Perversion of Justice

The Jeffrey Epstein Story

By: Julie K. Brown

Narrated by: Julie K. Brown, Julia Whelan

The New York Times Bestseller

“A gripping journalistic procedural… Spotlight meets Erin Brockovich.”—Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times

“Julie K. Brown's important book offers not just a definitive account of the Epstein case, but a compelling window into her own experiences as a dogged reporter at a regional newspaper, facing off against powerful interests set against her reporting.”—Ronan Farrow, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Catch and Kill

Dauntless journalist Julie K. Brown recounts her uncompromising and risky investigation of Jeffrey Epstein's underage sex trafficking operation, and the explosive reporting for the Miami Herald that finally brought him to justice while exposing the powerful people and broken system that protected him.

For many years, billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's penchant for teenage girls was an open secret in the high society of Palm Beach, Florida and Upper East Side, Manhattan. Charged in 2008 with soliciting prostitution from minors, Epstein was treated with unheard of leniency, dictating the terms of his non-prosecution. The media virtually ignored the failures of the criminal justice system, and Epstein's friends and business partners brushed the allegations aside. But when in 2017 the U.S Attorney who approved Epstein's plea deal, Alexander Acosta, was chosen by President Trump as Labor Secretary, reporter Julie K. Brown was compelled to ask questions.

Despite her editor's skepticism that she could add a new dimension to a known story, Brown determined that her goal would be to track down the victims themselves. Poring over thousands of redacted court documents, traveling across the country and chasing down information in difficulty and sometimes dangerous circumstances, Brown tracked down dozens of Epstein's victims, now young women struggling to reclaim their lives after the trauma and shame they had endured.

Brown's resulting three-part series in the Miami Herald was one of the most explosive news stories of the decade, revealing how Epstein ran a global sex trafficking pyramid scheme with impunity for years, targeting vulnerable teens, often from fractured homes and then turning them into recruiters. The outrage led to Epstein's arrest, the disappearance and eventual arrest of his closest accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and the resignation of Acosta. The financier's mysterious suicide in a New York City jail cell prompted wild speculation about the secrets he took to the grave—and whether his death was intentional or the result of foul play.

Tracking Epstein’s evolution from a college dropout to one of the most successful financiers in the country—whose associates included Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, and Bill Clinton—Perversion of Justice builds on Brown's original award-winning series, showing the power of truth, the value of local reportage and the tenacity of one woman in the face of the deep-seated corruption of powerful men.

©2021 Julie K. Brown (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Incredible

JKB is one badass reporter. She got Epstein. This is an incredible story of dogged determination and plain hard work. Thank you.

great writing ans reporting!

Julie K Brown did a great job of explaining the complex issues in this unbelievable and frightening story of a sexual preditor

Very well done.

I’ve been following this case pretty closely. I was really excited to see this book come across my feed as I knew Ms Brown was one of the top journalists with this story. This is very insightful and fascinating book. Disgusting and horrifying but that’s the subject matter.

I wish all of Epstein & Maxwells victims the best. If I ever win lotto I’ll buy that island and invite them all for a bonfire. We can watch the place burn to the ground. I’m just sorry that those monsters won’t be in it.

Absolutely outstanding research grounded analysis

This is an outstanding research grounded comprehensive analysis of the unfortunate Epstein saga. Extremely well written book and very well read by the author and another reader for the audiobook. A must-listen.

Study of corruption of criminal justice system

This is not so much a story detailing a man’s lurid behavior and molestation of children, although Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes fit that description. It is more an investigation of a corrupt criminal system with dozens of prosecutors, politicians, and prominent citizens choosing to ignore depraved criminal behavior taking place under their noses for years on end. Jeffrey Epstein’s enablers are not so much former presidents and princes as much as those entrusted to carry out the rule of law and prevent child sexual exploitation. The villains in this book are many. The number people who protected Epstein is incomprehensible. These were Assistant Attorneys General, local prosecutors, sheriffs, and others whose responsibility is to protect victims and prosecute criminals.
Perversion of Justice is aptly named.
Keep a list of names as you are listening. The sheer number of guilty parties is staggering.

Insane.

Julie K. Brown is a brilliant writer and this book proves it. If you want to know EVERYTHING about the waste of space Jeffery Epstein was, read this book. She also recognizes the victims of Epstein and makes sure that they are a big part of this story.

All the facts

great details and information the characters were alive I felt I was a part of this story

Well done!

I first followed Julie Brown’s work in the Miami Herald and this book really fills in the details that I wanted to know after her excellent series in the paper. Moreover, the struggles regarding doing the work of an investigative journalist in a gendered, austerity driven, precarious employment market was enlightening and appreciated. I do hope that this book brings the financial security that Ms. Brown earned -a long time ago!

this is america

The USA has 2 distinct criminal justice systems; one for the wealthy and another for the rest of us. This book offers a damning indictment of both.

Excellent- credible, well researched- and a pathetic story of rich men covering

I found this book very easy to follow, was filled with great details, extremely credible, thank you for doing this.