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  • Spirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes by Gail Jarrow book cover
  • Spirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes by Gail Jarrow book cover
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Spirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes

by Gail Jarrow

Investigating the ghost-hoax boom

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Investigating the ghost-hoax boom

Set against the grief that followed World War I and the 1918 influenza pandemic, Gail Jarrow’s nonfiction account examines the rise of Spiritualism and the fraudulent mediums who preyed on people seeking contact with lost loved ones. Harry Houdini recognized the tricks behind their séances and fortune-telling, then worked to expose them through demonstrations and undercover investigators. The book connects stage magic with investigative work, showing how conjuring techniques could be used both to create an illusion and to uncover one. Its subject brings together the history of Spiritualism, deception, and the risks faced by people in mourning.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens and young adults interested in historical nonfiction
  • Readers curious about Harry Houdini, stage magic, or investigations of paranormal claims
  • Readers interested in Spiritualism and its place in the aftermath of World War I and the 1918 flu pandemic

Themes

Spiritualism and griefFraud and exploitationStage magic and deceptionInvestigation and evidence

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A School Library Journal Best Book
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2024
2025 Texas Topaz List
CCBC Choices 2025
2025 Capitol Choices

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.

★ Shelf Awareness, starred review
★ School Library Journal, starred review

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 s
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