What do you think?
Rate this book
Handsome Devil
For fans of “Catch Me if You Can” and “The Sting,” Handsome Devil is the dazzling true story of Count Victor Lustig, history’s most daring – and flamboyant – con man.
In Paris he sold the Eiffel Tower to scrap metal dealers, not once – but twice. His confidence games and sleight-of-hand scams relieved the filthy rich of their cash during America’s depraved Jazz era. He evaded the law like a figure from fiction, slipping into disguise, leaping from jail cell windows, and leaving sneering letters for his enemies at the Secret Service.
In Handsome Devil, acclaimed journalist Jeff Maysh brings to life one of the 20th century’s most unforgettable public enemies, "Count" Victor Lustig, a dashing criminal mastermind and counterfeiter whose fake banknotes threatened to topple America’s economy. Written in staggering detail and culminating in a desperate manhunt led by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Handsome Devil reveals the real man behind the myth: A genius who applied his talents to crime, and who kept a loving wife and daughter in the dark for most of his storied career. Set during America’s original financial “bubble,” Lustig’s tale, from petty thief on the streets of Europe, to the most wanted man in the world, is the ultimate parable of American greed.
Jeff Maysh investigates outrageous criminal plots and urban legends. His deeply immersive stories have appeared in publications including the Atlantic, Playboy, and Cosmopolitan. His story about the rise and fall of the “Bombshell Bandit” for the BBC was named the best crime story of 2015 by Longform.org. He is British, and lives in Los Angeles.
Cover design by Adil Dara.
In Paris he sold the Eiffel Tower to scrap metal dealers, not once – but twice. His confidence games and sleight-of-hand scams relieved the filthy rich of their cash during America’s depraved Jazz era. He evaded the law like a figure from fiction, slipping into disguise, leaping from jail cell windows, and leaving sneering letters for his enemies at the Secret Service.
In Handsome Devil, acclaimed journalist Jeff Maysh brings to life one of the 20th century’s most unforgettable public enemies, "Count" Victor Lustig, a dashing criminal mastermind and counterfeiter whose fake banknotes threatened to topple America’s economy. Written in staggering detail and culminating in a desperate manhunt led by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Handsome Devil reveals the real man behind the myth: A genius who applied his talents to crime, and who kept a loving wife and daughter in the dark for most of his storied career. Set during America’s original financial “bubble,” Lustig’s tale, from petty thief on the streets of Europe, to the most wanted man in the world, is the ultimate parable of American greed.
Jeff Maysh investigates outrageous criminal plots and urban legends. His deeply immersive stories have appeared in publications including the Atlantic, Playboy, and Cosmopolitan. His story about the rise and fall of the “Bombshell Bandit” for the BBC was named the best crime story of 2015 by Longform.org. He is British, and lives in Los Angeles.
Cover design by Adil Dara.
89 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2016
57 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 26, 2019
I saw con man and I was sold. However I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped I would.
This is a biography of Count Victor Lustig a con artist that escaped a few times from prison and also sold the Eiffel tower, that are not the only things he did but that were things that I found most interesting. This work is a little too short and felt too dry, but the latter could be only me because I rarely read non-fiction.
This is a biography of Count Victor Lustig a con artist that escaped a few times from prison and also sold the Eiffel tower, that are not the only things he did but that were things that I found most interesting. This work is a little too short and felt too dry, but the latter could be only me because I rarely read non-fiction.
March 21, 2016
Wow, what a great little (e)book by journalist Jeff Maysh. It tells the story of the rise and fall of the infamous Count Victor Lustig, a well renowned con man from the 20s and 30s (of the XX century). Jeff Maysh has done a great job with the writing of this books, which reads almost like a movie script (in the sense that is very fast paced and minimalist). Really enjoyed and will surely be following up on Jeff's future writing endeavours.
April 4, 2016
Lusstiq the real con man
When you meet a real con man, you may not recognise him
He is congenial and kind. You think he is fun to be around. He will take all your money without an inkling for you. Read to find how he does it.
When you meet a real con man, you may not recognise him
He is congenial and kind. You think he is fun to be around. He will take all your money without an inkling for you. Read to find how he does it.
April 13, 2016
Very interesting read about one of the biggest con men in America's history.
Though, if he wanted to con and not go to jail, he should have gone into politics.
Though, if he wanted to con and not go to jail, he should have gone into politics.
October 20, 2018
This fast read, short nonfiction book is incredibly well researched. I was floored by this story of a con man I had never heard of before and found the history of Victor Lustig's life fascinating. I am pleased the author put in his footnotes that the conversations in quotes were actually derived from memoirs and transcripts, so as to not confuse the historical accuracy. Overall, it's a romping read about a master criminal whose escapades boggle the mind!
If you enjoy this book, I recommend reading Jeff Maysh's investigative piece in the Daily Beast on the man who scammed the McDonald's Monopoly game which is what led me to discovering this author. The article is entitled "How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions". It will equally fascinate readers with the cunning and complexity of another true crime story written by a dedicated, meticulous researcher.
If you enjoy this book, I recommend reading Jeff Maysh's investigative piece in the Daily Beast on the man who scammed the McDonald's Monopoly game which is what led me to discovering this author. The article is entitled "How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions". It will equally fascinate readers with the cunning and complexity of another true crime story written by a dedicated, meticulous researcher.
January 30, 2025
The author does a wonderful job in creating a character which didn't exist do extraordinary things like selling the damn Eiffel tower. The novel somehow balances his cons being believable and yet also fictional enough that it would take great luck to pull them off.
It's a great story of making a deal with the devil where you get riches in exchange for your soul and anxiety haunting you at every step. The hard path is hard because it's less travelled, but also more worth it.
Edit: I found out he actually existed. What the hell?
It's a great story of making a deal with the devil where you get riches in exchange for your soul and anxiety haunting you at every step. The hard path is hard because it's less travelled, but also more worth it.
Edit: I found out he actually existed. What the hell?
May 19, 2024
Victor Lustig, con man extraordinaire. If con jobs are your favorite crime, reading up on Lustig is a must-do.
I liked the book pretty well, although it refers back quite often to another book, out of print, which is frustrating. Nevertheless a solid read.
I liked the book pretty well, although it refers back quite often to another book, out of print, which is frustrating. Nevertheless a solid read.
December 26, 2024
It’s almost hard to believe Victor Lustig is real and he sold the Eiffel Tower twice. The author really portrays the aftermath of Lustig being captured well and despite his theft it’s hard not to feel sorry for him towards the end of the novel.
June 19, 2025
This was... almost fine? I hated how he wrote about women in this, and it was so short that the pacing was jumpy. Lustig is definitely an interesting character, and it would be difficult to write anything boring about him, but this definitely wasn't as engaging as I hoped.
March 6, 2018
I liked it
Had heard of Victor Lustig, but didn’t know much about him. Handsome Devil was informative, enjoyable, and well written. I recommend this book to any fans of true crime.
Had heard of Victor Lustig, but didn’t know much about him. Handsome Devil was informative, enjoyable, and well written. I recommend this book to any fans of true crime.
July 12, 2022
This is a short telling of this slippery conman's criminal exploits, and his elusiveness when captured. I would have liked a bit more information, but, for a short read, it is ok.
December 18, 2022
Short.
September 14, 2023
Interesting history I knew nothing about.
August 27, 2016
A Thrilling Adventure
This was an excellent book. I could not put it down. For a non-fiction book, it read like an exciting novel. I could not believe it was true until I looked into myself. It's very rare to read about a criminal and admire his audacity. Although he was a master criminal, I was very touched about the love he had for his daughter. This is a very worthwhile, quick read. But the story is unforgettable. My only criticism is that I wished it was longer.
This was an excellent book. I could not put it down. For a non-fiction book, it read like an exciting novel. I could not believe it was true until I looked into myself. It's very rare to read about a criminal and admire his audacity. Although he was a master criminal, I was very touched about the love he had for his daughter. This is a very worthwhile, quick read. But the story is unforgettable. My only criticism is that I wished it was longer.
December 25, 2016
A master of the trade. Great story. He spanned one of the most intriguing times for crime. If you like true stories and also people that ended up at Alcatraz, this book is for you. Don't know why I can't submit this nene djdj djdj djjd. Didn't do didn't. Dji
A master of the trade. Great story. He spanned one of the most intriguing times for crime. If you like true stories and also people that ended up at Alcatraz, this book is for you.
A master of the trade. Great story. He spanned one of the most intriguing times for crime. If you like true stories and also people that ended up at Alcatraz, this book is for you.
April 19, 2016
Fun book about a con-artist. In this case as in most truth is just as compelling as the fiction we read to try and find something fantastic.
The Count was a larger than life personality and his life made for a great story.
The Count was a larger than life personality and his life made for a great story.
November 2, 2016
Why crime is so interesting.
Interesting book. Covers a period of history when criminals were wildly admired for their creative exploits and led to development of today's criminal system.
Interesting book. Covers a period of history when criminals were wildly admired for their creative exploits and led to development of today's criminal system.
April 6, 2016
Enjoyable enough
This was definitely no Catch Me If You Can but it was enjoyable enough... nice quick read for a short flight
This was definitely no Catch Me If You Can but it was enjoyable enough... nice quick read for a short flight
October 18, 2016
A true story of early 20th century confidence man Count Viktor Lestig, whose colorful life and ballsy schemes were amazingly fun to read. So glad I downloaded this book - recommended.
July 9, 2023
If this is an abridged version, I would love to find the full length. The story intrigued me maximally, but the writing was jumpy and not cohesive, and very very broad.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews