My Fair Frauds - by Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne (Paperback)

About the Book

A high society fraud and a scrappy swindler team up to take down Gilded Age New York in this tale of intrigue, drama, and female friendship.

Book Synopsis

A high society fraud and a scrappy swindler team up to take down Gilded Age New York in this tale of intrigue, drama, and female friendship.

The Grand Duchess Marie Charlotte Antonie of Würrtemberg--a turmoil-plagued Germanic nation with closely guarded emerald mines--has taken Gilded Age high society by storm. Little does the upper crust know that Würrtemberg's mines are a sham and its "deposed duchess" is actually a con woman named Alice, a fallen woman out for revenge against the five ruthless robber barons who destroyed her father and left her family in shambles.

Alice's long investment con finally clicks into place when she meets a scrappy magician's assistant named Cora, a drifter who has lofty aspirations of her own, a malleable young lady who proves the perfect debutante pawn to lure in Alice's final, and otherwise unattainable, target.

With the help of insider and society maestro Ward McAllister, among others, Alice and Cora launch into the social season of 1884, scheming their way through grand balls, private dinners, and opera nights, ensnaring Alice's targets one by one. But as they hurtle toward their ultimate swindle, a sprawling orchestrated scheme at their fabricated embassy to rob their targets blind, pressures close in from all sides. Mutiny within the ranks, hidden moles, crises of conscience . . .

This sting is sure to be the event of the season. Or else ruin Alice and Cora both.

Review Quotes

'My Fair Frauds by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne is everything I hoped for--and more. Who knew I'd find myself cheering for a group of con women? But that's exactly what happened. With lost souls who stumble into found family, this cleverly crafted, utterly compulsive story is one I'll root for time and again.'--Jenni L. Walsh, USA TODAY bestselling author of Sonora

'My Fair Frauds?is an absolute triumph--a dazzling tale of intrigue, drama, and female friendship that hooked me from the very first page. Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne create a world so cinematic and immersive that I felt transported straight into the glittering, treacherous heart of Gilded Age New York. With complex, unforgettable characters and deliciously twisty plot turns, this story is as clever as it is compulsively readable. Alice and Cora's unlikely partnership had me cheering, gasping, and eagerly turning pages to see just how far their audacious con would go. Kelly and Thorne are masters of crafting richly drawn settings and dynamic storylines, and?My Fair Frauds?is a sparkling example of their combined brilliance. This book is an absolute delight--readers will not want to miss the swindle of the season!'--Jennifer Moorman, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Charmed Library

'My Fair Lady meets The Sting in this fun, fast-paced, Gilded Age tale of Alice, a beautiful and experienced con artist, her young but eager apprentice, Cora, and the colorful cast of grifters who will help Alice wreak revenge upon the greedy and vacuous robber barons who wronged her family so long ago. Rooting for a pack of swindlers has never been quite so fun--or so satisfying! Once again, the writing duo of Kelly and Thorne prove they are the Queens of Capers!'--Marie Bostwick, New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of The Book Club for Troublesome Women

'What a cheeky blast! Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne deliver a clever caper of Gilded Age glamour and smart girl fraudsters in their latest collaboration, and readers will be delighted. This was a delicious escape that entertained me to the last page!'?--Kimberly Brock, bestselling author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare

In their follow-up to THE STARLETS, Kelly and Thorne once again demonstrate a rare flair for creating strong bonds of friendship between an unlikely pair of women in an entertaining, character-rich (real-life figures Ward McAllister and Caroline Astor make appearances) historical . . . VERDICT: Fans of HBO's The Gilded Age will fall hard for this entrancing mix of historical fiction and Ocean's Eight-flavored crime caper.--Library Journal