He operated at the zenith of America’s golden age of con artistry with plenty of illicit competition, but the schemes and scams of master swindler George Graham Rice stand apart based on sheer audacity, pure nerve and nefarious brilliance.

From the dawn of the 20th Century through the Roaring Twenties, the dapper but devious “GG” feasted on a nation of gullible prey, bilking suckers blind with the flair of circus showman P.T. Barnum and on a financial scale comparable to modern fraudster Bernie Madoff. (Read more)
My Adventures in the headlines 
The Wall Street Journal:
“Mr. Thornton offers up a hugely entertaining biography.…My Adventures With Your Money is written in a fast-paced and jaunty style, as befits the subject...a grand addition to the grifting genre...Pick your own pocket and buy a copy."
Publishers Weekly:
“Thornton successfully transforms this unsavory character into a charming, irresistible anti-hero.”
History ASM:
"The narrative is evocative and a great insight into the power of promotion, illusion and creative journalism."
Library Journal:
"This remarkable read of a man who swindled thousands of people out of millions of dollars is for fans of con artists, stock market history, and the films Wall Street and The Wolf of Wall Street."
(Read all reviews)
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I'm a Boston-based writer who aspires to give a voice to dark, edgy characters lurking far beneath the radar of mainstream media.

Gamblers, grifters, hustlers, prize fighters and racetrackers are among my most appealing characters, and I have a keen interest in writing about “low” subjects with a literary twist.

The research for my most recent book immersed me in the dark art of confidence hustling. My Adventures with Your Money: George Graham Rice and the Golden Age of the Con Artist details the flair and showmanship of America’s greatest swindler.

My first book, Not by a Long Shot—A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track, chronicled a year at a blue-collar racetrack. In 2008 Long Shot won the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award and was named a "Highly Recommended" finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award.

My journalism and creative nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Slate, The Daily Beast and McSweeney’s. I also report on horse racing for Thoroughbred Daily News.