Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader digital copy of this book. This is a very well written true crime story, that has to be read to be believed. Glatt gives us a lot of background into the mental health of Tommy, but the reader will still be shocked that he actually could murder the man who had taken care of all his needs his whole life. When a simple thing like reducing an already too high allowance causes ones mind to think that it is okay to kill them, something is wrong. Once the trial started the book does lose a little steam. Great for lovers of true crime.

First off, I love this author's writing style.

I first discovered him when I read his book on Chris Watts and I was thrilled to see that Golden Boy was coming out.

This book has a hugely difficult subject matter to read. Thomas" actions were so "out there" that at times, I had to put the book down.

The author does an excellent job of balancing the real life results of a real life mental illness. I like that he does not take a side,, other than to write the facts about what happened and let's us decide. Many times during this book, I kept asking myself is Thomas really mental ill or is he faking? I came to believe that both were in play here.

I also wonder how his poor mother was still standing. Glatt did an excellent job of describing her feelings and situations and while I am really annoyed at her comment about "the system did not help her son", I could only imagine her pain.

That statement...."the system let my son down" I absolutely believe because we hear this comment so many times, I will say that in this case, with the money these people had, they could have hired the "best" doctors to help him, but instead they just kept throwing money at their son, making him entitled and needy. These people appeared to scared to "hurt" their son's feelings.....so I believe that the family holds some blame here. They HAD the money to do something beyond the "regular channels of mental help for the average joe".

The book reads like that to me. Thomas was always on the periphery of things and he author really shines a light on this as well.

Ultimately, this is a really well researched book that is sad to read.....but what a good read.

A true story of murder,and mental illness.
Did the system fail a thirty year old son who murdered his father? Tom was said to have schizophrenia. He was never institutionalized. He wouldn't take medicine that was prescribed for him was he in his right mind when he pressed the gun to his father's temple and fired it. And if not, why was he seemed fit to stand trial.
A book that looks into the life of someone with a mental disorder and the consequences of that disease being ignored.

John Glatt definitely tops my list of true crime authors. It is apparent that he does a thorough job of researching the people involved and events leading up to a heinous crime. I appreciated his complete and straight forward account because I was not familiar with this particular case and found it to be a compelling read. It also gave me a lot to think about when it comes to mental illness and the justice system. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

I have read several of John Glatt's books, so I really looked forward to this one. This book is about Thomas Gilbert Jr. and the murder of his father, Thomas Sr. As I expected, it was a great book! I like the way the author writes, and he is clear on his details, which are not lacking. It is well written. Plus, the storyline is very good, and you can understand both sides, although your empathies go with his parents. It is a heartbreaking story. I highly recommend this book. It is great!

A really compelling and harrowing book. Tommy Gilbert led such a charmed life, had everything he could want, But there was definitely something very, very wrong with him. Really well written, and such meticulous research, I really enjoyed this. Thank you so much

Tommy Jr. had the childhood everyone dreams of. His family gave him everything he wanted as they were extremely wealthy. As he grew up he got to go to all the best schools and the world was his oyster. However, Tommy Jr. started to exhibit signs of mental illness and could never get his life on track. He couldn’t hold a steady job, have a long term relationship or become a success. He frequently got into arguments with people in his life and got into trouble with the law. His parents didn’t know what to do with him and thought cutting his allowance was the best course of action. How more wrong they could be when Tommy Jr. decides to kill his father.

This was my second book by this author and he is coming a true crime must read. I really enjoyed reading this one and had never heard of the crime even though it was a major media story. The story of Tommy Jr. from the point he got arrested until his trial was fascinating. Typically the true crime I have read have depicted all the mistakes made by police but in this case I think the health care system let him down. He showed signs of mental illness from a young age but never received the proper treatment. This tragedy probably could have been avoided if the doctors were able to properly treat him. I highly recommend you read this one.

Love authors books, including this one. In depth and detailed, this book won't disappoint crime fanatics.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

As someone who consumes true crime in all forms this case somehow never came to my attention. With a healthy dose of Tommy’s backstory and a detailed account of the trial I found it to be very interesting and well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you, NetGalley!

John Glatt has a remarkable ability to tell true crime stories. I had not been familiar with the case of Thomas Gilbert Jr. but upon reading the description of this book, I thought I would know everything there was to know about the case: a well-educated child from a wealthy family starts getting cut off and he seeks revenge on his father.
I was very, very wrong. Glatt dives into Gilbert's history with mental illness and trouble with relationships. This book was thoroughly researched and told. There are so many layers to the case and Thomas Gilbert Jr. that reveal it wasn't just about money.
Glatt's retelling of this case not only show downward spiral of Thomas Gilbert Jr. but also open the conversation of how mental illness is treated in criminal cases.

I appreciated that every component of this case was well-researched and told so it wasn't solely about what happened during the crime. Excellent read.

Not much mystery here. Tommie Gilbert shoots his dad on page 2. The rest of the book delves into how someone raised in such wealth and privilege could do that and then follows his subsequent trial. It was a very good read.

The Gilberts are a wealthy New York family. Both sides come from money and keep it going. Tommie is bright, good looking, and given all the advantages of the best schools. But mental illness and drugs take their toll. After graduating from Princeton, Tommie never really gets a job, just partying and living off his parents. They get him the best doctors, but he refuses to take the treatments and continues to get farther and farther into trouble. Eventually, he kills his father.

This book is well-written and quite easy to read. A true crime story that is recent, you will recognize some of the players. If you find such books interesting, this is well worth your time.

This is a tough book to review - one cannot help but have opinions after reading it. Serious opinions. I am right there with everyone else that has read this book.

One thing we all agree on is that Tommy Gilbert murdered his father; after that, it all gets a bit murky. Many believe he is suffering from serious psychosis and schizophrenia [even though he was never, ever, formally diagnosed with this horrible mental illness - that is something to keep in mind. The Drs. he saw said they thought he had that, but it was never a formal diagnosis, which would have required a hospital stay and massive evaluation, something he never received and still has not received]. Many believe he knew exactly what he was doing and was manipulating everyone from the moment he murdered his father. I find that I am a bit in the middle of both camps - I absolutely believe that Tommy Gilbert has some form of mental illness [at the very least, he is severely OCD, at the very worse, he is a sociopath], but I also fully believe that because of his circumstances and how he grew up, with great privilege and money and no consequences ever, he learned how to manipulate those around him to get what he wanted and what he saw as needs and more importantly, what he saw as deserved [entitlement]; his interaction with his Uncle Beck and the country club incident shows that in full scale. Add to the fact that he deliberately sent his mother to the store the day he murdered his father, because he knew she never kept Coke in the house, shows he knew exactly what he was doing, and to be honest, I think he knew the outcome [why wipe all your electronic equipment that had damning evidence on it? Why continually attempt to contact your lawyer?] as well and that is where the serious manipulation came into play. Can severe manipulation be part of a mental illness diagnosis? Probably. Most sociopaths are extremely skilled in the art of manipulation and Tommy seems to be extremely good at getting what he wants and then throwing a tantrum when things don't go his way. Which is one reason this trial dragged on for as long as it did.

I really believe that some of the blame has to be laid at the feet of the parents themselves [and that in no way means that Tom Gilbert Sr. deserved in ANY way to be murdered in cold blood - no one deserves that ever] - there were so many opportunities when Tommy was young enough to be hospitalized that were just brushed off as oddities and then so much of what he did was either paid for, covered up or explained away, that Tommy never saw any consequences of his actions - of course he believed he would get bail and then get off from his father's murder - he always had gotten away with stuff before, why should now be any different, and that fault lies directly with the parents [Tommy's mother is especially culpable as she secretly feeds him money after Tom Sr. is trying to cut him off, deliberately going against her husband's wishes]. One can understand anger on Tommy's part of suddenly being cut off from most of his income as well - his parents had supported his extravagant lifestyle for years and he was accustomed to that life and to suddenly have that cut off [even if it was by degrees] had to be shocking, though IMO, not enough to kill someone over. I think the issues between Tommy and his father went way deeper than we will ever know as one is dead and one is still pulling the strings, even from prison [and we certainly cannot rely on the mother's testimony - she has proven herself an extremely unreliable narrator].

I have to commend the author - at the end, he admits to being friends with Tommy's mother and with Lila Chase and found their input to this book invaluable, but unlike other true crime books where the author is friendly with some of the players in the story and is therefore prejudicial in the writing, this book doesn't go that way. The author really presents the whole case and story from a fairly unbiased view and that is admirable. I believe Mr. Glatt worked hard to keep his own opinions and thoughts of the matter out of the book [and like I said, people will absolutely have opinions] and just laid out the story as it was presented over the days and years in the court, and again, that is admirable. I don't know many writers who know players in the story who can do that and I say well done Mr. Glatt; I will absolutely be seeking out other books of yours to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, John Glatt, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

A really interestingly written, fast-paced and well-researched story. It felt like you were following the story piece-by-piece.

There’s no question that Tommy Gilbert, Jr. pulled the trigger that ended his father’s life. What is less clear is if he was mentally competent to be held criminally responsible.

Tommy, with his movie-star good looks, lived a privileged life as a “Golden Boy” from a wealthy prominent family. He was afforded every possible opportunity for success, but, inside his head, something went terribly awry. Crippling anxiety and paranoia took hold, along with irrational fears of his father and some of his classmates. He suffered from social anxiety and "contamination" fears. He believed friends were trying to steal his soul, and developed a set of rituals to protect himself. He had increasing difficulty in maintaining relationships and was known to be irrational and emotionally volatile.

Mental illness ran in the family, and Tommy’s parents were very concerned about his mental deterioration. They scheduled evaluations and treatments by multiple psychiatrists, none of whom agreed on a firm diagnosis, yet prescribed a laundry list of medications. At one time or another he was diagnosed as having OCD, anxiety disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, and bipolar disease, among others. In response to abuses of the past, it is very difficult to commit an adult to a mental institution, even when the person clearly is very disturbed. As an adult, his parents had no legal sway over him.

The parents found themselves trying their best to support him in his endeavors, while attempting to keep his mental illness at bay. Was he a privileged, entitled spoiled ypung man? Or was he severely mentally ill? Sometimes I’m sure it was difficult for others to see the difference.

Despite multiple psychiatric evaluations and bizarre behavior in the courtroom he was deemed fit for trial, and much of the latter part of the book covers the courtroom trial. His mother, Shelley, stood by his side, never wavering that Tommy was mentally ill and needed help.

If a family such as the Gilbert’s, who had the money and access to the best medical care in the world, was unable to help their son, then what hope do any of us have? More than a simple true crime drama, this is an indictment on the current state of mental health care, as well as a thought-provoking story that highlights the cracks in our justice system.

The author writes compellingly and with clarity, never inserting himself or his opinion into the story. I closed the cover of the book with a feeling of sadness for all involved. There are no winners here.

Golden Boy by John Glatt is a superb book with an engrossing plot and well drawn characters. Well worth the read!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: July 20, 2021
Bestselling true crime author John Glatt turns his attention to the murder of Wall Street financier and investor Thomas Gilbert Sr., with the novel “Golden Boy: A Murder Among the Manhattan Elite”.
Tommy Gilbert, Thomas Gilbert Sr.’s son, grew up in a life of privilege. Tall, blond and handsome, Tommy was an athlete, and after years of attending elite prep schools, he earned a degree at Princeton University, and was set to work alongside his father in the world of investment banking. With famous friends, a house in the Hamptons, and memberships to the finest clubs, Gilbert Jr. had everything one could ever want. So what drove Tommy to put a bullet in his father’s head?
“Golden Boy” is a story of the world of the elite privilege but it is also a heartbreaking examination of the failures of the justice system when it comes to those with mental illness. Thomas Gibson, Jr. had a family history of mental illness, and when he started to show signs of paranoid schizophrenia as a young adult, no amount of money could force him to get the treatment he so desperately needed.
The most interesting thing about “Golden Boy” is that there is never an argument that Tommy did not kill his father, but to what degree mental illness contributed to his actions. Full of courtroom drama and legal jargon, the five-year court battle was long and harrowing for all involved.
Glatt writes in an honest and objective way, highlighting both sides of the case and presenting the legal battles as openly as he can. He makes it quite easy to both victimize and condemn Gilbert, portraying him as an entitled brat, yet one who also suffers from a very real mental illness. “Golden Boy” depicts life among the Manhattan elite, with country clubs and “summer homes” in the Hamptons, but it still manages to elicit complete sympathy for young Tommy, whose untreated mental illness caused him to commit the vilest of crimes.
Two thirds of this book details the lengthy courtroom action, so it can get quite dull at certain points, but my desire to see the outcome and my sympathy for Tommy pulled me through to the end. “Golden Boy” is a thought provoking novel about how society views mental illness, and how even the wealthiest of families can have dark shadows in their minds, wreaking havoc and causing chaos.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sharing the ARC of this upcoming true crime title. It’s a sad story really that didn’t have to happen, but yet was almost pre-ordained by the lack of meaningful mental health treatment received by the title character. I thought the author was overly unsympathetic to the murderer’s parents, who struck me more as having their hands tied by the law on mental health commitments vs. being woefully ignorant. Overall, the retelling of the story was average but this will be of interest to true crime readers.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
John Glatt is a master at true crime writing. Clear, concise, direct; with well researched background history and a writing style that has no subterfuge or speculation; Glatt tells the story of crime, criminal and victim in such a way that you feel a part of the tale. He lays out the case for maximum understanding. In this book, a tragic murder by a mentally ill young man costs the family anguish as they lost their patriarch by death and their hope for the son to life behind bars. Navigate the criminal justice system along with the author as the clarification for mental illness and competency to stand trial is questioned. The Golden boy is a riveting case that will surely be referenced in the years to come.

My thoughts: One of many books I’ve read by John Glatt. This is a well written true crime book on the saga of the Gilbert family. Tom Gilbert, Sr. was a well known financier in New York City and had a grown son, Tommy Gilbert, Jr. who was extremely well educated. Despite this, he remained dependent on his parents for support. A real failure to launch situation. The senior Gilbert was trying to wean him off being dependent by cutting his $800 a week allowance a hundred or two at a time.
Tommy Gilbert, Jr. had a long history of mental illnesses and often refused to stay on his medication. After getting an email about his allowance being cut again, Tommy took his illegally obtained gun and went and shot his father. The book shares a lot about the family’s life and what went on before and after the crime in excellent detail. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author John Glatt, and the publisher.