Parlor Games: A Novel Kindle Edition

The protagonist was clearly charismatic and compelling in real life -- most con artists are. However, the story was so measured that I didn't think that aspect of her character was captured at all. I just didn't feel the sparkle she had to have possessed and didn't feel any "chemistry" between her and any of her suitors. For instance, it's entirely forgettable why her husband, the Baron, would have been so captivated by her at the opera. The only detail about her appearance was her diamond necklace offset by her gown. Was she in high spirits? Blushing prettily and laughing? Keeping others enthralled? We don't know. She "chatted" with another man and other than that, may have been a potted plant. And yet, typically writings of the time are full of tantalizing and rollicking details of this nature.Given that the people are no longer living, I did not understand why names were changed "for the sake of discretion," particularly since their identities are readily discerned. It's just an unnecessary stumbling block for the interested reader to find out more information or to find a more captivating account. For instance, the real life obituary of her "Johnny" is a fascinating read and contains an insinuation that he may have been murdered. That's gripping stuff. The years long animus between the Pinkerton detective and her should have been skin-tingling and gut-wrenching for the reader, with a final battle between worthy opponents. I just didn't feel it. At the very end, he was reported by Daisy to have been in the waiting room but there really isn't any near miss ... despite her disguise.I also didn't feel like I was "there" in Shanghai, Tokyo, London, San Francisco, etc; it felt flat and two-dimensional. I struggled to figure out why because certainly hotels were named and events took place. I think it's that the landscape, city streets, buildings etc. were not described with colors or smells. Colors seemed to be almost exclusively reserved for clothing, jewelry and furnishings. The only smells that I can recall were those that came from inside rooms and I believe only one smell came from outside the US. Those kinds of details really make a place come alive but were just utterly lacking.I also would have liked some insight into how she changed and grew from a young woman into the middle-aged woman she became. Did she feel like she had honed her skills? Was her sleep troubled by dreams of the people she harmed? Did she get glee from the damage? Did she feel powerful? What did she think was the source of her power? Her beauty? Her conversational skills? Did she shrug off all responsibilities on to her marks and her accomplices? Everything just felt so matter-of-fact. While this may have been written as a letter to a dear/fair/gentle reader, it's far too guarded and circumspect to be the story she claims, at the beginning, to be willing to share with those she "can truly trust." In any case, that literary device all but vanished pretty quickly after the beginning of the book... so no intimacy was developed. Is that because she trusted no one or is it because there just is no "there" there to her? I couldn't tell.I guess, ultimately, I had expected to glean insight into her psychology, the psychology of her victims, or into a different worldview that was present at the time and in the different cultures. I just didn't find it.I'm aware that another reviewer, who doesn't seem to have posted much beyond responses to negative reviews of this book, is likely to sweep in and criticize my review. Let me assure that reviewer that I did, in fact, read the book in question. I simply did not like it.

Parlor Games is a completely enjoyable read. I love historical fiction, and in this impressive first novel, Biaggio has clearly done her research and woven it into a fast-paced and spellbinding tale. The exquisite descriptions about the surroundings and fashions of the turn of the last century placed me squarely in that era.I'd never heard of the main character, May Dugas, before reading this book. Apparently, she was the subject of a Pinkerton investigation and a well-publicized trial. Biaggio takes you back-and-forth between her protagonist's description of this trial and the events of this woman's very colorful life.May is a woman who lives in a time when women were expected to marry and raise families. It is clear from the beginning that May wanted a more exciting life, she set out to get it, and indeed she did. And the story of how she did is fascinating, and most of all, fun to read.The book quotes the Pinkerton Detective, who pursued her through much of her life, as referring to her as: "The most dangerous woman in the world". When I first read that, I expected she was going to be involved in in some type of criminal activity that would erode my sympathy for her. At the very least I thought I would feel something akin to my feelings about Bonnie of the notorious Bonnie and Clyde Barrow's gang. However, May lived in a time when a woman was considered extremely dangerous, perhaps mostly because she was able to manipulate men into getting what she wanted. Ironically, at this very time, the male dominated world was destroying a global economy without repentance or reservation.May certainly uses her feminine beauty and wiles to extort fortunes from men willing to fall into her orbit. But as a reader, she also captivated me, and I eagerly followed her unfolding life of drama, intrigue, and cunning. Although sometimes I wasn't always sure whether I admired or disapproved of May, mostly I came to understand and sympathize with a powerful woman who used the resources that she had to succeed in a world that did not welcome strong women.Often when I finish a work of historical fiction, I immediately want to know more about what the other facts of the case were and where the author embellished to fill out this compelling novel. In this regard, Parlor Games is no different. I am left with many questions about this woman's life and times, and I am very tempted to do some research on my own to learn more about her.I eagerly await more from this talented author.

I so much enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction and connecting with the character.In this book, the main character wants to live a glamorous life yet still provide for her family back home. She, as well as the rest of her family, are not very good at budgeting money and she is always on the hunt to be a kept woman, yet she struggled to be free.The story begins with the main character, whom went by many aliases, going to court from a close girlfriend who felt that she was taken advantage of and stripped of all of her savings. It switches back and forth from the court room to her telling the true story of her life in first person. Although she is basically a money grubbing woman who uses her looks to get what she wants, she manages to suck you into her story so that you find yourself rooting for her and wanting her to get it together and find some luck. You can't help but feel that she really is trying to live a good life, but as soon as she settles into a good life, there is an investigator who steps in and shames her into leaving. And because of these instances ruining her chances of living a good life, she ends up going back to her gold-digging ways.I was pleased to find out after reading the book that the main character was a real person which somehow makes the book even better for me because I feel like I really connected with her and wanted her to make it in life, fair and square.