Book Review: City of Lies by Victoria Thompson (Counterfeit Lady Mysteries #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, engaging story

Cons: None for readers

The Bottom Line:

New series begins

Con woman main character

Hooks you from the start

I Loved This Book, and That’s No Lie

Over the last couple of years, I’ve finally started reading the books of Victoria Thompson, and I’m loving them.  So when the opportunity came up to jump into her new series at the start, I immediately took it.  City of Lies is different, and completely enjoyable.

The book transports us back to 1917 as we meet Elizabeth Miles at the start of a con job.  She is a rarity, a female con artist, who is working with her half-brother in the latest scam in Washington D.C.  However, when things go wrong, she finds herself on the run with the mark’s goons right behind her.

In an attempt to escape them, she blends into the group of suffragists and manages to get arrested.  Is she safe or has she just put off the inevitable?

When I started reading the book, I assumed this would be a typical historical murder mystery, but I quickly realized how wrong I was on that front.  Yes, there are crimes involved, but if you are expecting a murder and five suspects, you will be sorely disappointed.  I wasn’t disappointed, however.  Honestly, as much as I do enjoy murder mysteries, it’s wonderful to take a break from them every so often.

It helps that the plot of this book was very strong.  I was quickly pulled into Elizabeth’s world, and I didn’t want to leave when I had to stop reading.  There was always something happening, and it kept me engaged the whole way through.  I saw a couple of twists coming before Elizabeth did, but that is a minor point.  The stakes are high and that helped keep me engaged as well.

Elizabeth serves as one of our third person narrators, the other being Gideon, a lawyer.  As a result, we get to know them the best, but that hardly matters.  The rest of the cast is very strong and comes alive almost as soon as they appear on the page.  By the end of the book, it feels like we’ve known them for a long time.

Normally, I’m not a fan of stories where I am supposed to root for someone that is breaking the law.  However, Elizabeth is presented as such a likable and sympathetic character from the very beginning, and I am glad I gave her a chance.  In fact, it was easy to root for her to get out of her predicaments.

The author’s note at the end gives us a glimpse of how Victoria Thompson took a real event and wove it into this novel.  It’s an event I wasn’t aware of, and it gives me a new appreciation for the suffragist movement, and the brave women who were part of it.  All of this without slowing down the story in the slightest.

I must admit, I’m not quite sure where the series will go from here, but I am very anxious to find out.  City of Lies starts what promises to be a wonderful new historical series with an interesting main character.  Don’t hesitate; start it today.

Enjoy more trips back in time with the rest of the Counterfeit Lady novels.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner next Thursday, November 16th, so please leave your comment before 12:01 AM Pacific Time on 11/16.  You will have until midnight on 11/20 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 11/21.