How A Nice Mormon Boy Became a Brilliant Counterfeiter
Author: Russ Swain/Michael McKinley
Genre: Memoirs/True Crime
Hardcover; Paperback
ISBN #: 9781953136725; 9781953136732
Pierian Springs Press
192 Pages
$29.00; $22.95 Amazon
August 26, 2024
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A quick, engaging page-turner from beginning to end-straight-forward and told with courage, Diamond Dust is a memoir of how one young person's talent ran away with itself, careening into one unexpected event after another. Told with humor and introspection, it is a story of hubris and redemption, of talent and conscience, of art and absolution -- and how life can lead us to second chances -- at finding our better selves.
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I do love true crime books, but truth be told, they aren't normally written from the criminal's point of view, usually the true crime writer. So, of course, this is different in that respect. Russ Swain is (and was) a nice, Mormon boy, son of a house painter and an art teacher. This alone should give him some art ability, right? But what a difference...
...When that art ability turned out to be so much more. While he started out in graphics, (at least legally, some years before, not so much), and even had his own business, things weren't going well. He wanted to expand his business for a better profit, but didn't have the money. So what was he to do? Visit a loan shark? While most of us (I would hope) would nix that plan, Russ didn't. And so began his career in counterfeiting money. He was so good at it, that it was nearly untraceable ('nearly' being the catalyst word here).
He had to keep the secret from his friends, his wife, etc.; and there began his second life, one which shaped the future for him. Living a life of looking over his shoulder, he didn't do well (who would?) But there's another story inside this story. How Russ was able to turn his life around, and stay on the right side of the law (we would hope); but only after learning a hard lesson was he able to create the life he has today.
This is an interesting story, and one I hope no one will attempt to repeat (sure), and I found it definitely intriguing to read. I enjoyed the fact that Russ has finally found his way, and realized that hopefully, we all have 'Diamond Dust' in our own lives. Recommended.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.
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