A Jacket Off the Gorge, Susan Ashline
A Jacket Off the Gorge, Susan Ashline
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

A Jacket Off the Gorge
True Story of the Biggest Liar

Author: Susan Ashline

Narrator: Elisabeth Lagelee

Unabridged: 15 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/05/2024


Synopsis

A must-listen real-life psychological thriller

Jon Fontaine's teenage years are shaped by his motivation to run a lucrative drug-selling enterprise. Despite the many tricks up his sleeve, the law catches up with him time after time. To escape a lengthy prison sentence, Jon bails out of jail and fakes his own death. He throws his jacket off a gorge, the pinnacle of a meticulously staged suicide. Police find the jacket and declare him dead, only to capture him later as a fugitive from justice.

Seven years after the ruse, Jon meets Susan, who is unaware of his criminal past. And he's keeping a secret: he's stolen a treasure of ancient gold and silver coins. He will never give away its location.

Jon sends Susan on a roller-coaster of love and fear, and exploits the weaknesses in the criminal justice system to work his biggest cons yet, ending in a trail of victims—and death.

A Jacket Off the Gorge peels back the layers of the criminal mind, revealing a fascinating look at one man's struggles within himself and with others. Jon's story raises questions about incarceration versus rehabilitation, lack of mental health treatment for offenders, and abuses by those we entrust to uphold the law.

About Susan Ashline

Susan Ashline's journalism career spans more than twenty-five years and includes news reporting for most of the major television networks. She has covered everything from breaking news to politics. Her long-time role as a court correspondent sparked a deep interest in law and the judicial process. Susan has worked as a radio reporter, talk show host, television news anchor, magazine editor, website manager, and staff newspaper columnist for publishing juggernaut, Gannett. Her work has received major awards, including an Emmy nomination for a public broadcasting societal concerns program, a first place Associated Press award for general excellence in individual reporting, and a Gold Medal Award for Democrat and Chronicle online excellence. She graduated from Gloversville High School (New York), earned a BS in mass communications from the University of Massachusetts, and studied at the University of New Mexico and State University of New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kent on May 11, 2025

What a rollercoaster. I devoured this in two sittings. The layers of deception, trauma, and truth-telling had me hooked. I still can’t get over how real this story is. A chilling reminder that sometimes, the biggest lies aren’t the ones we expect.......more

Goodreads review by Aaron on May 11, 2025

This book completely blindsided me. I thought I was picking up a typical true crime story, but it turned into something way more personal and haunting. Susan Ashline’s storytelling is raw and fearless, and the twists left me stunned. One of the best I’ve read all year.......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on January 06, 2025

Incredible true story and fast read as I could not put this book down. The author's details and dated entries helped to guide the reader through timelines & understand the lies & manipulations as they escalated as well as the crimes. Sad is trusting someone you love. Sadder still is trusting in the......more

Goodreads review by Martin on December 28, 2024

I was interested in the premise of this book as I heard an interview with the author on local radio plus it takes place in my local towns. I expected a story about the faking of a characters death and his stealing of coins. It was about that but it was more about the relationship between the author......more

Goodreads review by Rhonda on June 14, 2024

The title says it all, right? Not really, this was truly a disturbing story about a psychopath, and how he manipulated the women around him by gaslighting them. It was very difficult to read. I took many breaks to read other things to lighten my mind. I yelled at the author many times as I read this......more