What do you think?
Rate this book
The Impostor Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, The Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age
Before there was Anna Delvey or Elizabeth Holmes, there was Cassie Chadwick. The first woman–using criminal cunning, some confidence, and a bit of charm—to bring down a federal agent, a bank, and a city’s worth of men.
Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. The best con artists know how to reinvent themselves, time and time again. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of the trade. Over the course of fifteen years, she swept from town to town, assuming new identities and running new swindles at each railroad stop. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, years after the robber barons had amassed their fortunes, she was amassing her own. Then came the Carnegie con. Using her wits and a series of forged documents, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter. Blinded by the name of the most powerful man in the world, businessmen lined up to loan her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. The con made her impossibly rich. The crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial drew the eyes of a nation that couldn’t get enough of the woman, who newspapers called the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance. Indeed, when Charles Ponzi’s infamous scheme collapsed in 1920, reporters scoffed that “Ponzi is a piker compared to Cassie.” Interspersing Cassie’s crimes with stories of an unsuspecting Andrew Carnegie, author Annie Reed spins an enthralling, page turning tale of true crime. Could the rumors be true? Can Cassie’s money last? Will she escape the electric chair? Told with a gossip columnists’ charm and wit, THE IMPOSTER HEIRESS, is a rollicky trickster’s tale that will appeal to history buffs and true crime aficionados alike to bring one of the greatest swindlers of all time back into the public eye.
Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. The best con artists know how to reinvent themselves, time and time again. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of the trade. Over the course of fifteen years, she swept from town to town, assuming new identities and running new swindles at each railroad stop. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, years after the robber barons had amassed their fortunes, she was amassing her own. Then came the Carnegie con. Using her wits and a series of forged documents, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter. Blinded by the name of the most powerful man in the world, businessmen lined up to loan her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. The con made her impossibly rich. The crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial drew the eyes of a nation that couldn’t get enough of the woman, who newspapers called the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance. Indeed, when Charles Ponzi’s infamous scheme collapsed in 1920, reporters scoffed that “Ponzi is a piker compared to Cassie.” Interspersing Cassie’s crimes with stories of an unsuspecting Andrew Carnegie, author Annie Reed spins an enthralling, page turning tale of true crime. Could the rumors be true? Can Cassie’s money last? Will she escape the electric chair? Told with a gossip columnists’ charm and wit, THE IMPOSTER HEIRESS, is a rollicky trickster’s tale that will appeal to history buffs and true crime aficionados alike to bring one of the greatest swindlers of all time back into the public eye.
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 18, 2024
This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Annie Reed, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley.
The narrator of this nonfiction history audiobook is Kate Udall. Ms. Udall has a voice that conveys a lot of emotion. This works in the listeners favor during this wild history lesson.
This is the sordid and exciting tale of Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age. HBO's The Gilded Age season 2 featured a character named Maud Beaton who it was later revealed to be based on the historical character of Cassie Chadwick. I kept an image of the actress who embodied Maud Beaton on the TV show in my mind while reading this.
Cassie Chadwick is the most well known pseudonym of Elizabeth Bigley, a Canadian con artist during the Gilded Age. Elizabeth was born in Canada West, better known as Ontario, in the 1800's. She was born to a large working class family. Her con's mostly involve knowledge of common banking practices at the time. Through much of the 19th & early 20th century cash money was often in short supply amongst middle class and wealthy folks. They paid bills using IOU's in a complicated system. An IOU could be used as cash to purchase goods and services. This is quickly found out and Elizabeth is reprimanded and returned to her family in Ontario.
Ms. Bigley schemes continue, she is occasionally caught and sometimes able to talk her way out of her troubles and sometimes forced to into restitution for her crimes. Along the way she has an annulled marriage, a son born out of wedlock, a bid in prison, and more.
Finally Elizabeth lands on her best Con yet, passing herself off as the illegitimate acknowledged daughter of Andrew Carnegie. Pretending to be a wealthy socialite with her fortune locked down beyond her control until a certain date, Elizabeth as Mrs. Cassie Chadwick, a doctors wife, takes on wealthy banks and individuals in Pennsylvania, Boston, Ohio, and Chicago, to name a few.
However, she is inevitably brought down by the depth and scope of her long, entangled con. I loved this! I adore folks who get over on the wealthy.
Thank you to Annie Reed, Tantor Audio , and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
The narrator of this nonfiction history audiobook is Kate Udall. Ms. Udall has a voice that conveys a lot of emotion. This works in the listeners favor during this wild history lesson.
This is the sordid and exciting tale of Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age. HBO's The Gilded Age season 2 featured a character named Maud Beaton who it was later revealed to be based on the historical character of Cassie Chadwick. I kept an image of the actress who embodied Maud Beaton on the TV show in my mind while reading this.
Cassie Chadwick is the most well known pseudonym of Elizabeth Bigley, a Canadian con artist during the Gilded Age. Elizabeth was born in Canada West, better known as Ontario, in the 1800's. She was born to a large working class family. Her con's mostly involve knowledge of common banking practices at the time. Through much of the 19th & early 20th century cash money was often in short supply amongst middle class and wealthy folks. They paid bills using IOU's in a complicated system. An IOU could be used as cash to purchase goods and services. This is quickly found out and Elizabeth is reprimanded and returned to her family in Ontario.
Ms. Bigley schemes continue, she is occasionally caught and sometimes able to talk her way out of her troubles and sometimes forced to into restitution for her crimes. Along the way she has an annulled marriage, a son born out of wedlock, a bid in prison, and more.
Finally Elizabeth lands on her best Con yet, passing herself off as the illegitimate acknowledged daughter of Andrew Carnegie. Pretending to be a wealthy socialite with her fortune locked down beyond her control until a certain date, Elizabeth as Mrs. Cassie Chadwick, a doctors wife, takes on wealthy banks and individuals in Pennsylvania, Boston, Ohio, and Chicago, to name a few.
However, she is inevitably brought down by the depth and scope of her long, entangled con. I loved this! I adore folks who get over on the wealthy.
Thank you to Annie Reed, Tantor Audio , and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
July 3, 2024
"The Imposter Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age" by Annie Reed is a nonfiction biography. Born Elizabeth Bigley in 1857 to a poor family in Canada, she became one of the wealthiest women in the US by the late 1890s, but she did it by conning bankers to lend her money based on her spurious claim of being Andrew Carnegie's Illegitimate daughter.
Cassie certainly was a character! She had 3 husbands (sequentially) and 1 son. She lived very extravagantly with high fashion clothing and lots of valuable jewels. The way she got away with her cons was mostly because men underestimated her simply because she was a woman. That, and she acted wealthy, overtipping and giving gifts of diamonds away.
If you are interested in the late 1800s, turn of the century, or interesting characters from US history, check out this book, "The Imposter Heiress".
Characters - 4/5
Writing - 5/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 5/5 by Kate Udall
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 28/7 = 4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Annie Reed for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
Cassie certainly was a character! She had 3 husbands (sequentially) and 1 son. She lived very extravagantly with high fashion clothing and lots of valuable jewels. The way she got away with her cons was mostly because men underestimated her simply because she was a woman. That, and she acted wealthy, overtipping and giving gifts of diamonds away.
If you are interested in the late 1800s, turn of the century, or interesting characters from US history, check out this book, "The Imposter Heiress".
Characters - 4/5
Writing - 5/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 5/5 by Kate Udall
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 28/7 = 4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and Annie Reed for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
March 7, 2024
“Face to face, she could remake a man's reality around him.”
If you remember anything about this con artist in furs and jewels, remember that: Cassie Chadwick can remake a man’s reality around him. This riveting account of the Gilded Age’s Anna Delvey is somehow both deliciously addictive and unsettling. Annie Reed brilliantly chronicles the creation of Cassie Chadwick in all of her Ponzi-esque glory. Chadwick (or shall we call her Bigley?) is no villain but a layered and complex subject who defies qualification, a woman in a man’s world and clearly enjoying it. What Reed does so well is craft a narrative that reads like fiction. Her characters are not flat historical figures but real and relatable. Cassie Chadwick is an impostor, a robber, and a queen of manipulation - but Reed’s adept storytelling makes Chadwick so much more. As Reed unravels the mishaps of this con artist, she connects us to history and sparks curiosity about the legacy that Chadwick left behind. There are questions about femininity, social mobility, and reputation that the book poses but does not necessarily answer. This may not be satisfying but it’s fascinating and exactly how good nonfiction should impact us. I finished the book and felt as if I knew so much about Cassie - and somehow I also felt that I knew nothing at all. A must read for readers with a voracious appetite for all things con, and for anyone who just can’t get enough of Anna Delvey. Four stars only because of some gaps that I felt like could use some filling in, particularly about her family of origin and her relationship with her son. Otherwise, I would eat this entire book up again with a spoon. Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the advance readers copy. All opinions are entirely my own.
If you remember anything about this con artist in furs and jewels, remember that: Cassie Chadwick can remake a man’s reality around him. This riveting account of the Gilded Age’s Anna Delvey is somehow both deliciously addictive and unsettling. Annie Reed brilliantly chronicles the creation of Cassie Chadwick in all of her Ponzi-esque glory. Chadwick (or shall we call her Bigley?) is no villain but a layered and complex subject who defies qualification, a woman in a man’s world and clearly enjoying it. What Reed does so well is craft a narrative that reads like fiction. Her characters are not flat historical figures but real and relatable. Cassie Chadwick is an impostor, a robber, and a queen of manipulation - but Reed’s adept storytelling makes Chadwick so much more. As Reed unravels the mishaps of this con artist, she connects us to history and sparks curiosity about the legacy that Chadwick left behind. There are questions about femininity, social mobility, and reputation that the book poses but does not necessarily answer. This may not be satisfying but it’s fascinating and exactly how good nonfiction should impact us. I finished the book and felt as if I knew so much about Cassie - and somehow I also felt that I knew nothing at all. A must read for readers with a voracious appetite for all things con, and for anyone who just can’t get enough of Anna Delvey. Four stars only because of some gaps that I felt like could use some filling in, particularly about her family of origin and her relationship with her son. Otherwise, I would eat this entire book up again with a spoon. Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the advance readers copy. All opinions are entirely my own.
April 9, 2024
At the turn of the century, Cleveland, Ohio, was home to more millionaires than any other city in the United States and, also, Cassie Chadwick. The cunning and clever Cassie was able to prey on bankers and businessmen who wildly underestimated her simply for being a woman. Duping her way into high society, fur coats, marriages and luxury European vacations, even Anna Delvy couldn’t scam her way into half of Cassie’s life. A beautifully written and well researched biography on the mother of the American con.
I really enjoyed the intertwined (but brief) narrative of Andrew Carnegie's life. The author richly paints a picture of class and social structures in the Gilded Age of America and how easily exploitable they were. The story has a lot of moving parts, addresses, and countless side characters but the author does a pretty good job of keeping the story flowing despite the complexity. I would have liked to hear more about the average person who lost their life savings or the Oberlin students who (temporarily) lost their tuition money.
Overall, a fun and interesting read. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys books about the Gilded Age and watching shows like the Tinder Swindler & Inventing Anna.
My Dream Cast:
Cassie Chadwick - Annette Bening
Thank you to Annie Reed, Diversion Books, and NetGalley for the book!
I really enjoyed the intertwined (but brief) narrative of Andrew Carnegie's life. The author richly paints a picture of class and social structures in the Gilded Age of America and how easily exploitable they were. The story has a lot of moving parts, addresses, and countless side characters but the author does a pretty good job of keeping the story flowing despite the complexity. I would have liked to hear more about the average person who lost their life savings or the Oberlin students who (temporarily) lost their tuition money.
Overall, a fun and interesting read. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys books about the Gilded Age and watching shows like the Tinder Swindler & Inventing Anna.
My Dream Cast:
Cassie Chadwick - Annette Bening
Thank you to Annie Reed, Diversion Books, and NetGalley for the book!
April 24, 2024
Reminiscent of Devil in the White City and Inventing Anna, The Imposter Heiress manages to be a historical true crime story about a thief that the audience is kind of rooting for. Targeting the wealthy and entire banks, Cassie accumulates the kind of wealth that would make the above-average Newport, Rhode Island resident blush. Scenes are painted of the exquisite velvet gowns, drawers full of jewels, extravagant trips to Europe, singing chairs, fine china with her face painted on it. Yet despite all of that opulence, Cassie exploited men that absolutely should have known better. She utilized their misogyny to rake in the dough.
Author Annie Reed is witty and informative while covering the life of Cassie Chadwick. While the unextraordinary lead up to Cassie’s crimes is covered, Reed knows we want to hear about the crimes, how she planned it, and the trial that followed. It would have been exceedingly easy to write the story of Cassie Chadwick to reflect a spoiled girl who plundered her way through Ohio with little regard for those who laid beneath the ruin. However, I found the humor which colored the stupidity of the men she swindled, and the impressive work that Cassie put into her grift to provide a much more entertaining story.
Afterall, girls just wanna have fun, right?
Author Annie Reed is witty and informative while covering the life of Cassie Chadwick. While the unextraordinary lead up to Cassie’s crimes is covered, Reed knows we want to hear about the crimes, how she planned it, and the trial that followed. It would have been exceedingly easy to write the story of Cassie Chadwick to reflect a spoiled girl who plundered her way through Ohio with little regard for those who laid beneath the ruin. However, I found the humor which colored the stupidity of the men she swindled, and the impressive work that Cassie put into her grift to provide a much more entertaining story.
Afterall, girls just wanna have fun, right?
March 1, 2024
I just don’t understand how she did it… was everyone in that day that gullible?! It would be interesting to see what kind of practices and changes were implemented in the banking world after such a scheme.
Annie Reed tells this story in a way that makes you feel like you’re reading a fictional tale. It is well written, captivating and a quick to flip page turner.
Kudos to the author shedding light on the successful manipulation of Cassie Chadwick in a way that made it almost fun to hate her. The restraint these men must have had to exercise when dealing with her, I can’t even imagine. It couldn’t have been me. I wanted to knock her out for about 80% of the book.
Had she not such an untimely demise, I wonder how far her cons could have taken her, she had the whole country-nee world, at her disposal.
Thank you to Annie Reed and NetGalley for this eARC
4.5 ⭐️
Annie Reed tells this story in a way that makes you feel like you’re reading a fictional tale. It is well written, captivating and a quick to flip page turner.
Kudos to the author shedding light on the successful manipulation of Cassie Chadwick in a way that made it almost fun to hate her. The restraint these men must have had to exercise when dealing with her, I can’t even imagine. It couldn’t have been me. I wanted to knock her out for about 80% of the book.
Had she not such an untimely demise, I wonder how far her cons could have taken her, she had the whole country-nee world, at her disposal.
Thank you to Annie Reed and NetGalley for this eARC
4.5 ⭐️
Read
March 18, 2024“Face to face, she could remake a man's reality around him.”
July 1, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the published for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The Impostor Heiress tells the story of Cassie Chadwick, a poor woman from the backwoods of Canada and her riveting journey to becoming one of Cleveland's wealthiest and more notorious woman. Through a series a increasingly improbable schemes and cons, Cassie tricked all of Cleveland's high society and most of its bankers into believing that she was a rich heiress, who's money was always tied up into some legal matter. But perhaps her greatest achievement was to successfully pretend she was the illegitimate daughter of one millionaire Andrew Carnegie! By forging his signature, she was to borrow an increasingly exorbitant sum of money to fund her extravagant lifestyle.
Told through dual point of views, The Impostor Heiress alternates between Cassie Chadwick and Andrew Carnegie's narratives and compares their respective rises to fame and wealth, until their stories intertwine. Through the stories of these two individuals, the author paints a picture of life during the Gilded Age, how quickly fortunes were made and destroyed, and how appearances could make or break one's reputation. Through the author's captivating writing, this work of non-fiction read like a fictional page-turner story.
This is a perfect read for fans of historical non-fiction, and TV shows like the Gilded Age or Inventing Anna!
The Impostor Heiress tells the story of Cassie Chadwick, a poor woman from the backwoods of Canada and her riveting journey to becoming one of Cleveland's wealthiest and more notorious woman. Through a series a increasingly improbable schemes and cons, Cassie tricked all of Cleveland's high society and most of its bankers into believing that she was a rich heiress, who's money was always tied up into some legal matter. But perhaps her greatest achievement was to successfully pretend she was the illegitimate daughter of one millionaire Andrew Carnegie! By forging his signature, she was to borrow an increasingly exorbitant sum of money to fund her extravagant lifestyle.
Told through dual point of views, The Impostor Heiress alternates between Cassie Chadwick and Andrew Carnegie's narratives and compares their respective rises to fame and wealth, until their stories intertwine. Through the stories of these two individuals, the author paints a picture of life during the Gilded Age, how quickly fortunes were made and destroyed, and how appearances could make or break one's reputation. Through the author's captivating writing, this work of non-fiction read like a fictional page-turner story.
This is a perfect read for fans of historical non-fiction, and TV shows like the Gilded Age or Inventing Anna!
June 8, 2024
Well-researched and well-written, the author’s note indicates that The Imposter Heiress is a work of nonfiction but it reads like historical fiction. What follows is a fascinating account of a female con artist and her wealthy, upper-class victims.
For years, Cassie Chadwick convinced the same men to repeatedly loan her enormous sums of money, and they continually bought her lies of ‘repayment coming soon,’ only to loan her MORE money.
“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞𝐝.”
Yet payment never came. She outwitted these men for years. YEARS! And they kept giving her money! Like, you need $300? Let me give you $1000! You need $1500? I’ll give you $10,000!
“𝐃𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐝, 𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧!”
How could it be so?? Cassie was either the smartest woman ever or they were the dumbest men ever. I mean, no one ever thought to stop giving her money or to take possession of some of her property as payment or, I don’t know, go to the police?? I mean, one man loaned her so much of his own personal money that he was left with only $11 in his bank account! What?! But Cassie was betting on that - she knew that they would want to avoid the embarrassment brought on themselves if anyone knew of their participation in her con.
Fascinating. A truly fascinating true crime story.
I have no idea how she did it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
For years, Cassie Chadwick convinced the same men to repeatedly loan her enormous sums of money, and they continually bought her lies of ‘repayment coming soon,’ only to loan her MORE money.
“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞𝐝.”
Yet payment never came. She outwitted these men for years. YEARS! And they kept giving her money! Like, you need $300? Let me give you $1000! You need $1500? I’ll give you $10,000!
“𝐃𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐝, 𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧!”
How could it be so?? Cassie was either the smartest woman ever or they were the dumbest men ever. I mean, no one ever thought to stop giving her money or to take possession of some of her property as payment or, I don’t know, go to the police?? I mean, one man loaned her so much of his own personal money that he was left with only $11 in his bank account! What?! But Cassie was betting on that - she knew that they would want to avoid the embarrassment brought on themselves if anyone knew of their participation in her con.
Fascinating. A truly fascinating true crime story.
I have no idea how she did it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 12, 2024
More like 3.8 stars.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. For the most part the writing is well done, especially for a non-fiction book, which many times can be dry. However, there was just something that I couldn't quite put my finger on that bugged me about the writing.
I had never heard of Mrs. Chadwick before but that doesn't surprise me. Once again, a woman's story has been pushed down and out in favor of men. Not that I feel sorry for this woman. She made her bed and is a criminal. I feel badly for the people she basically stole from.
Overall, not a bad book, and definitely an interesting tale of a woman most people have probably never heard of before.
I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. For the most part the writing is well done, especially for a non-fiction book, which many times can be dry. However, there was just something that I couldn't quite put my finger on that bugged me about the writing.
I had never heard of Mrs. Chadwick before but that doesn't surprise me. Once again, a woman's story has been pushed down and out in favor of men. Not that I feel sorry for this woman. She made her bed and is a criminal. I feel badly for the people she basically stole from.
Overall, not a bad book, and definitely an interesting tale of a woman most people have probably never heard of before.
April 13, 2024
The Impostor Heiress is absolutely mind blowing.
Like how did she do it? How are people this gullible? Did they really think that she had the means, and that scandal hadn't been leaked prior?
Absolutely mind blowing, but Annie Reed is right, these names will be remembered, until the next one (in our case, it's presently Anna Delvey).
Mind blowing how simple her whole charade is/was.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Like how did she do it? How are people this gullible? Did they really think that she had the means, and that scandal hadn't been leaked prior?
Absolutely mind blowing, but Annie Reed is right, these names will be remembered, until the next one (in our case, it's presently Anna Delvey).
Mind blowing how simple her whole charade is/was.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 26, 2024
What a fun read!
May 13, 2024
I received an advanced copy of this courtesy of NetGalley.
The subject is fascinating having fabricated a make believe existence, most notably as the bastard child of Andrew Carnegie, and having initiated massive amounts of fraud on the backs of others who actually believed such lies to be real.
The book does well when it juxtaposes the real-life undertakings of Cassie Chadwick and Andrew Carnegie beside each other. In Chadwick’s case, it’s how she goes about transforming her actual identity from small-town Elizabeth Bigley into more extravagant and interesting ones like Madame DeVere and Cassie Chadwick. In Carnegie’s case, it’s how he transforms from lower management to ruthless steel tycoon to benevolent philanthropist. Carnegie took advantage of his workers for his own benefit but saw it through the eyes of building communities and his philanthropic legacy. Chadwick took advantage of many bankers and husbands but saw no problem with it because she felt she deserved it for herself and presumed the money borrowed as the so-called daughter of Carnegie would be far too inconsequential for Carnegie not to make whole. The trouble was Carnegie was a man and his actions were perfectly legal at the time in spite of them being done off the backs of his poor workers whereas Chadwick’s actions were illegal and made even worse in that she was a woman performing such a massive fraud.
Where this books fails, though, is in skipping over an essential part of her life in having her child Emil and how she courted Dr. Leroy Chadwick. It does not go into detail about how in fact she got pregnant in the first place and likely glosses over the likelihood she was a prostitute at some point in her life. Emil was the likely result of that and she also conspired to bring him into her fraudulent affairs in the end as per the book. It is also unclear how she was able to immerse herself into high society and convince Dr. Leroy Chadwick to propose to her after she spent hard time at the Ohio State Prison for her second or third fraud conviction. It’s highly unlikely she got out of prison and just got accepted at face value as a single mother with a child whose father could be alive. The book makes it seem that she was mostly bad at times but then she was genuinely nice and good-natured at other times. There had to have been a gray area - what was that? These events essentially led her to pretend that Cassie Chadwick was the bastard child of Andrew Carnegie and the lack of context on them leaves the book lagging.
The subject is fascinating having fabricated a make believe existence, most notably as the bastard child of Andrew Carnegie, and having initiated massive amounts of fraud on the backs of others who actually believed such lies to be real.
The book does well when it juxtaposes the real-life undertakings of Cassie Chadwick and Andrew Carnegie beside each other. In Chadwick’s case, it’s how she goes about transforming her actual identity from small-town Elizabeth Bigley into more extravagant and interesting ones like Madame DeVere and Cassie Chadwick. In Carnegie’s case, it’s how he transforms from lower management to ruthless steel tycoon to benevolent philanthropist. Carnegie took advantage of his workers for his own benefit but saw it through the eyes of building communities and his philanthropic legacy. Chadwick took advantage of many bankers and husbands but saw no problem with it because she felt she deserved it for herself and presumed the money borrowed as the so-called daughter of Carnegie would be far too inconsequential for Carnegie not to make whole. The trouble was Carnegie was a man and his actions were perfectly legal at the time in spite of them being done off the backs of his poor workers whereas Chadwick’s actions were illegal and made even worse in that she was a woman performing such a massive fraud.
Where this books fails, though, is in skipping over an essential part of her life in having her child Emil and how she courted Dr. Leroy Chadwick. It does not go into detail about how in fact she got pregnant in the first place and likely glosses over the likelihood she was a prostitute at some point in her life. Emil was the likely result of that and she also conspired to bring him into her fraudulent affairs in the end as per the book. It is also unclear how she was able to immerse herself into high society and convince Dr. Leroy Chadwick to propose to her after she spent hard time at the Ohio State Prison for her second or third fraud conviction. It’s highly unlikely she got out of prison and just got accepted at face value as a single mother with a child whose father could be alive. The book makes it seem that she was mostly bad at times but then she was genuinely nice and good-natured at other times. There had to have been a gray area - what was that? These events essentially led her to pretend that Cassie Chadwick was the bastard child of Andrew Carnegie and the lack of context on them leaves the book lagging.
May 28, 2024
"She had come to the realization that the easiest way to get money was to already have it."....This book was incredible from start to finish! Reed is an excellent storyteller, and aside from the outrageousness of this true story, the page-turning factor is amplified by her addictive writing. I found myself in an adrenaline rush reading about the final months of the con, when everything fell apart and Beckwith/Spear/Newton realized that they were in too deep to recover...The pacing was on point, and mind blowing from every angle! I also enjoyed how Reed paralleled Andrew Carnegie's story to Chadwick's. It gave a fascinating perspective. She also managed to insert some humor into the book, and I laughed out loud on a few occasions...I can't recommend this book enough!
February 23, 2024
The Imposter Heiress:
Cassie Chadwick, The Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age
Annie Reed
She was a woman of many identities. She traveled from town to town changing identities like most people change socks. She ran scams in each new town. While others worked for their money Cassie worked hard to swindl it from others. Her biggest scam was the Carnegie con. She managed to persuade many prominent men that she was Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter. They were all generous with their checkbooks, loaning her hundreds of thousands of dollars. She amassed a fortune from the scam, then the stock market crashed, and she was exposed. The newspapers called her the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance. The trial was spectacular, and the nation was fixated on it.
Author Annie Reed brings Cassie Chadwick to life on the pages of this book. This tale is based on actual facts. Well written and fascinating.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.
Cassie Chadwick, The Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age
Annie Reed
She was a woman of many identities. She traveled from town to town changing identities like most people change socks. She ran scams in each new town. While others worked for their money Cassie worked hard to swindl it from others. Her biggest scam was the Carnegie con. She managed to persuade many prominent men that she was Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter. They were all generous with their checkbooks, loaning her hundreds of thousands of dollars. She amassed a fortune from the scam, then the stock market crashed, and she was exposed. The newspapers called her the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance. The trial was spectacular, and the nation was fixated on it.
Author Annie Reed brings Cassie Chadwick to life on the pages of this book. This tale is based on actual facts. Well written and fascinating.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.
June 23, 2024
The Imposter Heiress is a biography of the “Queen of Cons” that reads like a page-turner novel. Part thriller, part court-room drama, the book features Cassie Chadwick, “the greatest grifter of the Gilded Age”—or perhaps any age. She amassed a stunning fortune posing as the illegitimate daughter of the richest man in the world, Andrew Carnegie.
The author does a fabulous job putting us into the story from the opening scene in the opulent Holland House Hotel: “Delicate silver frosted the ceiling overhead. Marble imported from Sienna glossed the floors, the walls, the steps of the grand staircase. Ornate balustrades stood sentinel over the guests’ comings and goings.”
We’re given an inside glimpse into the lives of ultra-wealthy homes during the Gilded Age: ruby-studded silver dining plates, mahogany cabinets, lamps of silver and bronze and silk, a dog collar made of pearls.
Cassie’s wardrobe was equally elaborate: “She bought gowns of sumptuous black velvet, of pale pink taffeta, of silk and lace and chiffon. . . . She encased her hands and neck in furs, like some wild thing reclaiming its pelt.”
We watch Cassie evolve as a con artist throughout the book, crafting bigger and bigger schemes, until she is swindling dozens of bankers and lawyers. Believing her to be Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter, these men fall over themselves to offer the feather-headed heiress loans, greedily counting the exorbitant interest they’ll receive when the loans come due.
Part of the story is told from Andrew Carnegie’s point of view. He devoted himself to creating a public persona of an upstanding philanthropist, which was jeopardized when Cassie’s ruse hit the newspapers. Suddenly Carnegie was hounded relentlessly by the press, wanting to know if the salacious rumors were true. He became determined to put the matter to rest, whatever it took.
The author expertly weaves the threads of these two storylines: flamboyant Cassie posing as the Carnegie heiress and stern Andrew Carnegie’s attempts to discredit her once he discovers her ploy. Other bankers and lawyers are also closing in, creating a real nail-biter. I was riddled with anxiety watching Cassie spend the money on more and more extravagant luxuries, wondering how she could possibly keep juggling all her intrigues—and yet rooting for her to continue pulling off the impossible.
After reinventing herself and escaping the consequences of her crimes so many times, the reader is left guessing the final outcome of Cassie’s story until the final chapter.
From the author’s epilogue: “a woman could nod along distractedly, agreeing to outrageous loan terms, while emptying your bank account. Just because a woman’s head was filled with thoughts of jewels and furs didn’t mean that it was empty of everything else.”
The Imposter Heiress is bound to be a book-club favorite with its fluid writing style, larger-than-life characters, and insightful portrayal of gender roles and power dynamics in the Gilded Age. Highly recommended.
The author does a fabulous job putting us into the story from the opening scene in the opulent Holland House Hotel: “Delicate silver frosted the ceiling overhead. Marble imported from Sienna glossed the floors, the walls, the steps of the grand staircase. Ornate balustrades stood sentinel over the guests’ comings and goings.”
We’re given an inside glimpse into the lives of ultra-wealthy homes during the Gilded Age: ruby-studded silver dining plates, mahogany cabinets, lamps of silver and bronze and silk, a dog collar made of pearls.
Cassie’s wardrobe was equally elaborate: “She bought gowns of sumptuous black velvet, of pale pink taffeta, of silk and lace and chiffon. . . . She encased her hands and neck in furs, like some wild thing reclaiming its pelt.”
We watch Cassie evolve as a con artist throughout the book, crafting bigger and bigger schemes, until she is swindling dozens of bankers and lawyers. Believing her to be Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter, these men fall over themselves to offer the feather-headed heiress loans, greedily counting the exorbitant interest they’ll receive when the loans come due.
Part of the story is told from Andrew Carnegie’s point of view. He devoted himself to creating a public persona of an upstanding philanthropist, which was jeopardized when Cassie’s ruse hit the newspapers. Suddenly Carnegie was hounded relentlessly by the press, wanting to know if the salacious rumors were true. He became determined to put the matter to rest, whatever it took.
The author expertly weaves the threads of these two storylines: flamboyant Cassie posing as the Carnegie heiress and stern Andrew Carnegie’s attempts to discredit her once he discovers her ploy. Other bankers and lawyers are also closing in, creating a real nail-biter. I was riddled with anxiety watching Cassie spend the money on more and more extravagant luxuries, wondering how she could possibly keep juggling all her intrigues—and yet rooting for her to continue pulling off the impossible.
After reinventing herself and escaping the consequences of her crimes so many times, the reader is left guessing the final outcome of Cassie’s story until the final chapter.
From the author’s epilogue: “a woman could nod along distractedly, agreeing to outrageous loan terms, while emptying your bank account. Just because a woman’s head was filled with thoughts of jewels and furs didn’t mean that it was empty of everything else.”
The Imposter Heiress is bound to be a book-club favorite with its fluid writing style, larger-than-life characters, and insightful portrayal of gender roles and power dynamics in the Gilded Age. Highly recommended.
June 19, 2024
The Impostor Heiress tells the story of Cassie Chadwick, the woman who bankrupted banks and businessmen from Cleveland all the way to Boston by pretending she was Andrew Carnegie's bastard daughter. How? How could see have gotten hundreds of thousands of dollars before being caught? Simply by using a couple forged checks and by using the stereotypes of women to her advantage.
I mostly enjoyed the way Annie Reed presented Chadwick's incredible life with bits of Carnegie's life thrown in from time to time. The Impostor Heiress is written as if we are both inside the heads of the people involved in these scandals and as if we were simultaneously watching it unfold in the present. It was certainly well researched and presented in a way that will grip even the most reluctant of non fiction readers. This is perhaps because it was written in the same side by side style as The Devil in the White City; Erik Larson's famed book shows the juxtaposition between Chicago's World Fair and America's first well known serial killer, which opened up the world of nonfiction to many readers (but that I personally found incredibly dry).
Despite finding The Impostor Heiress to be overall more readable than most non fiction there were times while reading where I felt my attention drifting due to too much information on one thing or not enough information on another. The book had a lot that was perfectly balanced, the explanation of what Cleveland was like for example never felt overwhelming. But I couldn’t help but feel like Chadwick's cons were explained too in depth after a certain point. With so many figures and names being explained I just didn't care anymore because the point had already been driven home too many times. On the flip side, I would have loved to have had more moments of juxtaposition with Carnegie. Despite having nothing to do with Chadwick, it was fascinating to read about his life along side hers. I think having Carnegie's life explained even more fully would have helped drive the point of how audacious Chadwick's con was rather than the sometimes seemingly endless listing of exactly much money she conned and from who and how she spent it.
Overall, The Impostor Heiress was a solid non fiction read that I would recommend to any reader. It has a little bit of everything from scandals to feminism and history to gossip! I can see this becoming just as wildly read as The Devil in the White City, especially since it has an even greater appeal. Who wouldn't want to read more about this fabulous, audacious woman?!
Received e-ARC from the Publisher via the Read Now function on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I mostly enjoyed the way Annie Reed presented Chadwick's incredible life with bits of Carnegie's life thrown in from time to time. The Impostor Heiress is written as if we are both inside the heads of the people involved in these scandals and as if we were simultaneously watching it unfold in the present. It was certainly well researched and presented in a way that will grip even the most reluctant of non fiction readers. This is perhaps because it was written in the same side by side style as The Devil in the White City; Erik Larson's famed book shows the juxtaposition between Chicago's World Fair and America's first well known serial killer, which opened up the world of nonfiction to many readers (but that I personally found incredibly dry).
Despite finding The Impostor Heiress to be overall more readable than most non fiction there were times while reading where I felt my attention drifting due to too much information on one thing or not enough information on another. The book had a lot that was perfectly balanced, the explanation of what Cleveland was like for example never felt overwhelming. But I couldn’t help but feel like Chadwick's cons were explained too in depth after a certain point. With so many figures and names being explained I just didn't care anymore because the point had already been driven home too many times. On the flip side, I would have loved to have had more moments of juxtaposition with Carnegie. Despite having nothing to do with Chadwick, it was fascinating to read about his life along side hers. I think having Carnegie's life explained even more fully would have helped drive the point of how audacious Chadwick's con was rather than the sometimes seemingly endless listing of exactly much money she conned and from who and how she spent it.
Overall, The Impostor Heiress was a solid non fiction read that I would recommend to any reader. It has a little bit of everything from scandals to feminism and history to gossip! I can see this becoming just as wildly read as The Devil in the White City, especially since it has an even greater appeal. Who wouldn't want to read more about this fabulous, audacious woman?!
Received e-ARC from the Publisher via the Read Now function on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2024
How fascinating!! I am not one to always enjoy nonfiction but this was great.
I want to thank NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the compliment audioARC of this title. My opinions expressed are indeed my own and honest.
To be honest I was out of ARC books to read and listen to so I went on a spree of requesting just to have things at the ready to consume. The title and cover art drew me in. I saw that it was a biography but figured I didn’t have anything better going on so why not.
I’m so glad I did! While it was a factual account of Cassie Chadwick’s life as a conwomen, it read like a fiction book. It was t just because of Chadwick’s actions which are jaw dropping, but how the author conveys the material. It is very well written.
For the narration I will say that the narrator spoke very slowly. Thankfully this was easily corrected by increasing the speed of the playback as I think it would have been a challenge to listen to long term. Other than the speed the narrator was delightful and complimented the prose with her diction and reactions.
I highly recommend putting this on your TBR and the good thing is it’s available now! You get to learn about a fascinating women, her history as well as learning about the time period and how things were in society and especially the rights (or lack of them) that women had. All while feeling like you’re listening to a great caper!
I don’t give 5 Stars lightly but it’s well deserved.
Rating
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
I want to thank NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the compliment audioARC of this title. My opinions expressed are indeed my own and honest.
To be honest I was out of ARC books to read and listen to so I went on a spree of requesting just to have things at the ready to consume. The title and cover art drew me in. I saw that it was a biography but figured I didn’t have anything better going on so why not.
I’m so glad I did! While it was a factual account of Cassie Chadwick’s life as a conwomen, it read like a fiction book. It was t just because of Chadwick’s actions which are jaw dropping, but how the author conveys the material. It is very well written.
For the narration I will say that the narrator spoke very slowly. Thankfully this was easily corrected by increasing the speed of the playback as I think it would have been a challenge to listen to long term. Other than the speed the narrator was delightful and complimented the prose with her diction and reactions.
I highly recommend putting this on your TBR and the good thing is it’s available now! You get to learn about a fascinating women, her history as well as learning about the time period and how things were in society and especially the rights (or lack of them) that women had. All while feeling like you’re listening to a great caper!
I don’t give 5 Stars lightly but it’s well deserved.
Rating
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
June 27, 2024
Cassie Chadwick was the first woman that we know about who was able to use her cunning a bank and city worth of men to get what she wanted. Money to buy the best the world could offer. She was a master con and manipulator who used a combination of charm, confidence and strategy to furnish her lifestyle. Wreaking havoc wherever she went from Cleveland to Pittsburg to New York, Cassie claimed she was Andrew Carnegie’s illegitimate daughter and used his name and prestige to back bank notes to get her the money she thought she deserved. When Cassie was finally caught and her scheme crashed, it would bring down many men and banks along with her. How was she able to do it? Would she get away with it? How did it all com crumbling down? The Heiress Imposter tells it all.
The name Cassie Chadwick sounded familiar before I listened to this book, but I had no idea who she was or what she had done. After finishing this book I am in awe of how she was able to get away with everything she did for so long and somewhat impressed by how she made the life she wanted by any means possible. There was so much information in this book, but it was laid out in a way that was interesting and engaging instead of just rote fact. This book told the story in a ‘story’ fashion as if we were there as everything played out. I found this to be a very informative and interesting read and would recommend it to anyone who was intrigued by this story like I am. This book is well put together and fill of interesting information about Cassie Chadwick and her cons. I really enjoyed this book and am glad I chose to listen to it.
The name Cassie Chadwick sounded familiar before I listened to this book, but I had no idea who she was or what she had done. After finishing this book I am in awe of how she was able to get away with everything she did for so long and somewhat impressed by how she made the life she wanted by any means possible. There was so much information in this book, but it was laid out in a way that was interesting and engaging instead of just rote fact. This book told the story in a ‘story’ fashion as if we were there as everything played out. I found this to be a very informative and interesting read and would recommend it to anyone who was intrigued by this story like I am. This book is well put together and fill of interesting information about Cassie Chadwick and her cons. I really enjoyed this book and am glad I chose to listen to it.
April 27, 2024
The Imposter Heiress by Annie Reed tells the fantastical story of Cassie Chadwick, a legendary con-artist of the Gilded Age. This story is so hard to believe, yet it’s completely true. But honestly, in most con artist stories, arent they always a little incredulous?
I had first come across Cassie Chadwick a few months ago, when theories started to abound that the character of Maud Beaton on The Gilded Age (HBO) was based on the infamous grifter. I had never heard of Cassie before, so I began to do a little research. Born to a small town, Cassie always dreamed of having more…more of everything! Her cons started small. She lived unconventionally for a women of her time, even bearing a child out of wedlock. Eventually, her scams failed, and she had a stint in the penitentiary. However, she didn’t waste her time, but used it to strengthen her plans and focus on where she went wrong. As her plans changed and grew, so did her desire for me. Using her “feminine wiles” Cassie began to target those who thought she really didn’t know what to do when it came to money. And then she threw out those potent words, “Carnegie.” And from there, Cassie found herself living the high life. To find out more definitely pick up this book!
My only gripe with this book, and this more has to do with how women have always been treated in history, is a lot of the narrative focuses on the men who play roles in Cassie’s story.
You have to read to believe it. I highly recommend this novel for fans of Con Artists, the Gilded Age (show and time period), and fans of women’s history. These stories need to be told; women weren’t just background actors in history!
Thank you to Diversion Books and NetGalley for the E-Arc!
I had first come across Cassie Chadwick a few months ago, when theories started to abound that the character of Maud Beaton on The Gilded Age (HBO) was based on the infamous grifter. I had never heard of Cassie before, so I began to do a little research. Born to a small town, Cassie always dreamed of having more…more of everything! Her cons started small. She lived unconventionally for a women of her time, even bearing a child out of wedlock. Eventually, her scams failed, and she had a stint in the penitentiary. However, she didn’t waste her time, but used it to strengthen her plans and focus on where she went wrong. As her plans changed and grew, so did her desire for me. Using her “feminine wiles” Cassie began to target those who thought she really didn’t know what to do when it came to money. And then she threw out those potent words, “Carnegie.” And from there, Cassie found herself living the high life. To find out more definitely pick up this book!
My only gripe with this book, and this more has to do with how women have always been treated in history, is a lot of the narrative focuses on the men who play roles in Cassie’s story.
You have to read to believe it. I highly recommend this novel for fans of Con Artists, the Gilded Age (show and time period), and fans of women’s history. These stories need to be told; women weren’t just background actors in history!
Thank you to Diversion Books and NetGalley for the E-Arc!
June 19, 2024
I should start off by saying that I’m not usually a nonfiction reader. However, I love deep dives into eccentric people’s lives. At first, the audiobook narrator sounded a little bland, but I came to appreciate her tone because I could really focus on story. Cassie Chadwick was born Elizabeth Bigley, to a working-class family, in 1857. This book follows the multiple schemes she pulled off to swindle men out of an estimated $633,000 ($16.5 million today). Thankfully, author Annie Reed did not tell this story like a history report, but instead like a historical heist novel. Despite the subject being one of crime, I couldn’t help but find myself smiling, rooting for the grifter gal. In a time when women could not own property, borrow money from the banks, or even vote to change those policies, Cassie managed to live a life most people only dream of. She’s the embodiment of the phrase “I support womens rights AND wrongs”. The few recollections from Andrew Carnegie’s POV scattered throughout the book were a nice change of pace and provided an alternative perspective to how these events unfolded. I don’t think the story would have been the same without them.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia, Tantor Audio, and Annie Reed for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia, Tantor Audio, and Annie Reed for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
May 3, 2024
This was wild. I kept reading and thinking, "That's it? She just walks out with money?" Apparently folks in the Gilded Age had a lot more trust in one another.
This was a quick read. Pretty fun, and the story kept moving. At times it felt like a work of fiction. The two things that annoyed me most were the timeline and the unfinished paragraphs. Maybe it's b/c I had an ARC but there are chapters that took place before others, so time jumping was annoying (Why am I reading about Dec. 1898 and then jumping back to June 1898? And then the next chapter is January 1899?) It just felt sloppy and didn't lend itself well to untangling Cassie's story. The next thing I disliked is that some paragraphs felt unfinished. I kept waiting for more of an explanation or more detail, but it never comes. In terms of nonfiction, it felt like just a mostly detailed explanation of what happened, and at the end the author tries to tie it back to other crimes and swindlers.
It's a good story, and not one I was familiar with. I wouldn't read it again, but it's a good vacation read about someone who is probably grateful she's been mostly lost to history.
This was a quick read. Pretty fun, and the story kept moving. At times it felt like a work of fiction. The two things that annoyed me most were the timeline and the unfinished paragraphs. Maybe it's b/c I had an ARC but there are chapters that took place before others, so time jumping was annoying (Why am I reading about Dec. 1898 and then jumping back to June 1898? And then the next chapter is January 1899?) It just felt sloppy and didn't lend itself well to untangling Cassie's story. The next thing I disliked is that some paragraphs felt unfinished. I kept waiting for more of an explanation or more detail, but it never comes. In terms of nonfiction, it felt like just a mostly detailed explanation of what happened, and at the end the author tries to tie it back to other crimes and swindlers.
It's a good story, and not one I was familiar with. I wouldn't read it again, but it's a good vacation read about someone who is probably grateful she's been mostly lost to history.
June 21, 2024
In the 1800’s a woman could only hope to accomplish becoming a wife and to bear children. Nobody would believe a woman could design a scheme as complex as Cassie Chadwick did. Cassie wanted more in life…. money. Which lead her to create the first most elaborate Ponzi scheme before Charles. Chadwick was a con artists before her time. She had the ability to reinvent herself time and time again from a felon, a doctor’s wife, clairvoyant, and even an illegitimate daughter of Carnegie. As her embezzlement crashed banks, and fooled even the most accomplished men, she was able to trick and swindle for most of her life.
Overall rating 4/5
This was a great historical audio book that introduced me to a woman I knew nothing about. The way Reed made Cassie come to live within these pages and voiced by a great narrator Kate Udall I truly understood what drove Chadwick to do the things she did. It is also a reminder on how fraud prevention in our banking systems have been implemented now because of people like Cassie who found their flaws.
*Thank you to Annie Reed, Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the audio copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.
Overall rating 4/5
This was a great historical audio book that introduced me to a woman I knew nothing about. The way Reed made Cassie come to live within these pages and voiced by a great narrator Kate Udall I truly understood what drove Chadwick to do the things she did. It is also a reminder on how fraud prevention in our banking systems have been implemented now because of people like Cassie who found their flaws.
*Thank you to Annie Reed, Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the audio copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.
June 27, 2024
Excellent, absorbing storytelling. The story of the slippery, status-obssessed Cassie Chadwick has been retold by some podcasters in our own era, but Annie Reed's skillful blend of solid research , historical context, and psychological framing gives this story a fresh feeling. The confidence scam is one that never seems to go away. Reed includes history about the U.S. financial system that explains why forgery and fraud made these scams so long and so successful. The author also suggests how Chadwick may not have seen herself as a criminal -- all she needed was for her chain of falsehoods to build new links, and she could puruse her life of luxury for just a bit longer. One fraud could be used to pay off another, and perhaps it would all come right in the end...wouldn't it? While we can never know for sure exactly what sort of delusions the false heiress had, Reed gives the reader some idea of how Chadwick, and by extension later scammers such as Anna Delvey, may justify their actions to themselves and courtoom juries. The audiobook version is excellent. Recommended.
February 26, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
I finished watching the second season of The Gilded Age a few months ago, and also listened to the official accompanying podcast. A character this season was based on Cassie Chadwick, the infamous swindler. I had never heard of Cassie and was definitely intrigued. When I saw this book I had to read it!
We follow Cassie from her early days in a small town to the culmination of her cons - posing as Andrew Carnegie's illegitimate daughter and cheating men out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alternating chapters are told from Carnegie's point of view. It's fascinating watching her "work."
The author writes in her note that this is a work of "non fiction" but I have to disagree with that. Too many conjectures about conversations and emotions. The book was well-researched but sometimes became bogged down in the details. It's a tricky thing to have a main character who is so unsympathetic.
Three stars.
I finished watching the second season of The Gilded Age a few months ago, and also listened to the official accompanying podcast. A character this season was based on Cassie Chadwick, the infamous swindler. I had never heard of Cassie and was definitely intrigued. When I saw this book I had to read it!
We follow Cassie from her early days in a small town to the culmination of her cons - posing as Andrew Carnegie's illegitimate daughter and cheating men out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Alternating chapters are told from Carnegie's point of view. It's fascinating watching her "work."
The author writes in her note that this is a work of "non fiction" but I have to disagree with that. Too many conjectures about conversations and emotions. The book was well-researched but sometimes became bogged down in the details. It's a tricky thing to have a main character who is so unsympathetic.
Three stars.
June 30, 2024
The true story of con woman Cassie Chadwick, who pretended to be the heir of Andrew Carnegie. This was such an interesting story! I had never heard of her before, which was surprising after reading how crazy her story is! I loved the story here, but I don't think the separate Carnegie chapters were necessary. When he first gets mentioned by Cassie, I think Reed could have just put in a chapter there about him instead of spreading it throughout. Additionally, there were a few times the author switched back and forth between character POVs in chapter without clear separation. Some sort of page break indicator could have helped with this I think just to make it clearer. Despite that, definitely would recommend for anyone who likes reading about cons!
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2024
I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book has content warnings for misogyny, and mentions of suicide.
At the start I did really like this book. I liked the narrative, Cassie is an interesting person, and I was curious to see her scams grow. However, I feel like this book gets bogged down by details and other people's backstory quite a lot. By the end of this book I didn't even really feel like it was about Cassie anymore. It was just a really slow moving read, and I ended up quite bored, which is such a shame because Cassie's life and scams are so wild. It seemed impossible to be able to be bored while reading about it.
This book has content warnings for misogyny, and mentions of suicide.
At the start I did really like this book. I liked the narrative, Cassie is an interesting person, and I was curious to see her scams grow. However, I feel like this book gets bogged down by details and other people's backstory quite a lot. By the end of this book I didn't even really feel like it was about Cassie anymore. It was just a really slow moving read, and I ended up quite bored, which is such a shame because Cassie's life and scams are so wild. It seemed impossible to be able to be bored while reading about it.
June 22, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.*
I love a great deep dive nonfiction story. I also love when a con-man (woman?) gets their comeuppance. The Imposter Heiress is the story of Cassie Chadwick, possibly the first of her ilk. A woman born to farming stock in rural Canada who sets her sights on becoming beyond wealthy and through her own cunning and conniving, she manages to live at the very highest echelon of society in Cleveland before finally getting caught.
A well-researched story full of interesting people and wild tales of what one could pull off with some moxy and enough money to fool people, especially if you were a charming woman in the late 1800s.
*with thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for this honest review.
I love a great deep dive nonfiction story. I also love when a con-man (woman?) gets their comeuppance. The Imposter Heiress is the story of Cassie Chadwick, possibly the first of her ilk. A woman born to farming stock in rural Canada who sets her sights on becoming beyond wealthy and through her own cunning and conniving, she manages to live at the very highest echelon of society in Cleveland before finally getting caught.
A well-researched story full of interesting people and wild tales of what one could pull off with some moxy and enough money to fool people, especially if you were a charming woman in the late 1800s.
*with thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for this honest review.
March 10, 2024
Annie Reed had me hooked at that blurb: con artists, Gilded age equivalent of Anna Delvey? Consider me sold! I'm so fickle when it comes to these sorts of books, but I love them - and what a unique and interesting part of history! Reed tell's Cassie Chadwick's story with a flare for the dramatic, which suits the tone of who Cassie Chadwick was to a T. If you recently watched The Gilded Age TV show and came across this character and were left wanting more, then this book is definitely for you. Or if you just love hearing stories from the not so nice women of history!
Thank you to Diversion Books and Netgalley for my review copy.
Thank you to Diversion Books and Netgalley for my review copy.
June 20, 2024
rounded up from 3.5
now THIS is how you write about dead people (who you cannot possibly know personally). strong narrative and vivid imagery with plenty of periodization. (although — when you realize that all this glamour exists in cleveland, ohio — the time period becomes clear enough without any additional context.)
that said, i think it drags in a couple places, and the attempt to moralize some of these things feels kind of irrelevant… idk. like, i think the author could’ve trusted her audience to understand the connection between gender & class & cassie chadwick’s crimes a bit more — it doesn’t feel pedantic, but it *was* spelled out a few too many times. still good overall
now THIS is how you write about dead people (who you cannot possibly know personally). strong narrative and vivid imagery with plenty of periodization. (although — when you realize that all this glamour exists in cleveland, ohio — the time period becomes clear enough without any additional context.)
that said, i think it drags in a couple places, and the attempt to moralize some of these things feels kind of irrelevant… idk. like, i think the author could’ve trusted her audience to understand the connection between gender & class & cassie chadwick’s crimes a bit more — it doesn’t feel pedantic, but it *was* spelled out a few too many times. still good overall
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews