Cassie Chadwick’s story has been told in a lot of different formats in recent years. There have been podcast episodes, long form articles, and chapters in anthologies about scammers dedicated to her story. And all of these shorter-format accounts felt like enough. Here we get an entire book dedicated to her tale which, while well-researched and notably interesting at times, ultimately proves to be too much for a story that just doesn’t have enough going to dedicate this amount of content to it.

There’s a big difference between scammers who find some success because they’re actually good at it, and scammers who find some success because they’re brazen and lucky. Chadwick is more the latter than the former, which is part of why this story isn’t as intriguing as other nonfiction scammer bios.

That said, the narrative here flows well and the research is good. Being originally from Cleveland I enjoyed seeing a bit of its city history show up here, though the book was a bit light on setting and anecdotal history for my taste.

This was fine. It was neither very interesting nor very educational, and I need at least one of those elements to feel I've had a good read. The storytelling was choppy, and you don't get to know the characters very well, or learn terribly much about the historical setting.

I did appreciate how "Cassie" used people's sexism against them, as one of the early female con artists.

Overall, this was an easy listen but sad, and it didn't make much of an impression on me.

The narrator was not a favorite. Something about her voice reminded me of the AI voices.

Thank you NetGalley and LibroFM. I will share this title with my monthly book club at the library and purchase a copy.

In the world of true crime, few stories capture the imagination quite like that of Cassie Chadwick, the enigmatic figure at the heart of Annie Reed’s “The Imposter Heiress.” Before the era of Anna Delvey and Elizabeth Holmes, there was a woman whose cunning and charm were so potent that she managed to deceive a federal agent, topple a bank, and leave an entire city of men in awe of her fraudulent prowess. This article delves into Reed’s captivating account of Chadwick’s life, exploring the intricacies of her cons and the impact they had on society during the Gilded Age.

Reed’s narrative is so vivid and engaging that one might often forget they are reading nonfiction. The book reads like a novel, with all the twists and turns of a classic thriller. It’s a testament to Reed’s storytelling abilities that the reader can become so engrossed in the tale of Cassie Chadwick, a woman who dared to claim herself as the illegitimate daughter of the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. With nothing but her wits and a collection of forged documents, Chadwick spun a web of lies so elaborate that it allowed her to amass a fortune comparable to those of the robber barons of her time.

The author does not merely recount Chadwick’s swindles; she also weaves in anecdotes of an oblivious Andrew Carnegie, providing a rich backdrop to the main narrative. This juxtaposition adds depth to the story, highlighting the stark contrast between the self-made industrialist and the audacious impostor who exploited his name for her gain.

As a reader, I found the audio version of the book particularly compelling. Kate Udall’s narration brings a dynamic quality to Chadwick’s story, making the complex schemes and historical details easily digestible. For those who have recently watched the Netflix show about Anna Delvey, “The Imposter Heiress” offers a fascinating historical parallel, showcasing how the art of the con has evolved yet remained strikingly similar through the ages.

Cassie Chadwick’s tale is more than just a recounting of her crimes; it’s a reflection on the vulnerabilities of a society obsessed with wealth and status. Her ability to manipulate those around her speaks volumes about the human propensity to believe what we wish to be true, especially when it comes to the allure of riches and the promise of exclusivity.

In conclusion, “The Imposter Heiress” is a masterful blend of history and storytelling that provides a window into the life of one of history’s most successful con artists. Annie Reed’s portrayal of Cassie Chadwick is both enthralling and enlightening, offering readers a chance to explore the darker corners of the American dream. Whether you’re a true crime aficionado or simply someone who enjoys a well-crafted story, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.

If you were of the many who binged "Inventing Anna," this book is for you! Cassie Chadwick was one of America's most successful con artists, swindling folks from New York City to Cleveland during the end years of the Gilded Age.

Cassie, Cassie, Cassie, what are we going to do with you?

First of all: what a woman! Maybe it's wrong to be inspired by a con artist. If it is, in Cassie's case, I don't care. Take a girl, born with nothing in an era when girls were less than nothing, who, through sheer intelligence and cunning, rose to "control" millions of dollars. Annie Reed has brought Cassie's name into the modern era with a book both well-researched and well-told. Highly readable, this is a piece of narrative nonfiction right up there with Erik Larson's work. I appreciated how Annie Reed interspersed Cassie's story with that of her purported? alleged? implied? alluded to? father, Andrew Carnegie (another historical figure I actually knew very little about). Those sections helped me understand better how Cassie was able to pull off the con.

Cassie didn't just rely on a pretty face to get ahead. Oh, I'm sure that she wasn't ugly, but her looks weren't her main appeal. She knew how to read people and re/act accordingly. In the case of some of the men she swindled, as a fellow woman, I hope I'll be forgiven if I say that someone who looks down on me, who underestimates me, just because I am not a man, deserves what they get! Furthermore, as someone who has studied law, I think that conspiracy conviction was unsupported. I would've had a JNOV in front of that judge so fast... It was a classic case of "we believe she's guilty of "x," but she's not on trial for "x." She's on trial for "y," which she's not guilty of, but we're going to find her guilty anyway because we can't find her guilty for the thing we think she's really guilty of, "x." (See State of Nevada v. Orenthal James Simpson, et al.)

I would highly recommend The Imposter Heiress: Cassie Chadwick, the Greatest Grifter of the Gilded Age to anyone who likes history, stories of true crime, narrative nonfiction à la Erik Larson, and anyone who has ever been looked down upon, told they were nothing, and needs encouragement to rewrite their own story. Hey, "[w]ell-behaved women seldom make history." You go, Cassie, girl!

I would like to thank Tantor Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook.

This might have been my first historical biography read for pleasure; if I read non fiction, I tend to select more modern topics and people. That being said, take my review with a grain of salt. Cassie Chadwick is just one of many aliases in Elizabeth Bigley's lifetime con play book, with this persona being her longest, most successful, and final con.

I really enjoyed the parts of the story where the author added her creative writing in, such as during scenes with dialogue or when explaining what the characters might have been thinking during their actions. I wish the book was written more in that perspective or even in the first person of our protagonist. The sections of the book that listed off Cassie's schemes and dollar amounts and other factual information had me dozing off, though I understand why this all needs to be included in the book.

I am unsure if it was the narrators' voice or the occasional history textbook writing of the novel, but it was hard at times to really picture Cassie as the cool and glamorous woman she built herself up to be.

If you are a history buff or someone who's into the stories of historical criminals, you'll probably have a grander time with this thoroughly researched account of Ms. Bigley/Chadwick.

If you enjoyed listening to Podcasts like: "Inventing Anna", "Scamanda", or "The Dropout"- this book is for you.

I read the audio version and enjoyed the long-form storytelling format. It was like listening to a podcast, without all the sound bites.

I knew nothing about Cassie Chadwick going in. By the time I was done, I felt like I had enough details to satisfy my inquisitive mind. Cassie's story was told in a way that pulls you in from the very beginning and keeps you wanting to know what happens next as you dive into the crazy life of a scam artist.

The Imposter Heiress is the biography of Cassie Chadwick (among many other names), a woman who grifted her way through doe eyed promises and lies about being the illegitimate daughter of Andrew Carnegie .. and all the men who just straight up believed her and kept lending her money (even going as far as to get banks involved) on a promise of "I'm good for it, I swear!"

In the end this book didn't leave much of an impression on me. There were swaths of story where I wondered where her (unknown fathered) son went and then he would just show up again and I would have liked to learn more about what he thought and felt since the author took so many liberties on Chadwick's inner feelings.

It was fine! It was interesting enough and the narration was good. Good enough for a car listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC in exchange for review!

I had a hard time rooting for those who were conned. Cassie was smart and conniving but the men are the ones to blame! This reads like a novel; it’s well paced and full of great information.


The narrator was not great; her mouth was too dry and the sound drove me nuts.

This was my first introduction to Cassie Chadwick and her grifting up the social ladder rags to riches story. I found it very interesting and a fun listen. I think one of the facts that I have taken away from this one is that she was a Canadian from Southern Ontario, just like me!

Author Annie Reed does a great job? Give me a well-rounded picture of Cassie Chadwick and her many identities, along with the efforts taken to bring down her house of cards.

Kate Udall provides clean narration that makes this book easy to listen to and follow along. Kate adds a little bit of drama to this otherwise pretty linear nonfiction story.

DNF. Author leans way, way too hard into narrative mode, describing thoughts and feelings as fact. A little bit of that sprinkled into nonfiction is fine, but in this case it was overdone, and I was left wondering which details were real and which just for flavor.

The narrator has a nice, warm tone, and was easy to listen to, but had little to no variation, and when the text relies as heavily on dialogue as this title does, that caused confusion.

"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.

This was such a fascinating story. I had never heard of Cassie Chadwick before this book and I was amused that something like this actually happened during the gilded age.
Great story telling and a fun read about history.

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!

I thought this was an interesting subject and was hoping it would flow better than it did. For the audiobook version, the plot and names were confusing and the subject was overwhelming with minute information. I am shocked I was able to finish it. Therefore, I would not recommend.

Absolutely no. it was just so blah. A woman wants to fake to be a man. But there's no character arch as to how to get there.

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.

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.

This was a very interesting story. I do enjoy the tales of audacious women, particularly at a time in history when women's roles were especially circumscribed... The narration was enjoyable and the ups and downs of the indomitable Cassie Chadwick made for delightful listening!

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.