A Slow and Secret Poison

Dark and deliciously gothic, Lowkis’s slow-burn second novel is brimful of sinister surprises * Daily Mail *
Gloriously entertaining … Fans of gothic novels with a queer edge will love it * The Times *
A deliciously dark read * The Simple Things *
Atmospheric and delicious, A Slow and Secret Poison slowly unfolds its mysteries, taking in a 1920s sapphic love story, the class intrigue of The Little Stranger, and a reminder that some parts of the natural world are also poisonous. Carmella Lowkis has done it again with this deeply satisfying and gothic stunner. – Ally Wilkes * author of All the White Spaces and Where the Dead Wait *
A Slow and Secret Poison is one of the best gothic novels the genre has to offer. Twisty, erotic, and atmospheric, this one is sure to linger long after you have finished reading – Johanna van Veen * author of Blood on Her Tongue and My Darling Dreadful Thing *
I was utterly captivated – a truly compelling, immersive tale. If Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson had ever teamed up to write a novel, it would have turned out like this: intricately plotted, seductive, and sinister. – Naomi Kelsey * author of The Burnings *
Full of rich gothic decay and ratcheting tension, A Slow and Secret Poison is an incisive exploration of how privilege and class haunts us all. The sapphic love story kept me constantly guessing, even as twist after twist left me reeling. A lush, atmospheric delight. – Danielle Giles * author of Mere *
Carmella Lowkis has a true talent for the creeping gothic. Her characters are alluring and settings entrancing. A Slow and Secret Poison conjures the uncertainty and dark potential of the interbellum in Great Britain in a thoroughly engrossing way. For fans of Sarah Waters, A Slow and Secret Poison is a must – Emma Hinds * author of The Knowing *

Carmella Lowkis grew up in Wiltshire and has a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Warwick. After graduating, she worked in libraries, before moving into book marketing. Her debut novel, Spitting Gold, was published in 2024, and shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award. Carmella lives in North London with her fiancee.

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