City of Lies

Set in 1917, this winning series launch from Thompson (Murder in the Bowery and 19 other Gaslight mysteries) introduces quick-witted and audacious con artist Elizabeth Miles. In Washington, D.C., Elizabeth and her brother, Jake, are running a scam on Oscar Thornton, a vindictive businessman. When the hustle is discovered, Thornton’s thugs brutally beat Jake and set off after Elizabeth, who infiltrates a crowd of women protesting for the right to vote outside the White House. The suffragettes are arrested and sentenced to the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia, where Elizabeth is protected from Thornton’s wrath. Once freed, she heads for New York City, only to find that Thornton knows she’s staying at the home of one of her suffragette companions. Her best hope of remaining alive is to perpetrate an elaborate caper that will put Thornton out of commission for good. Sprightly romance, clever dialogue, and authentic historical details are a plus. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (Nov.)