Review of At Any Cost: A Father’s Betrayal, a Wife’s Murder, and a Ten-Year war for justice written by Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar Rating *****
Psychopaths walk among us. They live down the street. They work alongside you. You may even be in a relationship with one. Once you learn the signs to look out for, they’re much easier to spot. Once identified, break off all communications with that individual. Nothing good can come from any interactions with psychopaths.
The book At Any Cost tells the story of Shele Danishefsky and Rod Covlin. Shele is a successful businesswoman making a high salary working alongside her father at his Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Group. Rod, on the other hand, can’t keep a job, has an unjustified sense of superiority, and cheats on his wife. Outside observers were able to identify Rod as a psychopath. Unfortunately, Shele didn’t catch on until it was too late.
The two authors, Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar, describe the relationship between Shele and Rod from their first meeting until Shele’s daughter discovers her mom’s lifeless body in her bathtub. The book then follows Shele’s parents’ efforts to hold Rod accountable for their daughter’s death and gain custody of their two grandchildren.
Here’s one sign that you might be dealing with a psychopath. He starts talking about various ways to kill his parents, or when he comes up with hairbrain ideas of involving his daughter in some of his nefarious plans, like having her claim that her grandfather raped her.
I get that someone like Rod doesn’t see anything wrong with dreaming up different ways to kill people. What I can’t understand is how someone upon hearing those plans doesn’t call the police the very first opportunity they have. I’m talking to you, Deborah.
Pysocpaths can be charming. They can even convince people to vote for them. But sooner or later, their true identities will be revealed.