In this book, John Glatt - who's written many true crime books - tells the story of Manhattan socialite Thomas Gilbert Jr., who murdered his father in cold blood.

Thomas Gilbert Jr., called Tommy, has an illustrious ancestry in America - starting with Robert Treat, who founded Newark, New Jersey in the 1660s. Some of Tommy's forebears were also mentally ill, which foreshadows Tommy's own descent into paranoia and possible schizophrenia.

Tommy's parents, Thomas Gilbert Sr. and Shelley Rea Gilbert, were a wealthy New York couple with a luxurious lifestyle.The Gilberts were thrilled when young Tommy was born in 1984, and the handsome intelligent little boy was pampered and sent to the best schools. Little Tommy was close to his dad and, at the age of nine, gave his father a 'World's Greatest Dad' statuette, which Tom Sr. cherished.

As a young teenager Tommy was a model pupil at Manhattan's elite Buckley School. Tommy was a straight A student, talented athlete, and student council member - later described as 'a golden boy' by a classmate. Tommy's outer façade was deceptive however, and he was becoming anxious and paranoid.....and developing an irrational fear of his father. A few years later, when Tommy was a junior at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, he became convinced his roommate was 'contaminated.' Tommy then began obsessively washing his hands, was constantly 'losing' clothing because it was contaminated, and started showing signs of depression.

Despite his problems, Tommy applied to his father's alma mater - Princeton University - and was accepted. However, Tommy's fear and avoidance of his father escalated at this time, and he also became convinced the Princeton campus was contaminated. To cope, Tommy embraced Princeton's drug scene, and indulged in marijuana, LSD, and cocaine. Moreover, Tommy began injecting himself with anabolic steroids, to improve his performance on the football field.

When Tommy was caught using drugs Princeton suspended him, and Tommy's parents reached out to mental health professionals for help. Tommy started seeing a psychiatrist named Dr. Kevin Spicer, and told the doctor people were contaminating him, stealing his personality, and killing his thoughts. Dr. Spicer diagnosed Tommy with a depressive disorder and possible schizophrenia, and prescribed antipsychotic medication. Spicer also advised the Gilbert parents to hospitalize Tommy, but they didn't, partly because they were in denial, and partly because of the social stigma.

In subsequent years - as Tommy's behavior became more bizarre and dangerous - various doctors encouraged the Gilberts to hospitalize Tommy again and again. The Gilberts always resisted, though, saying Tommy would refuse inpatient treatment. In retrospect, this seems like a grave error, as institutionalization might have helped Tommy before it was too late.

During Tommy's suspension from Princeton, he lived the high life for a couple of years, surfing his way around the world at his parents' expense. Tommy hit the beaches in South America, Africa, and Brazil, then spent time in America's Deep South before returning to college. When Tommy finally graduated from Princeton, he was expected to become a successful financier like his father, but this never happened.

Glatt elaborates about Tommy's youth, years at Princeton, subsequent elegant lifestyle in Manhattan and the Hamptons (paid for by his parents), refusal to get a job, and declining mental health. Glatt also includes details about Tommy's troubled relations with his friends and girlfriends. Though Tommy was peculiar, many women liked him for his good looks.

Tommy's behavior - suspicious and antagonistic - made it difficult for him to keep friends, and Tommy went over the top when he beat up his former roommate Peter Smith, then burned down the Smith family's historic house in Southampton. Sadly, Tommy's parents repeatedly hired lawyers, covered for him, and paid his way out of trouble, and Tommy came to expect special treatment.

As 2015 approached, Tom Gilbert Sr. was experiencing money problems and reduced Tommy's allowance, the idea being that Tommy needed to (finally) support himself. Tommy then made plans to sell his parents' Hampton's mansion, worth over 11 million dollars - and decided to murder his father so he could proceed with his scheme.

On January 5, 2015, at the age of 30, Tommy paid a visit to his parents' Manhattan apartment and asked his mother to go out to buy him a sandwich and a coke. Tommy then shot his father in the head as Tom Sr. was watching television in the bedroom. Tommy was arrested seven hours later.

The tale of Tommy's subsequent competency hearings and eventual trial takes up the latter part of the book. Though Tommy pulled the trigger, there's room to disagree about Tommy's 'legal' guilt or innocence, since he was mentally ill. Once again, one must wonder what would have happened if Tommy - starting in his teenage years - had received the help he so badly needed.

Glatt did extensive research for this book and observes, "Golden Boy is without a doubt my most challenging true crime book." The author spent five years interviewing Tommy's family, friends, and acquaintances, and following the winding path through scores of court hearings and trial transcripts.

Glatt came to know Tommy's mother Shelley quite well, and observes,"[Shelley's] courage and dignity are amazing, and I cannot begin to fathom how difficult it must have been to lose a husband and then a son to this terrible disease." Shelley hoped her son would be hospitalized rather than sent to prison. The author was also assisted by Tommy's one-time girlfriend Lila Chase, who remained empathetic to her former beau through his arrest, hearings, trial, and afterwards.

In many ways this is a cautionary tale, about the dangers of over-indulging children while simultaneously neglecting their obvious problems. Families should take heed.

Thanks to Netgalley, John Glatt, and St. Martin's Press for a copy of the book.

Thomas Gilbert appeared to lead the perfect life, The son of the Manhattan wealthy elite he had every privilege- the most expensive prep schools, eventually ending up at Princeton, summers at a mansion in the Hamptons, and movie star looks. He was the proverbial Golden Boy.

But there was something wrong with Tommy. He begin to believe people and things were contaminated. As he progressed into his teenage years any ideas of social norms disappeared, he developed new personalities and believed the world was out to get him. Most disturbing of all was the unfounded and deep hatred of his father that developed.

His parents tried for years to get their son the help he needed. There were multiple diagnoses and medicines prescribed. But since Tommy was an adult his parents had no way of forcing him to get the help he so desperately need even as his mental health spiraled out of control. His refusal to take his prescribed medications only exacerbated his illness. At one point he is the suspect in the arson of his friend’s Hampton home and a few weeks later Tommy’s descent culminated in the murder of his father.

This is not only a true crime story, it is also a treatise on the flaws in our mental health system. Even with all the money and resources in the world, Tommy’s parents could never get him the healp he really needed. The book examines the fact that it is impossible to commit an adult to a mental facility against their will and also spends time detailing what constitutes mental competency in a courtroom.

I found this book both fascinating and frustrating to read. The story of Tommy and his family is compelling, but the frustration comes from the fact that it seems like this crime could have easily been avoided if our mental health system were not so broken. I read this book in a day and I don’t know if you would say I enjoyed it, but I was captivated, infuriated, and enlightened by the story it told and I think that those are important things. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e arc of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I was thrilled to get an ARC of this true crime detailing the murder of Tom Gilbert Sr at the hand of his son Tommy Gilbert Jr. I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s factual account of the Gilbert family history, Tommy’s decline and the Court proceedings.

The story highlighted a huge problem in society when it comes to mental illness and how the laws make it challenging for a sick adult to get much needed treatment. What stood out for me was how Tommy lacked insight into his mental illness and this in turn resulted in him not taking prescribed medication. Being an adult, his parents were powerless to have him committed for more than a couple of days or for his doctors to force him to take medication without extreme safety reasons. He learned how to hide his illness and present himself in a favourable light to family and friends. The truth of the matter, however, was that he was getting sicker and more delusional as time went on. The story also pointed out how the criminal justice system can fail people like Tommy as it’s not designed to “help” defendants who are mentally ill with some ability to understand even if their mental illness was a prominent factor in their crime. It also highlighted the stigma still attached to mental illness and the lack of education/understanding that judges and prosecutors have in this area.

This would be an exceptional book club pick as there is so much to discuss including whether Tommy was a cold blooded killer who knew what he was doing or whether he was a victim of the laws that govern access to treatment for mental illness.

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

I love reading True Crime books by John Glatt! I followed this case as it was happening and was excited when I saw that Mr. Glatt had written about it. This book did not disappoint. It was a quick, enjoyable read. One of those books that I just couldn't put down - even with knowing how it would end!

Golden Boy tells the truly harrowing tale of Thomas Gilbert Jr., who shot and killed his own father. That he committed the crime was not in dispute; however, if he was legally insane when he did it is the source of intense media speculation and endless debates in the courtroom.

That is what Grant expertly explores in this book. Gilbert Jr. was born into an extravagant and privileged life, where he was still receiving an allowance from his parents even in his twenties, and many of his shocking or disturbing behaviors were brushed off as eccentricities. Grant examines if this lifestyle actually did him a grave disservice in covering his paranoia, agressive tendencies, and other signs of deep mental illness.

Did not only society, but the very law itself do Gilbert Jr. a great disservice? Should he have been deemed fit to stand trial? What would life have been like if Gilbert Jr. had been able to be helped before he spiraled downward so completely?

Grant does an especially great job of showing both sides of the issue while still highlighting the stigma surrounding mental illness, and the tendency to sweep things under the rug or completely deny they are happening. Golden Boy is a devestating true crime tale that also manages to be a scathing social commentary.

True crime books are especially difficult to read and review because they need to strike the right balance: an interesting premise with focus on the details throughout, without being gory or sensational. John Glatt does a beautiful job of this; I don’t feel discomfort reading his books, and he tells the whole story to allow you to see what you think.

In this case, it’s the story of Tommy Gilbert, Jr, a Manhattan socialite who murdered his father. Tommy had been diagnosed with OCD, schizophrenia, depression, and a slew of other disorders that make it a big question at trial: was Tommy insane or not at the time of the killing?

Glatt takes us through Tommy’s family’s history, his schoolboy years, and throughout his very tumultuous twenties, the killing, the aftermath, and through the whole trial.

If you’re interested in true crime or the justice system in America, this would be a fantastic read.

Buckley, Deerfield, Princeton, Maidstone, East Hampton. Tommy Gilbert, Jr. had it all - model good looks, a great education, a loving family - and yet he is now serving 30 years to life for murdering his father by firing a bullet through his brain.

Tommy had been blessed with both hands, yet it was this very thing that prevented him getting any sort of real help. As a few friends said:

"Nobody thought this handsome, well-educated, privileged Princeton man was capable of violence [...] if Tommy looked like me, people would have thought he was an insane person fairly quickly."

I must admit that I really struggled with this book because while I feel that Tommy's mental illness (paranoid schizophrenia) was absolutely the major factor in the murder, time and again Tommy was given a second, third, fourth, ad nauseum chances at redemption solely because of his looks and his background.

And in a sense, this is the same struggle that the court faced with this case. It took four years to bring the case to trial because of the difficulty in determining if Tommy was sane enough to stand trial. He refused to speak with medical personnel tasked with determining his mental state, he refused to take any medication, he refused to participate in his defense. Yet he also carefully planned to murder his father - purchasing the Glock he used, sending his mother out of the townhouse on an errand, carefully walking away from the scene, etc.

The author had access to Tommy's mother, Sheila Gilbert, and others close to him, including his attorney Arnold Levine. There's plenty here showing that Tommy's parents were in denial about his mental illness - "They appeared more concerned about their reputation than their son's highly dangerous mental state" - and that their status and wealth had protected him in the past from consequences. And Sheila strongly advocated for her son getting "as light a sentence as possible" while, IMHO, failing to advocate for her murdered husband. But again, this entire case is a horrific Sophie's choice that far too many families are dealing with every day.

At times, the narrative dragged with far too many parties and events described in great detail, but overall Glatt clearly lays out a dilemma to which there is no clear answer. 4 stars.

The murder of Thomas Gilbert Sr. was a highly publicized case. It was apparent early on that his own son had murdered him. The big question that was raised during this trial concerned mental fitness, and whether Tommy Gilbert was criminally insane or of sound mind.

From the beginning I enjoyed this book. I have read several other books written by John Glatt and have always appreciated the way he introduces everyone involved. He provides the history for each of the main individuals which helps the reader gain a better understanding of how we arrive at such a tragic point. The histories of both Tommy’s mother and father were very interesting and shows how they have established such a high social and financial standing in their community. It is hard to understand how someone like Tommy with all the opportunities and wealth he was provided with could commit such a heinous act. The author made it to easy to learn more about who Tommy really was, and the many struggles that led up to this point.

I appreciate the focus on mental health, in particular the way it is treated in the judicial system. It is a very hard topic to understand, and each case is so unique. Deciding whether an individual knows what they were doing at the time of the crime is very difficult to determine. The author did an amazing job covering such a complicated case.

Overall, this was a very well written book, that easily engages its audience. The questions it raises about mental health and how it is viewed and treated are very important questions to consider.

Prolific true crime author John Glatt’s latest book, Golden Boy: Murder Among the Manhattan Elite (St. Martin’s Press 2021) is a thorough and harrowing journey through a story of wealth, mental illness, and murder. Golden Boy details the consequences of a culture of privilege that led to a son’s untreated illness and a father’s tragic death.

Born to two wealthy financiers in New York, Thomas Gilbert Jr. (Tommy) was wealthy in more ways than one. In addition to having a loving and supportive family, staples of Gilbert’s childhood included every luxury—such as a mansion in the Hamptons and an elite education (culminating in his BA from Princeton). Undeniably handsome and well-connected, Tommy was able, in his early adult years, to make friends and cultivate relationships with many people, all of whom moved in the high-class, Upper East Side world of wealth and power. However, in school, Tommy began to show signs of instability that none of his family or friends saw coming. Compulsive paranoia manifested in several ways; alternately, Tommy believed that everyone around him was ‘contaminated’ and only certain rituals would ward off this contamination, or that his father was trying to take over his body and steal his soul.

Over several years, many doctors provided different diagnoses for Tommy’s mental condition, but the truth was clear: Tommy was deteriorating, and doctors struggled to find the root cause. Tommy’s struggles culminated in a mysterious fire that destroyed his best friend’s house in the Hamptons—for which he was never charged—and a seemingly-inexplicable hatred of his father. However, in 2015, when Tommy’s father slashed Tommy’s weekly allowance by $200, Tommy arrived at his parent’s apartment and asked his mother to leave, at which point he shot his father in the head, killing him instantly.

Glatt’s account of this very recent and galvanizing case was as compelling as it was thorough. Two narratives are in-tension within Glatt’s text: the narrative of Tommy as the severely ill child of two wealthy parents who never received proper treatment, and the narrative of Tommy as the man enraged that his allowance was cut yet again. The defense and the prosecution advocated for the latter and former narratives respectively, and Glatt presents the arguments for each side, never overstepping in his mandate as a journalist to present only the facts. If anything, Glatt seems to wonder throughout the book whether a combination of factors led Tommy to kill his father—did his mental illness coupled with his extreme and unmitigated privilege lead him to this tragic solution?

What’s fascinating about this case is Glatt’s up-to-the-minute account. The trial did not finish until 2019, and the case has a stunningly current quality. It is a shocking realization that debates over competency and the ability to stand trial such as those that occurred in the Gilbert case are so recent and yet seem so antiquated. Glatt’s account of the four-year legal proceedings never drags, however, as the trial itself proves to be one of the most bizarre and unexpected aspects of the entire case.

Perhaps most compelling factor about Golden Boy is Glatt’s interrogation of the degree to which drug-culture contributed to Tommy’s instability. Glatt draws on several narratives to expose both the casual use of drugs—designer or otherwise—in private educational institutions such as the ones Tommy attended. Without proper treatment, and with the repeated opportunity to self-medicate with various substances, Tommy’s paranoia and fear grew and deepened. Glatt acknowledges that Tommy’s environment was a contributing factor to the ultimate outcome of this case, and as shocked as wealthy New Yorkers were over Tommy Gilbert’s crime, one wonders if anything could have been done to change things.

Overall, Golden Boy is a compelling and thorough account of a complex and recent case that is essential for any true crime reader who is interested in current events.

Please follow John Glatt on Twitter and add Golden Boy to your Goodreads shelf.

Don’t forget to follow True Crime Index on Twitter and please visit our Goodreads for updates on what we’re reading! You can find Rachel on her personal @RachelMFriars or on Goodreads @Rachel Friars.

About the Writer:

Rachel M. Friars (she/her) is a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of English Language and Literature at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on neo-Victorianism and adaptations of Jane Eyre. Her current work centers on neo-Victorianism and nineteenth-century lesbian literature and history, with secondary research interests in life writing, historical fiction, true crime, popular culture, and the Gothic. Her academic writing has been published with Palgrave Macmillan and in The Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies. She is a reviewer for The Lesbrary, the co-creator of True Crime Index, and an Associate Editor and Social Media Coordinator for PopMeC Research Collective. Rachel is co-editor-in-chief of the international literary journal, The Lamp, and regularly publishes her own short fiction and poetry. Find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

The life and trial of Thomas Gilbert Jr.
gives the reader some insight into the upper class in Manhattan.
The author expertly reports everything happening before, during and after this murder trial, using a lot of actual dialogue, in a way that keeps you wanting to read more.
This compelling book raises the issue of how we treat mental illness both legally and personally.
It is tragic no matter which side you agree with in this case.
Well written and very thought provoking.

5 stars
Golden Boy
A Murder Among the Manhattan Elite
By John Glatt
This is perhaps one of the most emotionally draining books I have ever read. John Glatt has written a remarkable book deftly outlining the life of Tommy Gilbert Jr. and the ultimate death/murder of his father.
As a mother, I identify so strongly with his mother Shelley Gilbert, and she and her husband's need to try and help their son Tommy. His mental illness made their lives so incredibly difficult and yet they continued to try and help him.
Glatt showcases the horrors of the need for better care for mentally ill adults and what happens when they refuse the care/medicines they so desperately need. The judicial system is really incapable of handling a person this sick and yet it far too often is required too.

My heart goes out to his mom and sister. I empathize and understand their support of Tommy.
His friend Lila Chase is truly remarkable I am very conflicted by the outcome of Tommy's trial. I am grateful he is finally getting some of the psychiatric help he so desperately needs but at what cost?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

Thank you to the Publisher, John Glatt and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Previously posted at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/golden-boy/


Thomas Gilbert Jr. is an All-American Boy. Princeton graduate, tall, athletic, handsome, smart, and engaging. Having been raised in affluence. “Tommy” had all the means to have a successful life. So why did he refuse to do absolutely anything?

Why did he ultimately put a bullet in his father’s head, after calmly asking his mother to go get him a sandwich?

Author John Glatt turns has written a fascinating book about the murder of Wall Street financier and investor Thomas Gilbert Sr., by his son Tommy, with the novel Golden Boy: A Murder Among the Manhattan Elite. But the story is really about how mental illness is viewed and managed in the US court system. The Gibson family has a strong history of mental illness in both parents of Thomas Gilbert Sr. His father, having depression and ultimately committing suicide. When Tommy shows signs of schizophrenia and mental illness, his parents can only encourage him to get help, as he is an adult and their hands are tied. Sadly, he refuses to get help, while simultaneously insisting the world is trying to “contaminate” him. As his friends begin to abandon him, he gets more and more paranoid that they are out to get him. He only has one staunch ally, his ex-girlfriend Lila Chase, who stuck by him through everything.

Golden Boy has many fascinating aspects; the book is one-third the story of Tommy and his descent into insanity and two-thirds courtroom procedural. There is never an argument of whether Tommy killed his father. It is known he did, but the question remains if he knew what he was doing. This is a five-year court battle full of drama and intensity, described in harrowing detail by the author. One can’t help feeling sorry for Tommy, who is so deep into schizophrenia at the time of the trial, that he does not know what is happening. Even going as far as to not realized they have convicted him of second-degree murder after the trial ends.

John Glatt has taken the reader on a journey through Tommy’s childhood, his years at Princeton and the many years between graduating and ultimately shooting and killing his father for cutting his allowance. The author does an amazing job tracking his descent into insanity and how it affects him and the people who love him. While it seems his parents would be to blame for not getting him the help he needs, they ended up paying the ultimate place. While everything has come easy, it is hard to condemn Gilbert as being entitled. He elicits more sympathy than anything else as someone who could have had it all but lost because of mental illness and being too proud to seek the help he needed.

Excellent writing and attention to detail! John Glatt is a master at his craft and I'm a fan of many of his true crime novels. This one is no different! I heard about this case prior to reading this novel but never knew the gritty details until now. I highly recommend it to true crime readers!

Interesting description and history of a rich kid with mental illness. The difference between this person and millions of others with the same problems is that he's wealthy and socially prominent. I don't think that makes it special.

wow what a interesting book about a man and privilege and being rich. I had never heard of this case and didn't know what had happened. I didn't know that this dragged out for so many years. I liked how the book flowed and how that this story was told about murder among the rich and mental illness. I think that the jury got it right .

Brought up in the Hamptons, a rich son who had everything. His parents made sure that he was given the best education and set him up for a financial hedge fund business. His father Tom Gilbert Sr, had a very successful business and wanted his affluent son to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately Tommy Gilbert Jr., had no.motivation, partly due to his parents still supporting him and his mother giving in to his every whim. Instead, Tommy partied, did drugs and never pursued the business that his parents had helped set up for him. When his father was 70 years old and wanting to retire, he told his son that his allowance would be cut back. That was not what Tommy wanted, so he had to take steps to make sure that this would not happen.
I really enjoyed this True Crime book and thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

Add this to your TO READ list immediately especially if you are a fan of true crime books. I never heard of this story before and was instantly intrigued.

I have read books by John Glatt before and liked them so I am definitely eager to get my hands on this one.

"By all accounts, Thomas Gilbert Jr. led a charmed life. The son of a wealthy financier, he grew up surrounded by a loving family and all the luxury an Upper East Side childhood could provide: education at the elite Buckley School and Deerfield Academy, summers in a sprawling seaside mansion in the Hamptons. With his striking good lucks, he moved with ease through glittering social circles and followed in his father's footsteps to Princeton.

But Tommy always felt different. The cracks in his facade began to show in warning signs of OCD, increasing paranoia, and--most troubling--an inexplicable hatred of his father. As his parents begged him to seek psychiatric help, Tommy pushed back by self-medicating with drugs and escalating violence. When a fire destroyed his former best friend's Hamptons home, Tommy was the prime suspect--but he was never charged. Just months later, he arrived at his parents' apartment, calmly asked his mother to leave, and shot his father point-blank in the head."

YIKES.

There is a Goodreads giveaway happening right now so head over and enter to win!

What a heartbreaking story. There was never a question as to his guilt, but this tragic story could have been prevented. So many 'if only's'....If only this man had received the help he so clearly needed. If only his parents had been able to step in and force him to get that help. If only they hadn't been in denial of the severity of his mental decline. This story shows that even the most wealthy can be struck down by mental illness and that money can't always protect you.

John Glatt is my favorite true crime author. He never disappoints. I get the feeling that he cares deeply about the people involved in the crimes he writes about and it definitely shows.

John Glatt is one of my favorite authors in the true crime genre. Especially after reading his book on Chris Watts (EEWWW), I was happy to receive a copy of Golden Boy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review. Although I am an avid fan of true crime books and podcasts, this particular case was new to me, although the subtitle (“Murder Among the Hamptons Elite) gave me advance notice that this would be a story generally about people I don’t really relate to and specifically about one tragic family.

The Gilberts (hedge fund founder Thomas Sr., his wife Shelley, and their son Thomas Jr., known as Tommy) are the kind of rich Manhattan folk who send their kids to schools like The Buckley School, Deerfield Academy, and Princeton (all of which Tommy attended) and use terms like “summer” as a verb (as in “we summered in the Hamptons”). One one level, this is a straightforward story about the murder of Thomas by his son Tommy, a fact no one disputes. There is lots of background about the family, Tommy’s childhood and apparent path toward the kind of success his father and uncle had achieved. But there were some rough spots during Tommy’s teen years, and things started to spiral out of control, leading up to his full-blown hatred of his father that resulted in the murder.

Another level in this well-written book is the exploration of the justice system’s complete lack of help for people with mental illness. And Tommy was definitely sick. After graduating from Princeton, he seemed poised for success. But his early signs of mental illness (including OCD, paranoia, and extreme hatred of his father) were magnified when he led an aimless life, subsidized by his parents, who “appeared more concerned about their reputation than their son’s highly dangerous mental state.” Life was good for Tommy, with his seemingly endless source of funds allowing him to fill his days with surfing and socializing with other rich people.Once of his girlfriends said “He did want to have a job…wasn’t that he was this layabout just living off his parents. He was trying to start a hedge fund…” Tommy kept getting in trouble, and in a revelatory line about his parents’ response, “...instead of confronting his son directly, Tom asked Shelley to do so.”

So yeah, he was just living off his parents..right up until the day he went to their apartment, sent his mother out ostensibly to buy food for him, and shot his father in the head. His parents had urged him to seek help, but Tommy was mostly into self-medicating and partying and burning down his friend’s family house in the Hamptons (for which he was never charged).

After reading this, part of me is so sad for the wasted lives, and part of me thinks people could and maybe should have seen this tragic end coming for years. Whether it’s more of a procedural about a horrific crime or a look at the social costs of ignoring mental health and the resulting impact on the justice system, it’s a good read. Oh, and it also addresses the incredible privilege being rich and white brings as well as the need for mental health services, even among the rich. Four stars.

I could not put this book down. A compelling, well-told and well-researched book about Tommy Gilbert Jr. and the murder of his father. I first heard about this case because it was written up in all the tabloids due to his social status, model good-looks, and a life of privilege. Reading this book gave me a much more balanced view of his life and what led up to the tragic incident. Glatt thoroughly and meticulously researched this book and we get a real insider's view into the trial proceedings. This is a complex tale of a family's struggle with mental illness and is poignant -- they are all victims here. Glatt masterfully tells a very balanced story even though he did have much access to Tommy's mom and girlfriends.

I highly recommend this book!