title: Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud
author:  Elizabeth Greenwood 
description: "Abeguiling foray into the wacky yet somehow ever-fascinatingrealm of deathfraud."<br /> <b>Maria Konnikova, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>The Confidence Game</i></b><br /><br />"Mesmerizing."<br /> <b> <i>Elle</i></b><br /><br />"Wonderfully weird."<br /> <b> Deborah Blum,<i>New York Times</i>bestselling author of<i>The Poisoner's Handbook</i></b><br /><br />"Elizabeth Greenwood is as entertaining and gifted an archeologist of subcultures as she is an able explorer of issues like anonymity, the right to privacy, and how much control people can ever exert over their identities. An energetic and insatiable writer, her generous mind infuses every page of this astonishing book."<br /> <b> Heidi Julavits, author of <i>The Folded Clock</i></b><br /><br />"Exuberant and ironic, witty and compassionate, various and keenly-focused,<i>Playing Dead</i>is eccentric investigative journalism.A terrific subject, where the deadly (excuse the pun) serious and absurdly comic meet and mesh."<br /> <b> Margo Jefferson, author of <i>Negroland</i></b><br /><br />"Riveting."<br /> <b><i>The Huffington Post</i></b><br /><br />"Ghoulishly existential."<br /> <b></b><i><b>BloombergBusinessweek</b></i><br /><br />"Quirky, engaging, and surprisingly uplifting... Elizabeth Greenwood has written a book about death, faked and real, that teaches us much about life."<br /> <b> Eric Weiner,<i>New York Times</i>bestselling author of<i>The Geography of Genius</i></b><br /><br />"<i>Playing Dead</i> marks the debut of a very talented author. Both the book and the writerare cause forcelebration."<br /> <b> Jeff Guinn, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Manson</i> </b><br /><br />"A bizarre expos of the disappearanceindustry."<br /> <b> <i>Entertainment Weekly</i></b>
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  # Parallel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Elizabeth O'Roark
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright © 2019 by Elizabeth O'Roark
  
  
  1st Edit: Jenn Wood, All About the Edits
  
  
  2nd Edit: Kathy Bosman
  
  
  Cover Design: Lori Jackson
  
  
  Photography: Wander Aguilar
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
  mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
  written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in
  a book review.
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is
  coincidental and not intended by the author.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  To Patrick, Lily and Jack,
  
  
  who will always be the best thing I ever created.
  
  
  Oh, and stop reading here. No matter how old you are.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Prologue](part0004.html#3Q280-eeac0c2703624e098c94808c015fe726)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](part0005.html#4OIQ0-eeac0c2703624e098c94808c015fe726)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  