The Impostor Heiress - by Annie Reed (Paperback)

About the Book

"Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of reinvention. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, she swept from town to town, assuming fresh identities to swindle a fortune so large that it rivaled the robber barons of the time. Then came arguably the greatest con in American history. Using forged documents and her peerless wits, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was the illegitimate daughter of the world's wealthiest man--Andrew Carnegie. Businessmen loaned her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time; the ensuing crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial made her a household name. The newspapers called her the "Queen of Swindlers," the "Duchess of Diamonds," the "High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance.""--

Book Synopsis

Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of reinvention. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, she swept from town to town, assuming fresh identities to swindle a fortune so large that it rivaled the robber barons of the time.

Then came arguably the greatest con in American history. Using forged documents and her peerless wits, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was the illegitimate daughter of the world's wealthiest man--Andrew Carnegie.

Businessmen loaned her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time; the ensuing crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial made her a household name. The newspapers called her the Queen of Swindlers, the Duchess of Diamonds, the High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance.

Interspersing Cassie's crimes with stories of an unsuspecting Andrew Carnegie, author Annie Reed spins an enthralling, page-turning tale of true crime. Long before Anna Delvey captivated national attention, there was Cassie Chadwick--mother of the American con.

Review Quotes

Praise for THE IMPOSTOR HEIRESS by Annie Reed

A delightful, deeply-researched look into the con woman who made Charles Ponzi look like small potatoes. Annie Reed brings Cassie Chadwick's wild story into the 21st century, illuminating all the unbelievable details of her life--from her infamous eyes to her fake billionaire dad to her outrageous chutzpah. Anna Delvey who?

--Tori Telfer, author of Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History

From the golden shores of Lake Erie to the skyscrapers of Manhattan, Cassie Chadwick ran the greatest con of the Gilded Age. In The Impostor Heiress, Annie Reed brings the grand spectacle to life, unraveling how Chadwick convinced the world she was industrial titan Andrew Carnegie's illegitimate daughter. Filled with impeccable research and page-turning writing. Chadwick's story is destined for the big screen.

--Bob Batchelor, author of The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition's Evil Genius

Glamorous con artist Cassie Chadwick poses as the heir of industrialist Andrew Carnegie in historian Reed's juicy first book...Narrated in stylish prose with the galloping pace of a thriller, this charms.

--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

About the Author

Annie Reed is a writer and historian. She earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame and her history degree from the University of Illinois. She lives with her family near St. Louis, Missouri, and runs marathons in her spare time.