City of Lies by Victoria Thompson

City of Lies by Victoria Thompson ISBN-13: 9780399586576 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: Nov. 7, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Like most women, Elizabeth Miles assumes many roles; unlike most, hers have made her a woman on the run. Living on the edge of society, Elizabeth uses her guile to relieve so-called respectable men of their ill-gotten gains. But brutal and greedy entrepreneur Oscar Thornton 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 suffragists who have an agenda of their own.

She never expects to like or understand these privileged women, but she soon comes to respect their intentions, forming an unlikely bond with two of the women--a young woman her own age and an older woman with a grown son, Gideon. Gideon is the rarest of species—an honest man in a dishonest world. She knows she’s playing a risky game, and her deception could be revealed at any moment, possibly even by sharp-eyed Gideon. Nor has she been forgotten by Thornton. 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.


My Review:
City of Lies is a historical suspense set in 1917, mainly in New York. Elizabeth works as part of a group to con wealthy men. When a con goes wrong and thugs are on her heels, she joins a group of suffragists and makes sure they get arrested. She'll be safer in jail! However, these suffragists are treated poorly and decide to go on a hunger strike. That wasn't what she had in mind. Still, Elizabeth becomes genuine friends with two of the women while Gideon works to get his mother and the other women freed.

The man that she helped con is determined to get his revenge, so Elizabeth must use all her wits (and many lies) to stay alive. I was never sure quite what was going to happen next. Both the type of con and what the suffragists went through are historically accurate, though our main characters are, of course, fictional. It's an interesting bit of history, cleverly woven into the exciting story.

While I understand that Elizabeth's pretty and that Gideon likes strong women, I still wonder about a man who refuses to lie falling for a woman who lies to the point he can't identify when she's telling the truth. There was a minor amount of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this exciting historical.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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