Description

‘Wonderfully vivid and compelling … A real page turner’ Elodie Harper, author of The Temple of Fortuna

‘An evocative gothic tale where nothing is quite what it seems’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

‘A sparkling gothic debut … reminded me of Sarah Waters’ Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl

GOOD SISTER. BAD SISTER. ONE LAST CON.

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.

Sylvie and Charlotte will need to deploy every trick to terrify the family out of their gold – until they experience inexplicable horrors themselves.

The sisters start to question if they really are at the mercy of a vengeful spirit. And what other deep, dark secrets threaten to come to light…?

Through twists and turns, Spitting Gold blends propulsive historical mystery with a captivating sapphic romance.

‘A tale of two sisters filled with spooky spirits, queer love, and high suspense’ Heat

Publisher Review

A compelling and atmospheric story of sisterhood and female agency, Spitting Gold is an evocative gothic tale where nothing is quite what it seems. * Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA * A clever, atmospheric and sparkling Gothic debut with compelling characters and brilliant prose. Reminded me of Sarah Waters. * Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl * Set in rain soaked 19th century Paris, Spitting Gold is tale of two sisters and a perfectly paced gothic heist. This world of spiritualist hucksters and scheming aristocrats is brilliantly evoked, and it’s a story told with real heart. * Tim Leach, author of THE LAST KING OF LYDIA * Carmella Lowkis’s confident debut twirls the reader into high society (and low) in a 19th century Paris deliciously recognisable in its modernity. Boasting a twisty plot, seances, sly humour, ghosts, a long con, and lesbians, the heart of the book is the affecting and frustrating relationship between two sisters. I devoured it. * ALLY WILKES, author of ALL THE WHITE SPACES * Twisty, compelling and oh-so-cleverly written, this tale of creepy seances, aristocrats and sisterhood has the same dark glamour as the 19th century Paris it evokes. * SONIA VELTON, author of BLACKBERRY & WILD ROSE * A magnificent debut … 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. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review *