Firstly, this cover is awesome!

I found this novel gripping, intriguing, full of history surrounding women's suffrage, and the novel felt very thoroughly researched! Ms. Thompson brought the past to life extremely vividly, and I plan to do more research on my own time as well.

In this novel, Elizabeth, Gideon, and Gideon's mom travel and fight for women's right to vote. The author seamlessly weaves history and fiction into this story, and I could not put this book down!

This is the first book I have read in this series, and I absolutely plan to go back and read the others, and re-read this one in the future. While I do think this book can be read as a stand-alone, I also feel that having read the others and watching the characters' relationships to one another develop would help me deepen my understanding of certain elements within the story. However, the author does a good job of filling the reader in as well!

If you enjoy Historical Fiction, I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was not my favorite in the series but still a fun read. I find it takes me a while to get into these books and for some reason I was having an especially hard time with this one. I think there was too much focus on the political world building and less focus on the characters. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next one.

I enjoyed this story. I liked that we got to see the Bates again and what they were up to. I loved that it was set during the passing of the 19th Amendment and I loved how the author included them in the event. I thought the author gave us a good idea of what was happening at the time and I loved that she gave us a “what if” scenario. Overall, I thought this was a great book and hope there are more books with these lovable characters.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

I enjoy this author's books. The mini history lesson in the author's note is always an added bonus (gives you an idea of what is non-fiction in the book). I like the characters as well as the setting. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hunh, this had better not be the last book in the Counterfeit Lady series, as seemed to be hinted at in the afterword. I understand how this seventh volume would be a thematically appropriate story to finish on, but it absolutely lacked the larger part of why so many readers, myself included, have adored these adventures for years.

Some background: the Counterfeit Lady in question is Elizabeth Bates nee Miles, a one-time grifter who's mostly been on the straight and narrow since marrying her beloved Gideon and settling into New York City's upper upper middle class. The tale of how she met Gideon, however, is quite unconventional. While running for her life in Washington DC, she joined a group of women suffragists in order to evade detection, and wound up getting thrown in prison anyway for being "part" of the protest. During this ordeal, she met and struck up a friendship with Gideon's mother, and soon found herself falling in love with upright, honest Gideon himself.

While she's tried to distance herself from her criminal past, she's found that there are circumstances where utilizing her uncommon skillset is necessary for protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that justice is served. Most of the books in the series have been about the cons she runs for exactly that purpose, often with the help of both the Bates and Miles families. This novel is a departure, tho shady dealings certainly abound as Elizabeth, Gideon and Mother Banks head down to Nashville to help lobby politicians to ratify the 19th Amendment, the law that will finally give American women the right to vote.

There's no elaborate con in this book, tho Elizabeth's father does put in an appearance as he bilks shady politicians out of their money. Instead, the book is given over to the actual history and political process of this important time in American history, as the Suffragists and the Antis, men and women alike, did everything in their power to influence the vote. The Antis are, ofc, the bad guys here as they seek to bribe, intimidate and blackmail delegates into opposing ratification. Most of the betrayal of the title occurs as politicians who pledged themselves to the Suffs' cause renege on their promises. The Bates must use every trick at their disposal to help keep the wavering from slipping over to the other side, and to remind those who might have changed their minds of the reasons they believed in universal suffrage in the first place.

As historical fiction, this is a fun, entertaining read, with engaging characters and Victoria Thompson's trademark ability to infuse life into bygone eras. As crime fiction, it's a total non-starter. The shenanigans are political and morally questionable, but the actually illegal stuff gets dealt with quickly and mostly off-screen. This would actually be a good book to give to anyone who wants to know more about dirty politics, and what happened during that long week or so when Tennessee teetered on the verge of being the state where ratification would finally allow American women to vote in political elections. It's got some great stuff for our beloved characters, but I'm very much hoping that the next book allows them to return to form and actually get their crime on for the greater good.

City Of Betrayal by Victoria Thompson was published December 5 2023 by Berkley Books and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9780593440605">Bookshop!</a>

Thank you to Thompson, the publisher, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved this latest installment Elizabeth, Gideon, and Mother Bates have traveled to Tennessee to advocate as "Suffs" for the ratification of the 19th Amendment, so that all women can vote. Elizabeth hasn't conned in over a year, and is determined to keep it up. But, she's discovering that some people will do anything, legal or not, to get their way when it comes to women's rights and the future of the vote. Thompson has built such a cozy, welcoming world with these characters that returning to them is a welcome treat. She infuses a different voice (separate from the Gaslight Mysteries) into this series, that really makes it distinct. I fully enjoy each installment, and love seeing past characters pop up if possible. I hope this series will have as many installments as her other!

City of Betrayal, by Victoria Thompson, is the 7th installment in the authors Counterfeit Lady series. A year has passed since Elizabeth Miles Bates ran her last con. Life has been simpler, although not nearly as exciting, but she has thrown herself into working to get the 19th Amendment ratified by thirty-six states to become the law of the land. 35 States have ratified, 8 have rejected it including every Southern state.

It seems unlikely Tennessee will be an exception but it's their only hope, so the suffragists descend on Tennessee for the final battle. Elizabeth’s ability to interact with difficult men and to persuasively explain all the advantages of allowing women to vote—all skills she perfected as a grifter—have made her a valuable member of the team. But she would never have expected the lengths to which some would go to keep the vote out of women's hands. She'll need to devise the perfect con or the suffragists' life's work could all be for nothing.

Elizabeth isn't alone. She has her husband Gideon Bates, her best friend Anna Vanderslice, who lost her brother to the pandemic 2 years ago, and Gideon's mother who spent some time in prison alongside Elizabeth working for the women's suffragist movement. Prohibition was recently put into place but that doesn't stop people who want to drink, and bribe others with drink. The two factions of the suffragist movement, separated by their approach to securing women's right to vote and the anti-suffragists are there in large numbers.

The women are individually buttonholing one legislator after another, gaining and losing their pledges to take their sides, sometimes through drink and bribery. Whether or not anything in this book actually happened, the point is that ratifying a Constitutional amendment is not easy, especially when women who should want equal rights, fight hard against change. Regardless of your feelings, the 19th Amendment doesn't pass without the Republican party. This was not the most entertaining story, but historically important.

*Thoughts* In all, over 200 Republicans voted in favor of the 19th Amendment, while only 102 Democrats voted alongside them. Regardless of the authors personal crusade, historians write that Woodrow Wilson, Democrat President, was very much against the 19th Amendment. He also believed that suffrage was the root of all evil. Wilson considered himself a moral president, and yet he did not believe that women should vote. He called himself a moral president, and yet he segregated the civil service in one of his first acts as President.

If you take one thing from this review, take this. Suffragists and anti-suffragists lobbied furiously to secure votes during that intense summer in Nashville. The ratification resolution passed easily in the Tennessee State Senate on August 13, but the House of Representatives was deadlocked thanks to the Speaker of the House who flipped to anti. When young Harry T. Burn of Niota changed his vote to support ratification of the 19th Amendment thanks to a letter from his mother, he broke a tie in the House of Representatives and made history.

Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). She came to Nashville during the summer of 1920 to support the efforts of Tennessee suffragists. Her leadership was a key factor in Tennessee becoming the "Perfect 36," the state that put the 19th Amendment over the top. There are hundreds of others who should be remember who works behind the scenes and should never be forgotten.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book!

I liked this story, but I honestly didn't love it. The character development felt weak, and the overall story felt like it lacked emotion. I also found the political aspects of the book to be repetitive and a bit boring at times.

That being said, I enjoyed learning about the history presented in the book, and that's what motivated my three star rating. I also think I would enjoy future books about these characters (I haven't read all the past books); I feel like the topic of this story made it boring, but I don't think the characters are boring, if that makes sense.

I think if you're a fan of the series, you'll want to read this one...if you haven't read the series yet, I would start with the first book!

Rating: 3⭐️

In the captivating novel City of Betrayal by Victoria Thompson, Elizabeth and her mother-in-law remain steadfast in their fight for women's rights. Their unwavering dedication catches the attention of their local branch, who implore them to travel to Tennessee and assist in the passage of crucial legislation. The stakes are high, for if Tennessee fails to enact this bill, women will continue to be denied the right to work. However, lurking in the shadows are opposing factions, employing illicit tactics to undermine the bill's progress. In the treacherous realm of politics, anything goes. To complicate matters further, Elizabeth's own father and brother are embroiled in a deceitful scheme, ensuring that trouble is never far behind.

It's August of 1920, and the fight to ratify the nineteenth amendment giving women the right to vote has come down to Tennessee. Everyone thinks that, among the states that haven’t voted on it yet, the best chance to pass it will be here. Elizabeth Bates and her mother-in-law have been asked to go to Tennessee and help with the lobbying of state representatives to get it passed. Gideon joins them as well. When the three arrive, they quickly see the see of various color roses, those for and against ratification. But can they do anything to make a difference in the vote?

Normally, I love this author’s books, so I picked this book up without paying too much attention to what it was about. However, this one didn’t live up to her usual standards. I have a feeling she was so fascinated by the real life stuff she uncovered while doing research she tried to fit it all into a novel. The problem is the result reads more like a history book than a novel, and Elizabeth and the others get involved in mini episodes without having an overall plot to drive us other than will the amendment get passed or not. Several supporting characters show up for cameos, and even the three main characters feel flat. If you are a fan of the author, know what to expect going in. If you are new to her, don’t judge her by this book, but pick up some of her other books and you’ll get caught up in them.

Victoria Thompson immerses the reader in the heat of the struggle to approve American women's suffrage in the last state legislature needed for national ratification in City of Betrayal. Based on real events of bribery and corruption of elected state legislators in Tennessee, Corporate greed and racial biases also played out. Elizabeth Bates, counterfeit lady, her husband and mother in law all are working for suffrage and her father is working a con.
Non stop action to the last line. Top story.

This is easily the best book in this series yet. While the cons in this book that originally defined the series are so minimal as to be almost nonexistent, there is plenty of intrigue and story and action as this book is set in Nashville, Tennessee in the days leading up to the vote on women's suffrage. The author portrays the shady dealings and transactions of politicians and lobbyists, and the pressure and tension of the situation in a way that makes this book a real standout.

What happened?

As always, there’s lots of history in Thompson’s stories, but this lacked what makes this series great: Elizabeth using her grifter experience and connections to right a wrong alongside Gideon, who wants to keep her on the straight and narrow. This focused on political intrigue and I struggled to get into it. If you know when or how the 19th amendment was ratified, I think it makes for an even slower read. This was a slice of suffragist history, and the politics, sexism, and racism behind it rather than a Counterfeit Lady story. It was like the author wanted to feature this time in Tennessee and the nation’s history at the expense of an entertaining story that shows Elizabeth’s personality as she runs a con.

There was no long con! The Old Man is here in the background, but until the end, Elizabeth just watches the political process work. I love this series, but not this book. Hopefully, the next in the series will get back on track, but the ending left me in doubt that there will be more.

I am already a fan of the "Counterfeit Lady" series and am surprised to realize "City of Betrayal" is the seventh entry. One thing I like about Victoria Thompson as a historical fiction mystery series writer is that I don't get bored with either of her series. I appreciate that she knows the periods she writes about well. Her plots and settings and themes are interesting and original. And authentic to their periods. She always paints a picture of the everyday life of multiple kinds of people. The Counterfeit Lady series started with "City of Lies." Then, Elizabeth Miles was a single woman con artist from a line of con artists and she is in trouble with one of her victims. She blends in with some protesting suffragists to evade him and is arrested and imprisoned with them. She befriends a matriarch from the group, Mrs. Bates. There is a hunger strike, Their imprisonment goes on far too long. Mrs. Bates' rather strait-laced lawyer son Gideon helps out. A great introduction to the art of the con and the odd meeting of two families from distinctly different walks of life.

"City of Betrayal" takes place primarily in Tennessee, where the state legislature has been called into session to vote on the 19th Amendment. Prohibition was recently put into place. The two factions of the suffragist movement, separated by their approach to securing women's right to vote and the anti-suffragists are there in large numbers. The women are individually buttonholing one legislator after another, gaining and losing their pledges to take their sides, sometimes through drink and bribery. So many little facts arise about the methods used by the players that are amusing and shocking. Thompson takes us through the on the scene legislative battles and the behind the scene machinations where there appear to be no rules. Elizabeth, is now married to Gideon and bound to a promise not to engage in grifting for monetary gain ever again. (Faithful readers know he lets her use her skills for good). She is at the hotel in the center of the action with Mother Bates and Gideon. Elizabeth soon finds her father, who is still in the game, is at the hotel, working a scam. He was attracted to the crowds of people that would be there, many with money. Naturally, this adds to the fun of the book because each one must include some con artistry.

In addition to an insight into 1920s Tennessee politics, we learn about about the national stage at the time. The arguments made against ratification are often offensive. For example, to support their viewpoints, the opposition notes that the rolls of black voters will increase exponentially as being a terrifying prospect for the South. Most pretend women need to be protected from the filth of politics. Wilson is president. Harding is running. Each is involved. With the last possible state to take up ratification at this moment in history all eyes are on Tennessee. (Other states that might have ratified it had postponed it to the next year.) I love the way Thompson integrates her characters into the scene, having long ago laid the stage for this story on the progress of the 19th amendment. I didn't happen to know whether or not Tennessee ended up ratifying it. I made a point of not looking it up. Regardless of the outcome, the story of this week in Tennessee/U.S. history is incredibly entertaining. I learned a lot. Our favorite characters play fun roles throughout. Recommend for sure!

I just love this series. It’s so reliable and every installment is as good as the last. I can’t read them fast enough. Highly recommend to historical mysteries fans. They are simply top notch.

I received a gifted copy.

"City of Betrayal" is a historical set in August 1920 in Tennessee. This is the 7th book in the series. While you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, the author did assume the reader had some familiarity with the main characters. So, there was no con. Elizabeth's father was working a relatively uncomplicated con in the background. It's mostly where she sent the names of anti-suffrage legislators to get some level of revenge since she had no time to participate in a con. I do hope that we get back to the cons in the future, though this was plenty suspenseful to make an exciting story.

The historical details were woven into the story to create a vivid sense of the specific time and place and brought the story alive in my imagination. Elizabeth, Gideon, and his mother joined the suffragists in Tennessee, thinking the vote would be over in a few days. But the battle to sway the votes stretched on for days and nights. Knowing cons, they were able to spot and stop a lot of the underhanded tactics used by the anti's. I was immersed in the story, uncertain of winning the vote and worried that yet another pledged "for" legislator would betray the suffragists. If you don't already know the details, don't look them up, just read this book.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this educational and suspenseful historical novel.

Elizabeth, family and friends travel to Tennessee in an effort to see that women are finally granted the right to vote. With only 1 more state needed to radify the 14th amendment, the stakes,vand tensions, are high. I thrilling look at our political system at its best and worst.