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The Charming Predator: The True Story of How I Fell in Love with and Married a Sociopathic Fraud
She fell in love with him, they married and then she found out who he a conman who was determined to destroy her.
The instant bestselling story of Lee Mackenzie, who was a capable and confident young woman, studying broadcast journalism and honing her skills of observation and objectivity. She was also a little unworldly, the product of a small, rural Western Canadian community where doors were never locked and life was simple and direct. On a backpacking trip in the UK, she met the man who would become her husband. A man who everyone agreed was one of the most intelligent, charming people they had ever met. Easy to like, easy to believe. Easy to love. A man without mercy who shattered her emotionally, psychologically and financially.
Decades later, Kenner Jones is at large today, having committed crimes around the world under a series of fake names and personas. He has been described—by a seasoned US immigration officer—as "the best conman I have ever encountered."
No one got closer to Kenner Jones than Lee Mackenzie. In The Charming Predator, he is unmasked for the first time.
The instant bestselling story of Lee Mackenzie, who was a capable and confident young woman, studying broadcast journalism and honing her skills of observation and objectivity. She was also a little unworldly, the product of a small, rural Western Canadian community where doors were never locked and life was simple and direct. On a backpacking trip in the UK, she met the man who would become her husband. A man who everyone agreed was one of the most intelligent, charming people they had ever met. Easy to like, easy to believe. Easy to love. A man without mercy who shattered her emotionally, psychologically and financially.
Decades later, Kenner Jones is at large today, having committed crimes around the world under a series of fake names and personas. He has been described—by a seasoned US immigration officer—as "the best conman I have ever encountered."
No one got closer to Kenner Jones than Lee Mackenzie. In The Charming Predator, he is unmasked for the first time.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 2017
13 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 26, 2018
The Charming Predator is an addicting read for anyone who loves true crime.
Lately I have been in a reading slump (probably from all of those school textbooks I'm devouring...) and most of the books I should love I haven't been able to connect with. Buuuuut, this book instantly hooked me during this time and appeared to be exactly what I needed.
This book is intriguing because it's supposed to be "real" (I say supposed to because Lee MacKenzie apparently has numerous pseudonyms). Kenner Jones did exist and there are numerous stories about how he scammed a ridiculous amount of people (including his wife).
I find it an interesting phenomenon that this happens to people. It seems so out of the ordinary and soap opera like, yet I've met many people who trick and manipulate anyone they can. Reading it, I found I could see "signs", but that's with me knowing the end of this story - I know he's going to manipulate her, it's almost like a bad movie you have seen over and over. "Don't go through that door" or "Don't talk to that person" and so on...
I have so much respect for this woman, because this was truly one of the worst moments (or say...years?) of her life. Writing a book like this takes courage, and my goodness is it a good book. I find it well written, easy to read and one of the better true crime, life story novels I have read in a while.
This book gets 5 out of 5 stars for sure.
[Edit] - I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads AND I found a copy at my local indie bookstore that was an arc! Talk about luck!
Lately I have been in a reading slump (probably from all of those school textbooks I'm devouring...) and most of the books I should love I haven't been able to connect with. Buuuuut, this book instantly hooked me during this time and appeared to be exactly what I needed.
This book is intriguing because it's supposed to be "real" (I say supposed to because Lee MacKenzie apparently has numerous pseudonyms). Kenner Jones did exist and there are numerous stories about how he scammed a ridiculous amount of people (including his wife).
I find it an interesting phenomenon that this happens to people. It seems so out of the ordinary and soap opera like, yet I've met many people who trick and manipulate anyone they can. Reading it, I found I could see "signs", but that's with me knowing the end of this story - I know he's going to manipulate her, it's almost like a bad movie you have seen over and over. "Don't go through that door" or "Don't talk to that person" and so on...
I have so much respect for this woman, because this was truly one of the worst moments (or say...years?) of her life. Writing a book like this takes courage, and my goodness is it a good book. I find it well written, easy to read and one of the better true crime, life story novels I have read in a while.
This book gets 5 out of 5 stars for sure.
[Edit] - I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads AND I found a copy at my local indie bookstore that was an arc! Talk about luck!
March 2, 2017
A true crime story. Lee MacKenzie falls in love with charming Welshman Kenner Jones. She has been a capable and confident young woman. But life in rural Western Canada made her a little unworldly. It's on a backpacking trip in the UK that she meets her future husband. A man who charmed everyone he met. A man who shattered her emotionally. Psychologically and financially. Kenner Jones is at large today, having committed crimes all over the world.
I don't think you have to be young and impressionable to get sucked in by a guy like this. After all we hear of this happening to people of all ages. He also used a false surname while luring Lee into his trap. No one truly knows the person they marry, but you don't expect them to con you out of everything you have. This is an open and honest book of deception.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House, Canada and the author Lee MacKenzie for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't think you have to be young and impressionable to get sucked in by a guy like this. After all we hear of this happening to people of all ages. He also used a false surname while luring Lee into his trap. No one truly knows the person they marry, but you don't expect them to con you out of everything you have. This is an open and honest book of deception.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House, Canada and the author Lee MacKenzie for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2025
Sounds like one of those romance books or films that people love-but reality much different for a respected Cdn. broadcaster who met a man while backpacking in Wales. She fell for his charms, married him, before realizing the con man he was. Shows those romantic fantasies can create false narratives.
November 7, 2016
The betrayal of a significant other or spouse is particularly traumatic, shattering a persons soul to the core. This is what happened to author Lee MacKenzie when she discovered the man she married was an imposter and narcissistic sociopath. "Charming Predator" recalls the story of discovery that everything in Mrs. (Kenner) Jones marriage was based on elaborate hoaxes, con-jobs, manipulations, thievery and lies. This is a story of her darkest time, and in telling her story Lee hopes to raise awareness of these shocking deceptive crimes.
Raised in Western Canada, at 30 years of age, divorcee Lee MacKenzie had a promising career in television broadcast journalism in Vancouver B.C. While traveling through North Wales (1981) she met Kenner Jones at Conway Castle where he worked as a tour guide. With limited lodging, she stayed at the home of Kenner and his mother Primrose, a lonely widow who enjoyed her company immensely and shared amazing stories of Kenner's upbringing. Feeling a sense of relief at returning home, Lee was very surprised when she received a letter from Kenner and learned he was writing to her from Her Majesty's Prison at Ashwell! It was apparent that Kenner seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear. Soon his letters turned from friendship to romance and love, and Lee became intrigued (with the man Kenner was portraying himself to be).
The story unfolds in a nearly predictable script. Kenner swept her off her feet, encouraged Lee to return to visit him in the U.K. Before she could get to know him better in person, or even think straight, Kenner quickly proposed, practically insisting she marry him. The story was difficult for Lee to tell, as she reread letters, diaries, and criminal records; retracing her life and marriage to this man. Eventually Kenner would want to leave the U.K. and begin a new (criminal) life in Canada. Obtaining a criminal history from a country outside Canada wasn't easy, but an immigration official from the office in Nanaimo obtained Kenner's file from the U.K. The criminal offences/charges began in 1973, and proceeded from that time moving forward. Kenner also had been held in numerous criminal psychiatric hospitals for (obviously unsuccessful) treatment.
The story was told in a matter of fact style, somewhat lacking in detail and emotional depth. It is easy to think Lee should have been more aware or observant in the clues and red flags that were there all along. However, we know a great deal more today about romantic deception than was known in the 1980's-- with the wealth of knowledge, online information, (social/cultural) and the sharing of similar stories. These stories, bravely recalled are important and need to be told. ~ With thanks and appreciation to NetGalley for the e-ARC for the purpose of review.
Raised in Western Canada, at 30 years of age, divorcee Lee MacKenzie had a promising career in television broadcast journalism in Vancouver B.C. While traveling through North Wales (1981) she met Kenner Jones at Conway Castle where he worked as a tour guide. With limited lodging, she stayed at the home of Kenner and his mother Primrose, a lonely widow who enjoyed her company immensely and shared amazing stories of Kenner's upbringing. Feeling a sense of relief at returning home, Lee was very surprised when she received a letter from Kenner and learned he was writing to her from Her Majesty's Prison at Ashwell! It was apparent that Kenner seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear. Soon his letters turned from friendship to romance and love, and Lee became intrigued (with the man Kenner was portraying himself to be).
The story unfolds in a nearly predictable script. Kenner swept her off her feet, encouraged Lee to return to visit him in the U.K. Before she could get to know him better in person, or even think straight, Kenner quickly proposed, practically insisting she marry him. The story was difficult for Lee to tell, as she reread letters, diaries, and criminal records; retracing her life and marriage to this man. Eventually Kenner would want to leave the U.K. and begin a new (criminal) life in Canada. Obtaining a criminal history from a country outside Canada wasn't easy, but an immigration official from the office in Nanaimo obtained Kenner's file from the U.K. The criminal offences/charges began in 1973, and proceeded from that time moving forward. Kenner also had been held in numerous criminal psychiatric hospitals for (obviously unsuccessful) treatment.
The story was told in a matter of fact style, somewhat lacking in detail and emotional depth. It is easy to think Lee should have been more aware or observant in the clues and red flags that were there all along. However, we know a great deal more today about romantic deception than was known in the 1980's-- with the wealth of knowledge, online information, (social/cultural) and the sharing of similar stories. These stories, bravely recalled are important and need to be told. ~ With thanks and appreciation to NetGalley for the e-ARC for the purpose of review.
April 8, 2019
I LOVED this book. I had to make myself put it down so I could savor it over two days instead of gobbling it up in one day. I may be partial because I know Lee’s sister-in-law quite well and I have a lot in common with events in this book. I too grew up on Vancouver Island and I too went backpacking in Europe when I was 26 years old. I also have made poor decisions due to a mix of naivety and an innate trusting personality. I think what is important to note here, is there is a common Canadian trait that can allow us to be persuaded - which is traits fore mentioned, combined with putting our politeness in the forefront of our decision-making. What I mean, is many Canadians prefer to go along with things instead of confronting them, simply to seem good natured and polite. Knowing that, I was able to push aside my frustration when the “red flags” Lee talks about popped up and carry on reading without judgment. I loved relating to the local places described in the book such as the Church they were married in, which was next to my Elementary School; the BC Ferries, which I have taken my whole life and the beautiful pastoral areas on the outskirts of our town. I adamantly turned the pages in a state of shock that human beings (in this case Kenner) can be so lacking in empathy and so un-remorseful. Sociopaths fascinate me. I have always loved studying psychology and to me this book was an astounding view into a true-life experience with one - sad - but true. Bravo Lee (Donna) for being brave enough to share your harrowing story with the world. I truly enjoyed it and have recommended it to many.
July 30, 2021
This non-fiction book tells the story of a con man and the woman enthralled and entrapped by him. Lee MacKenzie grew up in rural Canada and in her travels meets a charming Welshman named Kenner Jones. There's a saying I recall -something to the effect "look well on the face of someone you meet for the first time" because after that point, how you see them is colored by your perceptions of them. And Lee, despite some red flags, marries Kenner Jones only to find out that he is a sociopath, had been admitted to several psychiatric hospitals and has a sordid history as a con man.
While the premise of this story is commendable (wanting to share her experiences in order to raise awareness), I found myself getting a bit bored at points in this book. I imagine it's hard to really put this out there and share what happened, but it seems there is an emotional distance at times that kept me from really getting into the story. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books"
While the premise of this story is commendable (wanting to share her experiences in order to raise awareness), I found myself getting a bit bored at points in this book. I imagine it's hard to really put this out there and share what happened, but it seems there is an emotional distance at times that kept me from really getting into the story. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books"
March 13, 2017
I was given an ARC of this ebook by netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada and Doubleday Canada in return for my honest review.
This was quite an engaging true story about a slick con man and a young woman who was intelligent and honest but perhaps a bit naive when it came to seeing what she needed to see in a new relationship. She first met Kenner Jones completely at random while she was traveling around the UK on a backpacking trip and just wandered in a place looking for a room for a few days. They become a bit further acquainted before she goes back to Canada, then he surprises her by starting up a brief correspondence with her, using her address he got when he had her sign the traveler's guestbook first thing. She claims to not be interested, and that he's not her type, but as the story develops, we can see him playing her along, every step of the way.
She finally goes back to visit him again in the UK, and he shocks her by proposing, when they have never discussed having a relationship, just things each would like to do in the future. Despite her misgivings, she allows him to pressure her into saying yes, and she agrees to return to Canada and work for a year and save up for the start for their future together. He makes the rest of their week together so properly romantic that she's decided that she's made the right decision after all, and goes home to Canada with a happy glow. Of course we all know what's ahead for her, don't we?
It's pretty amazing how adept a liar this guy is and how good he was at times at convincing people of what he was saying, despite the fact that he also got caught so often, so he really wasn't so great at getting away with it completly. Must not have thought it all the way through, apparently. Seemed to be happy with pulling it off for the moment, even if he got caught later on down the line, which makes no sense to me.
An interesting read, told more than 30 years after it happened to Lee Mackenzie/Donna and Kenner Jones, and all the emotional, financial etc. kinds of hell he put her through under the guise of love.
This was quite an engaging true story about a slick con man and a young woman who was intelligent and honest but perhaps a bit naive when it came to seeing what she needed to see in a new relationship. She first met Kenner Jones completely at random while she was traveling around the UK on a backpacking trip and just wandered in a place looking for a room for a few days. They become a bit further acquainted before she goes back to Canada, then he surprises her by starting up a brief correspondence with her, using her address he got when he had her sign the traveler's guestbook first thing. She claims to not be interested, and that he's not her type, but as the story develops, we can see him playing her along, every step of the way.
She finally goes back to visit him again in the UK, and he shocks her by proposing, when they have never discussed having a relationship, just things each would like to do in the future. Despite her misgivings, she allows him to pressure her into saying yes, and she agrees to return to Canada and work for a year and save up for the start for their future together. He makes the rest of their week together so properly romantic that she's decided that she's made the right decision after all, and goes home to Canada with a happy glow. Of course we all know what's ahead for her, don't we?
It's pretty amazing how adept a liar this guy is and how good he was at times at convincing people of what he was saying, despite the fact that he also got caught so often, so he really wasn't so great at getting away with it completly. Must not have thought it all the way through, apparently. Seemed to be happy with pulling it off for the moment, even if he got caught later on down the line, which makes no sense to me.
An interesting read, told more than 30 years after it happened to Lee Mackenzie/Donna and Kenner Jones, and all the emotional, financial etc. kinds of hell he put her through under the guise of love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2019
This is a truly powerful story. How the author fell in love, was betrayed and lied to.
I kind of got rather bored half way through but carried on regardless. This story came over as if the writer didn’t really care but that could just have been how I was reading it.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for allowing me the arc of this book to review
I kind of got rather bored half way through but carried on regardless. This story came over as if the writer didn’t really care but that could just have been how I was reading it.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for allowing me the arc of this book to review
February 1, 2017
THE CHARMING PREDATOR BY LEE MACKENZIE
This is a true story told by Lee MacKenzie told to us how she met and married a liar, embellisher, con artist and criminal. Lee MacKenzie the author first went to England travelling with her backpack. When she arrives in Wales in 1979 she comes to a fork in the road. The road has signs. Llandudno is in one direction, Colwyn Bay in the other. Conwy was straight ahead. On impulse Lee decides to walk in the direction of Llandudno. Lee walked right through the main part of town pulled in by the sound of the ocean and the sandy beaches she sees. Lee is 26 years old inexperienced -- student studying Broadcast journalism from Canada. She comes from an area where none of the neighbors locked their doors. It was typical to go into a neighbor's house and borrow a cup of sugar, while nobody is home. The inhabitants of her neighborhood would simply leave a note and return the cup of sugar. Nobody was skeptical and this type of trust set Lee up to be the perfect mark for somebody like Kenner Elias Jones. When Lee took that fateful walk up to the building that had a sign saying Welsh Tourist on a board that was no more than a green hut.
Lee had come from what she calls a dysfunctional family. Her father was an alcoholic and while her mother kept the five kids together as a family, she didn't have the ability to give her time to each kid individually. Lee wanted to be loved and cherished and was the perfect prey for Kenner Jones.
Lee goes into the tourist center and she sees Kenner who she wasn't physically attracted to but found him to be fun, entertaining and charming. Kenner was short for a man at five feet by five inches tall. He has dark curly hair and blue-gray eyes. At the time she first meets Kenner at the tourist shack he smiles and says hello and asks if he can be of any assistance. Lee explains that she is looking for a place to stay. For the first three days she roamed the town of Great Orme in Llandudno and would meet Kenner for a cup of tea at around 3:00 PM. and they would talk. He was a guy who knew how to carry a conversation. Kenner gave Lee a wealth of information about Wales. It came time for Lee to move on to visit Scotland.
After Lee visited and explored Scotland she was back in the town of Llandudno. Caernafon's festival was the reason she returned. Kenner invited Lee to stay with him and his mother Primrose. Kenner gave Lee directions and she shows up while Kenner is at work to find a crying Primrose. Primrose was a short, plump woman who lived at 11 Glan Peris. Primrose is crying and tells Lee that she feels comfortable of telling Lee her troubles. Primrose tells Lee that she has had a hard life and had to raise Kenner as a single parent. Lee describes herself as the perfect listener. Lee claims she has always had an excellent memory. Everyday there would be a routine where Primrose and Lee would finish household chores and then Primrose around 11:00 AM would tell Lee about her life and Kenner's upbringing.
Primrose was a nurse before she met Kenner's father. Primrose and her sister Arial left their home in Devon for Northern Wales as young women. They both didn't want to get married. Primrose cared for Arial who was a secretary who developed Parkinson's Disease. The two sister's shared a bedroom and each slept side by side and used to hold hands at night. Arial, according to Primrose never thanked her for the care she gave Arial up until she died. Everyday after the chores were done Primrose would talk about her life with Lee. Primrose told Lee that she was a nurse who worked at the sanitarium. Kenner's father was a patient at the sanitarium with tuberculosis. John Elias Jones would come to the men's door of the ward while Primrose worked there. He would say hello, nurse Hawkins. When Primrose would say hello to John and ask him how he was doing, he would smile like a child and say much better now that your here. Primrose couldn't possibly get involved with John. Primrose tried to brush him off because she didn't want a husband, he wasn't her type and she was much older than him.
Eventually John Elias Jones got better and was released from the sanitarium and Primrose thought that was the end of it. After Primrose would finish her shift John was waiting for her as she left work and would walk her home. Primrose said she didn't do anything to encourage John and she was blunt and said John I am not interested in you. Finally John asked Primrose to marry her and she declined. John persisted to ask Primrose to marry her until he wore her down. Primrose said she married John out of pity she did not love him.
Primrose said she moved into John's house after they were married to the house on Snowdon St. The married couple moved in with John's mother who Primrose called Old Dutch. Life on Snowdon St. turned into being a story within itself. According to Primrose it was an unhappy home and the source of that unhappiness was John and his brother William's mother. Primrose said she was a nasty old woman. She had five children and she didn't believe in Doctors. When the children got sick she wouldn't bring them to the Doctor's. She knew best. Three of her children died because she wouldn't bring them to the Doctor. She buried them and still believed she was right. Primrose was pregnant with Kenner at age 40. John went to London to look for work and Primrose gave birth to Kenner. Kenner weighed just 4 1/2 pounds and was to frail to be given the vacination for tuberculosis. Kenner had to remain in the hospital. Meanwhile John came back from London sick with tuberculosis. Kenner was only three months old when his father died from tuberculosis. Kenner was sent home and had to go back to work as a nurse and leave Old Dutch to take care of Kenner.
Kenner was the perfect host and gentleman. He patiently explained recipes, customs and some of the language of the Welsh language. Lee describes this time as being in Kenner's company as easy and she loved it. She said she let herself imagine what life would be like if this was her home and life. When the day was over and supper finished back at Primrose's house, Kenner would suggest that the two of them take a walk. It was a rainy night, so they put on their waterproof jackets and went down towards the town, past the castle and past the estuary to a park on the other side. They walked quietly in the rain for about an hour. Lee remember's looking at Kenner walking in front of her as she did earlier in that day, she asked herself if she could see herself here, with this person. He wasn't physically attractive to her, but he was charming, intelligent, entertaining. So what was it that made her feel so unsettled? She didn't know. Kenner walked ahead of her in the dim night. His jacket was dark and slick, with water streaming in the folds of the fabric. The pathway was soggy underfoot. Lee suddenly was damp and uncomfortable, with a feeling that she didn't want to be there. Right at that moment Kenner turned and looked back at her, not breaking his stride His face was framed by the hood of his jacket. She could see his eyes and a half grin, a frighteningly, sly conniving looking smile. His eyes were empty. "I felt as if he was checking to see if I was still there, within reach, as if he couldn't believe his luck, like a spider with a fly caught in his web. I didn't feel safe."
When Lee flew back to Canada it wasn't long before she started getting letters from Kenner in prison. He changed his story twice for the reasons he was there. At first he said he borrowed money from a friend and didn't pay it back. He said he borrowed and knowing he couldn't pay it back he uttered a false story to raise money from other colleagues. He said he was paying all of Primrose's bills. Could Lee send Primrose some money to help her get by. Lee started sending what amounted to $100.00 per month in Canadian money. His letters really played on her sympathies. The letter's quickly changed from friendship letters to love letters. He told her what she wanted to hear. She wanted to be loved and embraced. He told her that besides his mother Lee was his only friend and to keep writing. Kenner took advantage of Lee inviting her to visit him in London when he got out of prison. Once she flew to London, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him and like his father before him he wouldn't get up from one knee in the middle of the city, until she said yes.
It is clear being conned and shattered by a criminal who had been in prison before. This book is the true story of how Lee married Kenner Jones without knowing he was a con man. How Kenner was an imposer of great skill and audacity. He had been in and out of court and prison in Britain before Lee ever met him. How he shattered her life. The author writes of her story conversationally as if she was talking to you. She overcomes her experience and writes to educate others not to make the same mistakes. She saw red flags, but in wanting to believe he loved her ignored them. It is a lesson to all of us who at one time in our lives might have let warning signs go, because it isn't what we want to see. I thought the mother was weird and felt sorry for herself. Kenner is s sociopath who Lee felt at times somethings were off and creepy.
Thank you to Net Galley, Lee MacKenzie and Penguin Random House Doubleday Canada for my digital copy for a fair and honest review.
This is a true story told by Lee MacKenzie told to us how she met and married a liar, embellisher, con artist and criminal. Lee MacKenzie the author first went to England travelling with her backpack. When she arrives in Wales in 1979 she comes to a fork in the road. The road has signs. Llandudno is in one direction, Colwyn Bay in the other. Conwy was straight ahead. On impulse Lee decides to walk in the direction of Llandudno. Lee walked right through the main part of town pulled in by the sound of the ocean and the sandy beaches she sees. Lee is 26 years old inexperienced -- student studying Broadcast journalism from Canada. She comes from an area where none of the neighbors locked their doors. It was typical to go into a neighbor's house and borrow a cup of sugar, while nobody is home. The inhabitants of her neighborhood would simply leave a note and return the cup of sugar. Nobody was skeptical and this type of trust set Lee up to be the perfect mark for somebody like Kenner Elias Jones. When Lee took that fateful walk up to the building that had a sign saying Welsh Tourist on a board that was no more than a green hut.
Lee had come from what she calls a dysfunctional family. Her father was an alcoholic and while her mother kept the five kids together as a family, she didn't have the ability to give her time to each kid individually. Lee wanted to be loved and cherished and was the perfect prey for Kenner Jones.
Lee goes into the tourist center and she sees Kenner who she wasn't physically attracted to but found him to be fun, entertaining and charming. Kenner was short for a man at five feet by five inches tall. He has dark curly hair and blue-gray eyes. At the time she first meets Kenner at the tourist shack he smiles and says hello and asks if he can be of any assistance. Lee explains that she is looking for a place to stay. For the first three days she roamed the town of Great Orme in Llandudno and would meet Kenner for a cup of tea at around 3:00 PM. and they would talk. He was a guy who knew how to carry a conversation. Kenner gave Lee a wealth of information about Wales. It came time for Lee to move on to visit Scotland.
After Lee visited and explored Scotland she was back in the town of Llandudno. Caernafon's festival was the reason she returned. Kenner invited Lee to stay with him and his mother Primrose. Kenner gave Lee directions and she shows up while Kenner is at work to find a crying Primrose. Primrose was a short, plump woman who lived at 11 Glan Peris. Primrose is crying and tells Lee that she feels comfortable of telling Lee her troubles. Primrose tells Lee that she has had a hard life and had to raise Kenner as a single parent. Lee describes herself as the perfect listener. Lee claims she has always had an excellent memory. Everyday there would be a routine where Primrose and Lee would finish household chores and then Primrose around 11:00 AM would tell Lee about her life and Kenner's upbringing.
Primrose was a nurse before she met Kenner's father. Primrose and her sister Arial left their home in Devon for Northern Wales as young women. They both didn't want to get married. Primrose cared for Arial who was a secretary who developed Parkinson's Disease. The two sister's shared a bedroom and each slept side by side and used to hold hands at night. Arial, according to Primrose never thanked her for the care she gave Arial up until she died. Everyday after the chores were done Primrose would talk about her life with Lee. Primrose told Lee that she was a nurse who worked at the sanitarium. Kenner's father was a patient at the sanitarium with tuberculosis. John Elias Jones would come to the men's door of the ward while Primrose worked there. He would say hello, nurse Hawkins. When Primrose would say hello to John and ask him how he was doing, he would smile like a child and say much better now that your here. Primrose couldn't possibly get involved with John. Primrose tried to brush him off because she didn't want a husband, he wasn't her type and she was much older than him.
Eventually John Elias Jones got better and was released from the sanitarium and Primrose thought that was the end of it. After Primrose would finish her shift John was waiting for her as she left work and would walk her home. Primrose said she didn't do anything to encourage John and she was blunt and said John I am not interested in you. Finally John asked Primrose to marry her and she declined. John persisted to ask Primrose to marry her until he wore her down. Primrose said she married John out of pity she did not love him.
Primrose said she moved into John's house after they were married to the house on Snowdon St. The married couple moved in with John's mother who Primrose called Old Dutch. Life on Snowdon St. turned into being a story within itself. According to Primrose it was an unhappy home and the source of that unhappiness was John and his brother William's mother. Primrose said she was a nasty old woman. She had five children and she didn't believe in Doctors. When the children got sick she wouldn't bring them to the Doctor's. She knew best. Three of her children died because she wouldn't bring them to the Doctor. She buried them and still believed she was right. Primrose was pregnant with Kenner at age 40. John went to London to look for work and Primrose gave birth to Kenner. Kenner weighed just 4 1/2 pounds and was to frail to be given the vacination for tuberculosis. Kenner had to remain in the hospital. Meanwhile John came back from London sick with tuberculosis. Kenner was only three months old when his father died from tuberculosis. Kenner was sent home and had to go back to work as a nurse and leave Old Dutch to take care of Kenner.
Kenner was the perfect host and gentleman. He patiently explained recipes, customs and some of the language of the Welsh language. Lee describes this time as being in Kenner's company as easy and she loved it. She said she let herself imagine what life would be like if this was her home and life. When the day was over and supper finished back at Primrose's house, Kenner would suggest that the two of them take a walk. It was a rainy night, so they put on their waterproof jackets and went down towards the town, past the castle and past the estuary to a park on the other side. They walked quietly in the rain for about an hour. Lee remember's looking at Kenner walking in front of her as she did earlier in that day, she asked herself if she could see herself here, with this person. He wasn't physically attractive to her, but he was charming, intelligent, entertaining. So what was it that made her feel so unsettled? She didn't know. Kenner walked ahead of her in the dim night. His jacket was dark and slick, with water streaming in the folds of the fabric. The pathway was soggy underfoot. Lee suddenly was damp and uncomfortable, with a feeling that she didn't want to be there. Right at that moment Kenner turned and looked back at her, not breaking his stride His face was framed by the hood of his jacket. She could see his eyes and a half grin, a frighteningly, sly conniving looking smile. His eyes were empty. "I felt as if he was checking to see if I was still there, within reach, as if he couldn't believe his luck, like a spider with a fly caught in his web. I didn't feel safe."
When Lee flew back to Canada it wasn't long before she started getting letters from Kenner in prison. He changed his story twice for the reasons he was there. At first he said he borrowed money from a friend and didn't pay it back. He said he borrowed and knowing he couldn't pay it back he uttered a false story to raise money from other colleagues. He said he was paying all of Primrose's bills. Could Lee send Primrose some money to help her get by. Lee started sending what amounted to $100.00 per month in Canadian money. His letters really played on her sympathies. The letter's quickly changed from friendship letters to love letters. He told her what she wanted to hear. She wanted to be loved and embraced. He told her that besides his mother Lee was his only friend and to keep writing. Kenner took advantage of Lee inviting her to visit him in London when he got out of prison. Once she flew to London, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him and like his father before him he wouldn't get up from one knee in the middle of the city, until she said yes.
It is clear being conned and shattered by a criminal who had been in prison before. This book is the true story of how Lee married Kenner Jones without knowing he was a con man. How Kenner was an imposer of great skill and audacity. He had been in and out of court and prison in Britain before Lee ever met him. How he shattered her life. The author writes of her story conversationally as if she was talking to you. She overcomes her experience and writes to educate others not to make the same mistakes. She saw red flags, but in wanting to believe he loved her ignored them. It is a lesson to all of us who at one time in our lives might have let warning signs go, because it isn't what we want to see. I thought the mother was weird and felt sorry for herself. Kenner is s sociopath who Lee felt at times somethings were off and creepy.
Thank you to Net Galley, Lee MacKenzie and Penguin Random House Doubleday Canada for my digital copy for a fair and honest review.
April 26, 2017
In this true crime story, author Lee MacKenzie tells how she fell for and married a con man from Wales back in the 1980s. He was helpful and charming, but there were red flags. Why would an intelligent woman ignore those red flags? Apparently, it has a lot to do with seeing someone how you wish him to be, as opposed to seeing him how he actually happens to be. The walls have to come crumbling down before the reality of the situation is accepted.
When Ms. MacKenzie's walls came down, I strangely started to loose interest in the story. The more she discovered all her husband's con jobs, the more she exposed them all in the book, the more I found myself bored with it all. Con men and sociopaths just aren't that interesting to me. They tend to be hopeless cases, and they too easily find one victim after another out there in the world, particularly women. This would be a good read, though, for those who want to see how one victimized woman got back her good name, her good credit and her good life.
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
When Ms. MacKenzie's walls came down, I strangely started to loose interest in the story. The more she discovered all her husband's con jobs, the more she exposed them all in the book, the more I found myself bored with it all. Con men and sociopaths just aren't that interesting to me. They tend to be hopeless cases, and they too easily find one victim after another out there in the world, particularly women. This would be a good read, though, for those who want to see how one victimized woman got back her good name, her good credit and her good life.
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
January 6, 2017
I hate to give a bad review, but to me this was a book I couldn't get into, nor finish. The author goes into great detail regarding her trip to Wales and meeting the man she eventually marries. She tells you he was friendly, but she really wasn't interested in him, but because he expressed interest in her she became involved. Just the way she talks about him gave me the creeps and when she went to stay with he and his mother, it got even creepier. Everything the mother did or said while she stayed with them is recorded in excruciating detail. She, returns to Canada and he writes her, telling her he is in jail, and poor mother is having problems without his paycheck to support her. This seemingly intelligent woman starts sending her money every month. This is as far as I could get, without wanting to scream and question her sanity. I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I hate to not finish a book, but to me the parts I read were boring and I could not get past the naiveté of the author.
December 12, 2016
"His face was framed by the hood of his jacket. I could see his eyes and a half-grin, a frightening, sly, conniving-looking smile. His eyes were empty. " Why didn't Donna run and never look back at this point? Because Kenner is a well-versed snake in the grass, mastering the art of making you believe what he needs you to for, his financial gain.
When learning of Kenner's past, do not give him any sympathy. He doesn't deserve it. Things happen in lots of people's pasts. However, that doesn't give them the right to lie, cheat, and steal from whomever they want. How Kenner flees from the law so many times is baffling.
The reason I highly recommend this book is due to Donna. Not Donna as the younger her, but the mature woman that she became. She came out of this so much stronger and wiser. She didn't just crawl under a rock and not help others. When she heard of more wrongdoings, she would make contact and try to help. Donna went through a lot and it made her someone I would love to have as a true friend.
When learning of Kenner's past, do not give him any sympathy. He doesn't deserve it. Things happen in lots of people's pasts. However, that doesn't give them the right to lie, cheat, and steal from whomever they want. How Kenner flees from the law so many times is baffling.
The reason I highly recommend this book is due to Donna. Not Donna as the younger her, but the mature woman that she became. She came out of this so much stronger and wiser. She didn't just crawl under a rock and not help others. When she heard of more wrongdoings, she would make contact and try to help. Donna went through a lot and it made her someone I would love to have as a true friend.
January 1, 2021
He charmed her, he wined and dined her, showered her with loving letters, he stole everything she had. She was young and naive and not worldly, she lived a pretty safe sheltered life, until she met this fraud, sociopathic, narcissistic pathological liar with the gold pen flowing with turquoise ink. A man who was so good at conning people he even landed a job as a medical doctor even though he never attended medical school.
He is banned from Canada and the United States and hasn't been seen since, but he is still out there.
There were times in the book when I wanted to scream and shake Lee MacKenzie the author and ex-wife of this horrible man, Kenner Jones, and ask her "how could you be so stupid, it was so obvious" but as she defends herself she was young and didn't know better, blinded by love, and he was a pro.
Lee's story is a true nightmare. I felt angry, frustrated and sad reading her story, I couldn't imagine being in her position. A fairytale nightmare.
#GoodreadsGiveaway
He is banned from Canada and the United States and hasn't been seen since, but he is still out there.
There were times in the book when I wanted to scream and shake Lee MacKenzie the author and ex-wife of this horrible man, Kenner Jones, and ask her "how could you be so stupid, it was so obvious" but as she defends herself she was young and didn't know better, blinded by love, and he was a pro.
Lee's story is a true nightmare. I felt angry, frustrated and sad reading her story, I couldn't imagine being in her position. A fairytale nightmare.
#GoodreadsGiveaway
April 19, 2017
DNF at 25%
Unfortunately, this was a book I was unable to finish. I really hated giving up on this book, but it was really hard for me to connect with the main character, even though we’re both from the same place.
The premise of this novel was intriguing, and I wanted to know how a smart woman could have been duped by such a terrible conman. The problem was that after the prologue and the first chapter, I just found myself not connecting to either the main character, Lee, or her writing style. For a book such as this, the writing needs to be really engaging, and I felt that it was lacking. I got about halfway through the second chapter before I stopped. I mean, it was really obvious that Kenner was a liar and there were just so many warning signs that went ignored.
There isn’t a lot else for me to say about this novel. I just didn’t feel like reading it any longer.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has affected my review in no way.
Unfortunately, this was a book I was unable to finish. I really hated giving up on this book, but it was really hard for me to connect with the main character, even though we’re both from the same place.
The premise of this novel was intriguing, and I wanted to know how a smart woman could have been duped by such a terrible conman. The problem was that after the prologue and the first chapter, I just found myself not connecting to either the main character, Lee, or her writing style. For a book such as this, the writing needs to be really engaging, and I felt that it was lacking. I got about halfway through the second chapter before I stopped. I mean, it was really obvious that Kenner was a liar and there were just so many warning signs that went ignored.
There isn’t a lot else for me to say about this novel. I just didn’t feel like reading it any longer.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has affected my review in no way.
May 11, 2017
The subtitle heralds the tale of a "sociopathic fraud" but it's obviously a tag line added by the publisher to make this rather bland memoire seem more...interesting. What kills this book is the writing - a mashup of simplistic (and not in a good, Hemingway-esque way) Grade 8 book report-level sentences and the chatty prose of your Aunt writing on Facebook. There is no outrage, no sense of betrayal; just a lot of not-terribly-interesting anecdotes of a marriage to someone who isn't quite as evil as the cover would suggest. In the end, he's not who he pretended to be and the author seems more than a little naive.
February 7, 2017
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. This is a non fiction, true crime book, and I enjoy that genre, even though they are sometimes troubling. This one was good, but maybe could've used tighter editing, or more emotion. I'm sure it was a difficult subject to tackle, but to be too removed from it causes the reader to be removed as well. It was interesting, and I did like reading it though.
February 2, 2023
This was a quaint, ‘love story’ set in a small village in Wales in the ages before the internet. I could see how a Canadian tourist could fall in love with a quirky, Welsh gentleman with so many achievements under his belt. The difference in culture explaining away any red flags and the budding long distance relationship providing a blanket of cover.
This is the slow-paced unravelling of the perfect love story and the undoing of a noble welsh man into a conman and heartless grifter. 4 stars.
This is the slow-paced unravelling of the perfect love story and the undoing of a noble welsh man into a conman and heartless grifter. 4 stars.
May 8, 2018
A decent enough read, but not the best true crime I have read.
December 1, 2016
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Lee Mackenzie for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
You will find my review firstly on Goodreads under my name of Karen Whittard from today. You will also find it on Amazon under my username K.E.Whittard from publication date.
I would firstly like to say a big thank you to Lee Mackenzie for being brace enough to share her experiences with us. I hope she is able to trust people again and not be tarnished from what has happened before. I hope she has a life full of happiness and love. I am so sorry you had to go through what you did. But thank you for being brace enough to share your experiences with the world. I hope this book helps others. You are one remarkable woman. Keep fighting.
Imagine you have just married the love of your life. Imagine you know everything about them. Imagine you would do anything for them and you know they would for you too. Imagine being married to the person who you are going to spend the rest of your life with. Now imagine everything you thought, everything you know, everything you feel is based on a massive lie.
This is unfortunately what happened to Lee McKenzie when she married Lee Hopes. Whose real name is Kenner Jones. This book tells how Lee's marriage was built on lies, hoaxs, conjobs, thievery and manipulation.
Lee came from a little rural town in Canada. Where life was safe and secure. People kept their doors unlocked. Everyone knew each other and looked out for each other. Lee was a capable and confident young woman. Who was studying broadcasting journalism. On a backpacking trip to the UK Lee McKenzie met Lee Hope. Everyone thought he was charming, intelligent, trustworthy, honest, loveable and a wonderful man.
Lee McKenzie met lee hope at Conway Castle in Wales where he worked as a tour guide. Because Lee McKenzie was backpacking across the country. When Lee Hope offered her a place to stay she jumped at the chance of free lodgings.
There Lee McKenzie met Lee hopes mother Primrose. Lee and Primrose hit it off immediately. Primrose shared stories of Her sons up bringing and loved spending time with Lee.
Lee McKenzie was glad to be home when her backpacking ended. But thought of Lee Hope played on her mind and she couldn't stop thinking about him. So was very surprised when she received a letter from him, from Her Magistys prison at Ashwell. Soon their budding friendship tuned into love. Lee was hooked, Hook, line and sinker.
Lee was swept off her feet and in the whirlwind romance of it all. Lee found herself returning to England to spend time with the man of her dreams. Here Lee was proposed to pretty quickly and she said yes. Lee left her family, friends and life in Canada behind and moved to the uk. A few years into their marriage. Lee found herself moving back to Canada with her husband. It was here that Lee Hope started his dodgy dealing again and set up his criminal activity.
But Canadian officials caught up with Lee Hope. It was here that Lee McKenzie discovered that her husband was actually called Kenner and all about his dodgy dealing, lies and corruption and also about his stints in mental facilities.
Decades later Kenner has been released from prison. After all his criminal activity around the world and his multiple fake names and personas. Lee McKenzie decided now was the right time to tell her story.
This book is a heartbreaking read. You have to feel sorry for Lee. You do sometimes stop and wonder how it all happened when some of the signs were so obvious. But I just felt so sorry for her. What a horrible thing to find out about.
This book was told in a straight forward, matter of fact way. You can tell revisiting these events were hard for Lee and distancing herself to a certain degree helped her write her story.
I hope Lee now can find some peace and manages to live a happy life.
Happy reading everyone
You will find my review firstly on Goodreads under my name of Karen Whittard from today. You will also find it on Amazon under my username K.E.Whittard from publication date.
I would firstly like to say a big thank you to Lee Mackenzie for being brace enough to share her experiences with us. I hope she is able to trust people again and not be tarnished from what has happened before. I hope she has a life full of happiness and love. I am so sorry you had to go through what you did. But thank you for being brace enough to share your experiences with the world. I hope this book helps others. You are one remarkable woman. Keep fighting.
Imagine you have just married the love of your life. Imagine you know everything about them. Imagine you would do anything for them and you know they would for you too. Imagine being married to the person who you are going to spend the rest of your life with. Now imagine everything you thought, everything you know, everything you feel is based on a massive lie.
This is unfortunately what happened to Lee McKenzie when she married Lee Hopes. Whose real name is Kenner Jones. This book tells how Lee's marriage was built on lies, hoaxs, conjobs, thievery and manipulation.
Lee came from a little rural town in Canada. Where life was safe and secure. People kept their doors unlocked. Everyone knew each other and looked out for each other. Lee was a capable and confident young woman. Who was studying broadcasting journalism. On a backpacking trip to the UK Lee McKenzie met Lee Hope. Everyone thought he was charming, intelligent, trustworthy, honest, loveable and a wonderful man.
Lee McKenzie met lee hope at Conway Castle in Wales where he worked as a tour guide. Because Lee McKenzie was backpacking across the country. When Lee Hope offered her a place to stay she jumped at the chance of free lodgings.
There Lee McKenzie met Lee hopes mother Primrose. Lee and Primrose hit it off immediately. Primrose shared stories of Her sons up bringing and loved spending time with Lee.
Lee McKenzie was glad to be home when her backpacking ended. But thought of Lee Hope played on her mind and she couldn't stop thinking about him. So was very surprised when she received a letter from him, from Her Magistys prison at Ashwell. Soon their budding friendship tuned into love. Lee was hooked, Hook, line and sinker.
Lee was swept off her feet and in the whirlwind romance of it all. Lee found herself returning to England to spend time with the man of her dreams. Here Lee was proposed to pretty quickly and she said yes. Lee left her family, friends and life in Canada behind and moved to the uk. A few years into their marriage. Lee found herself moving back to Canada with her husband. It was here that Lee Hope started his dodgy dealing again and set up his criminal activity.
But Canadian officials caught up with Lee Hope. It was here that Lee McKenzie discovered that her husband was actually called Kenner and all about his dodgy dealing, lies and corruption and also about his stints in mental facilities.
Decades later Kenner has been released from prison. After all his criminal activity around the world and his multiple fake names and personas. Lee McKenzie decided now was the right time to tell her story.
This book is a heartbreaking read. You have to feel sorry for Lee. You do sometimes stop and wonder how it all happened when some of the signs were so obvious. But I just felt so sorry for her. What a horrible thing to find out about.
This book was told in a straight forward, matter of fact way. You can tell revisiting these events were hard for Lee and distancing herself to a certain degree helped her write her story.
I hope Lee now can find some peace and manages to live a happy life.
Happy reading everyone
March 23, 2017
Lee Mackenzie has climbed her way back up from rock bottom. At the bottom of the pit she was known to those close to her, particularly her husband, as Donna. This book is the true story of how she met and married her husband, Kenner Jones, despite being countries apart.
Donna had traveled to London and met Kenner at a tourist shop. Through conversation, Kenner discovers that Donna is in need of a place to stay. So he offers his mother’s hospitality and Donna takes him up on it. She endured story after story from Kenner’s mother, Primrose, but took it as worth the money she saved.
Donna had returned to her home country, Canada, and started receiving letters from Kenner. Kenner had ended up in prison as the victim of a misunderstanding and his mother is in need of financial assistance. Donna sends money from each paycheck to Primrose and continues to correspond with Kenner. This is the second step down into the pit of naiveté.
Upon Kenner’s release, Donna goes back to London to visit him. He proposes. She accepts and goes back to Canada to save up for their wedding and future. They marry in Canada and then everything starts to fall apart. The deception builds as their marriage crumbles. Donna is caught in a landslide of broken dreams, debt, and torn between her husband and her future.
This is all told in Donna’s point of view and partly in letters from Kenner to Donna. These letters provide a deeper glance into who Kenner portrayed himself to be. Without these letters, I do not believe I would have continued to read the book. I would have just tossed it aside as a bitter tale of a woman scorned. The other added depth to the book was the inclusion of other people deceived by Kenner.
Although this book is classified as true crime (which is my tv preference) it did not leave me gasping in disbelief. Rather, it left me putting it down often and picking up another book instead. It felt like when one goes to get a coffee with an acquaintance or old friend and the cell phone tucked away in a purse or pocket is more tempting than hearing more bitter stories. It was predictable and the details that were focused on did not add to the story, in my opinion.
I would not recommend this book for anyone offended by deception and miscarriages. I did not note any foul language, violence, or sexual themes.
Please note: an electronic copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Donna had traveled to London and met Kenner at a tourist shop. Through conversation, Kenner discovers that Donna is in need of a place to stay. So he offers his mother’s hospitality and Donna takes him up on it. She endured story after story from Kenner’s mother, Primrose, but took it as worth the money she saved.
Donna had returned to her home country, Canada, and started receiving letters from Kenner. Kenner had ended up in prison as the victim of a misunderstanding and his mother is in need of financial assistance. Donna sends money from each paycheck to Primrose and continues to correspond with Kenner. This is the second step down into the pit of naiveté.
Upon Kenner’s release, Donna goes back to London to visit him. He proposes. She accepts and goes back to Canada to save up for their wedding and future. They marry in Canada and then everything starts to fall apart. The deception builds as their marriage crumbles. Donna is caught in a landslide of broken dreams, debt, and torn between her husband and her future.
This is all told in Donna’s point of view and partly in letters from Kenner to Donna. These letters provide a deeper glance into who Kenner portrayed himself to be. Without these letters, I do not believe I would have continued to read the book. I would have just tossed it aside as a bitter tale of a woman scorned. The other added depth to the book was the inclusion of other people deceived by Kenner.
Although this book is classified as true crime (which is my tv preference) it did not leave me gasping in disbelief. Rather, it left me putting it down often and picking up another book instead. It felt like when one goes to get a coffee with an acquaintance or old friend and the cell phone tucked away in a purse or pocket is more tempting than hearing more bitter stories. It was predictable and the details that were focused on did not add to the story, in my opinion.
I would not recommend this book for anyone offended by deception and miscarriages. I did not note any foul language, violence, or sexual themes.
Please note: an electronic copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2017
It took Lee Mackenzie thirty years to feel comfortable writing this memoir about her experiences with Kenner Jones, a con man she met and married, who eventually nearly destroyed her, emotionally and financially. She thought he would be the perfect husband but she had no idea what he had in store for her.
There were a few warning signs before the marriage, but she chose to believe in him and ignore them, as many people would. At one point, they took an evening walk and ended up in a deserted area. She saw a change come over his face that frightened her so much that she felt an urge to escape to a public place as soon as possible. However, in the light of day, with his seemingly charming demeanor, that incident didn't seem real and she decided to overlook it.
After getting married and moving to his home country of Wales, she began to notice things that didn't add up. At first, she believed all the excuses he invented when she confronted him about these unusual circumstances, but became increasingly suspicious as time went on. Finally, she realized that he had been constantly lying to her about almost everything. He had cleaned out her bank accounts and left her with mountains of debt. It took her ten years to pay off all the debts he left her, and the unseen emotional effects lasted even longer.
I would like to think that stories like these might save some readers from becoming prey to a sociopath like Jones, but he and others like him are not easy to see through. Several law enforcement officers, who deal with sociopaths regularly, were fooled by him. They said he was one of the best. That said, maybe some readers will pay a little more attention to those gut feelings that warn that something is not right and do some investigating.
I recommend this book for an engaging read about a woman caught up in a harrowing web of lies and manipulation. It was well written and the pages flew by. Warning: you may stay up late reading this, as I did.
Note: Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
There were a few warning signs before the marriage, but she chose to believe in him and ignore them, as many people would. At one point, they took an evening walk and ended up in a deserted area. She saw a change come over his face that frightened her so much that she felt an urge to escape to a public place as soon as possible. However, in the light of day, with his seemingly charming demeanor, that incident didn't seem real and she decided to overlook it.
After getting married and moving to his home country of Wales, she began to notice things that didn't add up. At first, she believed all the excuses he invented when she confronted him about these unusual circumstances, but became increasingly suspicious as time went on. Finally, she realized that he had been constantly lying to her about almost everything. He had cleaned out her bank accounts and left her with mountains of debt. It took her ten years to pay off all the debts he left her, and the unseen emotional effects lasted even longer.
I would like to think that stories like these might save some readers from becoming prey to a sociopath like Jones, but he and others like him are not easy to see through. Several law enforcement officers, who deal with sociopaths regularly, were fooled by him. They said he was one of the best. That said, maybe some readers will pay a little more attention to those gut feelings that warn that something is not right and do some investigating.
I recommend this book for an engaging read about a woman caught up in a harrowing web of lies and manipulation. It was well written and the pages flew by. Warning: you may stay up late reading this, as I did.
Note: Thank you to the author and publisher for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2017
In the early 1980s, young Donna Lee Mackenzie went on a backpacking trip and spent some time in Wales. There she met Kenner Jones and she stayed at his and his mother's home for a week. When she went home to Canada, he started writing to her ... from prison. He said he was there because of a misunderstanding and she believed him.
As he served his time, Donna and Kenner continued to write to each other and despite various red flags and not being attracted to him, Donna felt they were falling in love. When he got out of prison, she went for a visit. Kenner proposed, Donna accepted and they started to plan their wedding and their lives together.
But it didn't take long for Donna to realize that she had married a less than truthful man. She gave him many chances but eventually left him. This is her story of meeting, marrying and distancing herself from Kenner.
I thought this was an interesting story and I liked the writing style. I found it amazing that so many people were conned by this guy over the years. I can't imagine being that trusting of someone (for example, the author had sent him money to invest in their future before they were married and believed all his outlandish lies) but it was a different time, I guess. I think the author is about my age and I've never given anyone access to and control over my savings, etc.
It sounds like the author has learned a lot about herself over the years so this won't happen to her again. Kenner's mother and uncle knew what he was like so it's too bad they hadn't warned the author about him before they were married so she could avoided all the heartache and hassles he put her through. It took her years to pay off the debts in her name incurred by Kenner.
Kenner disappeared about 15 years ago. It would be interesting to know where he is and who he is conning. There can't be too many places he is allowed to be considering the amount of outstanding warrants he has.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/07...
As he served his time, Donna and Kenner continued to write to each other and despite various red flags and not being attracted to him, Donna felt they were falling in love. When he got out of prison, she went for a visit. Kenner proposed, Donna accepted and they started to plan their wedding and their lives together.
But it didn't take long for Donna to realize that she had married a less than truthful man. She gave him many chances but eventually left him. This is her story of meeting, marrying and distancing herself from Kenner.
I thought this was an interesting story and I liked the writing style. I found it amazing that so many people were conned by this guy over the years. I can't imagine being that trusting of someone (for example, the author had sent him money to invest in their future before they were married and believed all his outlandish lies) but it was a different time, I guess. I think the author is about my age and I've never given anyone access to and control over my savings, etc.
It sounds like the author has learned a lot about herself over the years so this won't happen to her again. Kenner's mother and uncle knew what he was like so it's too bad they hadn't warned the author about him before they were married so she could avoided all the heartache and hassles he put her through. It took her years to pay off the debts in her name incurred by Kenner.
Kenner disappeared about 15 years ago. It would be interesting to know where he is and who he is conning. There can't be too many places he is allowed to be considering the amount of outstanding warrants he has.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/07...
February 25, 2017
*Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review!*
Because it is a true story it is very hard for me to just say what i would normally say to a purely fictional story: That it felt a bit lacking, that some parts felt disconnected and not as if they could happen in the sequence this book describes them in, as well as that the narrator could have given the entire story a bit more feelings and make me care more about what was happening to her.
BUT because it is a real story, that actually happened to the author i can understand why some moments might feel a bit boring, a bit disconnected and how she did not write all her feelings into this book so that we as the readers can really feel what she felt. Because that must have been hard, to know what kind of man she married and now writing about it... that must have brought all those bad feelings back up for her and so keeping a distance and keeping the story very clinical feeling might have been the only way she was able to tell it.
And it is an interesting story to read, especially since it is true.
So all in all?
Could this book have been written better and more interesting and more engaging way? Yes.
But is it understandable why its not and is it still a interesting book into a very different kind of life and person? Yes.
All you really have to ask yourself is this: Do you enjoy reading a true crime story even if it doesn't have the action and pulling power a fictional story has, but you get all the real facts and information instead?
If the answer is yes then i am sure you will enjoy this book!
Because it is a true story it is very hard for me to just say what i would normally say to a purely fictional story: That it felt a bit lacking, that some parts felt disconnected and not as if they could happen in the sequence this book describes them in, as well as that the narrator could have given the entire story a bit more feelings and make me care more about what was happening to her.
BUT because it is a real story, that actually happened to the author i can understand why some moments might feel a bit boring, a bit disconnected and how she did not write all her feelings into this book so that we as the readers can really feel what she felt. Because that must have been hard, to know what kind of man she married and now writing about it... that must have brought all those bad feelings back up for her and so keeping a distance and keeping the story very clinical feeling might have been the only way she was able to tell it.
And it is an interesting story to read, especially since it is true.
So all in all?
Could this book have been written better and more interesting and more engaging way? Yes.
But is it understandable why its not and is it still a interesting book into a very different kind of life and person? Yes.
All you really have to ask yourself is this: Do you enjoy reading a true crime story even if it doesn't have the action and pulling power a fictional story has, but you get all the real facts and information instead?
If the answer is yes then i am sure you will enjoy this book!
April 17, 2017
Confession time. I am obsessed with true crime. I often find myself completely absorbed in the newest documentary on Netflix profiling serial killers and crime sprees; then, subsequently go into hour long Wikipedia vortexes as I research for myself!
Needless to say, I was pleased when I was sent a copy of The Charming Predator, the true story of how a woman ended up married to a sociopathic fraud, by Lee Mackenzie.
Mackenzie writes a “to the point” style account of her initial encounters with Kenner Jones, their courtship and the early days of their marriage. As Mackenzie begins to understand Kenner’s true intentions and is sucked into his fraudulent lifestyle, she must try and combat his lying and manipulative techniques. I could not even imagine being in a situation like this one. Bad things truly do happen to good people and sometimes, people are truly a victim of circumstance. I commend Lee Mackenzie for sharing her story; it must have been incredibly difficult.
I also found myself interested in this story as my hometown is mentioned several times! Lee Mackenzie was a Canadian visiting Britain when she met her (now ex) husband and she returns to Canada several times throughout the story. It is always interesting to see a setting so familiar!
A story of betrayal, the trauma that followed as a result and of a woman’s survival, Lee Mackenzie is to the point and matter of fact. An interesting story that true crime lovers will appreciate!
Needless to say, I was pleased when I was sent a copy of The Charming Predator, the true story of how a woman ended up married to a sociopathic fraud, by Lee Mackenzie.
Mackenzie writes a “to the point” style account of her initial encounters with Kenner Jones, their courtship and the early days of their marriage. As Mackenzie begins to understand Kenner’s true intentions and is sucked into his fraudulent lifestyle, she must try and combat his lying and manipulative techniques. I could not even imagine being in a situation like this one. Bad things truly do happen to good people and sometimes, people are truly a victim of circumstance. I commend Lee Mackenzie for sharing her story; it must have been incredibly difficult.
I also found myself interested in this story as my hometown is mentioned several times! Lee Mackenzie was a Canadian visiting Britain when she met her (now ex) husband and she returns to Canada several times throughout the story. It is always interesting to see a setting so familiar!
A story of betrayal, the trauma that followed as a result and of a woman’s survival, Lee Mackenzie is to the point and matter of fact. An interesting story that true crime lovers will appreciate!
April 17, 2017
true story from Britain donna lee met kenner elia jones in 1979 she was backpacking there she stopped into a tourist office....she was asked on her way back through to stop and visit him and his mother for a few days and he would show her around,,,,, she was inpressed by him and they spent time together upon going back to british columbia where she worked at tv stations they wrote each other than he ended up in jail trying to help out a friend they corresponded when he was released they visited back and forth they decided to wait a year and save all the money they could to buy a home,... lee sent all her money to kenner and they were married....when she found out the money was gone kenner was being blackmailed.....and so goes how things continued lee worked and he was always looking for work.... he would do volunteer work later did she find out the money in the account was gone and he was bouncing cheques everywhere.......many times lee forgave him and she found out even after they separated he was forging her name and still doing it.....as lee tried to move on with her life kenner always found a way to mess with her life...it took her many years to write this book she started it years ago but put it away it was to painful to remember but she needed to tell her story...she knew family friends and strangers who were scammed by kenner and she wanted to warn other of her husband the preditor and how even her was scammed by someone she loved......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2017
True story of how Lee ( Donna) Mackenzie, a capable and confident young woman studying broadcast journalism fell in love with and was duped by a sociopathic fraud. . On a backpacking trip in the UK, she met the man who would become her husband. She was bright but also a little unworldly, the product of a small, rural Western Canadian community. Jones was a man who everyone agreed was one of the most intelligent, charming people they had ever met. Easy to like, easy to believe. Kenner Jones conned her emotionally, psychologically and financially. Mackenzie writes about her initial encounters with Kenner Jones, their courtship and the early days of their marriage. As Mackenzie begins to understand Kenner’s true intentions and is sucked into his fraudulent lifestyle, she must try and combat his lying and manipulative techniques
Decades later, Kenner Jones is at large today, having committed crimes around the world under a series of fake names and personas. He has been described—by a seasoned US immigration officer—as "the best conman I have ever encountered."
The story was told in a matter of fact style, somewhat lacking in detail and emotional depth. While the premise of this story is commendable (wanting to share her experiences in order to raise awareness), I found myself skimming through some parts.
July 17, 2017
I worked briefly with Lee MacKenzie in the early 90s and knew she had some issues with an ex-husband but I had no idea how deeply the diagnosed sociopath had damaged her until I read this book. MacKenzie writes in straight-forward but effective prose and takes pains to tell all sides of the tale, like the former journalist she is. As a young woman backpacking through Wales she meets the charmer of the title who becomes her personal guide, introduces MacKenzie to his mother and writes to MacKenzie after she returns to Canada. He discloses he's in prison, all because he borrowed money to help a friend and failed to pay it back. MacKenzie is sympathetic, they fall in love through their letters, marry in Canada and return to Britain to begin a life together. The nightmare begins shortly thereafter. A bank account is drained, cheques are bouncing, even jewelry disappears. MacKenzie realizes her mistake and returns home but it's years before she can completely rid herself of Kenner Jones while he continues to lie about their relationship even while moving on to other victims. MacKenzie manages to build suspense into her story, compelling readers to stay with the tale to learn how she finally manages to find long-eluded peace in her life.
May 8, 2017
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read The Charming Predator by Lee Mackenzie and to write an honest review.
I was looking forward to read this book and it started off as a very powerful true crime story.
However, I became bored half way through and started to Scream at the book! I hate giving up on something I have started but I carried on to the end.
I did feel sorry for the author Lee MacKenzie who wrote how she fell for and married a con man from Wales back in the 1980s. He came over a gent! very helpful and charming, he wined and dined her, showered her with loving letters, every woman's dream! Then, he stole everything she had.
There were a lot of warning signs showing throughout their relationship. Why didn't an intelligent woman ignore these?
However, I think we have all done this at some point in our lives! and looked back and thought why didn't I see it!? Love is blind!
She wanted to see him as a true Gentleman, at his best and not see the dark side of him. The walls came crumbling down and reality of the situation was accepted.
I was looking forward to read this book and it started off as a very powerful true crime story.
However, I became bored half way through and started to Scream at the book! I hate giving up on something I have started but I carried on to the end.
I did feel sorry for the author Lee MacKenzie who wrote how she fell for and married a con man from Wales back in the 1980s. He came over a gent! very helpful and charming, he wined and dined her, showered her with loving letters, every woman's dream! Then, he stole everything she had.
There were a lot of warning signs showing throughout their relationship. Why didn't an intelligent woman ignore these?
However, I think we have all done this at some point in our lives! and looked back and thought why didn't I see it!? Love is blind!
She wanted to see him as a true Gentleman, at his best and not see the dark side of him. The walls came crumbling down and reality of the situation was accepted.
August 8, 2017
Lee Mackenzie was a young, impressionable, somewhat naive small town woman travelling on her own to the UK. While there she meets the very friendly charmer named Kenner Jones, causing her life to change forever. This is not your typical sweet love story. Kenner turns out to be the type of a person that most of us have never met or been involved with. The secrets and lies start to unfold and once Lee does her research she realizes that she has been taken for a very long and difficult ride, that doesn't end even when she decides to end it.
A riveting, page turner that makes you shake in your boots wondering if you yourself would have been taken advantage of if you had met the same type of character as Kenner. Thoughtfully written with great care. I got the impression that the author did not tell us "everything" and was keeping a lot to herself while she was writing this book. I am grateful, however, that she did write it, because if it can save even one woman from being taken advantage of in a similar situation, it will be worthwhile.
A riveting, page turner that makes you shake in your boots wondering if you yourself would have been taken advantage of if you had met the same type of character as Kenner. Thoughtfully written with great care. I got the impression that the author did not tell us "everything" and was keeping a lot to herself while she was writing this book. I am grateful, however, that she did write it, because if it can save even one woman from being taken advantage of in a similar situation, it will be worthwhile.
November 30, 2017
Absolutely fascinating! A real insight into an extraordinary personality and a real lesson to be learned here - that intelligent and perceptive people can and do get tricked by skillful con-men!
The portrait of Wales from an American perspective was also very engaging and I absolutely loved this section of the book where we begin to see a tiny insight into the boyhood of a man whose morality was unlike any I'd ever seen.
Kenner is a real Frank Abnagale and it is easy to see that he was not aware of where fiction ended and reality began. Lee's brave and relentless tale lets us see the human side to the cost of loving someone such as this - which was a really unusual and fascinating perspective on a conman. The way that he went on to beguile other women was also dealt with in a compelling way by Lee. I just couldn't put it down and wanted to keep on reading more about the wonderful world of Kenner. Fascinating, startling and terrifying in equal measure. I 100% recommend this book for anyone interested in what makes humans tick.
The portrait of Wales from an American perspective was also very engaging and I absolutely loved this section of the book where we begin to see a tiny insight into the boyhood of a man whose morality was unlike any I'd ever seen.
Kenner is a real Frank Abnagale and it is easy to see that he was not aware of where fiction ended and reality began. Lee's brave and relentless tale lets us see the human side to the cost of loving someone such as this - which was a really unusual and fascinating perspective on a conman. The way that he went on to beguile other women was also dealt with in a compelling way by Lee. I just couldn't put it down and wanted to keep on reading more about the wonderful world of Kenner. Fascinating, startling and terrifying in equal measure. I 100% recommend this book for anyone interested in what makes humans tick.
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