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108 Psychopaths and Me
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26- GenresNonfiction
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
just came back and noticed this was my 100th read of the year, yayayayay!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Wilton Square Books, and Jim Phillips for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I'd like to say that the author is so incredibly strong for writing this book and reliving all these memories while doing so, his struggles (even though it's years after the fact) do not go unnoticed. This book was great! The writing was very good and directly to the point which I personally enjoy. While reading, I really felt like I could feel Jim's emotions, especially when he was starting to get suspicious of Tom. Another detail I enjoyed was the fact that he is not just telling the story of what happened, he is also reflecting back on some of the events, which made it more purposeful in my opinion. Overall, this was just really good, I don't have much else to say! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley, Wilton Square Books, and Jim Phillips for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I'd like to say that the author is so incredibly strong for writing this book and reliving all these memories while doing so, his struggles (even though it's years after the fact) do not go unnoticed. This book was great! The writing was very good and directly to the point which I personally enjoy. While reading, I really felt like I could feel Jim's emotions, especially when he was starting to get suspicious of Tom. Another detail I enjoyed was the fact that he is not just telling the story of what happened, he is also reflecting back on some of the events, which made it more purposeful in my opinion. Overall, this was just really good, I don't have much else to say! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🖋️ Author: Jim Philips
📖 Title: 108 Psychopaths and Me
📅 Pub Day: October 6th, 2026
💌 Publisher: Eye Books Group
📚 Format: Digital
🏷️ ISBN: 9781806770175
⏱️ Length: 224 pages
📌 Genre(s): True Crime, Memoir, Psychological Thriller
⭐ Star Rating: 4
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
What a wild story. I went in expecting a fairly standard true crime story and came out completely floored by just how far this deception went. Jim built a business and a genuine friendship with Tom for years, only to find out the entire foundation was false. Fake government officials, invented multimillion pound contracts, even a fabricated cancer diagnosis. The sheer audacity of it is hard to wrap your head around.
What kept me hooked was watching everything unravel almost in real time. Jim doesn't just recount what happened. He walks you through his realization, piece by piece, as the lies start to surface. It's less "here's what happened" and more "here's what it felt like to live through it," which made it so much more gripping.
Honestly, this story left me baffled that a person could do this to someone they were supposedly close to for years. That's exactly why I couldn't put it down. I needed to understand the how and the why, and Jim does a solid job digging into both the mechanics of the con and what it did to him personally.
Overall, if you're into true crime that centers on psychological manipulation rather than violence, I think you'll enjoy this one.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If you like:
✔️ Real-life con artist
✔️ Betrayal by a friend
✔️ Unbelievable true stories
✔️ True crime memoir
✔️ Psychological manipulation
✔️ Elaborate deception
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Thank you to NetGalley, Jim Philips, and Eye Books Group for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This review is cross‑posted across multiple platforms.
📖 Title: 108 Psychopaths and Me
📅 Pub Day: October 6th, 2026
💌 Publisher: Eye Books Group
📚 Format: Digital
🏷️ ISBN: 9781806770175
⏱️ Length: 224 pages
📌 Genre(s): True Crime, Memoir, Psychological Thriller
⭐ Star Rating: 4
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
What a wild story. I went in expecting a fairly standard true crime story and came out completely floored by just how far this deception went. Jim built a business and a genuine friendship with Tom for years, only to find out the entire foundation was false. Fake government officials, invented multimillion pound contracts, even a fabricated cancer diagnosis. The sheer audacity of it is hard to wrap your head around.
What kept me hooked was watching everything unravel almost in real time. Jim doesn't just recount what happened. He walks you through his realization, piece by piece, as the lies start to surface. It's less "here's what happened" and more "here's what it felt like to live through it," which made it so much more gripping.
Honestly, this story left me baffled that a person could do this to someone they were supposedly close to for years. That's exactly why I couldn't put it down. I needed to understand the how and the why, and Jim does a solid job digging into both the mechanics of the con and what it did to him personally.
Overall, if you're into true crime that centers on psychological manipulation rather than violence, I think you'll enjoy this one.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If you like:
✔️ Real-life con artist
✔️ Betrayal by a friend
✔️ Unbelievable true stories
✔️ True crime memoir
✔️ Psychological manipulation
✔️ Elaborate deception
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Thank you to NetGalley, Jim Philips, and Eye Books Group for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
This review is cross‑posted across multiple platforms.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When your business partner becomes 108 different people.
While I work out, I love listening to podcasts. Queen of the Con is a favorite, so when I saw an opportunity to review a book that takes a deep dive into a long con, I literally jumped at the chance.
108 Psychopaths and Me by Jim Phillips begins when the survivor of a long con—“survivor” feels more accurate than “victim”—spots the words coercive control and wonders: Have I been subjected to that? Had he been coerced into believing things that were manipulative and false? The answer was a resounding yes. For a decade, he’d been manipulated and lied to by his business partner.
The book traces his journey from discovering the con, to being arrested, to appearing in court—all while trying to reclaim his sense of self and find calm in the chaos. This wasn’t a case of “take the money and run.” In fact, it’s never entirely clear how “Tom” benefited from the lies.
The first quarter of the book outlines Jim’s relationship with Tom, which evolved from friendship to business partnership with almost no boundary between the two. I was anxiously awaiting the con, but that foundation was essential to understanding how it all unfolded.
The unraveling began with a list of allegedly lucrative projects that Tom claimed to have secured—only they didn’t fit within their sports and entertainment company. Red flags appeared, but not enough to stop. This is where the impersonations begin, eventually extending to 108 distinct personalities.
The book culminates in a confession by Tom, and Jim finally gets to ask him: Why? You’ll have to read the book to get the answer.
While I work out, I love listening to podcasts. Queen of the Con is a favorite, so when I saw an opportunity to review a book that takes a deep dive into a long con, I literally jumped at the chance.
108 Psychopaths and Me by Jim Phillips begins when the survivor of a long con—“survivor” feels more accurate than “victim”—spots the words coercive control and wonders: Have I been subjected to that? Had he been coerced into believing things that were manipulative and false? The answer was a resounding yes. For a decade, he’d been manipulated and lied to by his business partner.
The book traces his journey from discovering the con, to being arrested, to appearing in court—all while trying to reclaim his sense of self and find calm in the chaos. This wasn’t a case of “take the money and run.” In fact, it’s never entirely clear how “Tom” benefited from the lies.
The first quarter of the book outlines Jim’s relationship with Tom, which evolved from friendship to business partnership with almost no boundary between the two. I was anxiously awaiting the con, but that foundation was essential to understanding how it all unfolded.
The unraveling began with a list of allegedly lucrative projects that Tom claimed to have secured—only they didn’t fit within their sports and entertainment company. Red flags appeared, but not enough to stop. This is where the impersonations begin, eventually extending to 108 distinct personalities.
The book culminates in a confession by Tom, and Jim finally gets to ask him: Why? You’ll have to read the book to get the answer.
September 7, 2026
108 Psychopaths and Me is a gripping memoir about Jim and his business partner, "Tom" who lies to him for years about their business. When it's all said and done, Tom impersonates 108 people in his large web of lies. Wow, this book was truly so well written. I could feel the anxiety building with every new email or text received. Highly recommend if you've watched Unknown Number: The High School Catfish on Netflix before. 4/5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A frightening and taking story. 108 psychopaths and me gripped me from the start, I just had to finish it in one go. The way Jim Phillips talks about what he went through is terrifying and makes you wonder who people really are.
The writing style is basic but reads smoothly. Sometimes it did feel like some more information was needed here and there, but still these experiences are a lot to go through and to write about.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
The writing style is basic but reads smoothly. Sometimes it did feel like some more information was needed here and there, but still these experiences are a lot to go through and to write about.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
September 10, 2026
3.75⭐️
Was not a huge fan of this one, was quite slow moving and not particularly interesting for me
Was not a huge fan of this one, was quite slow moving and not particularly interesting for me
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews