The Queen of Fives

Bridgerton meets The Sting in this effervescent offering from Hay (The Housekeepers). In 1898, London con artist Quinn Le Blanc, known as the Queen of Fives, sets her sights on Max, the wealthy Duke of Kendal, whom she plans to marry and fleece out of his fortune. Pretending to be an heiress, she finagles an invitation to a party at Buckingham Palace, where she catches Max’s eye while pretending to stop a fake royal assassination plot. According to the Rulebook that governs confidence schemes, Quinn has exactly five days to spring her trap. Standing in her way are Max’s sister and their formidable stepmother, both of whom have reasons for not wanting to see the marriage take place. As Quinn and Max get to know each other, she realizes she’s not the only one well-versed in the art of deception. Hay has conceived of a wholly original take on Victorian London and populated it with a gallery of colorful underworld types. The plotting will have readers on the edges of their seats as one twist after another sets the stage for a series of jaw-dropping revelations. This literary confection is a delectable treat. (Jan.)