Golden boy A murder among the Manhattan elite

Veteran true crime author Glatt (The Family Next Door, 2019) returns with a new book about murder in the Hamptons. Tommy Gilbert Jr. visited his estranged father, asked his mother to give them some time alone, and shot him in the head in cold blood. Headlines everywhere told of the unspeakable horror and painted Tommy as a spoiled rich kid who murdered his father because his allowance was cut. However, it is obvious that Tommy suffered from lifelong mental illness that was never properly treated, casting doubt on that narrative. To support this argument, Glatt delves into their family history that includes mental illness and suicide along with how they wound up in the Hamptons and amassed their wealth. While Tommy's defense attempted to use his mental state to declare him unfit for trial, after many hearings and evaluations, he was eventually declared fit, especially due to his past criminal behavior. Fans of Glatt's other work, as well as true crime fans who are new to him, will find this a compelling read.

In this disturbing account, bestseller Glatt (The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder) chronicles the life and trial of Tommy Gilbert Jr., who sent shock waves through New York City's upper crust when he murdered his hedge fund manager father in 2015. Gilbert appeared to have it all: good looks, intelligence, elite pedigree, Princeton education, and a generous allowance from a loving family. But his parents used their wealth and influence to cover up their son's deepening mental problems and escalating violent tendencies, which had already manifested in verbal attacks, physical assaults, and arson. Glatt uses extensive personal interviews, court records, and investigative reports to provide a comprehensive look at how Gilbert's mental illness mainly went unchecked, leading to his final act of violence. (In 2019, he received the maximum sentence of 30 years to life). Beyond this specific murder, Glatt shares alarming revelations about the state of the mental health system, where psychiatrists are largely powerless to intervene even when they see serious psychological issues that could result in harm to the patient or others. This is must reading for true crime enthusiasts who prize depth over salaciousness. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (July)

Journalist Glatt's (The Perfect Father) new book opens in 2015, with the wealthy and privileged Thomas Gilbert Jr. murdering his father, Thomas Gilbert Sr., with a gunshot to the head. Glatt then traces Gilbert's life and psychological decline and the largely failed attempts to address it. When the younger Gilbert entered Princeton University, traits that had, in his earlier years, been seen as quirks became serious concerns. Gilbert received an array of diagnoses, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to schizophrenia, and was treated with therapy, medication, and a stint at an inpatient clinic. He was also self-medicating with near-constant marijuana use and sporadic intake of LSD, steroids, alcohol, and other drugs. At times, his family's desire to keep up appearances trumped their commitment to addressing Gilbert's growing delusions. Eventually, he assaulted a former friend and was suspected of burning down that friend's family vacation home. Gilbert's murder of his father was incited when his parents cut off the then-30-year-old's weekly allowance. Glatt is a balanced narrator of this story; though it would be easy to dismiss Gilbert as a privileged man-child protected by wealth and connections, the author also examines how complicated mental illness diagnoses can be, even for people with access to doctors and treatments. VERDICT A tragic character study at the intersection of wealth, privilege, and mental illness, told with empathy for Gilbert's victims.--Bart Everts, Rutgers Univ.-Camden Lib., NJ