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 

Review - Murder on Cold Street

 I have been a fan of this new series that re-imagines the Sherlock mythos since the debut, A Study in Scarlet Women (click here),  the second book, A Conspiracy in Belgravia (click here),  the third, The Hollow of Fear (click here), and the fourth, The Art of Theft (click here) .  

This is the fifth outing in the series and a high bar has been set with the previous.  Let's see how this one holds up.

Author: Sherry Thomas

Copyright: October 2020 (Berkley) 352 pgs

Series: 5th in Lady Sherlock Mysteries

Sensuality: period refers to affairs

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical mystery

Main Characters: Charlotte Holmes, Charlotte Holmes, disgraced upper class woman who creates the Sherlock Holmes identity

Setting: 1886, London, England

Obtained Through: Publisher (NetGalley) for honest review

Book Blurb: "Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes’s friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited. 

 Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife’s initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage, because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring deeper feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him.

Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders, when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?"

Charlotte Holmes is blond, pretty, very feminine and frilly, too fond of sweets, and far too intelligent for the time period. Essentially the opposite of what the traditional image is of Sherlock.  Lord Ingram Ashburton is a long time friend with an estranged wife and a complicated relationship with Charlotte.  Mrs. John Watson, is a retired stage actress who has become Charlotte's unique and talented sidekick.  Charlotte's adult younger sister, Olivia featured a little but not as much as in prior books.  

As with all the books in this series, the plot seems simple at first but quickly has many levels and nuances. It is a maze that Charlotte is so good at figuring out. The story moves along at a good clip and I was glued to the book well into the early morning hours.

The solving of the case doesn't involve an exciting killer reveal or confrontation, rather a piecing together of the pieces as they race against a clock to save Inspector Treadles from execution. The wrap-up advances the situation between Lord Ingram and Charlotte.

This has many elements that are more the traditional mystery:  figuring out where people were at what time.  But the maze is twisted and Charlotte is the one to put it all together.  It demonstrates the resistance to women in the work place as the situation for Mrs. Treadles is investigated for a motive.  Very well done.  This may not seem as exciting and action packed as prior outings, but it is still a well done mystery and story that kept my attention riveted. 

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

Here is an interview with the author, Sherry Thomas: https://youtu.be/GQwfy3ZGvlk

Review - Devils and Details

This series has a unique premise that keeps me coming back for more.  I reviewed the first in the series, Death and Relaxation (click here).  Now to see what I thought of the second in the series.

Author: Devon Monk

Copyright: August 2016 (Old House Press) 308 pgs

Series: 2nd in Ordinary Magic Mysteries

Sensuality: Moderate, some steam

Mystery Sub-genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Main Characters: Police Chief Delaney Reed

Setting: Modern day, beach town of Ordinary Oregon

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb: "Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea...

Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon–just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there.

But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.

Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all god, and uncovering an ancient vampire’s terrifying past isn’t how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is 

falling back in love with the one man she should never trust."

Delaney is trying to fill her deceased father's shoes as the chief of police, while still grieving his sudden death.  She is reliable and overworked.  Sister Jean has the intuition ability, sensing when something bad is approaching but sadly doesn't 

get details with it.  She is a bit more adventurous than her two other sisters, dying her hair various colors. She handles calls for the police station.  Sister Myra has great timing, always showing up where and when she is needed and is calm and collected. She handles forensics for the small police station.  Ryder Bailey, Delaney's teen heart-throb is working at the station too and he seems to also answer to somebody else.

Ordinary is a beach town that gets the usual tourists plus various mythical gods wanting a vacation from their duties.  This is a creative concept and Ordinary has the beach town problems (spring break parties) plus the less mundane.  Nicely done.

The main plot starting out is the stolen god powers, which isn't an easy nor simple task to pull off, yet finding the culprit is a nightmare.  Then a local vampire is murdered and the two cases don't seem related, so Delaney has two major investigations at one time.  Then what may seem like a subplot regarding her romantic interest keeping who he works for a secret starts to become a bigger deal.  You could say there is a lot going on. 

The climax of the three plots happens at different times, which definitely kept me flipping the pages.  The god powers climax I can't say much about to avoid a spoiler, but it is interesting.  The revealing of Ryder Bailey's secret adds a significant complication to Delaney's job and life.  As for who killed the vampire... well that is a bombshell that will have repercussions into the next book.

This second entry in the Ordinary Magic series continues to set a high bar.  This is a fun and captivating book with twists and turns without being so strangely paranormal you can't relate to it.  

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

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