🃏 Con Artist Protagonist

Stories led by charming swindlers and silver-tongued grifters, where the reader is invited to root for the liar and admire the architecture of the con.

First Lie Wins

by Ashley Elston • 2024

Her false life shatters when a stranger uses her real name, then turns up dead.

3.99

845k+

🧠 Psychological Suspense 🏠 Domestic Thriller 🎭 False Identity 🐱 Cat And Mouse 🔍 Hidden Past

First Lie Wins

Her false life shatters when a stranger uses her real name, then turns up dead.

by Ashley Elston 2024

3.99

845k+ ratings

🧠 Psychological Suspense 🏠 Domestic Thriller 🎭 False Identity 🐱 Cat And Mouse 🔍 Hidden Past

The Talented Mr. Ripley

by Patricia Highsmith • 1955

Sent to retrieve a wealthy heir from Italy, a grifter grows dangerously obsessed with his life.

3.95

120k+

🧠 Psychological Thriller 🕵️ Crime Noir 🎭 Identity Theft 🔪 Murderous Obsession 🥂 Social Climbing

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Sent to retrieve a wealthy heir from Italy, a grifter grows dangerously obsessed with his life.

by Patricia Highsmith 1955

3.95

120k+ ratings

🧠 Psychological Thriller 🕵️ Crime Noir 🎭 Identity Theft 🔪 Murderous Obsession 🥂 Social Climbing

Dead Souls

by Nikolai Gogol • 1842

A middle-aged con man rides through Russia buying deceased serfs to mortgage as living property.

3.98

98k+

🃏 Picaresque Satire 🎭 Grotesque Realism 🏘️ Provincial Absurdity 🎪 Gallery Of Eccentrics 📜 Bureaucratic Corruption

Dead Souls

A middle-aged con man rides through Russia buying deceased serfs to mortgage as living property.

by Nikolai Gogol 1842

3.98

98k+ ratings

🃏 Picaresque Satire 🎭 Grotesque Realism 🏘️ Provincial Absurdity 🎪 Gallery Of Eccentrics 📜 Bureaucratic Corruption

Book of Night

by Holly Black • 2022

A former thief is dragged into shadow magic when a stolen book draws killers to her door.

3.54

89k+

🖤 Shadow Magic 🗝️ Heist Fantasy 🎭 Hidden Identity 💔 Love And Betrayal 🔪 Morally Gray Heroine

Book of Night

A former thief is dragged into shadow magic when a stolen book draws killers to her door.

by Holly Black 2022

3.54

89k+ ratings

🖤 Shadow Magic 🗝️ Heist Fantasy 🎭 Hidden Identity 💔 Love And Betrayal 🔪 Morally Gray Heroine

Going Postal

by Terry Pratchett • 2004

A conman dodges execution by reviving a haunted post office that killed its last four postmasters.

4.41

137k+

🔮 Comic Fantasy 🌅 Redemption Arc 💕 Enemies To Lovers 🏠 Found Family 💰 Corporate Greed

Going Postal

A conman dodges execution by reviving a haunted post office that killed its last four postmasters.

by Terry Pratchett 2004

4.41

137k+ ratings

🔮 Comic Fantasy 🌅 Redemption Arc 💕 Enemies To Lovers 🏠 Found Family 💰 Corporate Greed

The Emperor's Soul

by Brandon Sanderson • 2012

Condemned to death, a master forger gets one hundred days to rebuild an emperor's shattered soul.

4.37

133k+

🤔 Philosophical Fantasy 🎨 Art And Magic 👑 Palace Intrigue 🤝 Unlikely Bond ⏳ Race Against Time

The Emperor's Soul

Condemned to death, a master forger gets one hundred days to rebuild an emperor's shattered soul.

by Brandon Sanderson 2012

4.37

133k+ ratings

🤔 Philosophical Fantasy 🎨 Art And Magic 👑 Palace Intrigue 🤝 Unlikely Bond ⏳ Race Against Time

Choke

by Chuck Palahniuk • 2001

A sex addict fakes choking in restaurants to pay for his dying mother's care.

3.71

222k+

🚬 Transgressive Fiction 😈 Dark Satire 🤝 Codependent Friendship 💔 Mother-Son Dysfunction 🤡 Absurdist

Choke

A sex addict fakes choking in restaurants to pay for his dying mother's care.

by Chuck Palahniuk 2001

3.71

222k+ ratings

🚬 Transgressive Fiction 😈 Dark Satire 🤝 Codependent Friendship 💔 Mother-Son Dysfunction 🤡 Absurdist

Here Lies Daniel Tate

by Cristin Terrill • 2017

A teenage con artist steals a missing boy's identity and joins a family hiding a crime.

4.05

6k+

🧠 Psychological Thriller 🎭 Unreliable Narrator 🖤 Dark Family Secrets 🏚️ Atmospheric Mystery 🔍 Missing Person Mystery

Here Lies Daniel Tate

A teenage con artist steals a missing boy's identity and joins a family hiding a crime.

by Cristin Terrill 2017

4.05

6k+ ratings

🧠 Psychological Thriller 🎭 Unreliable Narrator 🖤 Dark Family Secrets 🏚️ Atmospheric Mystery 🔍 Missing Person Mystery

Compare Features	Free	Pro
📖 Read Summaries Read unlimited summaries. Free users get 3 per month
🎧 Listen to Summaries Listen to unlimited summaries in 40 languages	—
❤️ Unlimited Bookmarks Free users are limited to 4	—
📜 Unlimited History Free users are limited to 4	—
📥 Unlimited Downloads Free users are limited to 1	—

Compare Features

Free

Pro

📖 Read Summaries

Read unlimited summaries. Free users get 3 per month

🎧 Listen to Summaries

Listen to unlimited summaries in 40 languages

—

❤️ Unlimited Bookmarks

Free users are limited to 4

—

📜 Unlimited History

Free users are limited to 4

—

📥 Unlimited Downloads

Free users are limited to 1

—

People love SoBrief

Join our global community of 600,000+ readers

★★★★★

This site is a total game-changer. I've been flying through book summaries like never before. Highly, highly recommend.

— Dave G

Worth my money and time, and really well made. I've never seen this quality of summaries on other websites. Very helpful!

— Em

Highly recommended!! Fantastic service. Perfect for those that want a little more than a teaser but not all the intricate details of a full audio book.

— Greg M