Review of "Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators" by Ronan Farrow

When film producer Harvey Weinstein leans into his walker and hobbles into the courthouse - where he's being tried for predatory sexual assault - it's hard to picture the former Hollywood mogul chasing terrified young women around hotel rooms and raping them.


Disgraced Harvey Weinstein entering the courthouse (2020)

Yet the burly producer has a well-known reputation for victimizing women - getting them alone and forcing himself on them.


Harvey Weinstein when he was a Hollywood mogul

Weinstein's behavior went on for decades, and even though many of the women told colleagues, friends, and relatives, they were ultimately silenced by intimidation, bullying, threats, pay-offs.....whatever it took.

In 'Catch and Kill', Ronan Farrow exposes the powerful cabal that protected Weinstein, which includes the NBC television network, American Media Incorporated (which publishes the National Enquirer), and a cadre of investigators, detectives, and lawyers hired by the producer.


Ronan Farrow

Farrow, the son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen (from whom he's estranged), graduated from Yale Law School and worked for the State Department before he became an investigative correspondent for NBC News. Reporters had been chasing the Weinstein story for years, but it was difficult to get victims to tell their stories 'on the record', in part because they'd been coerced into signing non-disclosure agreements for six or seven figures. Moreover, any hint of going public resulted in dire warnings and massive smear campaigns.



Stlll, Farrow was anxious to expose the mogul, in part because his adopted sister Dylan had accused their father, Woody Allen, of sexually abusing her when she was a child.....and Farrow wasn't supportive at the time.


Dylan Farrow and Woody Allen

Working with NBC News producer Rich McHugh, Farrow got the go-ahead to pursue a sexual harassment story about Weinstein from Noah Oppenheim, the president of NBC News.


NBC News producer Rich McHugh


NBC News president Noah Oppenheim

Preparing the story was a challenge, however, because one victim after another was reluctant to speak, saying "It's just not a topic I want to talk about."

Farrow was determined to get (at least) some of Weinstein's accusers on the record, and his first success was actress Rose McGowan - who tweeted about being assaulted, but didn't name names.


Rose McGowan

When Farrow contacted McGowan, she acknowledged, "The war against women is real", and ultimately agreed to speak the reporter. McGowan said that Harvey Weinstein, who was her boss at the time, assaulted her during the Sundance Film Festival in 1997.

According to McGowan, the mogul arranged a meeting that moved from a hotel restaurant to a hotel suite. Describing the incident, McGowan said, "All of a sudden you have no clothes on. I started to cry. And I didn't know what was happening. And I'm very small. This person is very big. So do that math." McGowan wanted to press charges, but was convinced to keep mum for $100,000.

Farrow's next big breakthrough was model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez. who reported Weinstein to the NYPD in 2015.


Ambra Battilana Gutierrez

In March of 2015 Gutierrez attended a reception at Radio City Music Hall for a show Weinstein produced. Weinstein complimented Gutierrez, and - through her modeling agency - arranged a meeting in his office.

Gutierrez recalls that, "Weinstein began staring at her breasts, asking if they were real. He then lunged at her, groping her breasts and attempting to put a hand up her skirt while she protested." Gutierrez and her agent reported Weinstein to the police, who said, "Again?" NYPD detectives then arranged a sting operation and - during Gutierrez's next meeting with the mogul - they got Weinstein's "full dramatic confession caught on tape."

New York District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance declined to press charges, however, and suspicions were high that the DA's office was bought off, coerced, or in cahoots with Weinstein. (The Governor later ordered an investigaton of Vance's actions.)


New York District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance

Nevertheless, the Gutierrez tape - and Gutierrez's non-disclosure agreement - both of which Farrow obtained, were important proof for his story.

Another coup for Farrow's report was tech guru Emily Nestor.


Emily Nestor

In December 2014, Nestor was a temporary assistant at the Weinstein Company in Los Angeles. Pressured for a meeting by Weinstein, Nestor agreed to an early morning coffee. During the encounter, Weinstein boasted about his sexual liaisons with other women and said "You know, we could have a lot of fun. I could put you in my London office, and you could work there and you could be my girlfriend." Nestor declined and Weinstein insisted that women always succumbed to him, and "that he'd never had to do anything like Bill Cosby." Nestor identified Weinstein's behavior as "textbook sexual harassment" and noted that she refused his advances at least a dozen times. "NO did not mean NO to him", she said.

Farrow continued to accumulate proof of Weinstein's predations, which involved scores of women, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Mira Sorvino, Annabella Sciorra, Asia Argento, Ally Canosa, and Rosanna Arquette.


Gwyneth Paltrow


Mira Sorvino


Annabella Sciorra


Asia Argento


Ally Canosa


Rosanna Arquette

Farrow and McHugh put their story together, and brought their script - and the Gutierrez tape - to NBC News.....which was suddenly skittish about airing the piece. Noah Oppenheim - who originally green-lit the story; Phil Griffin - president of MSNBC; and Andy Lack - chairman of NBC News and MSNBC seemed suddenly allergic to exposing Weinstein. [Oddly enough (or maybe not), all three men have histories of publicly disrespecting and/or hounding women.]


Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC


Andy Lack, chairman of NBC News and MSNBC

To justify their hesitation, the NBC bigshots made noises about Weinstein's actions not being a crime; or Farrow not really having a story; or the story not being ready yet; or the story not being newsworthy; etc. Eventually, Farrow was told to 'go with God' and take the story to another outlet. Before long, there was 'no money in the budget' for Farrow, and NBC News let him go.

Farrow concluded that the network had succumbed to Weinstein's threats, some of which probably involved outing NBC megastar Matt Lauer, who - it later came out - also harassed and assaulted women. In fact NBC fired 'Today Show' host Lauer in 2017, after he was accused of anal rape by a woman named Brooke Nevils.


Matt Lauer


Brooke Nevils

In any case, the New Yorker Magazine thought Farrow DID have a story, and - after his writeup was published - Farrow shared the Pulitzer Prize for public service with Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, who wrote a Weinstein story for The New York Times.





While Farrow was preparing his exposé, Weinstein moved heaven and earth to try and scupper it. He yelled and threatened and wheedled.....and launched a massive suppression campaign. Weinstein's friend Dylan Howard, editor of the National Enquirer, published dirt about Weinstein's accusers and/or tried to buy their stories and suppress them (a practice called 'catch and kill').


Dylan Howard, editor of The National Enquirer

Weinstein also hired Black Cube, an Israeli investigative firm that employed former Mossad agents, to undermine Farrow.



Farrow later learned that Black Cube operatives had surveilled him; followed him; dug up information about him; attempted to track his phone; solicited help from his estranged father Woody Allen; and so on.

Moreover, Weinstein's informants - pretending they wanted to help reporters and victims - ingratiated themselves with Farrow and Weinstein's accusers. The infiltrators collected information about Farrow's upcoming story and passed it on to the embattled mogul, so he could take countermeasures.

The worst offender (IMO) is attorney Lisa Bloom, the so-called 'advocate for women.' Bloom befriended Farrow, obtained information about the Weinstein story, and handed it to the evildoer. This betrayal of Bloom's fellow females is unforgivable.


Lisa Bloom

Noah Oppenheim, who also deserves rebuke, wants to disavow his role in the NBC debacle. After all was said and done - and NBC was publicly embarrassed by it's spinelessness regarding Weinstein - Oppenheim told Farrow, "Even if you think that NBC was either cowardly or acted inappropriately or whatever, which you're entitled to feel, I hope that you would realize the way this has become personalized and hung on ME is not fair or accurate. Even if you believe that there is a villain in this, that villain is not ME." Oppenheim then proceeded to explain how it was everyone's fault BUT his, and finally acknowledged, "I'm just making a plea. If the opportunity ever does present itself to you to say that maybe I'M not the villain in all this, I would be grateful." (So good luck with that. 🤨)

Farrow covers a lot more territory in the book, including:

- Weinstein's fundraising for the Democrats, including Hillary Clinton.


Harvey Weinstein and Hillary Clinton

- Additional Hollywood/media/political bigwigs accused of harassing women - including President Donald Trump; NBC newsman Tom Brokaw; NBC political analyst Mark Halperin; and NBC senior vice president Matt Zimmerman.


President Donald Trump


NBC newsman Tom Brokaw


NBC political analyst Mark Halperin


NBC senior vice president Matt Zimmerman

- An in depth discussion of Black Cube, and it's legal AND illegal activities.



- Farrow's relationship with his boyfriend (now fiancé), speechwriter and podcaster Jon Lovett.


Jon Lovett (left) with Ronan Farrow

- Women being blacklisted and denied jobs for defying Weinstein; Meryl Streep averring that she didn't know about the mogul's bad reputation; whistleblowers and informants who helped Farrow; and more.

The book is well-written and - though it's non-fiction - has all the elements of a good novel, including descriptions of the characters and their clothes; observations about the weather and ambiance of New York and California; meetings in a variety of interesting restaurants; people sneaking around to avoid surveillance; celebrity gossip; sad betrayals; etc. On a light note, if you ever need a gift for Ronan Farrow, get him an umbrella. It is ALWAYS raining on this guy. 🙂



This is an excellent book.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review of "Rather Be The Devil: An Inspector Rebus Mystery" by Ian Rankin

In this 21st book in the 'Inspector Rebus' series, the detective is retired, but still manages to investigate cases. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowledge of the characters is advantageous.

*****

Retired Scottish detective John Rebus is in his sixties, suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a bit overweight.



Rebus's girlfriend, police pathologist Deborah Quant, is encouraging the detective to give up cigarettes and cut down on beer, and Rebus is trying.....for health reasons.



Rebus and Quant are dining at Edinburgh's iconic Caledonian Hotel one evening when the detective recalls an unsolved crime that occurred in the hotel 40 years ago, in 1978.



A socialite named Maria Turquand was strangled in her room, and - despite numerous possible suspects - no one was arrested for the crime. Persons of interest included Maria's banker husband; Maria's playboy lover; and members of a rock band staying in the hotel, several of whom had slept with Maria.

Rebus decides to re-investigate the Turquand murder, and wheedles the case files out of his long-time associate, DI Siobhan Clarke.



From the files, Rebus learns that detective Robert Chatham, who's now retired, looked into the Turquand cold case a few years ago.



Rebus contacts Chatham, and the two pensioners discuss the killing over breakfast in a café. Soon afterwards, Chatham's dead body is pulled from the River Forth.

With a fellow officer drowned in suspicious circumstances, Edinburgh's police squad is all over Chatham's death.



At the same time, the police squad is working on a couple of other cases. A rising young criminal named Darryl Christie, who owns nightclubs and betting shops, has been badly beaten; and a wealthy bank heir called Anthony Brough, who allegedly launders dirty money through Christie's enterprises, has gone missing.

The money laundering activities attract the attention of investigators at the Serious Crime Campus at Gartcosh, where DI Malcolm Fox - a former associate of Rebus and Clarke - now works.



Fox is quickly sent to 'help' the Edinburgh police, with instructions to report back everything he hears.

People who come to the attention of the police include Craw Shand - a crook who likes to confess to crimes he didn't commit; Big Ger Cafferty - a criminal kingpin, who's being squeezed out by younger bosses; Aleksander Glushenko - a Ukrainian mobster; gang members who do Christie's dirty work; and more.

Fox and Clarke work on the cases in their official capacity, and Rebus - who can't mind his own business - sticks his oar in as well. There are numerous complications before the investigations come together is an overly complex - but satisfying - fashion. 

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Please See Us: A Crime Novel" by Caitlin Mullen

In its heyday, Atlantic City was a popular destination for holiday makers and beach lovers, and - when casinos were legalized - also attracted visitors who liked a game of chance. In its golden days, the Atlantic City boardwalk was lively, restaurants were full, shops were bustling, and jobs were abundant.


Atlantic City in its heyday

With the rising popularity of other vacation sites, Atlantic City lost its cachet - and the once rocking boardwalk is now almost empty, half the casinos are closed, work is hard to come by, and there's a scent of decay in the air.


Atlantic City in decline

Worse yet, there's a LITERAL smell in the marsh behind the deteriorating Sunset Motel.



There, two murdered women are posed so their fingers are almost touching and their heads are facing the city lights. By the end of eight weeks there will be five more bodies, victims of a serial killer who preys on women who trade sex for money. The deceased call out in their spectral voices, but almost no one hears them.



Atlantic City is a promising hunting ground for a vicious predator, since damaged females flock to the area - which is rife with drug abuse, prostitution, and lawlessness.



Over the course of the story we meet several murder victims, who are running from bad husbands, abusive homes, troubling circumstances, or their own inner demons. Moreover, the unlucky women - who vanish suddenly - hardly make a blip on the radar. At best a relative may ask around and put up missing person posters, which generally render few results.



The story focuses on three troubled residents of Atlantic City: Clara, Lily, and Luis.

Clara is a 16-year-old high school dropout who works as a Tarot card reader in a shabby boardwalk shop. Clara's mother ran off years ago, leaving the girl in the care of her Aunt Des, who taught Clara to hustle, steal, con, and more.



Nevertheless, Clara has a real psychic gift, and she 'hears' the cries of the murdered women - though she doesn't realize what they are. Clara is desperate to leave town, and is saving money to join her mother in California, whom she hasn't heard from in four years.

Lily is an Atlantic City native who graduated from Vassar and moved to New York City to work in an art gallery. After a devastating betrayal by her sculptor boyfriend Matthew, Lily returned to Atlantic City and got a job in a hotel spa.



Lily plans to stay in Atlantic City for only a couple of months, until she has enough money to return to New York and restart her career. Lily still mourns the tragic death of her beloved father, who perished after a terrible accident.

Luis is a deaf and dumb, mentally challenged janitor who works at the same hotel spa as Lily.



Luis is constantly bullied by local toughs, right under the noses of the cops, who just laugh. Luis often thinks about his deceased grandfather, who raised and cared for him.

Lily and Clara come together when the Tarot card reader and her Aunt Des mosey into the spa to solicit clients for readings. Lily is instructed to throw the intruders out, but Clara impresses Lily with a 'psychic insight' before she goes. This leads to a friendship between Lily and Clara, and to an eventual alliance to 'help' the missing women.



In the meantime, Lily becomes acquainted with her mother's neighbor Mildred, who has a stash of Atlantic City paintings acquired by her late husband. Lily is immediately taken with the pictures and determines to find the artist - whose signature is indecipherable.



As Lily and Clara go about their business, they're observed by deaf and dumb Luis, who's taken an innocent interest in both ladies.



Luis sees things that aren't obvious to everyone, like a strange man lurking around. When Luis tries to communicate this, though, he can't make himself understood, which is unfortunate all around.

The story exposes the sleazy demimonde of Atlantic City, where women - especially prostitutes - are used and abused. There's one harrowing scene after another as females repeatedly put themselves into frightening situations, and scumbag men take advantage of their neediness.



This is a well-written story that grabbed my attention and held it from beginning to end. The book also provides a realistic portrait of a once vibrant city that's succumbing to unemployment, drug addiction, and felons - and it's a sad thing to see.

This is more of a crime novel than a mystery, and I'd recommend it to people who enjoy that genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Caitlin Mullen), and the publisher (Gallery Books) for a copy of the book.

Rating: 4 stars