Like the many con-artist biopics popular on TV right now, Cover Story is like a bag of Cheetos — you know it’s not great, but you find it very hard to stop snacking ... goes down easy, even if it requires a very willing suspension of disbelief ... If you can get over these stumbling blocks, however, Cover Story is a good read. The prose is not breathtaking, the exploration of the human condition is not revelatory, but, man oh man, it’s got suites at the Plaza, the FBI closing in, Russian hackers, designer clothes and a plot that stays ahead of the reader. Rigetti has written a need-to-read story, even if it’s a bit silly ... Whether Cover Story becomes the beach read of the season or is lost in the current frenzy for ripped-from-the-headlines stories is yet to be decided. What is established is that Rigetti, like her character Cat Wolff, has a knack for understanding our basest impulses and vulnerabilities and how far we are willing to go to believe a good story.
... a roller-coaster plot that gives off huge Anna Delvey vibes and an ending that will leave you with your jaw on the floor ... If you're a fan of tales about scams, grifters, and mysterious schemes, Cover Story needs to be on your TBR list.
Drawing heavy inspiration from the true story of Anna Delvey, who conned New York’s elite for several years in the mid-2010s, this book will be a must-read for the legions who followed Delvey’s story with bated breath. While Lora’s character at times seems too naive to be believed, readers will love the plot, which twists until the very last page. It’s The Devil Wears Prada meets Gone Girl, and it’s delightful.
... entertaining ... This isn’t a book to take too seriously, but the crafty Rigetti makes fraud a lot of fun ... An entertaining shell game of a novel.
... cinematic if implausible ... If the details about Cat’s life don’t quite add up, Lora’s more than happy to look the other way—until she’s forced to realize that she’s been played. Rigetti’s propulsive narrative, which includes Instagram posts, text messages, and FBI case files, keeps the pages turning, and there’s a juicy twist. Lora’s character, however, is underdeveloped, and it’s mystifying whether she’s willfully clueless or simply naive. The overall success of this depends on whether readers are as adept at Lora at suspending disbelief.
