City of Lies by Victoria Thompson

Every woman plays a part—but some are more dangerous than others…

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 women 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 the wealthy matriarch of the group whose son 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, who’s biding his time within this gilded orbit, waiting to strike. 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.

π π π π

I’m disappointed with City of Lies. I love Thompson’s Gaslight mystery series, but this new series just never felt right to me. It also took me way too long to read this. This 300 page novel felt so long and it felt like a struggle whenever I was reading it.

I liked the setting of the novel – 1917 in Washington, DC. Women are lining up in front of the White House to fight for their right to vote. At times, I felt that it was 1917, but other times I felt that the setting could of been at any time.

I was hoping for more of a mystery, but it was more of a romance and a con plot. I enjoyed aspects of the con, but I felt that it got lost with all of the other storylines going on. I also didn’t enjoy the main character Elizabeth. It just felt that things were a bit too easy for her and everyone was falling in love with her (that gets a bit tiresome).

2 calculators out of a potential 5. Not a fan and won’t be continuing with the series.

Let’s be friends! Goodreads & Instagram