They Call Them Grifters: The True Story of Sante and Kenneth Kimes

by Alice McQuillan

When an 82-year-old Manhattan heiress disappeared, an investigation led to the arrest of Sante and Kenneth Kimes, a mother and son team who had lived in a world of riches and privilege. As they face trial, accused of a shocking array of crimes, including murder, an award-winning police reporter provides this gripping account of a case that continues to shock the nation. of photos.

Genres: True Crime

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was loaned to me by a sometime ago by someone I used to volunteer with who had a love of biographies. I honestly didn't think I would like this book but it turned out to be a good book. It details the crimes and life that this woman led and how she dragged her son Kenneth into her sick world. Honestly I felt kind of bad for Kenneth as he seemed to not have a chance at being normal. however, I was upset that he didn't fight more to be his own person but I had to remind myself that he chose to join his mom in these crimes. He didn't leave even though he could have like his brother (Sante's other son) did. I feel so saddened by what happened to Mrs. Silverman... she didn't deserve that ending but then again no one does. Hopefully she was reunited with her husband when she entered the afterlife. It's what they deserve. I'm glad good police work and the justice system prevailed to get these disturbed individuals away before anymore people could be hurt by them.

[Ty Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a detailed look into the mind and actions of a true sociopath. It shows how Sante Kimes used and abused dozens if not hundreds of people unfortunate enough to cross her path, and along the way turned her own son into a killer who would do whatever she wanted. I vaguely remember hearing about them when all this happened, but it was eye-opening to see all their crimes laid out end to end over the course of decades. A truly horrifying look at real evil in the world.

[Gian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by my wife's cousin, which is why I read it, but it really deserves the 4 stars. Really drives home the notion of fact being much much stranger than fiction. The things this mother/son team do will leave you slack-jawed.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts before Sante Sighrs was born and takes the reader all the way through her life, up to the point at which she is the wealthy widow of a real-estate man, renamed Kimes and about to go on trial with her adult son for a fairly staggering array of really nervy crimes. This one will be as interesting to shrinks as it is to sleuths; these are very, very interesting characters. the author does a good job of sketching them for us, giving us fairly complete bios of some of the victims of these crimes as well -- another interesting array of people, from homeless drifters to multimillionaires. I can't help feeling sorry for the attorneys on this case -- and there were an incredible number of them over time, some of whom ended up dead.