Catch and Kill

Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

By: Ronan Farrow

Narrated by: Ronan Farrow

Now an HBO documentary series streaming on HBO Max.

One of the Best Books of the Year Time * NPR * Washington Post * Bloomberg News * Chicago Tribune * Chicago Public Library * Fortune * Los Angeles Times * E! News * The Telegraph * Apple * Library Journal In this newly updated edition of the "meticulous and devastating" (Associated Press) account of violence and espionage that spent months on the New York Times Bestsellers list, Ronan Farrow exposes serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost - from Hollywood to Washington and beyond.
In 2017, a routine network television investigation led to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most power­ful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family. This is the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it's the story of the women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global movement
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in AutobiographyIndie Bound #1 BestsellerUSA Today BestsellerWall Street Journal Bestseller

Critic reviews

One of Elle's Best Audiobooks
Time Must-Read Book of 2019 NPR Favorite Book of 2019
Washington Post Best Nonfiction Book of 2019Los Angeles Times Best Book of 2019
Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2019
Fortune Best Business Book of 2019Bloomberg Best Book of the Year
Telegraph (U.K) Best Book of 2019Kirkus Best Nonfiction Books of 2019
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2019
Library Journal Best Social Science Book of 2019One of USA Today's Best Books to Read While Stuck at Home

"Meticulous and devastating...part All the President's Men, part spy thriller."—Rasha Madkour, Associated Press

"At the heart of every great noir is a conspiracy of evil that imbues the initial crime uncovered by the hero with a weightier resonance than was immediately obvious. So it goes with Catch and Kill."—Elizabeth Bruenig, TheWashington Post

"The connections between presidents, media moguls, and spies described in Catch and Kill are stranger than fiction. As a novel, it would be a page-turner. As a reported piece of nonfiction, it's terrifying."—Eliana Dockterman, Time

"The year's best spy thriller is stranger - and more horrifying - than fiction...He weaves a breathless narrative as compelling as it is disturbing...bracingly exposes the rot that's persisted across elite American institutions for decades."—DavidCanfield, Entertainment Weekly

"Catch and Killis an important, frightening book...it's also a propulsive, cinematic page-turner "—Erin Keane, Salon

"Darkly funny and poignant...a winning account of how it feels to be at the centre of the biggest story in the world. It is also, of course, a breathtakingly dogged piece of reporting, in the face of extraordinary opposition."—EmmaBrockes, The Guardian (U.K.)

"Absorbing...The behavior documented in Catch and Kill is obviously and profoundly distressing. ... But there are some hopeful threads, too."—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times

"Must read: Catch and Kill, by Ronan Farrow. How #sexualabuse stories got suppressed, and how deep-diving, fact-gathering reporting blew the lid off, despite threats, intimidation, and cronymongering at the top. Chilling!"—Margaret Atwood

"Reads like a thriller...The reveal in Catch and Kill is not that there are corrupt people; it's that corrupt people are in control of our media, politics, and entertainment and that, in fact, many of them remain in control."—RebeccaTraister, The Cut

Frightening and inspiring!

This was an incredible book! I will be listening again mainly due to the story telling ability of Ronan Farrow. He not only writes an incredible account of his investigative work, but his and others feelings at the time are so clear as well. This book is also very fair to not only the survivors and accusers, but to the accused as well. What Ronan Farrow has written is a masterpiece and I can must wait to read/listen again!!

Fantastic behind the scene book

This book was an amazing insight into what went into bringing to light the story of sexual abuse that had been hidden for so long. The book was as interesting as it was informative. So glad Ronan Farrow and all the other brave women have worked so hard to tell this story

Journalism 📰 at it's finest🥇

I recall my mother crying after getting home from work one night after her then-boss pinned her to the floor, behind file cabinets, pushing her head to his crotch, my mother fought him off and ran out. She was fired the next day. A single mom w/3kids, job experience had been stay at home mom, & high school education, we then went on welfare/food stamps,etc.,..a game changer. I've had my rear end smacked so hard by one former boss, I fell over onto a countertop. Another former boss use to text me after I'd get there, asking me to go into his office to sit on his face (WAY more examples, you get my point),... it's moments like that, that are not self-esteem boosting experiences.
H.W. being brought to justice, then suffering consequences, was a victory for his victims, but all women who have suffered from other predators.
Thanks to your brilliantly written book, readers got insight into this rabbit 🕳️ but also learned of how investigating impacted your life, and your journey every step of the way.
THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR VOICE MR. FARROW!! THANK YOU TO YOUR HUSBAND, FOR HIS PATIENCE AND CONSTANT ENCOURAGING YOU TO KEEP GOING!!
It's helped my mother and I heal us, and Im sure many more besides us, God bless 🙏

Was I blind

Was I blind to the fact how basically ruthless these men were against women. I would not have imagined in 1,000 years ANY person could do this to another human being. As an America male, I would like to apologize to ALL women that have ever been in this situation. Thanks to Ronan to pursue the story. Thanks to all the women that came forward. Thanks for being the voice to what I am sure countless other women that live in silence. Maybe the work of all involved will put an end to this behavior. I am realistic and that may not happen BUT it is my hope anyway that this lessens the assault on women. Lets drive this behavior to ZERO!

Visceral and Poignant

I can’t believe the lengths he went to to make sure these women were heard. It was a surreal and eye popping account of what corporate life is like for women. I may sound ridiculous, but I had no idea that sexual harassment and assault were so tolerated before reading this novel. I work in trucking, and there’s always been whispers of women assaulted by their trainers, female drivers accosted in truck stops, and I thought that it couldn’t be as pervasive as people made it sound because there weren’t any open air cases. Knowing now how companies choke down the stories by further attacking these already bruised women left me with a ice cold chill around my heart. If this could happen in news, it happens everywhere and as a man, I just never saw it personally. This is a deeply insightful and provocative novel that will always have a front and center place on my bookshelf.

Great Book, But What Was He Thinking?!

It's no secret by now that this book is great and the story behind it was one of the most influential part of today's world and the spark of the #metoo movement. It also make for a great spy novel, if only some of this stuff was made up.
However. What in God's green earth was Ronan thinking when he made the decision to give the people he interviewed accents? Most of them were pretty bad and some bordered or were outright offensive, Ambra's accent being the worst in my opinion. Other than that the narration was very good, I just can't believe that was a deliberate editorial choice. Very disappointed.

Amazing.

The behind the scenes accountings are both riveting and horrific.
Ronan does a fabulous job of narrating his own investigative journey into this sickening underworld of abuse and coverups by white privileged powerful men.
It reads better than any fictional well written spy novel, you have to keep reminding yourself that it’s all true. Everyone needs to read this.

Hard to Believe!

Loved this book! I have long thought that rich men have purchased the ability to act in inappropriate ways to female underlings without having to defend their bad behavior- but to read that everything I expected was true was shocking! Ronan you have become the face of truth in reporting and I look forward to reading everything you write in the future! Please- name names and dont let bad people hide behind their wallets!

Sucks you in!!

Really well done!! Enjoyable to listen to, some of his voices were a little off-putting though!

Amazing writing

“The courage of women cannot be stamped out. The stories that matter can be caught but never killed.”

This book is unbelievably powerful and compassionate.