Victoria Thompson's Blog

Ellen Thompson had a conversation with bestselling authors Jayne Ann Krentz, Anna Lee Huber and Christina Dodd about City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson. They talked about plotting a mystery, the difference between screenwriting and writing a novel, and more! > Click here to watch on Facebook<

Ellen Thompson wrote a short day-in-the-life story for Dru's Book Musings. Leave a comment on the post by 8/7/26 for a chance to win a hardcover copy of City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson. Here's a preview:

A Day in My Life ~ Elizabeth Bates by Ellen Thompson

“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.

> Click here to read more <

Victoria Thompson and Ellen Thompson in 1982

Victoria's daughter Ellen Thompson wrote a guest blog post for Chicks on the Case. She wrote about kismet in Victoria's book series. Leave a comment on the blog post for a chance to win a free hardcover copy of City of Promises. Here's a preview:

Kismet
by Ellen Thompson

In the 1980s, my mother, Victoria Thompson, was a bestselling historical romance author. Her career flourished until cowboys went out of style in the mid-’90s. She probably thought her writing career was over, but a few years later, her agent told her that publisher Berkley was looking for a writer for a new historical series in which a midwife solves murders in New York City.

My mom had written twenty historical novels, she was working with midwives in her job at the March of Dimes, and she had recently visited me in New York City and bought books about the city’s history. It seemed like an opportunity created specifically for her. She wrote a proposal that added a male police detective as the midwife’s sleuthing partner/love interest, and Berkley gave her the job. My mom called it "kismet." > Click here to read more <

City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson is now available everywhere books are sold in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook! Kirkus says it's “a delightfully amusing story of competing cons with some socially relevant historical tidbits adding depth."
> Click Here To Order <

Goodreads is giving away 50 Kindle copies of City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson.

>>Click Here To Enter<

US residents, Ages 18+. Enter by July 27, 2026. See official rules on entry page.

Berkley is giving away a bundle of four hardcover novels by Victoria Thompson including Murder in Rose Hill, Murder on Bedford Street, City of Betrayal, and City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson.

Click here to enter by July 20, 2026

Ages 18+. US Residents only. See official website for full details.

Barnes & Noble is having a preorder sale! Rewards members get 25% off all preordered books (including print, ebooks, and audiobooks) from June 23-26, 2026. Membership is free! Plus, premium members get an additional 10% off for print preorders only.

Use coupon code PREORDER25

>>CLICK HERE TO PREORDER CITY OF PROMISES BY VICTORIA THOMPSON WITH ELLEN THOMPSON<<

Berkley is giving away a bundle of nine mystery novels, including City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson.

>>Click here to enter the sweepstakes<<

Enter by June 25, 2026. US Residents, 18+. See official rules for full details.

Prize Includes:

Berkley is giving away ten hardcover copies of City of Promises! Enter by June 23, 2026

-Click here to enter-

Writing Murder on Pleasant Avenue was a joy on several levels. It is the 23rd book in the Gaslight Mystery Series, so every book in that series is kind of a miracle because I never expected the series to last beyond six books! So that’s exciting.

The second reason I enjoyed writing this book is because it features my favorite ethnic group, the Italians. My paternal grandparents emigrated from Italy as teenagers over 100 years ago, but my grandmother died young, so I never knew her, and I didn’t know my grandfather well. Most of what I know about them is second hand, but even that is fascinating. From the census records, we know that my teen-aged grandfather lived in a boarding house and my grandmother’s father lived in a boarding house next door. My great-grandfather had four daughters, and he brought them over one at a time and then finally brought his wife to America. Two of his daughters married the sons of the family he was boarding with and my grandmother married the boy who lived next door. Arranged marriages? Most likely! But I know my grandfather dearly loved his wife from the touching inscription on her headstone.

The third reason I loved writing this book is because it features Maeve and Gino, who are usually secondary characters in the series. A few years ago, they actually got their own book, Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue, and it was fun to give them a slightly larger role in this story, too. In this book, Gino is falsely accused of murder, and his friends must find the real killer to save him. Fans have been nagging me for a while now to get the Maeve and Gino together, so this was a great opportunity for them to grow a bit closer as a couple. Will they or won’t they? Since I started my career writing romance, you can rest assured that they will eventually get a happy ending. I just won’t promise how soon that will happen!

The final reason I enjoyed writing this book is because I got to dispel some myths about the mafia in it. Murder on Pleasant Avenue features The Black Hand, an early criminal group that preceded the mafia but was not actually connected to it. The Black Hand terrorized people by kidnapping women and children and selling protection. The mafia, who came along later, started out by counterfeiting, loan sharking and running a lottery (i.e. the numbers racket). The Black Hand eventually faded into history while the mafia grew more powerful. What most people don’t realize is that both groups got their start by preying mostly on other Italian immigrants.

In Murder on Pleasant Avenue, I got to show some Italian family life and enjoy vicariously what I missed because I never knew my grandmother. Did you have any relatives who are immigrants to America? Do you have some happy family memories you’d like to share?