The spellbinding tale of an epic international manhunt for a psychopathic con artist who stole
dozens of identities and millions of dollars while exploiting the dreams of artists from
Hollywood Jakarta London and beyond. Blending years of deep reporting with distinctive
powerful prose Scott C. Johnson's unique true crime narrative recounts the tale of the
brilliantly cunning imposter who carved a path of financial and emotional destruction across
the world. Gifted with a diabolical flair for impersonation manipulation and deception the
Con Queen used his skill with accents and deft psychological insight to sweep through the
entertainment industry. Johnson traces the origins of this gender-bending criminal mastermind
and follows the years-long investigation of a singularly determined private detective who
helped deliver him to the FBI. Described by one victim as a ?crazy evil genius ? the Con Queen
brazenly worked in an evolving borderless world in which our notions of gender identity and
sexuality are undergoing profound changes helping enable one of the most elaborate scams to
ever hit Hollywood. The Con Queen is the perfect criminal committing the perfect crime for our
time. But for what purpose? And with what motive? Johnson first broke the story of the Con
Queen for The Hollywood Reporter and led the coverage of this intricate story. His unparalleled
access to sources including exclusive interviews with victims and investigators and
never-before-heard audio footage of the Con Queen brought global attention to the scam and
spurred law enforcement to act. But the story took a truly unique turn when Johnson ventured
out of Covid restrictions to search for the Con Queen himself. Embarking on a journey that took
him from Los Angeles to the United Kingdom and finally to Jakarta Johnson came face-to-face
with the mastermind and uncovered the truth about one of the most compelling and disturbing
criminal minds in recent history. Despite decades of experience as a foreign correspondent and
war reporter nothing prepared Johnson for the bizarre experience of following the Con Queen's
exploits?and for what chasing the story ultimately revealed about himself and his own troubled
family history.
