Truth and Consequences

"This biography about Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff's clan is chock-full of drama.... anyone curious about this fractured, once tight-knit family will find plenty of food for thought here." 3-1/2 Stars

"Although there have been at least 10 books written about the scandal, none has taken such an inside look at the personal lives of the Madoff nuclear family as this latest one by author Sandell. Although the Madoff family has been constantly hounded by reporters and the paparazzi since the story broke, Sandell has been the first to get the family to open up and tell their side of the story. Treated as pariahs, the family members have had to deal with the brunt of the ridicule and shame in the court of public opinion, while Madoff himself remains locked deeply inside a high-security federal prison.... Sandell spends a great deal of time setting the stage in a biographical account that includes typical family ties, celebrations, trials, and tribulations; the story... really starts to heat up after the confession, when the lives of Ruth, Andrew, and Mark begin to completely unravel. Sandell paints a sympathetic portrait that partially redeems Ruth and Andrew as they attempt to rebuild their lives and achieve some semblance of normalcy."

"Sandell makes a legitimate case that Mark and Andrew Madoff really were caught off guard by their father's crimes."