Parlor Games

Praise

“A captivating tale narrated by [an] irresistible and deliciously unreliable con-woman…. Wildly entertaining.” —Daisy Goodwin, author of The American Heiress
  
“Prepare to be joyously fleeced. . . . A true pleasure, something like munching your way through a box of chocolates all by yourself.” —Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker
 
“Like Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair before her, May Dugas—delightfully unrepentant—charms with tantalizing glimpses of her con games.” —Eva Stachniak, author of The Winter Palace

“A story of scheming, ladder-climbing and scandal during the Gilded Age.” –The Oregonian

“Parlor Games is both playful and deeply serious in its portrayal of one determined woman’s battle to make her way in a man’s world. You’ll be cheering for May Dugas as she cons her way across the continents. She’s a terrific creation.” —Matt Rees, author of Mozart’s Last Aria

“An engaging glimpse into a character who categorically eludes our attempts to define her.” —Kirkus Reviews 

“An entertaining romp across the globe, through bedrooms on several continents, and a fascinating insight into a very complicated, and perhaps totally amoral woman.” —State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

“Biaggio re-creates the deliciously fabulous foibles and follies of a woman born into hardscrabble circumstances but determined to make her way in the world with wit, beauty, and a brazen ability to exploit her feminine charms for a very high price. Whether one admires or reviles May, there’s no doubt that she [Biaggio] makes the most of every entertaining opportunity. . . . Sheer, frenetic fun.” —Booklist

“Mae West once quipped that ‘good girls go to heaven, but bad girls go everywhere,’ and this other May sure is one bad girl who goes everywhere. . . . Sparkles.” —Historical Novels Review