“Where did that dog come from?” I asked my father. I had stopped by his saloon with my mother-in-law, who was craving a Gin Rickey. It was a hot afternoon in New York City, and with Prohibition, there was no way to get a cocktail legally. Luckily—or perhaps unluckily—my father, known as the Old Man, owned a speakeasy.

As usual, off-duty con men crowded the place. None of them seemed aware of the dog that was tied to a barstool.

“He was part of a con,” the Old Man said, running a hand through his silver hair. The three of us were seated at a table with cold drinks in front of us.

“How do you con someone with a dog?” Mother Bates asked. She loved hearing about cons, especially from the Old Man.

“A well-dressed man enters a small shop with a dog and asks the clerk to watch it while he goes to an important meeting. He says the dog is a show dog that’s worth a lot of money, and he gives the stranger ten dollars to look after it.”

“He gives the mark money?” Mother Bates asked, using the grifter lingo she had picked up from my family. The Old Man, a master con artist, taught me and my brother, Jake, the game while we were growing up, but I stopped conning years ago. Jake talked about going straight, but he had yet to do so.

“Yes, to win his trust,” I explained.

“Exactly,” the Old Man said. “And to awaken his greed. Moments after the dog owner leaves, another man comes in, sees the dog, and says he’s been looking for a dog of that exact breed. He offers the mark two hundred dollars for it.”

“Two hundred dollars!” Mother Bates marveled.

“But the mark can’t sell because he doesn’t own the dog,” I said.

“The con man gives him a fifty-dollar deposit and his address to pass along to the dog’s owner and leaves,” the Old Man said. “Then the dog owner returns, looking sad. He says his deal didn’t go through, and he’s in a tough spot financially.”

“So the mark—having spotted an opportunity—offers to buy the dog for fifty dollars, thinking he can sell it for two hundred,” I said.

“The dog owner says fifty isn’t nearly enough,” the Old Man continued. “Usually, the mark will pay close to two hundred. Then he goes to the address to sell the dog, and it’s a fake address.”

“So how did the dog end up here?” I asked.

“The mark gave the dog back and kept the sixty dollars,” the Old Man said.

I laughed.

“Don’t laugh,” he said. “It happened to Jake. He said the dog is bad luck and left him here.” He stood up and walked over to the dog, who wagged his tail as the Old Man untied the leash and led him over to the table. “Meet my new dog, Lucky,” he said.

Giveaway: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a print copy of CITY OF PROMISES. Age 18+, one entry per person. U.S. residents only, please. The giveaway ends August 7, 2026. Good luck everyone!

CITY OF PROMISES
Series: A Counterfeit Lady Novel, Book 8
Genre: Cozy Historical Mystery
Release: July 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org

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 clear 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 the authors
Victoria Thompson is the USA Today bestselling, Edgar® and Agatha Award–nominated author of the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady Novels. Victoria passed away in August 2024 after a years-long battle with cancer. Her daughter, Ellen Thompson, is carrying on Victoria’s legacy by continuing to write books in Victoria’s series.

Ellen Thompson is an award-winning screenwriter and musical playwright. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and she was an actor for nearly thirty years. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and pets, and she advocates for Lyme and other tick-borne disease awareness.