Son of a Grifter

The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America: A Memoir by the Other Son

By: Kent Walker, Mark Schone

Narrated by: John Glouchevitch

In 1988 a troubled young man and his flamboyant mother were arrested for murdering a wealthy widow in her New York City mansion. Suddenly America was transfixed by a pair of real-life film noir characters. The media couldn't get enough of the twisted relationship between Sante Kimes and her 23-year-old son, Kenny. But the most chilling story of all was never told - until now.

Kent Walker, Sante's elder son, reveals how he survived 40 years of "the Dragon Lady's" very special brand of motherly love and still managed to get away. As a child Kent watched his mother destroy his hardworking father, Ed Walker, and then - with Kent's painful collusion - snare what Sante called "my millionaire". When she married seemingly respectable real-estate developer Ken Kimes, it was a match made in hell. For the next two decades, Kent's mother and stepfather indulged in a globetrotting orgy of criminal behavior, laying waste to each other and anyone who got in the way. When Kent's half brother, Kenny, was born, Kent was 12 years old - old enough to know that he was his younger sibling's only protector.

©2001 Kent Walker with Mark Schone (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Well researched and touching.... As a chronicle of Sante Kimes's life, it's unlikely to be surpassed by any other." ( Publishers Weekly)

Interesting and captivating

This tale is shocking and draws you in. Could not “put it down.” It embodies the saying “truth is stranger than fiction.

Very Good Story Telling

If you could sum up Son of a Grifter in three words, what would they be?

Ups and Downs

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

That the step father Ken Kimes was so underestimated in his role and influence.

What does John Glouchevitch bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great narration, just fabulous.

If you could give Son of a Grifter a new subtitle, what would it be?

Criminal Minds.

Any additional comments?

Myself, and I'm sure many readers, have crossed paths or have been situated with sociopathic and narcissistic personalities. Sometimes people are afflicted with both in addition to having a sadistic personality disorder. I have had to deal with family members that have all three. I understand the constant distress these people bring to the table. The damage they can do. The silent ones and the loud ones. It is a lot to work through when the damage is done. The recounting of these stories was very well laid out to bring the insanity to the table so the reader can understand. Kent Walker had a lot of innate personal integrity rise above the conditions he found himself in.

It disgusted me but I couldn't put it down

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It is the kind of story that you keep reading because you can't imagine what your reading could be true. So many times I wanted to put the book down because of how ... just broken all the characters were (including the author) and how disgusted I was by their thoughts and actions.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Son of a Grifter?

For me there wasn't just one... the life of Shante Kines was one of the most memorable I have ever encountered in the pages of a non-fiction book.

What does John Glouchevitch bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I liked that the narrator sounded like a surfer dude which kind of supported my mental picture of the author. He also managed to provide different character voices without going over the top. Also, I LOVED that he either knew how to say or learned to correctly say names of locations etc.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

There's a new Mommy Dearest in town

Any additional comments?

Besides the true crime aspect, I really appreciated watching to author develop (to where he was when he finished writing the book). I feel like I shared a little of his journey with him.

Fascinating

I couldn’t stop listening! Pretty amazing true story. Only wish I had is, at the end there could’ve been an update on Sante and Kenny- where were they now.

The story is intriguing, the author is distasteful

The Kimes family story is disgusting. They are horrible people who ruined many lives and cheated everyone from retail clerks to waiters. The author, Sante Kimes' oldest son, is a bit slimy and he admits it.