Cheryl (boomerbooklover) -
If I hadn't read Martha Stout's excellent book 'The Sociopath Next Door' I am not sure I would have believed much of this tale. The story of an imposter posing as a Rockefeller and living on his wife's money was often hard to put down.
Wendy H. (donkeycheese) -
When Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was a child, he dreamed of getting out of his small village. A poor immigrant, he wanted to be educated, classy and have a life of adventure. He knew that to pursue his dreams, he must go to America.
He lives with many host families but wears out his welcome in Boston. So, he changes his identity and enrolls in another college in Wisconsin. There, he secures a green card through a quickie marriage and divorce, which doesn't trigger anything with immigration. Quite odd and something I believe would be harder to pull off in our present day.
From there, he moves into the guesthouse of Ruth Sohus, but her son and his wife vanish after a few months. He, once again, changes names and identities, and manages to get a high-profile job on Wall Street - a job he wasn't qualified for.
When a detective arrives asking him questions about the Sohus', who are missing, he disappears once again. This time, he emerges in New York City as Clark Rockefeller, who has an extensive art collection. There he meets and marries Sandy Boss, a wealthy socialite. They remain married for years, even having a daughter. But when Sandy realizes that she has been married to an imposter, she asks for a divorce.
Clark decides to kidnapp his daughter and that seemed to be his undoing. When captured, a thorough investigation takes place, following his crime of deceit. Along his journey, he always made sure to join the church - from there, he could gain entrance to many social circles and clubs. From there, people didn't question his identity.
A man who would stop at nothing for identity and fame, and by the time he admitted it, he had people convinced he was Rockefleller. He was very intelligent and devious. Mark Seals has definitely done his homework, this novel is filled with many details, including pictures. A man who desired wealth and class, a man who desired the American Dream, is now serving a sentence for kidnapping and wanted for murder. A compelling and astonishing read.
He lives with many host families but wears out his welcome in Boston. So, he changes his identity and enrolls in another college in Wisconsin. There, he secures a green card through a quickie marriage and divorce, which doesn't trigger anything with immigration. Quite odd and something I believe would be harder to pull off in our present day.
From there, he moves into the guesthouse of Ruth Sohus, but her son and his wife vanish after a few months. He, once again, changes names and identities, and manages to get a high-profile job on Wall Street - a job he wasn't qualified for.
When a detective arrives asking him questions about the Sohus', who are missing, he disappears once again. This time, he emerges in New York City as Clark Rockefeller, who has an extensive art collection. There he meets and marries Sandy Boss, a wealthy socialite. They remain married for years, even having a daughter. But when Sandy realizes that she has been married to an imposter, she asks for a divorce.
Clark decides to kidnapp his daughter and that seemed to be his undoing. When captured, a thorough investigation takes place, following his crime of deceit. Along his journey, he always made sure to join the church - from there, he could gain entrance to many social circles and clubs. From there, people didn't question his identity.
A man who would stop at nothing for identity and fame, and by the time he admitted it, he had people convinced he was Rockefleller. He was very intelligent and devious. Mark Seals has definitely done his homework, this novel is filled with many details, including pictures. A man who desired wealth and class, a man who desired the American Dream, is now serving a sentence for kidnapping and wanted for murder. A compelling and astonishing read.
