#CityofPromises #NetGalley
Many thanks to Berkley for the invitation to this blog tour.
Historical fiction-Mystery & Thrillers
328 pages
Pub date: 28 July 2026
About the book:
from the publisher
Elizabeth Bates must use everything she knows about the art of the con to stop a fellow scammer in his tracks in this first-ever thrilling crossover in the Victoria Thompson universe, featuring characters from her bestselling Gaslight Mysteries.
Famed former police detective turned private investigator Frank Malloy and his wife, Sarah, come to Gideon Bates desperate for legal guidance. The Malloys’ adopted daughter, Catherine, a burgeoning star of the stage, has announced her engagement to a man she barely knows. Catherine has recently gained access to her trust fund, and Sebastian Talbot appears very eager to marry her as quickly as possible.
As Gideon and his wife, Elizabeth, investigate, it becomes all the clearer that Talbot may not be who he says he is. As a former con artist herself, Elizabeth suspects one may be in their midst. Undeterred by her pregnancy, she must pull out all the stops to out swindle a swindler and save another woman from ruin.
About Victoria Thompson:
Victoria Thompson is the USA Today bestselling, Edgar® and Agatha Award–nominated author of the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady novels. She became enchanted by New York City, and Greenwich Village in particular, while one of her daughters attended New York University. After reading many books about the history of the city and spending many pleasant hours dining, shopping, and wandering the streets of Greenwich Village, she was permanently hooked on New York City.
About Ellen Thompson:
Ellen Thompson is an award-winning screenwriter, a musical playwright, and the daughter of bestselling author Victoria Thompson. Ellen earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She lives in Los Angeles and advocates for Lyme and other tick-borne disease awareness.
My thoughts:
I have long been a fan of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries. As I live in New York, I loved how the books featured many familiar neighborhoods. I also enjoyed watching Sarah and Frank’s relationship evolve over the course of the series. It was a bonus to spend time with their daughter. I had not read any of the books in her second series but here is one title that has characters from both. I suspect that I will now go back and read that other series.
This book will, I think, be enjoyed by those who like historical mysteries with good characters and interesting plots. Fans of either series will be delighted to see the two joined.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Editorial reviews:
CITY OF PROMISES
by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026
A delightfully amusing story of competing cons with some socially relevant historical tidbits adding depth.
Combining two of her popular series, Gaslight Mysteries and Counterfeit Lady Novels, produces a fitting valedictory for Victoria Thompson, who died in 2024. Her daughter Ellen finished writing the book for her.
Frank Malloy is a former New York City detective who inherited money and formed his own agency. His wife, Sarah, is from an old money family who went her own way to become a midwife and now runs a women’s clinic. They approach upper-crust lawyer Gideon Bates—whose wife, Elizabeth, comes from a much different background—to help them with a difficult personal problem. After she lost her first love in World War I, Frank and Sarah’s adopted daughter, Catherine, a well-known actress with money of her own, is set on marrying a man she hasn’t known for long. Malloy has operatives tracking Sebastian Talbot and digging into his background, but so far they’ve found nothing on the man. Though Frank and Sarah hope Gideon knows of a way to legally protect Catherine’s money, he has to disappoint them. Instead, Gideon discusses the matter with his mother and Elizabeth, whose father is the supreme con artist of New York. Elizabeth recognizes a con when she sees one, as she’s run a few herself, and she and Gideon visit the Malloys to discuss the problem. The Malloys suggest they all meet in Catherine’s dressing room after her performance the next night; they can go out for dinner afterwards and get to know Catherine and Talbot. Convinced that Talbot is indeed a con artist, Elizabeth decides they must run a con of their own to unmask him, and they all pitch in to help. A delightfully amusing story of competing cons with some socially relevant historical tidbits adding depth. –Kirkus Reviews
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 