Claire, a con artist, recounts her childhood with her twin sister Meredith and their struggles after their father abandoned them. Meredith, who is clever and manipulative, starts small cons, and Claire joins in. They make a profit selling T-shirts and then move on to scamming rich people by pretending to be Girl Scouts selling cookies.
They befriend a nerdy boy named Freddy, who helps them in one of their cons and becomes their friend. When a wealthy family with five teenage boys moves across the street, Claire and Meredith check them out. Initially, they meet four unattractive quadruplets, but later, Claire meets a handsome boy named Henry, who lives in the house as well.
Claire's story is also interwoven with her current life, where she is working with Meredith on a new con. They plan to steal a valuable painting from a rich man's vault, with Claire posing as a love interest to gain access. However, Claire starts to develop real feelings for the man, complicating the con.
Throughout the story, Claire's narration jumps back and forth between her past and present, revealing her history as a con artist and her relationships with the people in her life.
1. The narrator's name is Claire.
2. Claire is from Connecticut.
3. Claire's mother was born into a wealthy family.
4. Claire's father was charming and swept her mother off her feet when she was 20.
5. Claire's parents got married against her grandparents' wishes.
6. Claire's grandparents cut her mother off from their wealth.
7. Claire's father left her and her mother when Claire was two years old.
8. Claire's mother refused to accept help from her parents.
9. Claire has a twin sister named Meredith.
10. Meredith looks like a sweet and innocent person.
11. Meredith is actually not as innocent as she looks.
12. Claire and Meredith had to be resourceful to make money from a young age.
13. Claire did odd jobs for their wealthy neighbors.
14. Meredith came up with more creative ways to make money.
15. Meredith sold fake "youth water" to high school girls.
16. Meredith and Claire started a t-shirt business.
17. They sold the t-shirts at different locations.
18. One day, Meredith had to use a bathroom, and they went to a nearby house.
19. Meredith broke into the house, and Claire guarded the door.
20. A woman caught them and thought they were Girl Scouts selling cookies.
21. Claire and Meredith pretended to be Girl Scouts and took the woman's money.
22. They ran away and found a hiding spot.
23. A nerdy-looking boy named Freddy appeared and said he was their new neighbor.
24. Freddy had pulled the main circuit board wire to distract the woman.
25. Claire and Meredith were impressed by Freddy's cleverness.
26. Freddy wanted to be friends with them, not get a cut of their profits.
27. Freddy's parents were neurosurgeons.
28. Claire, Meredith, and Freddy became friends.
29. They laid low with their conning activities after the incident with the old lady.
30. A new family moved into the huge white house across the street.
31. The family had five teenage boys.
32. Claire and Meredith went to welcome the family with a basket of goodies.
33. They met the four quadruplet brothers, who were not very attractive.
34. A fifth brother appeared, and he was very handsome.