From the national bestselling author of the Gaslight Mysteries comes the first Counterfeit Lady novel—the intriguing start of a historical mystery series featuring woman-on-the-run Elizabeth Miles.
Every woman plays a part—but some are more dangerous than others...
Like most women, Elizabeth Miles assumes many roles; unlike most, hers have made her a woman on the run. Living on the edge of society, Elizabeth uses her guile to relieve so-called respectable men of their ill-gotten gains. But brutal and greedy entrepreneur Oscar Thornton is out for blood. He’s lost a great deal of money and is not going to forgive a woman for outwitting him.
With his thugs hot on her trail, Elizabeth seizes the moment to blend in with a group of women who have an agenda of their own. She never expects to like or understand these privileged women, but she soon comes to respect their intentions, forming an unlikely bond with the wealthy matriarch of the group whose son, Gideon, is the rarest of species—an honest man in a dishonest world.
Elizabeth knows she’s playing a risky game, and her deception could be revealed at any moment, possibly even by sharp-eyed Gideon. Nor has she been forgotten by Thornton, who’s biding his time, waiting to strike. Elizabeth must draw on her wits and every last ounce of courage she possesses to keep her new life from being cut short by this vicious shadow from her past.
Elizabeth Miles a.k.a Betty Perkins is a con artist like the rest of her family. On the train from New York to Washington City Betty and her brother Jake, meet the wealthy Oscar Thornton their new mark. The con is to convince Mr. Thornton to invest with them then abscond with his money. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong man to defraud. Thornton is a shady man of the newly rich with his own band of thugs. After beating Jake within an inch of his life, the group looks for Betty and the money.
Betty merges into a group of women suffrage protesters at the White House as they are arrested. President Wilson decides to use this group of women as examples to future protestors. Instead of sending them to a local Washington jail, he sends the women to a prison work camp in Virginia. While Elizabeth feels safe in prison, the wealthy women don’t have a clue how to survive their incarceration.
Her prison sentence is a learning experience for Elizabeth. She didn’t think to highly of wealthy women, and she never thought about why women need to vote. Before long, the group become fast friends leaning on one another for support. Elizabeth gains a new respect for society women, and the protestors learn survival from her. Mrs. Bates, their leader, and the Bate’s friend Anna take Elizabeth with them to New York after they are released from Jail.
The mystery is the execution of the con. Will the team be successful? Will Thornton get his revenge? In New York, Elizabeth, Mrs. Bates, and Anna craft a new con when they find out Thornton murdered Mrs. Bates niece. It develops into quite the adventure and cements their friendship. There is a sweet romance too.
What a great story! City of Lies is a well-plotted tale that takes the reader inside a con and the forming of friendships and alliances that change women’s lives. Victoria Thompson represents this era beautifully. It is easy to forget it was not that long ago that women were considered property and devoid of any rights as individuals. From start to finish, I could not put the book down. The history, corrupt police, and political dirty tricks are all part of the story.
The characters are a diverse group of society and working-class individuals. They buck social convention to work together towards a common goal of women’s rights and revenge. I love how Victoria Thompson weaves actual historical events into the story. I learned things about the women’s suffrage movement that I did not know before. I wasn’t aware the term suffragettes was demeaning to the women in the movement. The preferred moniker was suffragists.
A must read with the right mix of mystery, romance, and history.
5 STAMPS
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