Victoria Thompson enthralls with her second Counterfeit Lady mystery, City of Secrets. Elizabeth Miles, a reforming grifter, made friends when imprisoned with suffragists in Washington. Priscilla Knight, recently twice widowed, was one; she comes to Elizabeth for help after she finds out she has been left penniless and her late husband turns out to have been blackmailed. Elizabeth and her suitor Gideon, who is from old New York money track the blackmail to a pastor and his wife. What has been going on? Was there murder? Can Priscilla get her inheritance back? Seamy side of New York before World War I. Excellent story line and pace.

Yes, Victoria Thompson. Yes! I absolutely love a well crafted historical mystery and this is just that. Elizabeth is exactly the unique and multi-faceted heroine I want to read about. Filled with intrigue, high society antics, and secrets, this is a great read.

City of Secrets is the second book in the Counterfeit Lady series by Victoria Thompson. Elizabeth, our heroine, is a con artist trying to settle down with an honest lawyer. When a church patron named Priscilla Knight reveals that she doesn’t know why she married her now-deceased second husband and that she doesn’t remember anything about the wedding ceremony, Elizabeth smells a rat. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, Elizabeth and Gideon, embark on a case that involves lies, deception, and most of all, secrets. What follows is an investigation involving brothels, blackmail, and the potential to release information that could cause a huge scandal. Elizabeth relies on her family’s set of unique talents to try and make the wrongs done to Priscilla right but at what could be a terrible expense for Elizabeth and Gideon.

City of Secrets is a wonderful book filled with realism and emotion from start to finish. The author’s world building in the book is vivid and descriptive. The author did a great job with the continued character development in City of Secrets. Elizabeth is s a strong character but you must be if the art of the long con is your way of living. She’s also compassionate especially towards Priscilla Knight and her situation. It is easy to identify with Elizabeth, feel her emotions and the emotions of others, and fit right into the story. All the characters were written well, and I enjoyed each one of them.

This book is rich in emotional content and I was engaged in the story from the very beginning. The story is fast paced and truly set up and executed well. I can’t wait to see what the author has instore for Elizabeth next.

I was given a copy of this book to read.

This is book two in a series, and I just read this book. I was rather taken with it. It has a strong leading lady, romance and mystery. Ahhh, that's the makings of a good read! It's the 1920's so we can be nostalgic too. In the pages, you will find blackmail, scams and cons, society life, engaging characters and pretty much everything you'd hoped for in this type of novel. It's a delightful historical fiction story!  I want to read more of this series and this author's books. 

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Victoria Thompson does it again. I love her historical mysteries and I have to say the spunk and lets be honest deviousness of Elizabeth is so enjoyable. I really enjoyed watching Elizabeth navigate through society as only she could.

Gideon is of course the perfect man in so many ways. He and his mother add so much to the story! I cannot wait to read the next installment.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

In this story set in New York City during the time before World War I, Elizabeth Miles has always had to take care of herself and that often means being less than honest with those she meets. But when she meets a group of suffragists and falls for the son of a wealthy society matron, she begins to see herself though his eyes.

Can a reformed grifter find love with an honest man? Elizabeth Miles adores Gideon Bates and he loves her, but he believes in justice and the rule of law. Elizabeth believes in justice, but isn't above breaking rules if necessary when justice can't be attained otherwise.

Elizabeth wants to help when her friend Priscilla Knight finds herself widowed for the second time, and penniless. It seems her second husband was blackmailed by someone close to Priscilla, leaving her and her two young children destitute after he commits suicide. Elizabeth might be able to help Priscilla retrieve her money, but with no proof of blackmail, she's forced to use her wits and possibly a dangerous con.

Will Gideon understand?

This delightful cozy features suffragists, scoundrels, criminals and New York's society matrons. Elizabeth Miles and Gideon Bates are characters I'm looking forward to seeing in future installments of the Counterfeit Lady series.

I was not expecting that...at all!
What a pleasant surprise!

The synopsis of the book really captured my attention. I mean a historical fiction that has a female protagonist and is under the mystery genre? SIGN ME UP!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved Elizabeth with her witty lines and strong personality.
I loved the element of mystery, action and the sense of adventure in CITY OF SECRETS.

City of Secrets Is an excitingly captivating read with a perfect balance of a strong female protagonist, murder mystery and for those romantic at heart, it's romance...all set in 1920s New York

A quick, enjoyable read. Interesting, well fleshed out characters, with a good mystery. You know who the bad guys are from the beginning; seeing how our heroine and her cohorts figure everything out and bring them to justice is fun, as more and more information comes to light. This is the second book of a new series, but can stand alone. There is near constant referring back to the events of the first book, which is mostly necessary and helpful, but gets a little old at times, as does the repeating of events currently happening to characters within the story, though the author eases off on that as the book goes along. The ending is satisfying, comeuppance is had, and the romantic subplot is properly swoony.

I love when I find a series that's still young, and I have an opportunity to start at the beginning. I did read City of Lies before beginning City of Secrets, and I am hooked! Elizabeth is a great heroine, and totally unique in that she's a con artist, but somehow it works for her! I never thought I could read a book and cheer for the bad guy to win, but that's what I find myself doing in the Counterfeit Lady series. The best part is that I can never exactly figure out the con until the author reveals it at the end. Even when I think I know what's about to happen, I'm wrong!
I wasn't sure what would happen with Gideon, her love interest, after he declared his intentions in the first book, but I'm happy to see that it won't all be honey and roses from here on out--after all we need a little back-and-forth before the wedding.
I loved this book as much as the first, and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I went into this expecting a different book and was a little confused at when and where this was set. Once I figured out my error, and orientated myself in the universe, I enjoyed the title. Historical mystery isn't a genre I spend a great deal of time in, to be honest, and there were some aspects that annoyed me. Breaking up the romance for plot purposes (and to carry it on farther into the series in a will they/won't they way) being one of the biggest annoyances for me.

I liked the plot. I like mystery's that get "solved" a little over half-way and then the protagonists and left to puzzle out what the consequences of solving the mystery should be. I think it worked especially well in this setting where "justice" wouldn't necessarily be served by the law. The heist is a little Ocean's 12 but the lite version of it.

Overall I probably won't revisit this series as the genre isn't one I typically enjoy, but I'm glad for the case of mistaken identity this time.

I love the characters in this series but I struggled to finish this book. I hope the next episode of Elizabeth and Gideon is an easier read.

Gumshoe Review published this review of City of Secrets in their December 2018 issue. The review is exclusive to Gumshoe Review until January 2019 - the publicity contact has been notified of the review.

City of Secrets is an interesting book with an interesting premise. Elizabeth is a (sort of) reformed con artist who is in love with a gentleman who is a respectable member of New York City society – and an attorney, no less. As Elizabeth takes her place within this rarified group, she encounters suspicious activity in the form of a minister and his wife and involving a new widow and friend of Elizabeth’s.

The story, both a mystery as well as a romance, plays out against the suffragist movement and WWI. Historical references, vivid descriptions and the vibrant characters are all woven together to form an interesting and enjoyable book.

While I enjoyed City of Secrets, I haven’t read the first book in Ms Thompson’s new series, so I felt at a bit of a disadvantage. There are many references to the first book and some of the background of the characters and their relationships to each other was a little murky for me. But, the historical facts and descriptions more than made up for my lack of background. The author obviously has done her research for this time period and I’m sure it was great fun!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it and this second one did not disappoint. Elizabeth and Gideon are back solving another mystery together. Priscilla's second husband has died and left her penniless. Elizabeth and Gideon set out to find out where the money went and uncover blackmail and murder. Gideon wants to let the law solve the problem but Elizabeth knows they law does not treat women fairly so she sets to solve the problem by running a con. Even though Elizabeth is trying to navigate a new world she does not want to leave her old one. I really like the characters and the historical New York setting. The mystery was good but there were no real surprises. It is fun to see how the pieces all fall together and how the cons work. This series should be read in the order. Many events from the first book are mentioned in this book. Enjoy

City of Secrets, by author Victoria Thompson, is the second installment in the author's Counterfeit Lady series. The story takes place in 1917 New York City. Please note: I've seen many reviews that have gotten this fact wrong. The story takes place during World War I (1914-1918) at the beginning of the country's entry into the War. In fact, Gideon, who is 31, worries that if the war continues longer, that he might face being sent to war via being drafted.

The reason I bring this to your attention is that it would take another until 1920 before the Congress and the States fully ratified the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. If you've read the first book, or my review of City of Lies, you know that Elizabeth Miles is a reluctant hero after she stood with the women Suffragists like Hazel Bates and Anna Vanderslice who were trying to get President Woodrow Wilson's attention to pass legislation giving women the right to vote. While she was in prison, she learned that women of all ages need strong women to champion their causes.

As the story opens, Elizabeth Miles is engaged to be married to Gideon Bates, a very painfully honest and incorruptible lawyer who she met in the previous story after she was arrested for standing with the women Suffragists and escaping a horrible man who wanted to do her harm. She knows that honesty is not always the best policy when it comes to finding justice. Especially for unwed, single women who have no legal right to own anything of their own She's discovering that navigating the rules of high society is the biggest con of all.

She knows she can play the game, but so far, her only success is Priscilla Knight, a dedicated young suffragist recently widowed for the second time. Her beloved first husband Deforrest Jenks, died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters—and a sizable fortune. While she was lost in grief, Priscilla’s pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her and engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Now, about nine months later, Endicott is dead in what appears to be another terrible accident.

Everyone is whispering, but that is the least of Priscilla’s troubles. She had believed Endicott was wealthy, too, but her banker tells her she has no money left and her house has been mortgaged. He also hints at a terrible scandal and refuses to help. Priscilla stands to lose everything, and Elizabeth is determined not to let that happen. But, as always, Elizabeth walks a fine line between using her unusual talents and revealing her own scandalous past.

Elizabeth soon discovers that Endicott’s death was anything but accidental, and revealing the truth could threaten much more than Priscilla’s finances. To save her new friend’s future—and possibly her own—Elizabeth, along with her honest-to-a-fault beau, Gideon, and her own father, delve into the sinister secrets someone would kill to keep. One of the down falls of this story is the constant bickering between Lizzie and Gideon. He, as they say, walks in the light of the law, while Lizzie likes to do her work on the opposite side of the law.

She fully believes he is trying to change her into one of those society ladies, and she doesn't want anyone to change her. Ever. City of Secrets has a mystery that is pretty clear who did it and why. But, there are some other nuisances that you want to stick around for, including the ending which will leave you feeling good that there are actually people in the world like Elizabeth and Gideon who care about what happens to the weakest of our society. I do believe that it helps to have read the first book in the series in order to understand the characters like Elizabeth, and Gideon, and Anna, and Mrs. Bates, as well as the Old Man.

This book has it all - murder, mayhem and a healthy dose of subterfuge.

It's early 1918 in the city of New York. US troops have been recently sent off to the trenches of Europe. Regarding the candlestick telephone of 1904, the jury is still out on whether it's a helpful or annoying communication instrument. Only time will tell. Then of course, there's The Woman Suffrage Movement where recently many women marched on the White House and found themselves thrown in jail

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Miles, (our main protagonist in this story and the daughter of a grifter and well schooled in the arts of sleight of hand, although now a reformed grifter), was attending church services which had just concluded. While chatting with her friend Priscilla, she hears that this dear friend, recently widowed twice in quick succession, has just discovered that she and her young daughters are penniless and destitute. How could this be? Her first husband had left a sizable sum for her and her second husband came from money. Priscilla is beside herself and Elizabeth is angry that men have so much power over the conditions in which women find themselves. She is hopeful that President Wilson will take the Suffragist movement to heart and get legislation passed to help the many women in need.

Elizabeth offers to help Priscilla sort through her husband's papers hoping to find evidence that the funds were merely transferred to a different institution. Not finding such documents but rather a delicate photograph of the deceased husband, Elizabeth seeks the assistance of honest trust attorney (and soon to be fiancé), Gideon Bates to see whether anything can be done. From there the tale takes off and the "game is afoot". There's tension, action, mysteries leading to other mysteries and a great con. This book was a delightful and rather humorous diversion for a dark wintry afternoon.

I am grateful to author Victoria Thompson, publisher Penguin Random House, LLC, and Netgalley for having provided a free uncorrected e-book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Synopsis from publisher's website
(https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/570024/city-of-secrets-by-victoria-thompson/9780451491619/)

Elizabeth Miles knows that honesty is not always the best policy when it comes to finding justice.

Elizabeth has discovered that navigating the rules of high society is the biggest con of all. She knows she can play the game, but so far, her only success is Priscilla Knight, a dedicated young suffragist recently widowed for the second time. Her beloved first husband died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters–and a sizable fortune. While she was lost in grief, Priscilla’s pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her and engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Now, about nine months later, Endicott is dead in what appears to be another terrible accident.

Everyone is whispering, but that is the least of Priscilla’s troubles. She had believed Endicott was wealthy, too, but her banker tells her she has no money left and her house has been mortgaged. He also hints at a terrible scandal and refuses to help.

Priscilla stands to lose everything, and Elizabeth is determined not to let that happen. But, as always, Elizabeth walks a fine line between using her unusual talents and revealing her own scandalous past. Elizabeth soon discovers that Endicott’s death was anything but accidental, and revealing the truth could threaten much more than Priscilla’s finances. To save her new friend’s future–and possibly her own–Elizabeth, along with her honest-to-a-fault beau, Gideon, delve into the sinister secrets someone would kill to keep.

Victoria Thompson's second installment in her Counterfeit Lady series was filled with salacious town gossip, moral dilemmas, and shocking photograph that had the characters in this book acting in ways they wouldn't think possible. This author came highly recommended to me by one of the book besties, Melisa at The Book Collective. Melisa is a big fan of Thompson's Gaslight Murder series, and now that I've read her work I can see why! This book is the best sort of historical fiction, in my opinion--a story that could happen in any time period, but is carefully tailored for the period it resides in. I hope you enjoy this series as well!

About the Book

Con artist Elizabeth Miles has determined that Society is the biggest con of all. So far, Elizabeth’s only real social success has been with Priscilla Knight. Priscilla is a dedicated suffragist who was recently widowed for the second time in her young life. Her beloved first husband, DeForrest Jenks, died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters and a comfortable fortune. Soon after his death, her pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her. Before she knew it, he had engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Less than nine months later, Endicott is also dead in a somewhat less tragic and even more suspicious accident.

Priscilla confides to Elizabeth that she had understood Endicott was wealthy in his own right, and she had brought a sizeable fortune to the marriage as well. Now her banker is telling her she has hardly any money left and that her house has been mortgaged. The banker has hinted at a scandal that could damage the family’s reputation and her daughters’ future prospects. Fearing destructive gossip, Priscilla doesn’t know whom to trust.

Elizabeth discovers some unsavory evidence that seems to point to the possibility that Endicott’s death may have been connected to blackmail. To save her new friend’s future, Elizabeth must use her special set of skills to find the truth.

Reflection

Well let's get right to the pressing question of this novel: is it okay to con a blackmailer? I loved the discussions of morality, justice, and law in this book. Elizabeth and Gideon are on two different pages in how they approach justice. I think they can both agree that what happened to the widow Priscilla was unjust and inexcusable. But where they differ is in determining how justice can be enacted on behalf of Priscilla. There isn't a clear answer for me, nor was there for Elizabeth and Gideon. In fact, in every way Elizabeth feels that Gideon is trying to fundamentally change her moral code, she is expecting him to change his. This led to a really fascinating dynamic between our leading couple.

The deception around Priscilla's wealth is quite shocking as it unfolds. I was captivated, trying to piece together the puzzle in a way that made sense. There are delightfully colorful characters throughout this book. I loved the Old Man--Elizabeth's father. He knows exactly who he is and doesn't apologize for it. But he's incredibly sweet to Elizabeth, encouraging her to not follow in her mother's footsteps with a man like himself. I also enjoyed Gideon's mother and her friend Anna! The theme of the women's suffrage movement really pleased my feminist soul.

And then we have a cast of villains! I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that outward appearances don't always indicate who someone is as a person. Grifters may seem to act as thieves, but they have a code of conduct that they operate on. Others may be even more villainous though they appear pious. It's an interesting view of humanity for sure!

I found the writing to be smooth and engaging. Historical fiction can at times feel dry to me, but this book wasn't remotely that way! I couldn't put it down--I had to know what would happen!

I don't usually gravitate toward historical mysteries, not because that I dislike them exactly, but the few I’ve read have left me feeling vaguely unsatisfied. Still, when I first heard about Victoria Thompson's Counterfeit Lady series with its con artist heroine, I decided to give it a try. Fortunately, book one (City of Lies) lived up to all of my expectations, so I was beyond thrilled to get a review copy of City of Secrets, the second in the series.

Before I get into the meat of this review, I want to point out that this is not a series you can read out of order. The mystery plots are wrapped up nicely by the end of each book, but there are several overarching storylines that will only make sense if you start at the beginning with City of Lies.

City of Secrets picks up pretty much where City of Lies left off. Our heroine, Elizabeth Miles, has managed to set herself up as a young woman from a reputable family who has come to New York City in search of a new start. Only a few people know the truth about her upbringing, and they are people Elizabeth is sure she can trust implicitly. In fact, one of them is the handsome Gideon Bates, a successful young lawyer who has developed feelings for Elizabeth despite her past life as an exceptional con artist. Gideon is determined to help Elizabeth start a new life, especially since he plans to marry her and society would frown on his taking a woman with a sullied reputation as his wife.

For the most part, Elizabeth has managed to fit into Gideon's world with very little difficulty. His mother adores her, and many people follow her lead. Even so, Elizabeth can't help but feel a little bit at loose ends. Keeping up the façade she has so carefully crafted is exhausting, and she sometimes wonders if it's really what she wants to do for the rest of her life. Sure, she has strong feelings for Gideon, but will the two of them really be able to make things work when they come from such vastly different worlds?

Fortunately, Elizabeth is soon distracted from her misgivings by the plight of Priscilla Knight, a dedicated women's suffragist who has been widowed for the second time under very mysterious circumstances. Priscilla and Elizabeth have begun to form a friendship, and the more Priscilla opens up to Elizabeth about the oddities surrounding her second marriage, the more Elizabeth begins to suspect that the misfortune that has befallen the other woman is not as much of an accident as someone wants the world to think it was. Soon, Elizabeth is in the middle of a dark and dangerous conspiracy involving some of New York's most powerful families, and if she can't get to the bottom of things soon, it's possible Priscilla will lose her life.

It's hard to say more about the plot of City of Secrets without spoiling it, so you'll just have to trust me when I say this novel is a true delight from beginning to end. The story was dark enough to keep me interested without being overly graphic and Ms. Thompson managed to throw in some stellar twists that took me completely by surprise without going overboard or trying to shock the reader. The characters are expertly drawn, and the relationships they form with one another are quite easy to believe in.

Speaking of relationships, I love Elizabeth and Gideon as a couple. Gideon loves Elizabeth for who she really is rather than for who he thinks he can force her to become. He does act a bit overprotective at times, but Elizabeth manages to set him straight without a lot of difficulty. His slip-ups didn't bother me as much as I expected them to, mostly because it was obvious he was acting out of a deep and abiding love for her. I loved how the two of them communicated, and that they didn't fall prey to the pointless misunderstandings I encounter far too often in today's fiction. They have wonderful chemistry, but they have yet to act on it. They've shared a few kisses, and I can't wait to see them take their relationship further.

If you're looking for a captivating mystery coupled with a sweet romance, you can't go wrong with the two books in this series. The thought of waiting a year or more for the next installment saddens me, but I'm confident whatever the author has in store for Elizabeth and Gideon will be well worth the wait.

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3.5 stars, rounded. This is a solid and intriguing story, with plenty of scandal and intrigue included. It feels as though Victoria Thompson has so thoroughly captured time and place in this book, and the society that Elizabeth finds herself in after spending most of her life to that point as a con artist. Her relationship with upright Gideon is sweet as they navigate their different backgrounds to try to find common ground. Elizabeth's way of using her knowledge of how to con people for good intentions is entertaining. As the second in a series, this book did a good job of continuing stories from the first book while still furthering the plot lines and characters.