Spitting Gold
A Novel
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A deliciously haunting, “lush, and twist-filled tale” (CrimeReads) that blends gothic mystery with a captivating sapphic romance as two estranged sisters—celebrated (and fraudulent) spirit mediums—come back together for one last con in 19th-century Paris.
Paris, 1866: When Baroness Sylvie Devereux receives a house call from Charlotte Mothe, the sister she disowned, she fears her shady past as a spirit medium has caught up with her. But with their father ill and Charlotte unable to pay his bills, Sylvie is persuaded into one last con.
Their marks are the de Jacquinots: dysfunctional aristocrats who believe they are haunted by their great aunt, brutally murdered during the French Revolution.
The scheme underway, the sisters deploy every trick to terrify the family out of their gold. But when inexplicable horrors start to happen to them, too, the duo question whether they really are at the mercy of a vengeful spirit. And what other deep, dark secrets may come to light?
Perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Penner, Spitting Gold is “an auspicious first outing from a writer to watch” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Lowkis's magnificent debut, a spooky scam hatched by a pair of spiritist sisters in 1866 Paris causes them to reexamine their beliefs. As young girls, sisters Charlotte and Sylvie helped to support their family by staging séances for the gullible and bereaved. Sylvie, now in her mid-20s, is the reputable wife of a baron when Charlotte, six years her junior, cajoles her into fulfilling a request from the noble de Jacquinot family to make contact with an ancestor killed during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. The de Jacquinots' frail and sheltered daughter, Florence, is the only one in the family who claims to have seen the ghost, which the others are intent on contacting in hopes it will lead them to a family treasure. As the sisters become involved, they're surprised to witness actual evidence of paranormal activity. Lowkis skillfully orchestrates the contentious relationship between Sylvie and Charlotte, each of whom resort to subterfuges and schemes, and pulls off a series of surprising twists that completely change the shape of the story. It's an auspicious first outing from a writer to watch.
