title: A Deal with the Devil: The Dark and Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History
author: Blake Ellis
description: <i>A Deal with the Devil</i>is one of those cant-believe-it, cant-put-down books. Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken draw you in from the first page and, before you know it, youve sunk deep into the heart of a labyrinthine investigation that raises bigger questions about greed, manipulation and the desperate hunger to believe. (Megan Abbott, Edgar-winning author of Give Me Your Hand and You Will Know Me)<br /><br />This page-turner is the product of a remarkable, in depth pursuit of a fraud perpetrated on the weakest among us. The victims arent anyone youd know...or are they? On behalf of society most vulnerable and voiceless, Ellis and Hicken travel to dusty towns and dig deep into obscure records to find the perpetrators of a silent but devastating crime. In the telling of their story, they weave a cautionary tale that reads like a novel.<br />  (Ali Velshi, NBC business correspondent and anchor)<br /><br />A Deal with the Devil, by the investigative duo Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken, is a personal how-to guide for investigative journalists, a twisted tale of a scam of huge proportions and a really good read. You won't want to put it down. (Bethany McLean, Vanity Fair contributor and author of The Smartest Guys in the Room)<br /><br />Journalists Ellis and Hicken out-sleuthed professional law enforcement in unraveling the mystery of a $200 million global scam. What they have wrought would have made a gripping novel. The fact that every word is true is what makes this book downright shocking. (Adam L. Penenberg, Journalism Professor at NYU, author of Viral Loop)<br /><br />"An entertaining expos of an epic episode from the chronicles of consumer fraud." (<i>Publishers Weekly</i>)<br /><br />"<i>A Deal with the Devil</i>shows the power of investigative journalism." (<i>Shelf Awareness</i>)<br /><br />"A thrilling adventure." (<i>Library Journal</i>)
zlib_text: Breaking the Devil
  Bailey Bradford
  Breaking the Devil
  Copyright © September 2009 by Bailey Bradford
  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book
  ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in
  any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Loose Id
  LLC. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted
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  in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
  ISBN 978-1-60737-433-6
  Available in PDF, HTML, Microsoft Reader, and Mobi
  Editor: Georgia A. Woods
  Cover Artist: April Martinez
  Printed in the United States of America
  Published by
  Loose Id LLC
  870 Market St, Suite 1201
  San Francisco CA 94102-2907
  www.loose-id.com
  
  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual
  historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and
  incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used
  fictitiously, and any resemblanc