Victoria Thompson began her writing career as the bestselling author of 20 historical romance novels, which gave her great admiration for life in the 19th Century. Her work includes the USA Today bestselling historical Gaslight Mysteries series, which has been nominated for six Agatha Awards, an Edgar® Award, and a Bruce Alexander Award. The Gaslight Mysteries follow socialite-turned-midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy as they solve murders in turn-of-the-twentieth-century New York City. Thompson’s historical Counterfeit Lady series, which was nominated for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award by Mystery Writers of America, features Elizabeth Miles, a young conwoman who finds herself embroiled in intrigue in early 1900s New York City.

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education from the University of Maryland. In 2012, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, a program for which she was also a professor from 2000-2023. Additionally, she taught in the Continuing Education Department at Penn State University and was a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences across the country. In 2012, she received a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times magazine.

Thompson passed away peacefully at home in Long Grove, IL on August 23, 2024 after a years-long battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, two daughters who are both writers, and three grandchildren.