I received this book for free from Borrowed, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
City of Lies by Victoria Thompson Narrator: Kate Forbes
Length: 11 Hours
Series: Counterfeit Lady #1
Published by Penguin on November 7, 2017
Genres: Fiction, Historical, Romance, 20th Century, Mystery & Detective
Pages: 320
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Borrowed, Publisher
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An exciting new historical mystery series featuring woman-on-the-run Elizabeth Miles—from the beloved national bestselling author of the Gaslight Mysteries. 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. Elizabeth 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, 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.
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.
Other reviews of City Of Lies by Victoria Thompson:
- Smart Bitches, Trashy Books – “the development of the characters is very uneven“
- Carstairs Considers – “the plot of this book was very strong“
- Utopia State Of Mind – “pure caper fun“
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