I enjoyed the graphic novel a lot!
I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just could not get into this book. I have read Victoria Thompson's Gaslight series and loved every single book that I read from that series. I guess I just expected it to be more like those, so I am just disappointed that I don't enjoy this one at all. If you're looking for a mystery, stick with her Gaslight books. Sadly, I just can't recommend this one.

City of Lies is the first installment in author Victoria Thompson's Counterfeit Lady historical mystery series. The story features Elizabeth Miles, a young con woman who finds herself embroiled in intrigue in turn of the century New York. For the sake of this book, the year is 1917. America is about to enter World War I, but there is something on the home front that has driven some powerful men absolutely crazy. The Suffragist Movement is putting pressure on then President Wilson to pass legislation that will give women the right to vote.

For the record, suffrage literally means the right to vote in political elections, something that some of us take for granted by believing that their vote doesn't matter. As the story opens, Elizabeth and her partner's attempt to con a greedy entrepreneur named Oscar Thornton goes sideways in a hurry. Now, Oscar is out for blood. He’s lost a great deal of money and is not going to forgive a woman for outwitting him. With his thugs hot on her trail, Elizabeth seizes the moment to blend in with a group of women who have an agenda of their own.

Soon, Elizabeth finds herself being arrested along with 40 other women. As the women are sent to a work house in Virginia, Lizzie never expected to like or understand these privileged women. But, when the women endure terrible treatment, its clear that politically the administration is trying to make an example of them in order to discourage them and others from demonstrating again. Elizabeth soon comes to respect those who are standing up for themselves and demanding a voice that men have long taken for granted

She forms an unlikely bond with the wealthy matriarch of the group, Mrs Bates, whose son Gideon is the rarest of species—an honest man in a dishonest world. One of Elizabeth's most faithful companions is Anna Vanderslice. I loved Anna, I really truly did. During their time together in the work house, Elizabeth becomes someone that she didn't know existed. She becomes something of a role model for the younger Anna, as well as some of the older, more experience suffragists who have no idea who she really is, or what she has done.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth hasn't been forgotten about by Thornton, who’s biding his time within this gilded orbit, waiting to strike. In fact, he does everything possible in order to corner her and make her pay for what she and her partners did to him. Elizabeth must draw on her wits and every last ounce of courage she possesses to keep her new life from being cut short by this vicious shadow from her past. She must weave an impossible tale between two possible suitors, including Gideon Bates, a lawyer who stands and delivers.

One of the main reasons why I requested this story was the Suffragists movement which caught the nations attention and led to the 19th Amendment. The author really does her homework when it comes to digging into this period. She doesn't sugar coat or ignore how the women suffragists were treated by their own government, especially one Woodrow Wilson who really did some bad things to some really good people.

Although Elizabeth's time with the Suffragists isn't the main plot line, it is probably one of the more important. I really liked Anna, along with Gideon's mother who befriends Elizabeth and even overlooks who she really is. I liked Anna as well. Yes, Anna has her own ideas and those ideas are not what supposed young women of money are supposed to be thinking about. In fact, she wants her own life and doesn't want to even think about marrying to impress anyone. The romance is one that isn't love at first sight. In fact, there is a whole lot of tension between Lizzie and Gideon.

Since the publisher was kind enough to approve the sequel to this book for me, I shall be reading City of Secrets shortly.

Provided by the publisher in return for a fair review.

Elizabeth knows how to run a good con - it is, after all, what she was brought up to do. But now she is caught up in a scam that has to work. If it doesn't, it may just mean the end of her life.

On the run after the latest con falls apart, Elizabeth finds herself in the middle of the Suffrage movement. She also finds herself a new friend, one who may be just what she needs to find her way into a real life. There is also a young man involved, but he may prove to be too much for her to handle on top of everything else.

A fun suspenseful tale during an important historical period in history.

Though I liked the book, I made the decision when I finished not to review it on my site because it didn't fit into my editorial schedule. I may include it in a review post or possibly a book list post in the future.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO CITY OF LIES BY VICTORIA THOMPSON?
City Of Lies by Victoria Thompson has some pretty excellent elements. There’s suffragettes. There’s crime. In addition, there is a bit of a chase. The synopsis hints at romance. Also, this book is historical fiction. Combine all of these things and you have a book that is poised to really wow me. So, I felt like I needed to listen to this book as it contains so many elements that I love!

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Victoria Thompson’s City Of Lies is the first book in her Counterfeit Lady series. It follows main character Elizabeth Miles. In the beginning, Miles is basically on a train with her brother and they’re trying to hustle some money. Her brother owes a lot to someone, if I recall correctly. Anyways, they cross paths with this guy named Oscar Thornton. He loses a lot of money, right. So he’s pissed and is now going after Elizabeth.

She ends up hiding among this group of suffragettes who are protesting for the vote outside the White House. These women are kind of privileged. However, Elizabeth begins to bond with them. She becomes especially close to this one woman — Mrs. Bates while they are in jail. Mrs. Bates has this son Gideon who is an attorney, who gets the women freed from jail. Strangely enough, Gideon is actually an upright and honest man. This takes Elizabeth aback, as she’s used to men being liars. Meanwhile, Thornton is closing in.

HOW DID I LIKE CITY OF LIES?
Well, let’s just say I wanted to like this book a whole lot more. Unfortunately, I never had that moment where I felt ALL IN with this book. Instead, I was kind of bored and my attention wandered a lot. Maybe my expectations were really high based on the beginning which was quite exciting. Or maybe this had something to do with me having plenty of other distracting things going on in my life while reading this book. Either way, I don’t think I will be going any farther with the Counterfeit Lady series.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
Kate Forbes narrates the audiobook of City Of Lies. Honestly, the narration is forgettable. I don’t have much to report back to you all. Except well, the audiobook does go pretty fast. Other than that, I am super neutral on this audiobook.

I must say that I did not know about the novel at all but I really had a great time with the story. What to say? Everything seemed fantastic!

We discover Elizabeth Miles, a young girl who used to live on the margins of society. With her friends, she usually organizes scams to steal money from dishonest rich men. But while she usually does not have problems after these acts, the latest victim is far from appreciating it. Determined to find Elizabeth and to force her to return his money, or even to kill her, he will pursue her without respite. Yet the young woman, full of resources, does not hesitate to place herself in a feminist manifestation that demands the right to vote in order to escape her pursuers. Putting herself as a woman she is not, she gets arrested by the police and she is sent with all the others to jail. And you suspect that she is one of the only girls who absolutely wants to stay there to be safe. But then, under these conditions, she did not expect to connect so easily to Anna, a young febrile woman or to the matriarch of the group for which she will have great esteem. Elizabeth will help them understand how to act in jail and she will watch over them as best as she can. In parallel, we discover Gabriel, the son of the matriarch who arrives in town determined to save these young women. Thornton, allying himself with him, is also very interested to get them out!

I will not say more because it would be very easy to tell you everything but I can tell you that this novel is a pretty little pearl. I loved to follow Elizabeth, see her change at the touch of these young women and see her regret not to be a better person. It was also really interesting to have such a big part devoted to the cause that these women fight for! It was fascinating to have such a theme and it is true that we realize what these women have suffered a lot in order to advance their rights.

It was really a great story and I loved all the characters, be it Gabriel is his frankness, Elizabeth and her scams, Thornthon and his wickedness, Anna and her naïveté, and many other things that I’ll leave you discover!

I really enjoyed the research put into this book. It is a historical fiction that takes place during the Suffegent movement. Her characters were well done and fully imagined. I enjoyed learning in the end that most of the characters were based on true people. This helped add to the reality of the story for me and made me want to learn more. Elizabeth was not the most likable character at first when you learn that she is scamming people out of their money. She redeems herself will she is locked up with the other Suffegents in the workhouse in Virginia. She helps a younger girl named Anna who later becomes one of her good friends and who she helps find herself. This story is an interesting mix of history and fiction story. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this time in history.

Victoria Thompson launches an excellent new historical series with City of Lies. What is so astonishing is how timely the book feels in today’s political climate. Strong female characters and a thrilling plot add up to an unforgettable reading experience.

When I heard that Victoria Thompson’s latest book was number 1 in a new series, I could not wait to read it. Thanks to NetGalley, I received an advance copy, and I can happily say that I was not disappointed.
In City of Lies, the first title of Counterfeit Lady series, we meet Elizabeth Miles, a beautiful young woman who is not a typical heroine. Elizabeth, along with her grifter partners, makes her living conning money from susceptible “marks”. Their latest target, however, is not a respectable businessman. Oscar Thornton is a criminal, suspected of killing his late wife. He doesn’t take the loss of his money lightly and sets out to find Elizabeth and retrieve his lost funds.
On the run for her life, Elizabeth joins a group of suffragists in a protest march, is quickly arrested and placed in jail with the other protestors. In jail, she begins to bond with several of the women and risks her own life to support them in a hunger strike.
Readers experience the consequences of illegal protests, and how it would have felt to be in the jail, the workhouse and on a hunger strike. Incarcerated women were not treated well, not even respectable mothers and daughters. Protests were broken by “shaming” those arrested so that others would not join the cause and those who were in jail would not protest again when released.
Fans of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries will enjoy this one. The setting is America in the early 1900s. The plot involves financial schemes and protest marches in Washington, DC and New York. There are interesting characters with just enough romance to please those who desire a love story.
I found this to be a very enjoyable read. I look forward to Book Two in this delightful new series.

A fun, fast-paced book. The characters were likable, but the ending was a bit rushed. Bonus points for suffragist, feminist and LGBT themes.

I loved this book. Thank you for letting me read it. Victoria Thompson has a HUGE following in Suwanee GA. We can't wait for her next book.

City of Lies is more than just an intriguing mystery. It is an exciting, elegantly written historical fiction story about strong women, crime, betrayal, and wit. This one has all the makings of a fun crime novel, with the addition of women fighting for what they believe in, and rising above their times! For those who love historical fiction with flare and cleverness, this one is for you!

I was pleasantly intrigued by this book. Though, the synopsis doesn't quite match the true feel of the story, the book itself was an exciting read! I am a little ashamed to admit that I did not remember learning about the women's movement involved in this story, and in history, that ultimately led to our right to vote, but I am most definitely going to be doing more research to learn all that I can. I felt like that was an amazing addition to the story.

The plot of the story was spectacularly written. Elizabeth Miles was on the run from a man named Oscar Thornton because she and her brother, Jake, had cheated him out of a large sum of money. She found an opportunity to escape his sight by joining the Suffragists in a protest in front of the white house, and things quickly spiraled from there. She became involved in their cause, and emotionally connected with several members, and not only had an amazing character transformation, but also found ways to aid her escape from Thornton's hunt.

Elizabeth was so fascinating. She was clever, witty, sneaky, and brave. She was a great con artist, but also had a few hidden morals that showed throughout the story. I felt like she almost measured up to Audrey Rose from Stalking Jack the Ripper, and Lady Helen from The Dark Days Club, in my eyes. I loved seeing the emotional changes she faced, and I am excited to see what happens next!

The rest of the characters were a little less developed than I would have liked. But, they were still enjoyable nonetheless. Gideon was a fair match to Elizabeth's wit. Anna was an amazing friend, and strong woman, and Mrs. Bates and Mrs. Vanderslice were both strong characters.

I truly loved how the story mixed a large amount of historical aspects in with the fictional story of Elizabeth and her con-artistry. The history of the Suffragists was used to help shape Elizabeth's character, and to shape the time of the story, which led to a fair amount of enjoy-ability in the world building. I was able to get a true feel of the time from the description and imagery the author used. I cannot wait to read the next installment in the series! 4.5 stars for this one!

"I promise I will never be boring. I will be the most interesting woman you've ever met."

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review!

Elizabeth Miles is just like any other woman trying to get by in 1920s New York…only she does it with clever cons. Only her most recent ploy seems to have gone massively astray and forces her to hide amongst some conveniently located Suffragettes. She never expected to come to admire the ladies she has been stranded with and she definitely didn’t expect to find the one honest man in the whole of New York. However, Elizabeth must pull a massive con on the people she has come to greatly respect and form real friendships with, if she doesn’t her life will be forfeit.

I picked this one up, despite not having read this author before, as I loved the idea of a grifter heroine, especially set in the 1920s New York. It all sounded very intriguing and I love a book with an unconventional heroine at the centre. I am immensely pleased that I decided to pick it up, it was a tale full of suspense, tension, historical events all with a dash of romance.

What stood out for me the most in City of Lies was the setting. Thompson has woven into the story true historical events of the women’s suffragist movement, all with added liberties. Aside from being fascinating in of itself, it also added an air of authenticity to the setting that Thompson had created. It also added some tension, you know that the situations were very real and very dangerous, the suffragists suffered and some died for their cause, and despite Lizzie – at first- only sticking with the women to escape, her persecutors didn’t know that.

If you like historical tales full of tension and intrigue, as well as a bit of romance, then you need to pick this up. It was both entertaining, fun and I enjoyed Thompson’s inclusion of suffragists. This tale concluded very satisfactorily and I am unsure if it’s part of a series or not, if it is I will gladly pick up the next book.

Set in a time where the world was on the cusp of change, Thompson's City of Lies will pull you in with both intrigue for the mystery behind Elizabeth's life and the fascinating con that this woman and her brother are pulling on others.

With hints of danger and a touch of romance, this was a fun read that kept me entertained and interested right up to the very end.

The story takes us to 1917 Washington, D.C. and New York City. Women are protesting for their right to vote, but none of that matters to Elizabeth Miles. She has other interests in mind.

Elizabeth Miles is a con artist. Along with her brother, Jake, she schemes to steal money from less-than-nice men like Oscar Thornton. Unfortunately, during one of their schemes, their plans take a turn for the worst. Once Thornton finds out, it’s over for the brother and sister team. They get separated. Elizabeth has no idea what happened to her brother, but she has no choice but to go on the run.

Elizabeth manages to blend in with a group of suffragists and joins their protest under an assumed name. She is not at all upset when they are arrested and jailed. Prison is the perfect place to hide from Thornton. However, life in prison isn't very enjoyable.

Much to Elizabeth’s surprise, she finds herself forming a tight bond with some of these wealthy women, including Mrs. Bates and Anna. Thanks to Mrs. Bates attorney son, Gideon, the women are freed from jail, but Thornton is still hot on her heels. She must find a place to hide. Fortunately for her, Anna insists she stay with her family. Anna agrees, but is she really safe there?

The author weaves actual historical facts into this fictional story. I found the storyline and characters fascinating. The author did a great job of making the main character likeable and sympathetic, despite her being a con artist and thief.

I’m not really much of an historical fiction fan, but the premise and setting grabbed my interest. I must admit, I originally thought this was a murder mystery, but it’s not. It’s more like fiction with romance and some suspense mixed together.

It’s a gripping, cleverly written story that had my attention from the start. I was immediately transported back in time. I felt I was standing right alongside Elizabeth.

I enjoyed every minute of this one. I’m so glad I stepped out of my normal genre to try it. This is the first of a new series and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

Victoria Thompson embarks on a new series, the Counterfeit Lady, in City of Lies. Elizabeth Miles, a confidence woman, tricks wealthy and thuggish Mr. Thorton out of a fortune. She takes refuge with some wealthy New York suffragettes in Washington and goes to jail with them. Gideon, son of one of the suffragettes, gets them released and falls in love with Elizabeth. Can she keep her new life? Can she escape the pursuit? This story takes place in World War I America and involves the sleazy arms deals and underworld connections to wealthy New York commerce.

I thought this was surprisingly good. I just expected a fun mystery type read, but this was really a well written historical fiction novel. Elizabeth is a grifter, running a con with her partner in crime and the target is a vicious and dangerous man. When they make off with his money, he beats her partner and Elizabeth hides among a suffragist protest and ends up getting herself (and an entire crowd of women) arrested and shipped off to prison. And that's just where the fun begins. I was really impressed with this. The cover made it seem sort of YA and not that serious. It was actually quite awesome and the author did a great job with the research.

The story itself was good, but I found myself having a lot of trouble connecting with the main character.

City of Lies is an intriguing start to a new series from historical mystery author Victoria Thompson, whose Gaslight mystery books I cherish as some of my favorites. This new book is the first in a series and it's not really a mystery, but a historical romance and I could not put it down. Thompson has a gift for creating characters that leap off the page and creating a setting that makes the reader feel as if the clock has rolled back a hundred years. You get immersed in her stories and don't want them to end. A departure from the Gaslight series, City of Lies focuses on a female grifter in 1917 who inadvertently gets involved with the women's suffrage movement after a con goes wrong and her life becomes at risk. She spends some time in jail, meets some very interesting suffragists whose cause she gets wrapped up in, and along with her new friends must pull off a major con in order to save her life. I enjoyed Elizabeth Miles' character development; how she went from being someone who only cared about the con to caring about the women she met and feeling guilty for lying to them. The romance in the book was a bit too fast-paced. I prefer the slow burn of Frank and Sarah but it was a good idea to have this series not mirror the Gaslight series. I'm eager to see how Elizabeth handles herself in future books - will she stray back to the life she knows? Or go the straight and narrow thanks to her new friends and future husband? Knowing Thompson's writing, I imagine it will be a little of both and that is perfectly fine with me. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Prime Crime for this DRC in exchange for an honest review. Definite recommendation for my library and for my patrons, especially those who enjoy light, clean romance, strong female characters, and historical settings.