Spirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes

The latest from acclaimed author Gail Jarrow reveals how magicians--including Harry Houdini and his team of investigators--exposed fake mediums who exploited the vulnerable and gullible in the early twentieth century.

After millions of people died during World War I and from the 1918 influenza pandemic, the popularity of Spiritualism soared. Desperate to communicate with their dead loved ones, the bereaved fell prey to extortion by fraudulent mediums and fortune-tellers.

But magician Harry Houdini wasn't fooled. He recognized the scammers' methods as no more than conjurer's tricks. Angered by the way people were exploited, Houdini set out to expose the ghost hoaxes. In his stage show, he revealed the fraudsters' techniques, and he used a team of undercover investigators to collect proof of séance deceptions. His head secret agent was a young New York private detective and disguise expert, Rose Mackenberg--a woman who continued her ghost-busting career for decades, long after Houdini's death in 1926.

Ideal for young readers and adults who are drawn to the worlds of psychics and magicians, this riveting book uncovers a little-known chapter in American history and details the ways people were (and still are) deceived by mediums and fortune-tellers.

Author: Gail Jarrow
Publisher: Calkins Creek Books
Published: 09/10/2024
Pages: 176
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.95lbs
Size: 10.10h x 8.10w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9781662680236
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/10/2024
School Library Journal 07/01/2024 pg. 76
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2024
Booklist 07/01/2024 pg. 63
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 09/01/2024
Shelf Awareness 10/03/2024
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2024 pg. 111

About the Author
Gail Jarrow is the author of nonfiction books and novels for readers ages 8-18. Her nonfiction books have earned the Sibert Honor, the Orbis Pictus Honor, the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, YALSA Finalist, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book, Outstanding Science Trade Book, a NSTA Best STEM book, the Jefferson Cup Award, the Eureka! Gold Award, as well as Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and School Library Journal Best Books and VOYA Honor Book distinctions.