"Family secrets cannot be buried, even after death, in this queer gothic novel about sister mediums in 1866 Paris "
‘Are all houses like the families that live in them? [...] The grand mansion now diminished, shrivelled into a single floor. Secrets partitioned away behind dividing walls. Crumbling plaster and the smell of dry rot, prolly concealed with lavender bags.’
In this engrossing story about whether or not vengeful spirits exist – and whether mediums can control them or not – Lowkis cleverly keeps a lot of ambiguity and space for doubt even in first person perspectives. The sisters know they are fraudsters, yes, but ones who seem to believe in the potential for positive transformation in the real world as a result of their theatrics (as well as, conveniently, getting money for themselves). The spirit of their gifted dead mother continues to haunt them, as much as the past lives they try to hide from polite society. At a high stakes moment in the story, Lowkis shifts the perspective to another character which allows the reader to see Sylvie in a completely different way, making us question the truth of what we thought we knew all over again. We are kept guessing at who is being deceived and who is deceiving in this brilliantly twisty mystery.
| Primary Genre | Horror and Supernatural Fiction |
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