Review - City of Schemes

Elizabeth Miles is preparing for her wedding to Gideon Bates, when a menacing shadow from her past threatens to destroy the life she has built for herself.

Today I review the newest in the Counterfeit Lady historical mysteries.  Previously I reviewed the: 

1st in the series "City of Lies" (click here) 

2nd book "City of Secrets" (click here) 

3rd book "City of Scoundrels" (click here) 

Author: Victoria Thompson

Copyright: Jan 2021 (Berkley) 316 pgs

Series: 4th in Counterfeit Lady Mysteries

Sensuality: mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Mystery, Cozy Con Artist

Main Character: Elizabeth Miles, smart and cunning con-artist using her skills to help people.

Setting: 1918, New York City

Obtained Through: Publisher (NetGalley) for honest review

Book Blurb: "The Great War is over, and Elizabeth and Gideon are busily planning their wedding and welcoming home old friends now discharged from the army. One of them, Captain Logan Carstens, the son and heir of a wealthy family, seems less than happy to be home and with good reason.  While Logan was in France, he fell in love with a beautiful French woman named Noelle. He desperately wanted to propose, but he was already engaged and felt bound to honor his commitment.

When Logan receives a letter supposedly from Noelle begging for money to help her flee the terrible conditions in France and come to America, Elizabeth is suspicious. There is no way to verify the letter is actually from Noelle, and she fears that a con man or woman might be trying to take advantage of Logan in his vulnerable state. 

But that is not all Elizabeth has to worry about. Vicious thug Oscar Thornton has gotten wind of her wedding announcement and realizes the woman who conned him is still alive and well. Gideon and Elizabeth have to figure out a way to help their friend while making sure their worst enemy does not destroy their future. . . ."

Elizabeth Miles can't help but revert to a good con to fight injustice.  She is whip smart and resourceful and sees through subterfuge.  Mrs. Bates is an older lady who took Elizabeth under her wing and knows she isn't a legitimate society lady.  Gideon Bates, Mrs. Bates son and a lawyer, is Elizabeth's fiancé and is learning to accept the law can't touch some people, but a con can.  Anna Vanderslice is a kind society girl who has become Elizabeth's best friend and is coming into her own. Mr. Miles, Elizabeth's con man father, is central to helping get Elizabeth safe from Thornton.  

Plot is three fold.  Elizabeth can see that Logan's fiancé, Rosemary Westerly, is an opportunist who is the person who alerted the papers of Elizabeth's engagement - in the gossip column now less. Logan receives a letter from Noelle and he wants to bring her to America, even if he is duty bound to marry Rosemary as he promised.  He asks Gideon for help to bring her and Gideon suspects Logan is being conned.  

Elizabeth and her father end up running three cons 1) turn the tables on who is conning Logan for money, 2) con Rosemary (using her opportunistic scheming) into willingly breaking her engagement with Logan so he can marry the woman he loves, 3) con Oscar Thornton to stop him from ever coming after her again.  With so much going on, the pacing is steady and kept me turning the pages.   

The climax is primarily the Oscar Thornton's con conclusion, since it is the most serious for consequences.  This came together in a most dramatic scene that was pleasing.  The others conclude in gratifying ways as well.  

This has humor and high stakes.  If you like the idea of a 1918 version of Ocean's Eleven, then this is the book for you.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

Book Review - Murder on Lexington Avenue

Author: Victoria Thompson


Copyright: June 2010 (Berkley); 326 pgs

Series: #12 in The Gaslight Mysteries

Sensuality: Victorian mild

Mystery sub-genre: Historical Police Procedural/Amateur Sleuth

Main Character: Det. Sgt. Frank Malloy & Midwife Sarah Brandt

Setting: turn-of-the-20th-century New York City

Obtained book through: Publisher for an honest review

The book starts with Det. Sgt. Frank Malloy being called to investigate the murder scene of a wealthy man in his office.  He was beat on the head with a trophy cup.  The victim, Nehemiah Wooten, has a deaf daughter and thus Det. Malloy is on the case since his son is deaf.  What Malloy finds is that there is a split among attitudes towards the deaf and Mr. Wooten was a disciple of Alexander Graham Bell who put forth his belief that deaf people bred deaf people (Eugenics) thus they should be forced to learn lip reading and not sign language (which would engcourage they keep company with other deaf people).  Therefore Mr. Wooten had sent his daughter to a school to learn lip reading - but she had defied her father and paid to be taught sign language...and now wanted to marry her deaf sign teacher!  Then Mr. Malloy stumbles upon the victim's wife is pregnant from the partner's son.  Which allows the midwife Sarah Brandt to enter the household and snoop for him.  The people who had motive to kill the iron handed Nehemiah Wooten are adding up and Sarah is in the household investigating while Malloy runs down other leads.
 
The story grabbed my attention immediately and I hated leaving it.  I sailed through the middle hardly able to wait for what was coming.  The plot may not be highly complex but it is told well - invoking your emotions and pulling you into the drama.  The issues surrounding the deaf community play a part of the murderous web and are surprising and illuminating.  The cast of potential killers rang from the deaf daughter, Electra, the son Leander, the teacher who taught Electra to sign, the partner, and the partner's son and even the wife.

Mrs. Wooten had risen to her feet, and Frank saw that the girl's appearance had shattered her calm.  Suddenly, she looked almost frightened.  "Electra, go to your room.  I'll explain later."
 
Electra.  The deaf girl.  That explained her odd-sounding voice. 
 
"Annie said something happened to Father," she was saying.  "Tell me!"
 
...Frank knew that the students at the Lexington Avenue School could speech-read.  He wasn't sure how difficult it was for them to do, so he spoke slowly and distinctly, just in case.  "Your father was murdered."
 
She frowned, her lovely brow wrinkling in confusion.  She turned back to her mother.  "Murdered?" she asked.
 
'Yes," Mrs Wooten said with great reluctance.  "Your father is dead."
 
Electra obsorbed the news for a second.  Frank waited, expecting an explosion of of tears, but none of the emotions playing across her face was grief.  The one she finally settled on looked very much like satisfaction, and then she lifter her pert little chin and said, "Good."

Sarah and Det. Malloy are enjoyable characters who clearly are attracted to each other in a delightful way.  Malloy respects Sarah and her opinions that she shares, enjoys discussing the case with her and bouncing ideas back and forth.  They both "light up" when the other is around.  I enjoyed them and their banter that borders on flirting.
 
There is a subplot of Sarah's adopted daughter starting to recall some traumatic memories that has me hooked to find out how that develops.  But I must be honest that I would have liked to see Malloy's deaf son take more of a spotlight and Malloy himself make an effort to learn sign language more.  There is a lack of scene development that could have added more period awareness and made the story come more alive.  At times I could have forgotten it was the early 1900s because of the lacking details - which is such a shame.
 
The climax has a victorian style chase scene with a tense confrontation and a twist.  The wrap up with Sarah and Malloy promises more to come in their simmering relationship to keep readers coming back. 
 
If you enjoy historical mysteries I think you will like this one.