My copy of the Melonakos book has not yet arrived, though, unsurprisingly, it doesn't seem to display a lot of intellectual integrity and honesty (as with so much anti-LDS "literature") as demonstrated in this review by Cheryl L. Bruno. To quote Bruno's conclusion:
In the final analysis, this book is not a completely historical treatment of the subject of early Mormon counterfeiting. The book may not receive widespread respect from serious students because of the question-begging and over-enthusiastic conjectures that are included. Historians may grow weary of the author’s unfounded allegations of counterfeiting activities, though she does provide the seeds for further research in several areas.
Rather, the work is a popular, imaginative treatment of what the author sees as a “counterfeit Joseph,” a deliberate con-artist who lived a double life. It is a glimpse into a Book of Mormon as the “most successful attempt ever made to counterfeit the Scriptures.” (16). It is the first book-length exploration of counterfeiting in Mormonism. If readers adjust their expectations, it can be a rollicking ride into the early Mormon world of forgery, fallacy, and fancy.
