BLUFFING TEXAS STYLE The Arsons, Forgeries, and High-Stakes Poker Capers of Rare Book Dealer Johnny Jenkins

Narrator Peter Lerman recounts the inevitable demise of Stetson-wearing Johnny Jenkins, former president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America. Jenkins, an expert on Texas history and rare books, started out as a successful businessman in Austin. Lerman gives him outsized Texas charm and a good-old-boy accent. Listeners will have an exhilarating ride as he begins forging historical documents, successfully evades the FBI, and poses as a high-stakes poker player who calls himself Austin Squatty. Lerman masterfully quotes awestruck dealers (both book and card) as they learn the depths of Jenkins's duplicity. His suicide--staged to look like a murder--makes for a riveting conclusion to this incredible life story. Audio makes the lies of this con man particularly compelling. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2020]