In this all-new Counterfeit Lady Novel from USA Today bestselling author Victoria Thompson, newlywed Elizabeth Miles must use her unlawful skills to expose a dangerous charlatan. Elizabeth Miles Bates has returned from her honeymoon with Gideon and is taking great pride in having completely forsaken her disreputable past. Then her friend Anna Vanderslice begs her to use her talents to save her widowed mother from an unscrupulous medium. Since the war and the flu epidemic left so many families in mourning, séances have come back into vogue as desperate families long to communicate with their loved ones. Anna's mother has been attending séances in hopes of connecting with her son, David, who died of influenza. Anna had thought it a heartbreaking but harmless activity, but she's just learned that Mrs. Vanderslice is paying the medium ever-increasing sums of money in her eagerness to make contact. Since David's death has already caused Anna and her mother financial hardship, Mrs. Vanderslice's obsession is in danger of ruining them. Madame Ophelia is working with a group of con artists to fleece as many grieving New Yorkers as possible before moving on to another city. Several of Mrs. Vanderslice's friends, as well as some of Gideon's clients, have already been victims. Elizabeth knows that simply exposing the medium as a fraud will not be enough to recoup the stolen money; the only way is to con the medium and her cohorts. But will Elizabeth's family help her when it means betraying other con artists? Elizabeth recruits Gideon, her aunt Cybil, and her partner, Zelda, to lend a hand. Can Elizabeth and her gang of amateurs fool the professionals? Or will speaking to the dead lead to deadly consequences? Victoria Thompson is the Edgar® and Agatha award-nominated author of the Gaslight Mysteries including Murder on Pleasant Avenue , and the Counterfeit Lady Mysteries including City of Scoundrels . CHAPTER one   Elizabeth looked up from the letter she'd been writing when the maid announced the unexpected arrival of her best friend, Anna Vanderslice. Before she could rise to greet Anna or even open her mouth to ask the maid to show Anna in, Anna brushed unceremoniously past the startled maid and cried, "Elizabeth, you've got to help me!"   Being a gently reared young lady, Anna wasn't given to outbursts like this, especially in front of the servants. "Of course, I'll help you," Elizabeth said, rising quickly from the small lady's desk where she'd been sitting and moving to where Anna stood, anxiously wringing her hands, just inside the library doorway. "Lucy, would you bring us something cool to drink?" Elizabeth asked the still-flustered maid.   Lucy scurried out, obviously glad to escape what promised to be a strange situation.   "What's the matter?" Elizabeth asked, taking Anna's hands in hers. They were like ice in spite of the warm day. "What kind of help do you need?"   The despair that clouded Anna's face truly frightened Elizabeth. She hadn't seen her friend so upset since Anna's brother, David, had died of influenza last fall. "Oh, Elizabeth, I . . ." She glanced at the still-open library door, obviously just realizing that she shouldn't be discussing anything upsetting where the servants could hear.   "Sit down," Elizabeth said, hurrying to close the door and give Anna the privacy she needed.   Anna took one of the comfortable chairs placed in front of the now-cold fireplace, sighing wearily as she sank down into it. Elizabeth took the other chair when she had shut the door securely. The chairs had been chosen for comfort so two gentlemen could sit and smoke and converse in the quiet of this cozy book-lined room at the end of a long day, but they would serve just as well for women to share a bit of bad news.   "Now what is it?" Elizabeth demanded almost desperately.   "It's Mother."   "Your mother?" Elizabeth echoed in alarm. "Is she ill?"   "Oddly, no," Anna said with a frown. "You knew she took to her bed after David died. I think her heart was truly broken."   "She came to my wedding," Elizabeth reminded her.   "And she would sometimes go to church, but until recently, she rarely left her bedroom."   "But recently?"   Anna sighed. "Recently, she has discovered a medium."   Elizabeth blinked in surprise. "You mean, a fortune-teller?"   "Oh, she's far more than a fortune-teller. She conducts sŽances."   Elizabeth knew a little about sŽances and what she knew wasn't good. "Does she make the table move and do the spirits knock in coded raps to convey messages?"   "I have no idea, but Mother is convinced this woman, this Madame Ophelia," Anna added in disgust, "can contact David."   "Oh dear."   "Yes, oh dear," Anna agreed.   For a long moment, the two friends silently considered this very disturbing situation.   Then Elizabeth found something comforting to say. "I know it must be upsetting to you, but if it gives her some peace to think that-"   "You don't think this woman can really talk to Davi