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 in this all-new Counterfeit Lady Novel from USA Today bestselling author Victoria Thompson.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 … 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. . . .
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A lady con artist turned society sleuth who uses her unique skills to solve mysteries? Love it! Victoria Thompson is brilliant when it comes to blending accurate historical research, mystery and intriguing relationships. This book has one of the world’s best opening sentences!
4.5 Stars
I feel as if I’ve finally settled into this series. Each book has been stronger than it’s predecessor, with City of Schemes having now become my favorite of the first four. There were a few different plot lines, all intriguing, that inevitably converged by the end of the book. This particular story was less of a whodunnit and more of a how-dunnit while the good guys tried to stay one-step ahead of the antagonist(s.) City of Schemes was an apropos title for a story that underscored the con-artist element when semi-reformed grifter Elizabeth and her family of (non-reformed) grifters used their skills to help various friends out of precarious circumstances, as well as Elizabeth’s own deadly predicament. A comeuppance, a reunion, and a wedding made for a fabulous entry in this series.
This is a really fun series. The war is over and Elizabeth is planning her wedding to Gideon and trying to keep the wedding small and follow all the social protocols. Logan, a friend of Gideon, asks for his help with a letter he received from a woman he met in France. Gideon asks for Elizabeth’s help and she immediately senses a con. This is just the first of the many cons. Once again the story follows all sorts of twists and turns with lots of surprises. I love all the wonderful characters and they are all here. The book is a quick fun easy read. This series should be read in order. Enjoy the happy ending
In City of Schemes, book four in the Counterfeit Lady series by Victoria Thompson, it’s wedding time for our favorite con woman and her law-abiding fiancé. Elizabeth and Gideon are busy with the planning, along with welcoming back Gideon’s friend Logan from war. Logan isn’t as relieved to be back on American soil as one would expect but he has a lot on his shoulders. Besides attempting to fit back into civilian life, Logan reveals he fell in love with a French woman, despite being engaged to someone here at home. I’ve never been a fan of marrying someone out of obligation, but back during the time period this book is based, breaking an engagement was poor form. If an engagement is broken by a man, the action attached incorrect and unflattering labels to women. Therein lies Logan’s problem – he doesn’t want to ruin the reputation of his betrothed, Rosemary.
In the meantime, Logan receives a letter from his love in France, Noelle, indicating conditions in France have gotten considerably more terrible, and she request money from in order to aid her in fleeing Europe. Gideon immediately involves Elizabeth, who expresses her disbelief and her suspicions regarding the letter. No one can prove it’s from Noelle, and if it’s someone running a con, Logan will be left without the money or the presence of his love by his side. Elizabeth knows it’s time to intervene and see exactly what’s going on with these letters and the so-called author.
While aiding Logan, Elizabeth is put in a jam when a previous foe, Oscar Thornton, discovers she’s still alive and well. Now, Oscar is on her tail, putting her mind on other things, as she should be preparing to marry Gideon, while helping Logan not become a victim of a con. It’s up to Gideon and Elizabeth to protect Logan, help him find happiness, and keep Elizabeth out of harm’s way before Oscar can make good on any of his threats.
City of Schemes 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 Schemes. 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 Logan and his 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. There are so many twists, turns, and double-crosses and it was all wonderful. I couldn’t put the book down. 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 and Gideon next.
I was provided a copy of this book to read.
Victoria Thompson’s CITY OF SCHEMES stole a whole day from me, and I don’t want it back. I didn’t want to do a single other thing, so captivated was I by the wheels within wheels and schemes within schemes . . . all (or almost all) in aid of good people and in retribution of the bad. Justice, if a bit unorthodox, was administered cleverly, leveling a playing field, unfair especially to women. The least thing could ruin a woman’s reputation and social standing, as women are held to “higher standards,” but men can weather scandals, at least to a point.
I’d like a friend like Elizabeth if I were in trouble, and I’d welcome help from her team of disreputable allies, “the Old Man” and Jake and Spuds, and her honest, beloved Gideon, who won’t lie, but is learning the language and rules of the game. Anna is growing in beauty and confidence (and agility in the confidence game), and even the gossip columnist, I mean “society news” reporter, can become a friend, with just a little understanding conversation.
It was fun to watch it all play out, and a joy to read well-written prose. This is fourth in the series, and I hope there will be many more. <3
* (Pub. date January, plenty of time to read or reread the first three 😉
This book is just the tops, a sometimes laugh-out-loud delight for fans of the TV series Leverage and any such Robin Hood-type characters who aim to even the odds for the innocent by gulling greedy, powerful, and/or unsavory bullies into parting with their cash and/or reputations. Elizabeth Miles may be a (mostly) reformed confidence artist, but that doesn’t mean she can’t spot a scam or a lie being perpetrated against her friends and those of her groom-to-be. Nor does it mean she can’t find a way to help said friend-in-need. The City of Schemes lives up to its title with various ‘plays’ in motion at any one time. On the serious side, and for which the author definitely did her research, is the plight of returning WWI soldiers and the French women they left behind. Don’t miss this one!
Poor Elizabeth she should be blissfully planning her wedding to Gideon except a bad apple from her past turns up and threatens to ruin the new life she’s building. What’s a girl to do to save herself, her fiancé and her new life? Why run a con or two of course!
A most wonderful addition to the Counterfeit Lady series. And an absolutely delightful read. Lots of twists and turns before Elizabeth and Gideon get to say I do but you’ll love every page!
A reformed con artist turned lady sleuth in Gilded Age New York? I’m in. Great research wonderful characters and a terrific opening line.
Everything I love about this series is here and then some.
There is the extremely clever main character and her fiancé who is learning to adapt to her talents and truly appreciate them.
His mother is wonderfully aggregable, too.
This episode is particularly fun because multiple cons are being worked on different people, all for the better good.
It’s delightful!
CITY OF SCHEMES by Victoria Thompson is the fourth book in the Counterfeit Lady series. It’s the wonderfully crafted story of Elizabeth Miles in the days leading up to her marriage to Gideon Bates and the events that make her wonder if the union will take place. Written in the days after the Great War when our country is trying to deal with the pain and hardships left behind by the war, it’s also the time when Elizabeth is trying to leave her past behind her and to step into the world where running a con isn’t an everyday occurrence and to deserve the place of standing beside the man she loves. There is one person that is standing in the way of Elizabeth and Gideon’s happily ever after – Oscar Thornton.
Rosemary Westerly, who considers herself high society and fiancée of Logan Carstens (who is marrying her out of duty when his heart belongs to a French girl he had to leave behind when the war ended), was the one that leaked the upcoming marriage to the gossip columnist even after Elizabeth had made it very clear they were keeping the wedding small and quiet. It was through that article that Thornton found out that Elizabeth is still alive. He shows up at Gideon’s office demanding repayment for the funds that Elizabeth cost him to the sum of a quarter of a million dollars or he will leak the story to the newspapers about Elizabeth’s shady past. Knowing that a blackmailer never stops, Elizabeth knows the only way to stop him is to discredit it. The best way to con a conman is to out con him and even better when others are doing the con you conceived.
Along the way, if she can repay Rosemary for starting this mess and also free Logan from her grips, all the better. With the help of the Old Man, her father, with his connections and Jake, her brother, while impersonating Lord Percy Hyde-Langdon – Earl of Hartwood, she may just be able to pull this off while not getting caught or making Gideon tell a lie. She will do anything to keep anyone or anything from harming those she loves!
Can they get all their ducks in a row before Thornton blows the whistle? Will Logan get his freedom from Rosemary? Who sent Logan those letter asking for money? Does Rosemary find that the third time is not the charm? How many cons does it take to con a con-man?
CITY OF SCHEMES by Victoria Thompson is a wonderful story written to where you can’t help but keep turning pages and feeling like you are right there in the thick of it with Elizabeth and Gideon. You can feel the emotions emitted from the pages from anger to humor, despair to elation, and sadness to pure glee. Victoria Thompson pulls you in and takes you for a wonderful ride as you read this installment in the Counterfeit Lady series all the while wondering if they will be able to trick Thornton and if the marriage will take place between this loving couple. Although part of a series, CITY OF SCHEMES can most definitely be read as a standalone book. You will have no problem knowing who is who and getting right in the mist of the story even if you haven’t read any of the other books.
City of Schemes is the fourth book of Victoria Thompson’s Counterfeit Lady series. This story was extremely fun and I look forward to reading the previous books that I missed. Was I confused a bit since I didn’t read the other books first? I must admit, I was a little. But once I got into the meat of the story I was able to enjoy it thoroughly!
The Great War is over and (somewhat) reformed grifter Elizabeth Miles is busily planning her wedding to her beloved, successful lawyer Gideon Bates. A good friend of Gideon’s, Logan Carstens, doesn’t seem particularly happy to be home from the war; it seems he fell in love with a beautiful woman in France, but he was too honorable to ditch his totally unlikable betrothed back home. When Logan receives a letter from his love Noelle, she begs him for help to escape to America from the horrendous conditions in her homeland. Elizabeth is rather suspicious – do they really know Noelle wrote the letter, or is someone trying to con their friend? Meanwhile, someone tips off the newspaper about Elizabeth and Gideon’s wedding, bringing Elizabeth’s former nemesis Oscar Thornton to town, vowing revenge against her. Can they save both Logan’s and their own futures?
This is my first Victoria Thompson book, and it certainly will not be my last. The con in this story is rather complex – I had no idea how everything would come together – yet so darn entertaining! The main characters, however, are what made the book shine. Elizabeth is absolutely charming. She is marrying into an upper-class family and is doing her best not to cause any problems for their reputation. When Gideon’s friend, however, needs help, she is right there for him, willing to run just a wee scam. When Thornton threatens Elizabeth with blackmail, though, she turns to her father, the “Old Man”, for assistance. Gideon, too, is a great character. He knows Elizabeth’s history isn’t squeaky clean, yet he loves her unconditionally and seems pleased at times with her mechanations. If Thornton’s blackmail would ruin them, he’d willingly give up everything for her. The supporting characters were great, especially the Old Man, Anna and Jake. I can’t wait to see what future cons Ms. Thompson comes up with for Elizabeth and Company!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
I’ve really enjoyed this series. I love how each of the books has a con that helps people out and I like seeing how each of the conmen seem to change a little each book to be a little better. I also love how I never know exactly how things will end until the book is done. It keeps my attention the whole time. I also love the characters. I think they are relatable and easy to love. I also love that in this book we finally see Elizabeth and Gideon get married!
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.
This was a fun book to read. The cons came and kept on coming. You weren’t sure what was a con and what wasn’t until the very end when we got to see how they tied together. Elizabeth, a reforming grifter, is engaged to scrupulously honest Gideon is learning how to deal with New York society ladies. The characters are fun and funny. The cons are involved and equally fun. You have characters that you root for and those that you cheer when they’ve been conned. A really good romp!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
I finished this book with a sigh-it was such a lovely entertaining read.
“City of Schemes” is the 4th book in the Counterfeit Lady Novel but the first I’ve read. The author does a great job of filling in the backstory so I had no challenges starting with this book. But I enjoyed this book so much I plan on reading the first 3!
Elizabeth, our protagonist, has a history of being a grifter-a skilled con artist from a family of skilled con artists. She is shortly going to be married to Gideon and has given up doing cons.
Gideon calls on Elizabeth’s experience when his good friend Logan received a letter from the girl he loved but left behind in France asking for financial assistance. Is it a con? Does Noelle really need help?
There is also a threat from Elizabeth’s past that surfaces and could threaten her future with Gideon.
So, there are two situations that going on and how they are addressed are ingenuous and fun and make this a very entertaining book.
Wonderful characters, entertaining story, highly recommend.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Reformed conwoman Elizabeth Miles is getting ready for her wedding to Gideon Bates. They have tried to keep their engagement quiet, but it still shows up in the papers. That brings Oscar Thornton back into their lives, insisting that Elizabeth refund the money that he feels she owes him. Can they stop him once and for all? Meanwhile, Gideon has reconnected with one of his friends who has returned home from World War I. Logan Carsten had become engaged to a young woman before he left, but he fell in love with someone else while stationed in France. He intends to honor his engagement, but then, he hears from this Frenchwoman asking for his help in coming in America. Elizabeth thinks something more is going on. Can she also help Logan?
If you haven’t read this series yet, I recommend you read it from the beginning. This book includes some call back to earlier adventures as well as a major spoiler for the previous book. All of that is wonderful for fans, however, as it allows the characters to grow in some great ways. I love Elizabeth, Gideon, and the rest of the regulars, so I enjoyed spending time with them again. Since this is more a caper than a traditional mystery, I enjoy watching the plot unfold in different ways, and it kept me engaged the entire time. I did have an issue with one part of the climax; if Elizabeth’s motives for her actions had been built into the story a bit more, I probably would have been okay with it. I also enjoyed the humor early in the book. Once again, author Victoria Thompson has written a book that pulled me in and only let me go when I reached the final page.
I am a big fan of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight series but had not read any of the City of books prior to this one. I enjoyed City of Schemes very much, Elizabeth Miles is a fascinating character and Gideon Bates is a wonderful counterpart to her unconventionality. The secondary characters are interesting and the family dynamic makes for an interesting subplot. I will definitely be checking out the first two books in the series and look forward to the next one! Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of #CityofSchemes.