The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con
“Not only does she artfully relate Norfleet's revenge, but [Reading] also places it in the context of scammers dead and living. This is not a history of Ponzi schemes, and it does not reach the heights (or should I say depths) of Bernie Madoff's operation. It is, however, an engaging book for anybody who wants to better understand misconduct in the realm of finance—and the consequences of such misconduct for everybody involved.”     —Steve Weinberg,USA Today“In these pages are brilliant portraits of Florida before retirement groves, of wild-west Denver before the tech boom, and of Texas before the Bush family decamped there from Greenwich, Connecticut. The country was younger then, though not more innocent. . . . A ripping good read.”    —David M. Shribman,The Boston Globe“In the era of Bernie Madoff, Nigerian spam scams, and other sordid rackets, it’s heartening to remember that swindling once took a touch more finesse. . . .The Mark Insideis an astounding tale, brought to vivid life by an historian who has had to become an expert at distinguishing fact from romantic fiction.”     —Jim Kelly,Businessweek “Reading doesn’t swindle her readers. . . . She delivers the goods, with enough scholarly information on America's con men to keep intellectually minded readers from feeling guilty about reading such a whopping good tale.”     —Doug Childers,Richmond Times-Dispatch“Amy Reading brings to life one actual con in a book as riveting as a movie. . . . An amazing piece of historical research that will ensnare the reader.”     —Arthur T. Vanderbilt,Newark Star-Ledger“Engrossing. . . . [Reading] gets to the center of both Norfleet’s story and the mass appeal of the con artist as a figure in American culture.”    —Ian Crouch,The Paris ReviewDaily“Vibrant characterizations. . . . This narrative of vigilante justice flows like fiction, as con artistry is illuminated throughout, with resonance in today’s world of high-tech con artistry.”     —Publishers Weekly“Fascinating . . . Norfleet’s quest seems both quixotic and inspiring.”     —Kirkus Reviews“Most scholarship reads like a trip to the dentist.The Mark Insidereads like a trip to the track.”   —David Mamet, Pulitzer Prize–winning author ofGlengarry Glen RossandHouse of Games “With pitch-perfect storytelling and stylish prose, Amy Reading weaves a gripping tale of a grand swindle and even grander act of revenge, a solo manhunt throughout North America that’s as hilarious as it is compelling. Rarely has history been this fun, fast-paced, and fulfilling.The Mark Insideis a book you won’t put down and a story you’ll never forget.”     —Karen Abbott,New York Timesbest-selling author ofAmerican RoseandSin in the Second City“Part page-turning crime drama, part juicy tale of vengeance and obsession, part informative social history, and part  intriguing epistemological rumination about literary truth, Amy Reading’sThe Mark Insideis always great fun. From the first page Ms. Reading hooks the reader as shrewdly as any of the bunco men she writes about—only she makes good on this enticement, delivering narrative gold.”     —Howard Blum, best-selling author ofThe Floor of HeavenandAmerican Lightning“An astonishing story of one victim’s determined quest to bring down a ring of swindling confidence men.  We have rigged fights, fake stock exchanges, gun battles, jailbreaks, a hardy Texan, an honest dentist and a righteous DA.  Here’s early twentieth-century capitalism—a great humbug run by the ghost of a grinning P.T. Barnum.”     —Ann Fabian, author ofCard Sharps and Bucket Shops“It’s tempting to say thatThe Mark Insidereads like a historical novel, but really it’s more like a great heist film. Amy Reading entertains while explaining why all Americans—from Ben Franklin to Bernie Madoff—are part trickster and part sucker.”   —Scott A. Sandage, author ofBorn Losers