My Fair Frauds
A Novel
Published on 7. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-4003-4772-8 (ISBN)
Description
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 Wuerrtemberg--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 Wuerrtemberg'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.
The Grand Duchess Marie Charlotte Antonie of Wuerrtemberg--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 Wuerrtemberg'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.
Reviews / Votes
'Kelly and Thorne's latest is a worthy successor to THE STARLETS (2024), a fast-paced, female-led caper with humor, heart, and historical detail. Devotees of TV's The Gilded Age will revel in the sumptuous setting and high-society drama, while fans of feminist caper novels like Kirstin Chen's COUNTERFEIT (2022) and Alex Hay's THE HOUSEKEEPERS (2023) will appreciate the dynamic between Alice and Cora.' * Booklist starred review * '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 *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Focus
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
304 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4003-4772-8 (9781400347728)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Lee Kelly is the author of City of Savages, a Publishers Weekly "Best of Spring 2015" pick and a VOYA Magazine "Perfect Ten" selection; A Criminal Magic, which was optioned and developed for a television series by Warner Bros.; The Antiquity Affair, co-written with Jennifer Thorne; and With Regrets. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Gingerbread House, Orca, and Tor.com, among other publications, and she holds her MFA degree from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey, where you'll find them engaged in one adventure or another. Connect with her online at leekellyauthor.com; Facebook: @lee.y.kelly; Instagram: @leeykelly; X: @leeykelly.
Jennifer Thorne is an American author of books for adults and young readers who writes from a nineteenth-century Cotswold cottage in the medieval market town of Minchinhampton alongside her husband, two sons, and various other animals.
Born in a small town in Tennessee, Jenn grew up bouncing between her parents' homes in various other states and countries, with books as her constant companions, before returning to New York as a teen to study drama at NYU. Though acting had been her lifelong dream, she found that she was more fulfilled by writing performance vehicles for her friends than acting in them herself. After a move to Los Angeles, she detoured into writing and never looked back. Connect with her online at jenniferthorne.com; Facebook: @JennMarieThorne; Instagram: @jennmariethorne.
An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey, where you'll find them engaged in one adventure or another. Connect with her online at leekellyauthor.com; Facebook: @lee.y.kelly; Instagram: @leeykelly; X: @leeykelly.
Jennifer Thorne is an American author of books for adults and young readers who writes from a nineteenth-century Cotswold cottage in the medieval market town of Minchinhampton alongside her husband, two sons, and various other animals.
Born in a small town in Tennessee, Jenn grew up bouncing between her parents' homes in various other states and countries, with books as her constant companions, before returning to New York as a teen to study drama at NYU. Though acting had been her lifelong dream, she found that she was more fulfilled by writing performance vehicles for her friends than acting in them herself. After a move to Los Angeles, she detoured into writing and never looked back. Connect with her online at jenniferthorne.com; Facebook: @JennMarieThorne; Instagram: @jennmariethorne.