Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy of Golden Boy by John Glatt.

Golden Boy is the story of Thomas Gibson, Jr., a man born to an affluent family who kills his father after a long struggle with untreated mental illness and an inability to find a solid footing in his own adulthood. Many true crime fans will have heard of the murder of Thomas Gibson, Sr. from media coverage at the time of the murder. John Glatt takes his readers on a deep-dive into the life of Thomas Gibson, Jr. from birth to his current incarceration. Extensively researched, Glatt misses no detail of the life and times of Gibson, Jr. It's a sad story, to be sure, but a gread read for true crime fans.

I was very excited to read Golden Boy and it did not disappoint. Having read only minimal information at the time of the murder Golden Boy was an engrossing read. Reading about Gibson, Jr.'s long struggle with mental illness and refusal to accept treatment left me feeling extremely conflicted about his conviction. This is a tough case with no good outcome for any of the involved parties. A father lost his life, a wife lost her husband and son and a man lost his father and, as far as I know, continues to live in a live tormented by untreated mental illness. Golden Boy is proof positive that being born into a rich family can only do so much for a person. Great read for true crime fans.

The Case: Thomas Gilbert Jr. is a charming, and extremely good looking New York socialite. He is wealthy, has the finest education with an IQ of 140, speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently and excelled in higher mathematics. But on 4 Jan 2015, he walked into his parent's apartment, shot and killed his father, Thomas Gilbert Sr. a Manhattan millionaire and hedge fund founder. What drove him to commit such devastating crime?

My thoughts: This was my second book by John Glatt and once again I enjoyed it! His engaging writing pulled me in and I was totally immersed in the story. With the amount of research done, the information was presented in a concise manner with short chapters. I liked it!

I personally think that this was most probably one of the most heartbreaking cases I've read. It talks about how the downward spiral of Tommy's untreated mental illness has put others and himself in dangerous situation. No doubt Tommy killed his father and there is absolutely no justification for that, but would things have been different should Tommy's mental illness was treated earlier or being taken seriously.

The courtroom scenes was interesting and how Tommy handled it all clearly shows his state of mind which also prolonged his competency hearing. My heart breaks for his mom, Shelley Gilbert. This was a challenging case as Shelley is trapped in the middle and what she said in her victim's impact statement was heartbreaking.

Overall, this was a great book to read about this case. There is no gore details in this book and if you're thinking of trying the true crime genre, this may be the book for you!

Pub. Date: July 20th, 2021

***Thank you St. Martin's Press, author John Glatt and NetGalley for this copy to read and review.***

Golden Boy is a powerful well researched and presented book about the life and trial of Tommy Gilbert Junior.

Tommy had a privileged life then things started to go awry as he became mentally ill.

John Glatt has done a superb job of presenting the Gilbert's life and background and what happened that fatal day he shot and killed his father.

You have to admire the strength and resilience of his mom Shelley. She and her daughter lost everything.

The courtroom scenes were so well presented.

The book was an eye opener regarding mental illness and how we must do more against this devastating and often misunderstood illness.

The story of Tom, Shelley and Tommy will stay with me for a very long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a in depth read of this tragic case.

Life is good for many, but it was especially good for Tommy Gilbert. Born into a family of wealth and prestige, he was educated in the best of schools, was able to enjoy his parents’ multiple residences in affluent areas, and seemed to have the world at his command. Added to all of that was the fact that Tommy was intensely handsome, a blond blue eyed Adonis. Yet something was wrong with Tommy.

His various oddities included thinking things and some people were contaminated, having the intense feeling that others were out to get him, and seeming to lack social graces. All of these personalities started to appear in his later teenage years. Tommy started a downward spiral into mental illness what some of his doctors described as psychosis and probably schizophrenia.

Seeing over the years a plethora of doctors, Tommy floundered refusing to take medication, being enabled by his parents for his lack of finding a job after graduating from Princeton and developing an overwhelmingly hatred of his father, Thomas Gilbert, Sr. The last of these traits led Tommy eventually to murdering his father, shooting him at point blank range in his parents' apartment in Manhattan.

Because of the social strata his family traveled within, the case became one of noteworthy proportions. Tommy’s mother stayed a staunch supporter of her son, yet years of what seemed like turning a somewhat cloudy eye to her child’s failings, made for an interesting piece of what entitlement can do.

Tommy exhibited many very troubling incidents before his final act of murder, and the author documents them all plus Tommy’s interactions with family, friends, and women.

This book encourages lots of thoughts about the state of mental health in this country, including the laws that can’t force anyone into mental facilities unless they agree to it. It also focuses well on the question of what constitutes mental competency in a courtroom trial.

It’s a sad story where there are no winners, where by the end we are not quite sure that justice has been served, and what we wonder if anything could have saved Tommy.

Definitely a strong recommendation for well done, clear, intriguing, and and concise story.
Thanks to John Glatt, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this fascinating true crime story due out July 20, 2021

I received an advance copy of, Golden Boy, by John Glatt. Tommy is definitely no golden boy. Tommy has a lot of issues including mental illness, entitlement, codependent, etc. Tommy killed his father in cold blood, and is now paying for his actions.

Golden Boy is a fast moving and chilling true crime book. Author John Glatt does an outstanding job peeling back the layers of Tommy Gilbert Jr. and his life, which lead to unspeakable tragedy. This book will, without doubt, find the reader eagerly turning each page with breathless anticipation. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

This was such a tragic story to read. I hadn't heard of this case prior to reading the book. I had so many mixed emotions reading this, but the main thing was something I already knew- our mental health care system in the United States is so broken. If a well off student with a great education and a good home life that struggles with mental health can not get the help he needs, what hope is there with people without a good background and money have? It was a really difficult book to get through because of the subject matter, but it was well constructed and organized.

Years ago, I had a morning routine. I would leave the house with enough time to stop at the bodega to get a New York Post to read on my commute. January 2015, I picked up the paper and was drawn into the story of Thomas Gilbert Sr and Tommy Gilbert Jr. An Upper East Side man, with all the education and access to anything he could ever want, walked into his parent's house, told his mom to leave, and shot his father, directly in the head. It was a story that has stuck with me ever since that morning.

John Glatt has taken the sad story of an elite man who, no matter what, was still a sick individual. Glatt has managed to take this insane story and lay it out in an easy to read and digest order. Tommy's childhood is one that set him up for success. He goes to an elite high school, he plays sports, he goes to Princeton, he's EXTREMELY good looking. He's also paranoid, a bit of a troublemaker, angry and mentally ill.

There's a lot to unpack. Tommy's constant refusal to take medication and his parent's allowing this to happen. The lack of repercussions for vandalism and petty theft. The HOUSE FIRE. He never was punished so of course he thinks it's fine to get mad about being a 30 year old getting an allowance.

It's a hard story. It's a sad story. It's a story about mental health. It's a story about a family who let one member change their fate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Thomas Gilbert Jr is well known for his actions against his father. John Glatt did an amazing job of describing Tommy’s life from his early years to when he stood trial for the Murder of his father, Thomas Gilbert Sr. He was a party boy taking drugs and drinking when he should have been taking his medications prescribed by his several psychiatrists. He became very upset with his father several times cutting off total contact.
The book describes many of the parties in great detail and takes you through all the detail of the trial. Anyone interested in reading true crime books will enjoy this immensely. It was really hard to read the help being provided but the refusal to admit their is a need and accept it.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early ARC for an honest review.
#Netgalley #StMartinsPress

This is one of the absolute best books written about wealth, mental illness and true crime.!!! The author painstakingly recounts the tremendous toll mental illness takes on a family, especially when the family refuses to acknowledge it's existence in order save the carefully constructed facade they created. It is sad tale of a once brilliant and promising young man's journey into the depths of severe mental illness. I will be using this in my classroom when I teach mental illness and true crime. It will be a wonderful addition. I highly recommend this book to everyone!!!

I really liked this one. I hadn't even heard of this case before but I liked how it was presented with short chapters and no fluff. Learning of the mental health problems that ultimately lead to a heinous act were incredible and I appreciate author exploring the roots of this crime.

I have to admit when I heard about this murder, I thought it was simply a “poor little spoiled rich boy”.
Troubling and not as clear cut as I thought.
The author provides a thorough account of the case and back story.
This was an interesting read which I recommend.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I remember reading about this murder when it happened. This book did not give me any more information that I didn't read in the newspaper or on the television news. Very disappointing book, will not be recommending.

True Crime is my #1 genre to read and I was thrilled to get a copy of this fantastic book by one of my favorite authors, John Glatt. I loved the family background history of this family and where their wealth came from. I enjoyed reading how the rich and famous spend their time and money. As I read this book, I kept thinking "what if" they would have done this or that different maybe things would have turned out different. There is no doubt that Tommy suffers from several forms of mental illness, but after reading about his courtroom antics, I also think he is a master manipulator.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very interesting and thought provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Spectacular!
Beautifully written and perfectly researched, this book is a masterpiece.
John Glatt's ability to tell this story with precision and compassion is what makes this book a "must-read".
I've finished Golden Boy in a couple of hours and, as much as it breaks my heart to read about how poorly mentally ill people are treated in a court of law, this book needs to be read!

Often fiction is more interesting than true crime. In this story the opposite would have been true if the author had spent less time on the pedigree of the family.

I really struggled with this book., it just went on and on about the family tree and who married who, and who had what offspring, and what schools they went to.. I was so confused, I just couldn't get into it. I guess if you are really like true crime, you might enjoy this one.

If you read the news, you've probably heard about the story of Thomas Gilbert, Jr., known to his family as Tommy. Despite a golden pedigree from the Buckley School, Deerfield Academy, and Princeton University, Tommy struggled to make something of himself post-schooling. He struggled with various mental illnesses, often refusing treatment, and acquired a deep hatred of his father. When his father began to reduce his monthly allowance, Tommy killed him. How could such a tragedy happen in a wealthy family, and can the mentally ill Tommy be held responsible for his actions?

This story is captivating for so many reasons, and John Glatt clearly did his research. I appreciated hearing about the backstory of the Gilbert family and their happier times before Tommy's illnesses took root. Glatt also explores Tommy's post-Princeton life, getting interviews from the women he dated and the men he was friends with. It's clear that Tommy was obsessed with wealth and status, but he didn't see work as the root of that (unlike his father). I appreciated the discussion about how to judge competency for trial and determine if one can be held responsible for one's actions.

This was a 3.5 star read for me - I think the narrative could have been tightened up a bit. In the biographical sections, it felt like I was reading about every single party Tommy went to. In the later trial section, each day of the trial was covered in great detail. I think this book will appeal to those interested in true crime, and I appreciate Glatt's effort to understand and humanize Tommy without disregarding the seriousness of his crimes.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.