Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: November 6th 2018 by Berkley
Con artist Elizabeth Miles has determined that Society is the biggest con of all. So far, Elizabeth’s only real social success has been with Priscilla Knight. Priscilla is a dedicated suffragist who was recently widowed for the second time in her young life. Her beloved first husband, DeForrest Jenks, died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters and a comfortable fortune. Soon after his death, her pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her. Before she knew it, he had engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Less than nine months later, Endicott is also dead in a somewhat less tragic and even more suspicious accident.
Priscilla confides to Elizabeth that she had understood Endicott was wealthy in his own right, and she had brought a sizeable fortune to the marriage as well. Now her banker is telling her she has hardly any money left and that her house has been mortgaged. The banker has hinted at a scandal that could damage the family’s reputation and her daughters’ future prospects. Fearing destructive gossip, Priscilla doesn’t know whom to trust.
Elizabeth discovers some unsavory evidence that seems to point to the possibility that Endicott’s death may have been connected to blackmail. To save her new friend’s future, Elizabeth must use her special set of skills to find the truth.
Priscilla confides to Elizabeth that she had understood Endicott was wealthy in his own right, and she had brought a sizeable fortune to the marriage as well. Now her banker is telling her she has hardly any money left and that her house has been mortgaged. The banker has hinted at a scandal that could damage the family’s reputation and her daughters’ future prospects. Fearing destructive gossip, Priscilla doesn’t know whom to trust.
Elizabeth discovers some unsavory evidence that seems to point to the possibility that Endicott’s death may have been connected to blackmail. To save her new friend’s future, Elizabeth must use her special set of skills to find the truth.
My Thoughts…
The City of Secrets is the second book in a series. I did not read the first book but enjoyed this one very much. It started slowly for me only because I was getting to know the characters and was trying to figure out how they all came together. Elizabeth was a hoot. She was not the straight-laced wife material that Gideon Bates wanted, she took risks, went beyond what was called for to help her friends, and stood strong when the man she loved pushed her to change her ways. Priscilla was sad. A widow left alone to take care of her two young daughters who were taken advantage of by people she should have been able to trust. The other characters were equally as entertaining and I loved how they all came together to put those who had done other wrong in their correct place.
There were a few times I had to questions what era I was reading about. Sometimes the story seemed to be told in the time long ago but then it would change its tone and I’d feel like it was more current. This was probably the only part of the story that threw me off from time to time. I loved the idea of the women fighting the government for their rights, going to jail and having hunger strikes to prove their strength and belief in themselves. After they were released from jail they went back to their lives and continued to hold strong to their beliefs.
The City of Secrets is an interesting book. I’m interested in more from Victoria Thompson and definitely interested in checking out the rest of this series.
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