This is an edition of The Wonder Reader, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a set of stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Sign up here to get it every Saturday morning.
The kayaker who went missing—and stayed missing for so long that rescue teams were at a loss. The seemingly perfect man who conned women—and was brought to justice by his own victims. The following stories pack a double punch, starting with a mysterious circumstance and tracing the story to places unknown and unexpected. Today, sit back and explore five gripping reads that aren’t what they seem.
The Missing Kayaker
By Jamie Thompson
What happened to Ryan Borgwardt?
Read the article.
The Perfect Man Who Wasn’t
By Rachel Monroe
For years, he used fake identities to charm women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then his victims banded together to take him down. (From 2018)
Read the article.
The Con Man Who Became a True-Crime Writer
By Rachel Monroe
In his old life, Matthew Cox told stories to scam his way into millions of dollars. Now he’s trying to make it by selling tales that are true. (From 2019)
Read the article.
Still Curious?
Other Diversions
PS
Courtesy of Charles H.
I recently asked readers to share a photo of something that sparks their sense of awe in the world. Charles H., 68, from Hot Springs, Arkansas, shared this photo from “early in the morning in August 2025 as I was leaving Guymon, Okla., driving through the Okla. panhandle to hike Black Mesa. Shots of the moon never seem to capture the awe, but I took this photo anyhow and was surprised later to see the halo of a cloud.”
I’ll continue to feature your responses in the coming weeks.
— Isabel
