Set in 19th-century Paris, this gothic mystery follows two estranged sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte, as they attempt one last con on an aristocratic family. The de Jacquinots, who live on the fringes of polite society, are haunted by the vengeful spirit of their great aunt, brutally murdered during the French Revolution.

This stellar debut is rich with intricate moments that seamlessly align the plot. The atmospheric setting drives the story forward, immersing readers in the novel's eerie charm. Both sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte, have strong, well-developed personalities consistently backed by their actions. I always appreciate when an author understands their characters deeply and keeps them true to themselves.

The con itself was a blast to read about, filled with suspense and moments that blur the line between reality and skulduggery. The characters' reflections on their pasts and how they ended up in their current situation add depth to the narrative. The pacing is strong, a trait often hit or miss in debut novels, and it propels the story at a readable, engaging rate.

This book is great for mystery lovers, people who appreciate gothic settings, and anyone who enjoys Sarah Penner's novels. I greatly look forward to seeing what this author will do next.

Carmella Lowkis' debut novel, "Spitting Gold," imbues clever gothic conventions with a tale of ambition, deception, and supernatural intrigue set in 19th-century Paris. At the heart of the story are two sisters, Sylvie and Charlotte Mothe, whose childhoods were spent fleecing wealthy neighbors by posing as mediums. This shared enterprise changes dramatically after the death of their compassionate mother, leaving them under the care of their alcoholic father.

Sylvie, the elder sister, resolves to escape their dire circumstances by securing a wealthy husband, abandoning Charlotte in her pursuit of a better life. However, Charlotte soon approaches Sylvie with a tantalizing proposition for one final con involving the allegedly haunted de Jacquinot family. Though initially resistant, Sylvie is drawn back into the world of deception she knows so well. As they delve into the haunting, Sylvie starts to suspect that the ghost they are dealing with might be more real than they ever anticipated. Shifting the perspective from Sylvie to Charlotte midway through the novel offers a fresh and surprising viewpoint on the events that have unfolded. This switch adds depth to the story, enriching the reader's understanding of the sisters' complex relationship and their individual motivations. Adding to the intrigue is a romantic subplot between Charlotte and Florence, the youngest member of the de Jacquinot family. Florence's determination and the spectral presence of her great-aunt Sabine, who died during the Revolution, infuse the seances with tension and unexpected twists. The sisters' con takes on new dimensions as the lines between reality and the supernatural blur.

Lowkis excels in bringing post-Revolution Paris to life, with its juicy details and atmospheric settings. The novel is sprinkled throughout with insider knowledge of how to stage a haunting, adding authenticity to the sisters' schemes. Echoes of Perrault’s fairy tales, particularly the story of a good sister and a bad one, resonate throughout the novel, giving "Spitting Gold" its evocative title.

The story occasionally loses momentum as it nears its conclusion, and the tone shifts from darkly comic to more sensational, but these elements do not detract from the overall enjoyment. Readers will likely appreciate the layered deceptions, the richly drawn historical backdrop, and the intricate dynamics between the sisters' shared history.

"Spitting Gold" is a promising debut that offers a fresh take on gothic fiction with an intricate plot, well-crafted characters, and an atmospheric setting.

A captivating story unfolds in "Spitting Gold," where two sisters collaborate as spirit mediums in Paris, offering their services to families plagued by hauntings or perceived possession. Part 1, narrated by Sylvie, the elder sister who had temporarily abandoned their deceptive practices upon marrying a Baron, stands out with its engaging depiction of their elaborate performances and the unexpected dark twists they encounter. Despite Sylvie's initial reluctance, she is drawn back into the séance world at her sister's insistence, leading to sinister developments.

In contrast, Part 2 shifts focus to Charlotte, the younger sister, as the narrator. While it delves into moments of suspense and heightened drama, I found myself skimming through much of it due to the prolonged narrative and easily discernible outcomes. Despite this, the novel offers several surprising plot twists that add an element of intrigue.

Overall, "Spitting Gold" delivers an entertaining narrative, albeit with occasional stretches of exaggerated drama. The interplay between the sisters and their dubious trade provides a unique backdrop, combining elements of suspense and the supernatural with a touch of whimsy that, while somewhat implausible, remains enjoyable.

One thing I don't enjoy about a book are infuriating characters that I can't understand the motives of. This had that in spades. I feel like the publisher really messed up with the blurb for this book, which is my other big pet peeve for reading. This is less on the author than on the publishers for giving me a false sense of what this book really is about. I just couldn't get behind the plot or characters of this book.

i thought this was a good read but i started to get bored half way through.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an e-arc!

Finished 07/015/2024 || Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis || #SpittingGold #NetGalley #Historical #Mystery #Thriller #Queer #Sapphic #LGBTQAI

Thank you NetGalley, Carmella Lowkis, and Atria Books for making this e-ARC available!
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author and myself.
All of my thoughts are my own~

5 Stars

CW: abuse, neglect, death, abandonment, homophobia, child abuse

For full transparency college has been eating away at my leisurely time, but this was also a read now title that I picked up after it's publication date

Good lord. This was one hell of a mental and emotional ride. I loved all 3 women and I guess I may be a an outlier there, but Sylvie, Charlotte, and Florence were all wonderful and complex individuals and I wanted so badly to wrap them all up and hold them tightly and get them the hell out of their hectic lives. Truly for a historical mystery/thriller, this book captures the struggle and emotional burden women faced during this time and how much misogyny and homophobia really ran rampant and the haunting took more of a backseat.

I didn't want the book to end and was sorta disappointed there was not more. I wanted to explore more and experience the characters a lot more!

Anyways I really love mysterious, hauntingly miserable and cursed books like this and it reminded me somewhat of the vibes from Plain Bad Heroines for this exact reason.

**SPOILERS** KIND OF:
There were a few things I wanted more explanation of- what really happened to their mama. Who was Mimi seeing because I felt it was important or interconnected to what the women were enduring and what had been whispered about previously. I wanted to know how Alexandre came up with his conclusions. And in general I wanted more exploration of everyone and their lives - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I also wanted to experience everyone in a more happier tone

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC.

I must admit it took me months to get to a point where I couldn't finish it. I tried but it gave me a read block, i haven't had in a long while. I couldn't get in to the story at all.

I was terribly bored. I couldn’t finish this. I feel like it actually wasn’t what I was expecting based on the synopsis provided. Ince it switch POV’s and started retelling everything, I gave up. Sorry, but I do appreciate getting the opportunity to read. I DNF’d at 70%. It took me 4 months to get to that point.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher the the arc I didn't read in time. I ended up listening the audio and I really enjoyed that. This is such a cool story. Up until the halfway point I thought it was going to be a five star read. Going back and seeing everything from Charlotte's POV was fun but it lost the intrigue and momentum.

This is an interesting take on spiritualism in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When the Mothe sisters are hired for one last spiritual contact with the dead, their lives completely change. It's an introspection of hysteria, society and how spiritualism was viewed at the time.

Talk about TWISTS and TURNS! Spitting Gold is historical fiction gold with some twists that I never could have expected. I enjoyed the reunion of the Mothe sisters, their clever deceptions and the unexpected love story at the center of it all.

Carmella Lowkins’s new historical novel, Spitting Gold (Atria Books 2024), is a fabulously atmospheric story with a twisting plot that keeps you guessing until the very end!

Spitting Gold is set in nineteenth-century Paris. Baroness Sylvie Devereux has worked tirelessly for years to distance herself from her old life, embarking on a career of respectability with her devoted husband. However, when her estranged sister, Charlotte Mothe, appears on her doorstep with a compelling proposal, Sylvie is drawn back into a world she thought she’d left behind. The two women enjoyed a career as popular spirit mediums—all their visitations an elaborate ruse to trick wealthy patrons—before Sylvie disowned her family. But with their father sick and Charlotte’s debts climbing, Sylvie agrees to help her sister perform one final con on the de Jacquinot family, aristocrats who are convinced their great aunt who was murdered during the French Revolution is haunting the family and the house.

As the sisters begin to orchestrate their old tricks to encourage the family to part with their fortune, strange and inexplicable events begin to occur, drawing the sisters into a haunting they begin to fear could be very real. As secrets between the sisters and the de Jacquinot’s come to light, Sylvie learns that she may not be able to outrun her past.

As a neo-Victorian mystery novel with a sapphic subplot, Spitting Gold is a smashing good time. Lowkins draws on the history of nineteenth-century table turning and the obsession with the female spirit medium—who indeed became a kind of celebrity in this period—to stage her suspenseful plot. Add to this a dash of lesbian romance and this novel is perfect for readers of Sarah Waters and Emma Donoghue.

I was really impressed with Spitting Gold. It has a thoroughly engaging plot and the writing really draws you into the story. It’s structured so that the reader has little idea what to believe as Sylvie and her sister try to con—and then cope with—the de Jacquinot family and the strange happenings at their home. Lowkins starts us off with one kind of novel with Sylvie at the center, and then abruptly turns everything on its head with so many delightful twists. I had no idea where this novel was heading and I was thoroughly surprised by the ending!

I had such a great time reading Spitting Gold. It is the perfect summer read and great for fans of queer historical fiction and lovers of atmospheric literary novels.

Please add Spitting Gold to your TBR on Goodreads and follow Carmella Lowkins on Instagram.

I loved the concept of seeing both sides of the same storyline. This is a great concept for real life; one should always try to see all sides. This book was able to make you fall for the “ bad guy”

Thank you for this ARC!

Was having a great time at the beginning until there was a POV swap. Unfortunately, it left me feeling confused and like I was rereading the same story over and over again

i'm normally not a big fan of historical fiction, but surprisingly i actually loved the setting. i thought the mystery was really well planned out and thoroughly enjoyed the first part. that being said, i thought some of the twists were a bit lackluster and the resolution was kind of boring.

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis is a thrilling story of romance and mystery, and I loved it. Set in the later half of the 19th century in Paris, it follows estranged sisters Sylvie and Charlotte who unite for one last con. But while executing their scheme strange things start happening to them, and the story unfolds.

The book hooks you from the prologue and keeps your attention right to the very end. The language is beautiful and very fitting for the story. I loved the settings and the atmosphere. I actually did not mind how the book changed in the middle, I thought it was great to see the other perspective. I can however agree with some other reviewers that it sometimes didn’t fit the ghost/thriller category perfectly.

If you like stories set in the 1800s, sapphic romance, cons, stories with twists and turns, and magic, then you’ll love this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book!

Honestly, I’m struggling to review this book. I had a hard time getting invested (for about 50 pages), then hit the character narrative change in part two and, as many other reviewers have shared, am having a hard time with the second half.

I loved her writing, but felt it wasn’t really genrified correctly in marketing. Some say thriller, some say gothic ghost. It wasn’t really spooky or thrilling enough to be either.

This is a fast paced and atmospheric story about heists, lies, lesbians, and vengeful spirits in 1860s Paris.

Two estranged sisters and former (fake) spirit mediums reunite for one last gig in order to make the money necessary for doctors before their father dies.

I liked that the point of view switched to the other sister a little more than halfway through the book, so that after getting all of the "facts" from one angle, you could see the realities and motivations that the other woman was experiencing. This played into the title well, which is from a folk tale where one sister, the good one (whoever that is) spits gold, and the other toads.

Modern Mrs. Darcy included this in the summer reading guide for 2024 and this novel did not disappoint. I felt like I was swept away into the era, living two lives. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the dual perspectives, but over time it grew on me. I don't think it's a perfect work of fiction, but I found it gripping and unputdownable (which is the highlight of any good summer read. I liked the Sapphic elements and the mystery of it all, and I definitely did not guess the twists and turns of the story. Rounding up to five stars and I highly recommend it as a spooky and ultimately delightful read this summer or anytime. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for this unbiased opinion.

A fairy tale retelling, almost. I was not familiar with the fair tale of the two sisters but even without that knowledge the author explained the original fairy tale in the plot without being heavy handed with it. The switch of point of view added a lot of depth to the story.