Spitting Gold is full of magical twists and surprises. A lifelong power struggle between two drastically different sisters.
Will an end to their years long estrangement truly bring them together? It is for the reader to decide.
A classic tale of good versus evil.

Sylvie and Charlotte, two 19th century Parisian spiritist mediums must join together to carry out single-handedly the largest job in their career. Will they risk it all for love or family?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. Truly difficult to put down!

In 1886 Paris, Baroness Sylvie Devereux receives a visit and a request from her estranged sister. The only stipulation of her wedding to the Baron two years ago was that Sylvie cut ties with her family of con artists. Charlotte has come, because their father is ill and she cannot pay the bills. Sylvie is convinced to pull one last job.

The two will pretend to contact a great aunt of the de Jacquinots who was murdered during the French Revolution. Just a few visits and some of their old tricks should get them a purse full with no one the wiser. Except things happen that the sisters didn’t plan. Could this job be real? Is there actually a vengeful spirit this time?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love unreliable narrators and or situations, and with this one, for a while, we’re not really sure what’s going on, and the possibility of a real haunting is thrilling. I am a bit fascinated by the early spiritualists and the craze of contacting spirits and holding seances. \I loved the characters, the plot development, and the twists and turns. The evolution of the sisters’ relationship gives the story added depth and bonus for a bit of queer rep.

A fantastic debut. The story is dark and atmospheric and will transport the reader to 19th century Paris. It is a blend of secrets, spirts, and sibling rivalry.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The first half of the book, told from the elder sister’s perspective, was captivating and well written. The second half of the book, told from the younger sister’s perspective, was whiny and annoying. I thought gaining insight through the eyes of the younger sister would help to ease my dislike for her, but it further solidified my hatred. The over arching story however, was as unique as it was haunting, and allowed for a quick and enjoyable read.

This book was a really fun historical mystery. I enjoyed reading about these estranged sisters coming back together for one final con. I enjoyed the dual pov, and thought it was an interesting way to switch up the story halfway through.

I think "Spitting Gold" will appeal more to fans of Sarah Penner than Sarah Waters, and I thought of a connection to Laura Shepherd-Robinson, too. The first part of the novel is the most immersive: Sylvie, the older sister, has left the family grifting business to marry a baron, an older man who she loves. Her sister Charlotte appears to convince her to help the family out with one more spiritualist con. This decision costs Sylvie everything and she is stuck back in the swirling vortex of the father she despises and her twisty sister. Once Charlotte takes over the POV, "Spitting Gold" loses traction.

Novels about mid-19th century women spiritualists are sort of a trend now and If you are enjoying these stories, dig right in. Otherwise, this is an enjoyable read with plenty of nice period touches.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital advance review copy of this diverting novel.

Overall, Spitting Gold is a dark story with fascinating characters and relationships. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in easy historical mystery read. This book wanted to be so good. There are moments when you question if the author understands human emotion and then moments when you’re struck by the skillful way the author manipulates you and makes you hate each of the sisters in turn. But overall, with a comparison of being like Waters’ tales, it left me very unsatisfied.

I started reading this book as soon as I was approved for the arc and finished it in less than a day. I just couldn't put it down. It's as if Practical Magic met Penny Dreadful and was sapphic. I LOVED it. The story was original-two con women have one last score before they can put their past behind them-and this is helping an aristocratic French family learn the truth of their ancestor's murder during the French Revolution. The story is lush, the descriptions are brilliant, and the action and romance kept me up til 5 am reading it! I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

I can safely say I am not usually a fan of mystery, nor historical fiction. But if you say something is sapphic and reminiscent of Sarah Waters' writing, I'm going to pick it up.
This is a 19th-century, sapphic, gothic mystery centering two sisters -- who have seemingly put their fraudulent, con-artist spirit medium ways behind them -- come together for one last job that promises to be the payout of a lifetime.

I unfortunately DNF this around 60%.
The flow and dialogue felt stilted and stiff. The premise of this is amazing, but the execution fell flat.
I will revisit later and hopefully can appreciate it more.

Cheers!

With a dose of “Practical Magic” and gothic undertones, SPITTING GOLD is exactly the right book for anyone with a fondness for ouija boards and Salem.

The novel follows estranged sisters whose controversial careers as spiritualists created an impassable rift between them. While Sylvia has since reinvented herself as a noblewoman with her marriage, Charlotte has resigned herself to being their father’s caretaker at the end of his life. Even their shared grief for their mother, whose traumatic death in their childhood shaped them, is not enough to rebuild what is broken in their relationship.

Until an affluent family pleads for their intervention, that is. They are being haunted, they insist, and the ghost is a vengeful one. Of course, the compensation for the sisters
gifts as spiritualists will be generous - enough to grant the younger sister her independence, enough to assuage the older sister of her guilt for leaving her family behind.

What unfolds is an intricate and deliciously spooky ghost story set in a historical context that creates a perfect atmosphere for the events. Is this family hysterical, or is there truly a vindictive spirit in their home? Is this a con, or do the sisters have a genuine connection to whatever exists beyond the here and now? Bring your skepticism and your willingness to believe, because if you’re anything like me, you’ll be jumping between them with every new revelation in this book.

This book is written with precision and an almost lyrical quality. I typically do not enjoy multiple perspectives but here, each sister’s narration was intentional and meaningful. And for what it’s worth, the cover art and title are brilliant.

I’m not sure if there is more to come but I would absolutely read another in this series. If you love Sarah Penner or Dana Schwartz’ Anatomy series, you’ll devour SPITTING GOLD in just one night like I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advance reader’s copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

This was just plain fun. The writing, plot, and compelling were well done. Readers looking for a story to escape into, who are fans of Sarah Penner will love this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I LOVE this book; the author created a captivating story in which you will quickly ( and eagerly) become emotionally invested.

The plot: Paris, in the 19th century, a woman from an aristocratic family is victimized and discovers she is pregnant. After she gives birth, her grandfather lies and tells her child was stillborn, However, the woman better - she KNOWS her baby is alive and healthy, and she knows her family pulled her child from her loving arms and ruthlessly gave her tp someone else to raise.

With no money of her own, how can she get the one being that will make her life complete back in her arms? She comes up with a clever plan by visiting a medium, someone who can haunt her suspicious family members to trigger them to return her baby, or their dead fierce family member will make them all pay forever in the spiritual realm, and haunt them forever in the physical world.

This author is one to watch. With her clever and whip-smart imaginative talent, she will surely bring forth more literary gems in the future, I for one, can't wait!

An easy ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rated 5 stars originally, but came back and knocked a star off for grammatical issues - "weren't" is used at least two dozen times when "wasn't" should have been used, and 2nd sister's remembrance of an event (ch 12) duplicates EXACTLY the 1st sister's verbatim.

Needs, and deserves,a better editor.

You know you’re reading a truly spooky novel when you fear what you’ll see if you lift your eyes from the book and stare into the dark. Some scenes of Spitting Gold are like that. A historical novel set in 19th century Paris, a seance gone wrong is unbearably creepy. I really liked Sylvie, a fake psychic who managed to marry a Baron and get out of the gutter, leaving her sister behind. But that was my problem with the book, I didn’t like Charlotte at all. The bad sister, who had to stay behind and has no qualms about dragging Sylvie back into the world she escaped from. The first part would have gotten 5 stars from me but I just didn’t care for the second part. Sylvie is the narrator in the opening chapters and Charlotte takes over in the middle. She is manipulative and not a very good person. We are told that she is poor and simple and yet her narration is as flawless as cultured Sylvie’s. This didn’t work for me. The main twist was a little too predictable. I liked the ending but, by then, I wasn’t invested in the characters anymore. The book is well written and I loved how atmospheric it is. I think that the author is very talented, I may just not have been the right reader for this.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Atria Books.

Thanks to Atria Books & NetGalley for the prerelease copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an atmospheric gothic novel told from the perspective of two sisters in 1866 Paris. Sylvie and Charlotte have dealt with tragedy, separation and other difficulties in their past which is reflected in their complicated sibling relationship. Sylvie has a chance to help her younger sister but are things what they seem? There are many twists and turns, and it kept me guessing until the end. Well written and a very engaging story!

50% gothic mystery, 50% sapphic love story, 100% complicated sisterly love. Two estranged con artists sisters team up for one last con to cheat a “haunted” household out of some money — or is that really the play? The first half of the book is from the POV of Sylvie, the eldest sister, which is where most of the gothic/supernatural elements take place. The second half is from the POV of Charlotte, the younger sister, which contains the romance subplot and where the mystery is solved. This did lead to a large tonal shift in the middle and took a lot of the magic away for me, but it was still gripping with a satisfying ending (fear not; as with most gothics, the villain gets what they deserve). I swung wildly from loving Sylvie to hating her, and likewise with Charlotte. Made me torn between wanting a sister and feeling very glad that I don’t have one. Florence, you are flawless and I love you unconditionally.

The prose — beautiful! I have such a detailed vision of 1866 Paris and I feel like I’m going to have dreams of dusty, dingy homes and muffled voices in the walls.

I genuinely was expecting a supernatural horror scene during one of the seances in which Florence would start puking up bloody gold. This didn’t happen, so now that imagery is just trapped in my brain forever. Maybe my dreams of 1866 Paris will be nightmares.

Spitting Gold is a historical fiction mystery romance set in Paris during the height of the spiritualist movement. Sylvie and Charlotte are sisters who were famous spiritualists at one point. They are now estranged and Sylvie has created a new life for herself married to a Barron. But Charlotte has found her and is determined to convince her to take part in one last con. This family believes that they are being haunted by the ghost of their great aunt. Part 1 of the story is told from Sylvie's point of view. We see all the events through her lens, including the tricks that the women employ during their meetings with the family. The de Jacquinot family members are varied in their opinion on the ghost and as the story progresses, things begin to happen in the house that Sylvie can not explain. Part 2 of the story is told from Charlotte's perspective. We go back to the beginning and see the story in an entirely new way.

With out giving anything away, there an plenty of twists that I did not see coming. While I liked reading Sylvie's perspective the most, Charlotte's part of the book was eventful and gripping. She is morally grey and how I felt about her changed a lot throughout the book. I think the author did a great job blending together the genres of mystery and romance. This is equal parts romance and mystery in my opinion. The gothic atmosphere really suited the story and the ending pulled all of the threads together in a unexpected way.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much and i'm not usually a fan of ghosts and mediums. But I loved the relationship between the two sisters, they were estranged and a little toxic at times, but It made it believable.

“I’m saying there’s more than one way to look at a story. There’s more than one point of view.”

This quote sums up Spitting Gold, the debut novel from Carmella Lowkis. Set in France in 1866, the story follows two estranged sisters, Charlotte and Sylvie, who reconnect to pull off one last job as (fake) spiritist’s - people who claim to speak to and be able to summon the dead.

I enjoyed how the first part of the book is told from Sylvies perspective and the second half is from Charlottes. These dual perspectives work together to create a nuanced and more complete version of events. This was an entertaining read and I was intrigued by the twists and turns that the story took. I also liked how Sylvie and Charlotte weren’t black and white characters but rather had me questioning “who really was the good or bad sister?” In the end, both sisters have good traits and their fair share of flaws - although in my opinion, Charlotte seemed to be more intentional in how she hurt her sister which made it hard for me to completely root for her. I also enjoyed that the setting was Paris and the historical details throughout - although I would have liked a bit more of the gothic and supernatural elements to have played a bigger role. Overall a fun read with a satisfying ending.

Spitting Gold is a gorgeously written historical mystery about two estranged sisters in Paris reuniting for one last spiritist con. It dips its toes into more gothic elements at times that contribute well to the fantastic setting that Camella Lowkis evokes. She does a commendable job establishing 1860s Paris and the spirit speculations of the time.

I found myself really struggling near the end of the first half, but once we got the explanation as to why the sisters were estranged and not long after our POV switched, I was fully engaged. If you find Lowkis’s narrative voice as delightfully atmospheric as I did, it’s an easy commitment to make and one you will be rewarded for. I did pick this up because of the promise of a sapphic romance, which comes with Charlotte’s POV.

I think the more fairytale elements unfortunately fall really flat. Sylvie is obsessed with using the Perrault folk tale Diamonds and Toads to understand her relationship with her sister which is mirrored in a bizarre anecdote from the family they are performing their spiritist work for. The book makes a commendable effort to tie this story back with its title, but it does this so unsubtly I found myself rolling my eyes every time it came up. It’s a harsh fairytale, but the elements still feel so much softer than what the rest of the book is surrounded by, which is in disservice to the story.

This is also a story about the love between siblings and the lengths we’d go to protect one another. Sylvie and Charlotte’s relationship is full of years of hurt as much as it is love. They both serve as POV characters and I found them to be equally unpleasant people. This isn’t to say that they’re poor characters, the exact opposite. I knew I wouldn’t have liked trying to be friends with either one of them, but they intrigued me, especially in the ways they fit together as sisters, so much so that I had to see how everything would play out. Charlotte knows she’s the more unlikable one which is perhaps her saving grace, Sylvie is wholly ignorant to how cruel she can be which can make being in her head maddening at times. Maximilien and Florence’s relationship is an interesting contrast to our main characters, and we get a small window into what a hopeful, if unlikely future between the two sisters could be.

This is an easy recommendation for lovers of historical mysteries and people who adore dreadfully messy sibling relationships.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

Content Warnings: Child Death, Gaslighting

The premise of Lowkis’s novel captured me from the start, as I’m always interested in the profession of mediums at this time period. The novel splits POV, starting with Sylvie, who married into a higher class and left her former medium ways. Her estranged sister, Charlotte, approaches her for a job after several years; Sylvie reluctantly agrees, but begins to question whether the haunting is actually fake. This first section of the book had good tension and some spookiness.

When the book shifts to Charlotte’s POV half-way through, the spookiness disappears. Sylvie, and the readers, have been duped, taken in by a plot between Charlotte and Florence, the supposedly ‘haunted’ client. There is no build up to this shift, and the transition is abrupt. I admit, it took me some time to get used to it. This section does, however, provide a good contrast between Charlotte’s life and Sylvie’s, as Charlotte is a lesbian and trapped in both a lower economic class and with an abusive father. The ending is also pretty good.

Aside from the abrupt shift in narration, the other weakness in the book is that the allegory of good sister vs. bad sister and how the role of “good” and “bad” can shift depending on narrator was pretty hamfisted. Overall, though, this was a fairly engaging read.