Agatha- and Edgar-nominated Victoria Thompson presents City of Betrayal, the engrossing seventh installment in the Counterfeit Lady series. Intrepid ex-con artist Elizabeth Bates is engaged in the suffragette movement's campaign to ratify the 19th Amendment. It's miserably hot in August of 1920 when Elizabeth, her husband, and her mother-in-law travel to Nashville, Tenn., where the legislature has scheduled a critical deciding vote on the amendment. They join other members of the movement in pressing state representatives and senators to confirm national voting rights for women. Unfortunately, a women's group works just as hard to block the amendment, and they're not above using free whiskey, bribes, and blackmail to defeat the cause. While Elizabeth and her friends lobby for passage of the amendment, they also scheme with Gideon to thwart the opposition. Much to the couple's surprise, Elizabeth's con artist father and brother are also at their hotel, running a grift. Elizabeth has avoided involvement but can't help but wonder if there's a way to employ a con to convince legislators to pass the amendment. Can she set aside her scruples and use her past criminal knowledge to save the current situation?
Thompson (City of Shadows) delivers intriguing characters and provides an entertaining window into the struggle to gain women's voting rights. Authentic historical details--glamorous fashion, fabulous Rolls Royce cars, the patriotic setting of the Tennessee Capitol building--immerse readers in the fascinating world of 1920. Political intrigue and behind-the-scenes machinations provide plenty of twists and turns and, although the story can be read as a standalone, readers will surely want to dive into the other entries in this excellent series. --Lois Faye Dyer, writer and reviewer