What can I say about this book, well first thing is that I say thank you for this request. 5 stars amazing book.

When your business partner becomes 108 different people.

While I work out, I love listening to podcasts. Queen of the Con is a favorite, so when I saw an opportunity to review a book that takes a deep dive into a long con, I literally jumped at the chance.

108 Psychopaths and Me by Jim Phillips begins when the survivor of a long con—“survivor” feels more accurate than “victim”—spots the words coercive control and wonders: Have I been subjected to that? Had he been coerced into believing things that were manipulative and false? The answer was a resounding yes. For a decade, he’d been manipulated and lied to by his business partner.

The book traces his journey from discovering the con, to being arrested, to appearing in court—all while trying to reclaim his sense of self and find calm in the chaos. This wasn’t a case of “take the money and run.” In fact, it’s never entirely clear how “Tom” benefited from the lies.

The first quarter of the book outlines Jim’s relationship with Tom, which evolved from friendship to business partnership with almost no boundary between the two. I was anxiously awaiting the con, but that foundation was essential to understanding how it all unfolded.

The unraveling began with a list of allegedly lucrative projects that Tom claimed to have secured—only they didn’t fit within their sports and entertainment company. Red flags appeared, but not enough to stop. This is where the impersonations begin, eventually extending to 108 distinct personalities.

The book culminates in a confession by Tom, and Jim finally gets to ask him: Why? You’ll have to read the book to get the answer.