Victoria Thompson, 1948-2024

I just received the sad news that one of my favorite historical mystery authors recently passed away. From the press release:

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Victoria Thompson, 76, of Long Grove, IL passed away on August 23, 2024 after a years-long battle with cancer. Known by her friends and family as Vicki, she was an award-winning, bestselling author of over 50 novels, including the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady Novels. She was also a college professor, mentor, and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

Born Victoria Ellen Straface in Washington, DC on July 25, 1948, Vicki graduated from the University of Maryland in 1970. In 2012, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, a program for which she was also a professor from 2000-2023. Thompson was a deeply respected and admired mentor who championed her students and delighted in watching their writing journeys take shape.

Starting in 1985, Vicki published 20 historical romance novels before pivoting to historical mysteries in 1999 with the USA Today bestselling Gaslight Mystery series. The series follows socialite-turned-midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Molloy as they solve murders and fight injustice in turn-of-the-twentieth century New York City. Thompson first fell in love with New York during visits to the city when her daughter attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. The twenty-seventh Gaslight Mystery was published in April 2024.

While continuing to write the Gaslight books, Thompson started The Counterfeit Lady novels, a new historical series, featuring Elizabeth Miles, a young con woman who uses her skills to right wrongs and help those in need in early 1900s New York City. The seventh book was published in December 2023 and featured the harrowing days leading to women finally securing the right to vote in 1920, a story Thompson was proud to tell.

In 2012, she won a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times magazine, and she’s been nominated for numerous other awards, including Edgar® and Agatha Awards. Vicki also had a long and successful career as a non-profit fundraiser for March of Dimes and Lutheran Social Services (now SpiriTrust Lutheran) in Central Pennsylvania. In recent years, she served on the Board of Trustees of the Vernon Area Public Library in Lincolnshire, IL, a position she particularly enjoyed.

Vicki is survived by her husband of 55 years, Jim Thompson, her sister Sue (Joe) Bredekamp of Cheverly, MD, her daughter Lisa (Rob) Thompson of Long Grove, IL, her daughter Ellen (Dave) Thompson Nemetz of Los Angeles, CA, her three grandchildren, Liam Thompson, Ryan Thompson, and KJ Thompson, and her beloved cancer support group. Vicki and her infectious laugh will be greatly missed by all who knew her. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations can be made in Vicki’s memory to the Foundation for the Vernon Area Public Library District or SpiriTrust Lutheran.

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I first encountered Ms Thompson fairly late into her career, with City Of Secrets, the second book in her superlative Counterfeit Lady series. I swiftly fell in love with her fast-thinking grifter heroine Elizabeth Miles, as well as with Elizabeth’s family and friends. The final book in the series, City Of Betrayal, was more historical than mystery, a fact I noted while hoping that it wasn’t the end of these characters’ stories. Alas, now it is, and for the very saddest of reasons.

Ms Thompson wrote engaging, absorbing crime capers that really helped me better understand American history while keeping me utterly entertained. This reviewer will miss seeing her name on pitches in my inbox. It’s a small comfort to know that there’s still a terrific backlist of hers for me to explore, as her legacy of forthright feminism, charm and intellect live on through her wonderful books.