Rating: 
Summary: The NY Times Was Right.
Review: I bought "Son of a Grifter" because of the great Janet Maslin review in the New York Times, and read it within 24 hours. The life of crime described in this book is absolutely crazy and compelling. Each chapter is like a psychotic little movie. It's also better-written and more thoughtful than most true-crime books. Good brain candy for the beach.
Rating:
Summary: Wild ride... Fun read.
Review: Having followed the Sante Kimes case since the disappearance of Irene Silverman, I had to buy this book as soon as it was on sale. The Alice McQuillen book was pretty good, but this is the inside story, as told by Sante's older son. I highly recommend it. The anecdotes he recounts are bizarre and amazing--murder plots, bugged phones, slavery--and it doesn't let up for 400 pages, though some of the background information near the beginning of the book takes a little time to wade through. A lot of the stories are just plain funny, in a sick kind of way. I'm assuming that the police will want to talk to Walker about some of the things he alleges about his mother, and about his conversation with Kenny in prison.
Rating: 
Summary: only a true story could be so amazing
Review: this book is incredible -- the life that Kent Walker lived would not be believed if it was fiction. The fact that it is a true story is amazing . I found that this book unlike many true crime books was well researched and expertly written , kudos to authors for bringing this incredible story to life.
Rating:
Summary: THE REAL DEAL
Review: This is the best true crime book ever written. Kent Walker with Mark Schone take you through and incredibly gripping true story of what it's like to grow up as Sante Kimes's kid. From the first page I was hooked. It's the kind of book you read through the night and skip work to finish - - I should know, I did. Thank you Kent for sharing a very personal story I'll never forget.
Rating:
Summary: True Crime Page-Turner!
Review: We all know the media-generated story of the oddly close mother/son team who killed Irene Silverman in New York City in July 1998. "Son of a Grifter" author Kent Walker, himself the son and the half brother of the grifting pair, takes us behind the gruesome mug shots and into the lives of Sante and Kenny Kimes. Most shockingly, son Kent doesn't even know his mother's real name. He says, convincingly, that birth certificates and all such "official" documents are the easiest to forge and therefore doesn't quite believe what's registered on behalf of his mother. He's a loyal son, though, and attempts to paint a balanced portrait of Sante and Kenny, showing both the good and the bad elements of each and drawing credible conclusions as to how bad people become bad people. Kent himself was a childhood grifter, who, along with Mom, squirmed his way into all kinds of shifty situations and emerged--frighteningly--victorious. There's too much to say about this book. I purposely did not finish it in one day just so I had something to look forward to for the next. It's a fast, fast read, loaded with detail and enough insight to really make you believe how criminals are made, not born. Kent, once a strapping beach boy, has slid into paunchy middle age with the grace of a seasoned pro, someone who proudly proclaims his life "boring." He gets demerits, though, for exposing his wife and children to his mother's wicked ways, and glosses over the rumors of incest between mother and son like so much party gossip. One can't be that intertwined with one's sociopathic parent without something else goin' on. Also, he devotes all of one sentence to the fact that baby brother Kenny slept with his father until he was 14. (!) We need another author with Kent's access and ghostwriter Schone's brilliance with structure to tell the deeper, truer story of this criminal family. Overall, cudos to all involved. A truly great, often funny and scary book that does more than take you "behind the scenes" of crime in America. It forces you to live with it until the final page.
Rating:
Summary: If you thought your life was bad, read this!
Review: This was one of the most gripping books I have ever read. Written by the other son of Sante Kimes, it is a true tale of surviving against the fierce burden of a severely dysfunctional family. I have nothing but admiration for Kent Walker, who had to go through such a wierd life with his sociopathic mother. But, the real value of this book is that it helps to see how difficult it is to find your own path in spite of all the family attachments we grow up with. Of course Mr. Walker's life is an extreme example, and one that I would not wish on anyone. However, it is such a gift that he wrote this book, and it took great courage. I wish I could personally thank Mr. Walker for writing this book, and I encourage everyone to read it.
Rating:
Summary: AND YOU THOUGHT YOUR MOTHER WAS CRAZY?
Review: I first heard about this book while jogging on a treadmill at the gym while the "Today Show" was being shown. The author, Kent Walker lived on a treadmill for most of his life. While the book is written in the first person, Mr. Walker somehow manages to make it appear that he is on the outside looking in. Considering his life with his mother I'd say that he has been through the looking glass and back. While we have all known people who are flambouyant and perhaps a bit eccentric, Sante Kimes surpasses them all. I would not classify her as sociopathic, but she is definitely one of the most twisted narcissists I have ever read about. If this was a work of fiction, one might blame the author for having an over-active imagination. I can only liken living in this woman's world to spending a lifetime with a psychotic Lucy Ricardo. Chaos, of her own making, rules her life and the lives of those around her. Her second husband, Ken Kimes, comes across as her true soul mate. The author, her poor eldest son, would have you believe that Ken was a dupe for whom we should feel pity, when, in fact, he is as conniving and unfeeling as his wife. A short review cannot express the sheer evil this woman exudes, one must read the book! Even then, it is hard to believe the audacity of this woman. I personally felt embarrassment for her and her family during some of the surreal situations in which she placed herself and those around her. She, on the other hand, has no sense of shame at all. Whether filling her handbag with stolen lipstick or committing murder to gain access to another's riches, she acts at all times like she is engaged in an entertaining board game. Her greed knows no limits. Her cruelty is unbounded. If you are a fan of true crime and psychological thrillers, you must read this book. Her son, the author, states that he will miss her every day of his life! When you read what was done to him it is extremely difficult to believe that he could miss anything about her. I wonder that he didn't murder her in her sleep! Don't think that this book is a simple little tale of a dysfunctional family. This book is about a woman who is so extraordinarily evil that it difficult to believe that it is a work of non-fiction. It is difficult to believe that she was conceived of human parents! Simply put, whe is disgusting! If you doubt that there is evil in the world, read the book. Your doubts will be forever gone.
Rating:
Summary: Enter the mind of an evil
Review: History channel did an interview with Kent Walker who talked about his mother - Sante Kimes. She became notorious along with her son Kenny after conviction of murdering Irene Silverman to steal her estate. The murder was a small blip in the dark mind of a born criminal.
As a young girl, Sante showed sign of cruelty toward animals and was at odd with her school mates. Sante invented an air of mystery about herself to smokescreen her identity and be acceptable in the eyes of peers, but she couldn't escape her mother eyes, and was finally disowned and lived in a adopted home in her teen. Kimes Sante showed classic sign of a troubled person at very early age, friends were uncomfortable at her demeanor, she was not welcome. Very little known about her childhood.
Ambitious, impatient and cunning, Sante didn't satisfy with progressive and modest success of her first husband who was construction contractor in Sacramento. Impatient for quick money, she burnt down houses before completion to get quick money. In effect, she destroyed his career, then divorced him. This was just a start to unleash her true self in the next 30 years. Kimes loved to dominate, control, beg, terrorize, cheat, steal, enslave, and drug others to get her way. Her dare devil and lavish manner fascinated her two sons and pulled them in a steroid boosted life style; years later Kent Walter admitted that being chased in Mexico city taxi cab by hotel personnel for unpaid bill was a thrill, and when the air plan took off, a huge tension released from their chests, for they just escaped by a hair and pulled off another scheme.
Kent Walter decided to open his mother secret much too late, after she was jailed for murdering Irene Silverman, if he did it much earlier, then perhaps he could save his step brother life from prison whom he loved. He couldn't change his mother character, but he certainly could stop her acts by disclosure her deeds to preempt the process of thought to action. He guarded family shame and secret until it became runaway disaster. In many ways Kent protected her mother who demanded absolute loyalty and protection of her children to hide her true identity to harm others. The book doesn't mention much about Sante childhood, we knew that she was disowned by her mother in her teen, in this regard, I feel the Sante mother character was normal. Kent never mentioned about the his maternal grandpa who was a Indian Magician and his ancestors, so he might carry the seed of evil. Kent Walker escapes this seed, but not his step brother.
This book discloses string of deceptions which made other crimes stories tame ... read on, you will enter a evil mind who terrorize society. This book will grips you as much as Kimes Sante did on her children.
Rating:
Summary: TRAIN WRECK
Review: This book was lke a train wreck, you know something bad is going to happen but you just can't look away. I usually read a book in bed to help me relax and get sleepy, but this book ; before you know it, you look at the clock, it's 2:00 A.M. and you are not EVEN sleepy.
This is some of the best non-fiction out there.
Rating: 
Summary: The Boy Who Could Not Say No
Review: Interesting, wittily written tale of the "other", elder son of Sante Kimes. Kent Walker tells the story of his upbringing by a psychopathic monster. Sometimes his story is inconsistent, even hypocritical. Mr. Walker states he is sure that his mother loves him and would do anything for him - she sometimes threw him huge birthday bashes, threatened to have a boy who beat him up expelled from school (although never followed through) and intervened by schmoozing with Army big wigs to have him accepted into Flight School - although six months later she demanded that he leave his dream to come to her "rescue" (she was arrested for enslaving maids). Mr. Walker also claims that his mother is "hot-blooded", not cold-blooded - although she punched him in the mouth when he was eight years old (requiring stitches and leaving a numbness that never went away) because Sante had been caught shoplifting. She blamed the assault on the store manager who caught her and had the audacity to demand her merchandise back. The police for some reason bought Sante's story and arrested the innocent woman, while Sante went on her merry way with her stolen merchandise. In the habit of burning down houses for insurance money, Sante sent her young son back into a house for a folder she "forgot" - the explosion came as he was coming down the steps with the requested item. Sante also beat him with wire hangers, tried to destroy the relationship between Mr. Walker and his girlfriend (later wife), poisoned his wife, and endangered his child. However, Mr. Walker continued his relationship with his mom. Mr. Walker states that his mother was great 95% of the time; it was only one day a month that things were horrible - however, every day, she and his step-father drank and had heated arguments. Sante enslaved, physically, mentally and verbally abused illegal aliens, stealing their passports and identification. Mr. Walker even helped a few of them escape, but he really didn't think she was that bad, although the trial later proved he must have been in la-la land. Sante stole her own best friend's wallet while she visited. Sante Kimes ruined both close friends' and stranger's lives and reputations, destroying their credit and sending innocent people to jail. She is a liar, thief, con artist, and multiple murderer - yet Mr. Walker felt compelled to laugh when she verbally abused an overworked waitress. He belittles others (his father, his step-father) for enduring her abuse and manipulations for so long - but it seems that Mr. Walker endured it for the longest - for these admitted reasons: love and greed. His stepfather was a millionaire and backed him in business. However his stepfather was also a thief, and an admitted murderer (Sante's accomplice). He wouldn't "give" Sante a checking account - so she continued to shoplift, run scams (he participated), manipulate her son's life, and alienate her husband from all of his relatives. Sante insisted that they were trying to kill her and kidnap Kenny, the "heir". After Ken Kimes died (was he poisoned by Kenny and Sante?) first Mr. Walker tells us there WAS money in the stepfather's accounts, found out there was NO money, then towards then end, there is money in the accounts - which Mr. Walker believes he is entitled to. Did he ever pay back all those loans or the money he stole out of Mr. Kimes pants' pockets? First, Mr. Walker lays the blame for how Kenny turned out squarely on Kenny's dad - as Sante was in prison when Kenny was 10 - 13 years old, and "according to shrinks" that is when a child's moral code is formed. Later when Kenny is actually committing crimes (murder etc.) with his mother, it's his mother who is to blame for Kenny's actions - he is being manipulated! And even though Mr. Walker tried numerous times to get Kenny to leave his mother, and start his own life, even offering him a job, Kenny refused saying he enjoyed the lifestyle and luxury comforts the scams gave them. Kenny made fun of Mr. Walker's "holier than thou" attitude, and told him he should join them. Suddenly, when Kenny was in prison, it was all Mr. Walker's fault that Kenny ended up there. Mr. Walker was the one guilty for his brother turning out the way he did. He said it was all his fault, and he should have tried harder! One discrepancy that bugged me was Mr. Walker's description of the dress his mother wore to several parties one certain night in D.C. He describes it as white "fringe" over her décolletage. However, the picture clearly shows a white dress with a high ruffled neck, ruffled bodice, and long, leg-of-mutton sleeves - sort of a Little House on the Prairie in White look. If Mr. Walker can't see this dress for what it is, what else is he not seeing clearly? There is not enough in the book about Sante's background, because apparently he either didn't try to get interviews with relatives, or they refused. Mr. Walker doesn't really know what the truth of Sante's childhood is, but something pretty bad had to have happened in order for her to become what she did. But what? Since Sante is nothing but a liar or until somebody reliable from her past talks, I guess we'll never know. Mr. Walker believes the sentences are too harsh for the crimes committed by his brother and mother. After at least four murders and countless other ruined lives, including both of her sons, it appears that Sante and Kenny got off easy.
After reading this book, one can tell that Mr. Walker still has issues that need to be addressed. If you are interested in the study of psychopaths, I suggest "Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us," by Robert D. Hare. Sante fits right in with the rest of them, especially her reasoning, or lack thereof.
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