Nonfiction: The Imposter Heiress by Annie Reed

     The Imposter Heiress is a biography of the “Queen of Cons” that reads like a court-room thriller.
​     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.
     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.  

     Author Annie Reed 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 also given an inside glimpse into Cassie's mansion, typical of the Gilded Age ultra-wealthy: 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.”

     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 loan 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 repeatedly reinventing herself and escaping the consequences of her outrageous crimes, 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.
Bonus: Watch author Annie Reed's soldout book launch at Left Bank Books!

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