The Fake, by Zoe Whittall

Zoe Whittall’s The Fake was a very engaging and hard-to-put down novel about two people, Shelby and Gibson, who both get scammed by the same con artist, a young woman named Cammie who uses (mostly, but not entirely) made-up stories of her own past trauma to latch onto people who are grieving and alone. For Shelby, mourning the untimely death of her wife, Cammie is the new best friend who gives her some hope and purpose; for recently-divorced Gibson, she’s the woman who re-ignites passion and maybe even true love. When both Shelby and Gibson start realizing that elements of Cammie’s story aren’t adding up, they find each other and compare notes. It’s the end of that particular road for Cammie — but just as easily as she came into their lives, she can slip out again, finding new marks. I’ve seen people argue that the ending of this book is anticlimactic, but I think it’s probably just realistic — there isn’t always a bit, dramatic climax to the story of a scammer like Cammie. Grifters gonna grift, and ordinary people who’ve been fooled by them just have to pick up the pieces and move on.