City of Shadows

Set in post-WWI New York City, Thompson’s subpar fifth Counterfeit Lady mystery featuring grifter turned suffragist Elizabeth Miles (after City of Schemes) pits newly married Elizabeth, now Mrs. Gideon Bates, against a savvy crook. The crook, posing as Madame Ophelia, a psychic medium, is bankrupting emotionally vulnerable targets, some of whose loved ones died in the war or during the flu epidemic, including the mother of Elizabeth’s best friend, Anna Vanderslice. Mrs. Vanderslice is eager to contact her son, David, who died of the flu. Elizabeth comes up with a risky plan to save Mrs. Vanderslice from Madame Ophelia and her crew of scam artists. Enlisting her brother, Jake, and her aunt Cybil to help, Elizabeth attempts an audacious con. The intriguing and inspiring Elizabeth makes up only in part for the lack of mystery and a predictable plot that builds to an anticlimactic conclusion. Furthermore, there’s little focus on the development of major characters, which lessens this installment’s interest and impact. Hopefully, Thompson will return to form next time. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (Dec.)