Subtitled “A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast,” Pamela Colloff’s thrilling new true crime tome delves into the life of Paul Skalnik, a ruthless con man whose ruses rivaled those of Frank Abagnale of Catch Me If You Can, but who took a far more sinister turn. After being captured, he continued his cons from behind bars and became a prolific jailhouse informant, with his lies even helping send an innocent man to death row. ProPublica and New York Times Magazine’s Colloff untangles the untold damage done by Skalnik in a fascinating debut, and discusses it here with Rachel Monroe. – Kat McNevins
