Over the last few months, I have struggled to find historical fiction novels that truly grabbed me. A big part of the issue for me is that a lot of historical fiction novels feature dual timelines, and that is not a framing device I enjoy. So, when I saw that there is a new historical novel out, with a single timeline set in Gilded Age New York with an all-female group of con-artists pulling off a massive scam, I knew that this was my “return” to the genre! And I was not wrong, not at all. For our first Book Bite of 2026, we have My Fair Frauds by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperMuse for providing an Advanced Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.
My Fair Frauds, Lee Kelly, Jennifer Thorne
The Grand Duchess Marie Charlotte Antonie of Linsbourg–a war-torn country known for its wealth of emeralds–has taken Gilded Age high society by storm. Little does the upper crust know that this “deposed duchess” is actually con artist Alice, a vengeful young woman with her sights set on the five ruthless robber barons who destroyed her father and left her family in shambles.
Alice’s long con plan finally clicks into place when she meets scrappy magician’s assistant Cora, a drifter with 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 1883, 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.
Why You Should Read This…
I’ve got to say, I have not had this much fun in a historical fiction book in months! I’ve certainly enjoyed them in different ways, but My Fair Frauds is the perfect mix of excitement, high jinks, dangers, and badass women that make for one of the most entertaining books of the year for me!
Gilded Age New York is a fantastic setting. We’ve got the obnoxiously wealthy, the no-longer wealthy, and the people that orbit around them for a variety of reasons- it is a great choice for the setting of a con. This feels like it absolutely could be a storyline on The Gilded Age in the best way. The opulence, the attitudes, the arrogance- it all comes together.
I also loved that the crew is made up of women, and distinct characters at that. When it comes to heists, women often get written as either seducers or jilted lovers/wives, and neither of those apply to Cora, Alice, or anyone else in the crew. I finished the book thinking that I would love to spend a day with everyone involved with the con, and that is high praise.
Want more books set in the Gilded Age? Find my reading list here!
Is My Fair Frauds on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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