through. I was riveted and terrified at the constant reminder that the events depicted actually took place.

This book was nowhere on my radar and I hadn't heard of the case back when Shele's murder took place, but now I'm billing it as a book that every true crime lover NEEDS to read.

My humble thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A true crime story that is well worth the read. I was hesitant at the beginning of this story, but once I got further into it I was hooked. It’s fascinating and breaks down the case piece by piece showing many sides. There are always multiple sides to every story and the authors really question many aspects. I had quite a few what the heck moments and kept thinking did that really happen!? I would recommend this to all true crime fans and commend the authors on a fantastic read.

I received an advance copy of, At Any Cost, by Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar. What a book, it has everything, lying, cheating, gambling, and murder. What a sad story.

Not since Joe McGinnis' Fatal Vision have I read such a compelling true crime narrative. The authors do a masterful job of bringing to life the people caught up in this evil, and the story moves at such a pace that it is hard to put the book down. I had a vague recollection of the case at the time of the trial in 2019, but was unaware of the significant delay in investigation, the drama surrounding the children during that period, and the depravity of Colvn's actions during those intervening years. The last quarter of the book is devoted to the trial itself, and its depiction is entirely authentic. Perfect for fans of :Making a Murderer" and "Dirty John", AT ANY COST is a must read.

Shele had one thing she really wanted. She wanted marriage and children. She wanted the perfect husband. She already had a great job, loving parents and awesome siblings. She though she had found her prince charming when she met Ron. That would turn out to be the worst decision of her life. She did get her children, a boy and a girl. They were her life. Ron was a lazy, gambling, emotional and physical abusive man.
I was given this book to read and review by the publisher. It was an amazing true crime book. It is wounding to your heart, for Shele's parents her siblings and her children. It is a book of betrayal and loss. Unfortunately there is no winners.