Con Artists Crime Books
Con Artists Crime Books are becoming more popular. Like adventure fiction books, con artists novels depict a life far from reality but with enough thrill to keep readers glued.
Common storylines include a person who engages in petty or small-scale swindling as the main character of the novel.
As more writers gain interest in this type of genre, there are many high-quality books coming into the market.
Even nonfiction books on real life con artists crimes are also gaining popularity.
Personality traits of main characters such as charisma and charm of the criminals make for some interesting read.
It is common that these criminals operate in smooth and non-violent ways to rob or con unsuspecting victims.
Here is a short list of some con artist fiction and nonfiction books to consider.
Some Popular Con Artists Crime Books to Consider -Both Real Life and Fiction
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake by Frank W. Abagnale (Part Biography part Fiction)
A classic tale of deception in which the writer makes several claims about his youth, full of adventure. Frank poses as a professional in different fields for which he had no qualification.
When Steven Spielberg went on to adapt the book into a movie and produce it in 2002, the movie got critical acclaim. The film had Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks as main characters.
The book, which got onto the market in 1980, can also be seen as a biography comedy, as the claims made in it are not verifiable.
Nonetheless, the story is famous for Frank’s charisma and the way in which he poses in different job roles. He also succeeds in writing off fake checks amounting to 2,5 million dollars.
With FBI agent Carl on his heels, Frank poses as a doctor, a secret service agent, and a pilot. In the end, Carl wins and Frank is sent behind bars. He is put away for 12 years.
However, Carl later convinces the FBI to have Frank serve the remainder of his sentence working for the FBI Financial Crimes Unit.
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
To make a living, a troubled small-time conman by the name of Tom Ripley scams elderly people and artists. Like catch me if you can, the book was also made into a film.
When a very rich and successful in businessman tycoon approaches Tom to help get his son back from Italy, Tom accepts the offer. He begins a voyage to Italy, fully paid for by the rich tycoon.
Once in Italy, Tom slowly worked his way to gain Dickie’s trust, who already has a close female friend by the name of Marge. His intentions grew from innocent interest to dangerous obsession over time. With time, the two began moving around Italy together. One day while travelling together on a trip to San Remo, Tom had a sudden idea to kill Dickie and claim his identity.
He proceeded to act on the plan and took upon himself Dickie’s belongings. Dressing and acting like Dickie made the shy and secretive Tom feel very happy and elated.
However, one of Dickie’s friends, Freddie Miles, paid a visit and was surprised to see Tom wearing Dickie’s clothes in Dickie’s apartment.
Seeing that he is about to be exposed, he also murders Freddie and dumps the body outside of town.
When police found the body of Freddie, Tom foresees the danger if he is to continue posing as Dickie. He decides to get his original identity and fakes a will, which claims that Dickie wants all his money and possessions left to himself.
Tom manages to convince Marge that Dickie must have committed suicide. On the other hand, police also incorrectly concludes that Dickie potentially committed suicide.
