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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:The Griftby Debra Ginsberg
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:What happens when a pseudo psychic suddenly gets the real gift?
Marina Marks has been on the grift as a psychic since she was a child, forced into the business by a junkie mother who was always desperate for her next fix — and willing to use her solemn dark-haired daughter to peddle an extra buck. As an adult, Marina has earned a handsome living preying on the dreams and fears of her clients. She doesn't believe there is such a thing as psychic ability, but she does believe in intuition. Her gift is the ability to gain the trust of her clients and subtly raise her fees as they become more attached to her and her readings. But when Marina moves her "intuitive counseling" business out of muggy, cloying Florida to the milder environs of southern California, her past follows her. As she takes on new clients — a trophy wife desperate to bear a child, a gay man involved with a closeted psychiatrist, and a philandering businessman who's smitten with her — a former client resurfaces in an eerie way. Suddenly, Marina is in love for the first time, but it is a romance whose roots lie deep in her past and threaten her efforts to reinvent herself. As Marina's life gets more and more entangled with those of her clients, she makes a startling discovery: she suddenly has the actual ability to see the future. After predicting a murder exactly as it happens, she becomes the sole suspect. Now she's the desperate one — desperate to clear her name and to discover the meaning behind her visions. Review:"Ginsberg's second novel is an entertaining whodunit and an invigorating tale about a damaged young storefront psychic who learns how to live truthfully. Although she has worked as a psychic since childhood, Marina Marks does not believe that psychic abilities exist. Instead, she uses her intuition and observational skills to hoodwink her clients. Arriving in Southern California from Florida, she acquires a new set of clients: Madeleine, the hostess, desperate to maintain her hold on her wealthy husband; Cooper, in love with a psychiatrist who refuses to admit that he is gay; and Eddie, a married womanizer frustrated by his inability to seduce Marina. Ginsberg deftly shows how Marina cultivates her clients' dependency — and her own income — from their desperation, as well as how easily her clients' trust in her deteriorates. Soon, the threat of violence that Marina left Florida to escape flares up anew, and Marina begins to suspect, to her confusion and dismay, that she may actually be psychic. Ginsberg thoroughly exploits her clever premise, and Marina's handling of her troubles — romantic, professional, mystical — ring true through to the redemptive end." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"[A] rollicking novel of twists and turns. We predict you'll love it!" Redbook Review:"Memoirist and novelist Ginsberg mixes supernatural and film noir elements in this mystery about a woman whose living as a psychic falls apart when her psychic powers become too real....Marina is a richly drawn, deeply involving heroine..." Kirkus Reviews Review:"Ginsberg has created an interesting cast of characters to explore a world that is embraced by some and viewed by many with deep skepticism. The story flows along, and readers looking for a different twist on the psychological novel will enjoy the trip. Recommended." Library Journal Review:"The Grift is a gift — a fresh voice and story, with a winning heroine. Another triumph for Debra Ginsberg, who clearly has many gifts of her own." Laura Lippman, author of What the Dead Know and Another Thing to Fall Review:"Ms. Ginsberg's new book makes for far less ominous beach reading. The Grift is a gift with no strings attached, no dark outcome to dread, a satisfyingly voyeuristic vision of a mysterious stranger's supernaturally charged fortunes." Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times Review:"Debra Ginsberg smoothly sketches captivatingly flawed characters, but the whodunit tends to take a backseat to who's-dating-who. (Grade: B)" Entertainment Weekly Review:"Set mostly amidst the wreckage of upper-class Southern California, The Grift...mixes mystery and romance with enough silliness to keep it from getting too serious." The Chicago Sun-Times Synopsis:The acclaimed author of Blind Submission presents a sharp, psychologically tense novel about a fake psychic who is suddenly able to truly see the future. After predicting the murder of her lover exactly as it happens, she becomes the sole suspect and is desperate to clear her name. About the AuthorDebra Ginsberg is the author of the novel Blind Submission, as well as three memoirs: Waiting, Raising Blaze, and About My Sisters. She lives in San Diego. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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