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The Haunting of Moscow House
In this elegant gothic horror tale set in post-revolutionary Russia, two formerly aristocratic sisters race to uncover their family’s long-buried secrets in a house haunted by a past dangerous—and deadly—to remember.
It is the summer of 1921, and a group of Bolsheviks have taken over Irina and Lili Goliteva’s ancestral home in Moscow, a stately mansion falling into disrepair and decay. The remaining members of their family are ordered to move into the cramped attic, while the officials take over an entire wing of grand rooms downstairs. The sisters understand it is the way of things and know they must forget their noble upbringing to make their way in this new Soviet Russia. But the house begins to whisper of a traumatic past not as dead as they thought.
Eager to escape it and their unwelcome new landlords, Irina and Lili find jobs with the recently arrived American Relief Administration, meant to ease the post-revolutionary famine in Russia. For the sisters, the ARA provides much-needed food and employment, as well as a chance for sensible Irina to help those less fortunate and artistic Lili to express herself for a good cause. It might just lead them to love, too.
But at home, the spirits of their deceased family awaken, desperate to impart what really happened to them during the Revolution. Soon one of the officials living in the house is found dead. Was his death caused by something supernatural, or by someone all too human? And are Irina and Lili and their family next? Only unearthing the frightening secrets of Moscow House will reveal all. But this means the sisters must dig deep into a past no one in Russia except the dead are allowed to remember.
It is the summer of 1921, and a group of Bolsheviks have taken over Irina and Lili Goliteva’s ancestral home in Moscow, a stately mansion falling into disrepair and decay. The remaining members of their family are ordered to move into the cramped attic, while the officials take over an entire wing of grand rooms downstairs. The sisters understand it is the way of things and know they must forget their noble upbringing to make their way in this new Soviet Russia. But the house begins to whisper of a traumatic past not as dead as they thought.
Eager to escape it and their unwelcome new landlords, Irina and Lili find jobs with the recently arrived American Relief Administration, meant to ease the post-revolutionary famine in Russia. For the sisters, the ARA provides much-needed food and employment, as well as a chance for sensible Irina to help those less fortunate and artistic Lili to express herself for a good cause. It might just lead them to love, too.
But at home, the spirits of their deceased family awaken, desperate to impart what really happened to them during the Revolution. Soon one of the officials living in the house is found dead. Was his death caused by something supernatural, or by someone all too human? And are Irina and Lili and their family next? Only unearthing the frightening secrets of Moscow House will reveal all. But this means the sisters must dig deep into a past no one in Russia except the dead are allowed to remember.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2024
164 people are currently reading
26894 people want to read
About the author
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
5 books417 followersOlesya Salnikova Gilmore is the author of The Witch and the Tsar and The Haunting of Moscow House. Originally from Moscow, she was raised in the US and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. Now she is happiest writing novels in a variety of genres, including fantasy, paranormal, gothic horror, and historical fiction. She also loves exploring Eastern European history and folklore. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Tor.com, CrimeReads, Writer’s Digest, Historical Novels Review, Bookish, Washington Independent Review of Books, among others. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
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May 24, 2024
The Haunting of Moscow House is a deeply moving and suspenseful novel set in the early days of post-revolutionary Russia. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into it – is it a ghost story or is it historical fiction? – but it turns out that it's both in just about equal measures. The ghostly aspects I'd consider more horror-adjacent than actual horror, but there are definitely some unsettling bits.
This book is written in the present tense, which is normally something that I really, really dislike. It kind of grew on me over time and actually worked well for this story overall, but I have to admit that it's the one thing that I liked least about it.
The rest of the novel, though? I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it. I mean, it's hard for me to say that I “enjoyed” something that's so bleak (although it's not totally devoid of hope or happiness), but after the first 25% or so I was hooked. I was fascinated by Imperial Russia as a kid (yeah, I have no idea why either) and read a ton about Russian nobility, so it was interesting to hear about what life was like for those same people after the 1917 revolution. And haunted houses are probably one of my favorite tropes in all of literature, so combining a haunted house story with post-revolutionary Russia? Yes, please!
Oh, and since this book deals largely with the plight of Russian nobility, be prepared for everyone to have approximately 47 names and titles each (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but not by as much as you'd think). In one paragraph a character is Princess So-and-So, and then in the next they're Countess So-and-So and in the next they're The-Same-Person-but-Using-Their-Diminutive. It's a little confusing at times, but I was kind of expecting it since I was a 10-year-old Tsar Nicholas Stan and all (not that the term “Stan” existed when I was 10, but I was certainly obsessed with the Romanovs).
If you like romance, there's plenty of that in this story – and some semi-gratuitous sex scenes, even. I'm personally not a big fan of romance in novels, but the relationships in this one at least seemed genuine and not particularly insta-love. The affection that Irina and Lili have for each other (and their other family members) is also rather endearing and sweet.
Russian folklore also plays a large part in this tale. The Moscow House Domovoy (house spirit) is an important character, especially during the climax. Even though he's the thing of nightmares, you can't help but feel a little for him. There's also talk of Baba Yaga and other Russian legends, and it's all tremendously interesting.
My overall rating: 4.35 stars, rounded down. If you enjoy historical Gothic novels mixed with folklore and romance, you should definitely consider giving this one a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 3, 2024.
This book is written in the present tense, which is normally something that I really, really dislike. It kind of grew on me over time and actually worked well for this story overall, but I have to admit that it's the one thing that I liked least about it.
The rest of the novel, though? I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it. I mean, it's hard for me to say that I “enjoyed” something that's so bleak (although it's not totally devoid of hope or happiness), but after the first 25% or so I was hooked. I was fascinated by Imperial Russia as a kid (yeah, I have no idea why either) and read a ton about Russian nobility, so it was interesting to hear about what life was like for those same people after the 1917 revolution. And haunted houses are probably one of my favorite tropes in all of literature, so combining a haunted house story with post-revolutionary Russia? Yes, please!
Oh, and since this book deals largely with the plight of Russian nobility, be prepared for everyone to have approximately 47 names and titles each (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but not by as much as you'd think). In one paragraph a character is Princess So-and-So, and then in the next they're Countess So-and-So and in the next they're The-Same-Person-but-Using-Their-Diminutive. It's a little confusing at times, but I was kind of expecting it since I was a 10-year-old Tsar Nicholas Stan and all (not that the term “Stan” existed when I was 10, but I was certainly obsessed with the Romanovs).
If you like romance, there's plenty of that in this story – and some semi-gratuitous sex scenes, even. I'm personally not a big fan of romance in novels, but the relationships in this one at least seemed genuine and not particularly insta-love. The affection that Irina and Lili have for each other (and their other family members) is also rather endearing and sweet.
Russian folklore also plays a large part in this tale. The Moscow House Domovoy (house spirit) is an important character, especially during the climax. Even though he's the thing of nightmares, you can't help but feel a little for him. There's also talk of Baba Yaga and other Russian legends, and it's all tremendously interesting.
My overall rating: 4.35 stars, rounded down. If you enjoy historical Gothic novels mixed with folklore and romance, you should definitely consider giving this one a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 3, 2024.
August 21, 2025
Irina calls her fanciful whenever she mentions ghosts. Still, something isn’t right about the house, hasn’t been right since Uncle Pasha was shot dead there three years before, and Grand-père Sergei succumbed to his illness mere days after.--------------------------------------
Though she’s never seen one, Lili has believed in ghosts for quite a long time.
Do you think the dead can rise? Her voice, from a long-forgotten memory.
Of course, Nicky had answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
…with each death, the spirits are more corporeal and alive. And the family is in greater danger.It is 1921, and the suffering is not yet done. World War I, then the ongoing civil war, now famine. Bolsheviks have taken charge. They use the Cheka to enforce the new norms, inflict the governing biases, and relentlessly add to the general misery. The displaced aristocracy struggles to get by, well, those who were not summarily shot.
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore - Image from PRH – credit Nicola Levine Photography
To the new Soviet republic, the Bolsheviks, and the Cheka secret police, they are still countesses Irina and Liliya Goliteva, the people’s class enemy as descendants of one of the greatest and most ancient aristocratic clans of an imperial Russia dead and buried. Like most of their family. But unlike many former people, Irina’s family didn’t flee Russia. They stayed in hope of a return to normalcy. Now it is too late. Even if they could obtain papers, how could a household of women and children brave the danger of travel and exile?Running out of household valuables to sell, the sisters take jobs with the American Relief Administration (ARA). The ARA is there to provide aid, food in particular. The sisters are managing the challenges, but there is something else. It appears that there are strange, spectral things going on in their home, the once-grand Moscow House. There are sounds, scents, footsteps, the sorts of things one can expect in a gothic novel.
So much of the novel is inspired by some of my favorite gothic stories, particularly by the Russian/Slavic gothic genre and the Ukrainian author who arguably founded it—Nikolai Gogol. - from the AfterwardGogol and other folk sources are given plenty of recognition in the pages, allowing one the opportunity to do some digging and appreciate the inspirations.
We follow Irina (28) and her sister, Lili (18), as they try to survive through this trying period. Chapters alternate, more or less, between the two. The gothic elements build, from a few inklings to full-blown. It is not just one or two spectres turning up, but a whole host of late family members. The house is commandeered by the government, and the actual family is relegated to the attic. That does not work out well for the occupiers, as one then another is found dead. The work of one of the living inhabitants or ghostly revenge?
There are certainly some creepy bits, a norm for the genre, a few jump-cut scenes, and a spooky soothsayer. But is it scary? Mostly not, for me, (a particularly high bar) although there were some welcome surprises. There is one particular sort of ghost from Russian lore that was a new one on me. A creepy doll offers a tingle or two. That they grow in corporeality with each new death offered a welcome bit of unease. After a while, though, one gets used to the spirits, and in doing so their impact is reduced. Yeah, we’ve got a haunted house. So? The sisters keep coming and going as if it were infested with a more usual sort of pest.
Both become involved in romances, one with a Yank, the other with a childhood sweetheart. This is lovely, particularly in offering the possibility of positive outcomes for the sibs. Of course, it also adds to the ongoing tension between staying to preserve the family history and line, and fighting the good fight, or leaving to preserve their lives. How many people today are faced with comparable choices?
In fairy tales, paupers became princesses, not the other way around. But Soviet Russia is a warped Wonderland, where all is topsy-turvy and not what it should be.One might, I expect, consider a take in which the Cheka taking charge in Moscow is a lot like the spectres taking over the Moscow House. It does cause one to recall that the Introduction of The Communist Manifesto begins, "A spectre is haunting Europe—the spectre of communism." Certainly those spooks have landed in Russia and, through bloodshed, are gaining in strength. I have no idea if this was at all on Gilmore’s mind. But maybe. Spectres within and spectres without? Maybe a bit of dialectical materialism (or dialectical immaterialism?) for good measure?
Overall. I enjoyed The Haunting of Moscow House, particularly for the portrait of the time (The ARA was a real non-profit), the depiction of the desperation among Muscovites, and exposure to some unfamiliar gothic Slavic writing and lore. The sisters are engaging. The tension is palpable, and the spook infestation is fun.
I suppose one cannot help but compare this to Gilmore’s freshman offering, The Witch and the Tsar. That one was less reality based, more fantastical, and a bit more fun. But this one is also quite good, rich with extras both historical and literary.
Irina is crossing into the next room when she feels a prickle of cold on her arm. A draft of air. But the damask curtains are sealed tight. No, it is as if someone has moved past her. She turns sharply, as fearful as the other morning. Odd. She has never been afraid in the house. She doesn’t have Lili’s active imagination. Nor is she given over to delusions. It is only the howl and tear of the wind, the rattle of the windows in their casements, the faint give of a latch. With all this noise, she almost doesn’t hear it.Review posted - 12/20/24
The creak of parquet, somewhere near. And again, unmistakable now. Creak. Creeeaak.
Footsteps. Small, like a child’s.
Irina backs up with wide eyes—when there is a deep growl. Then an earsplitting screech, and a dark shape hurtles across her path. A glint of red, as if red eyes have snapped to hers. The next second, scuffling and the thumping of bare feet, then nothing.
What was that? Some animal, trapped in the house?
That’s when the air implodes all around her.
Publication dates
----------Hardcover - 9/3/24
----------Trade paperback - 8/19/25
I received an ARE of The Haunting of Moscow House from Berkley in return for a fair review. Thanks, folks, (Does it feel unnaturally cold to you here?) and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review is cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to Gilmore’s personal, FB, Instagram, and Twitter pages
Profile – from her site
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is the author of The Witch and the Tsar and The Haunting of Moscow House. Originally from Moscow, she was raised in the US and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. Now she is happiest writing speculative historical fiction inspired by Eastern European history and folklore. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Tor.com, CrimeReads, Writer’s Digest, Historical Novels Review, Bookish, Washington Independent Review of Books, among others. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and daughter.
Interviews
-----JeanBookNerd - Olesya Salnikova Gilmore Interview - The Haunting of Moscow House
-----Turn the Page - Episode 314E: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore on THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE - audio - 24:17
-----How Do You Write - Ep. 358: POV Hack: Using Method Acting with Olesya Salnikova Gilmore video – 31:09 - with Rachel Herron (from 5:36) – mostly about her prior novel, but offers a nice sense of the author, her process, how she uses method acting and her lawyerly background
My review of Gilmore’s prior book
-----2022 - The Witch and the Tsar
Items of Interest from the author
-----Crimereads - GOTHIC FICTION WITH A TWIST
-----Writer’s Digest - Finding Magic at the Intersection of Reality and Fantasy in Fiction
-----Reactor - Five Books about Haunted Houses that Crumble
Items of Interest
-----Carol’s Notebook - The Shroud - a Russian fairy tale referenced in Chapter 3
-----Story Telling Institute - Vasilia the Beautiful - a Russian fairy tale referenced in Chapter 11
September 18, 2024
**Many thanks to Berkley and Olesya Salnikova Gilmore for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**
Irina and Lili Goliteva can't help but long for simpler times...BEFORE the Bolsheviks took over their ancestral home. As former aristocrats, they now have been forced into a tiny corner of the upstairs of their home and are adjusting to their new normal in Soviet Russia. The sisters feel like they have so little control over their new lives and ache for the days when their choices were truly their own...but as women, there is only so much they are ALLOWED to do about it.
When the American Relief Administration (ARA) provides them the opportunity for employment, however, both sisters are eager to jump on the bandwagon and explore their potential. They'll take ANY chance to turn the tide of their current predicament and maybe even stumble into love along the way. But the large and imposing Moscow House doesn't take too kindly to all of its new inhabitants...and the sisters discover that there is far more dark family history buried in its walls and secrets waiting to be discovered than they EVER could have imagined. Unfortunately, there's a slight problem with the sisters' digging...some secrets prefer to remain buried.
When a body of one of the Bolshevik soldiers is found downstairs, Irina and Lili begin to realize that their curiosity has awakened something evil...and deadly. Can they summon the spirits of their ancestors to battle the evil seeping from Moscow House's very walls themselves? Or will the House take this prime opportunity to crush the enemy AND end the family lineage...forever?
Gothic fiction is always touch and go for me, but with the promise of a fascinating time period and a creepy house and fall at our doorstep, I figured there was no better time to dive into a pre-Halloween spooky historical fiction read. But what I got in this one, rather than a historical fiction feast was a somewhat mushy casserole of historical fiction, gothic fiction, romance, and folklore that simply couldn't decide what dish it wanted to be...and subsequently ended up a mediocre, lukewarm version of all four. 🍴
To say I am well versed in Russian history would be an epic overstatement, so this alone made this read sort of a struggle for me in terms of not getting bogged down in the details. While you don't NEED the historical background to enjoy the story, I do think having a better sense of it would help. The book starts off very dark, dry, and dramatic, and I'll be honest, I thought it would read more like wordy historical fiction throughout, with a plethora of names, dates, and family ties to keep track of, and I sort of settled in for this type of book. Irina and Lili met their ARA companions, and THEN I figured..."Oh, this is going in a women's lib sort of direction"...and was okay with that too.
And THEN...things turned once again. 🥴 We hopped into some semi-romances, which not only felt out of place but wholly unnecessary, with gratuitous spice to boot. All of a sudden, it didn't seem like it MATTERED what Irina and Lili were doing...as long as they ended up with their dreaaamy men. While I understand that gothic fiction often has this romantic element, it seemed sort of shoehorned in rather than central to the plot. I then started to get into the groove with THIS type of book, and figured it would be the 'hero saving the princess' (not my favorite, but oh well) and waited for that to take over the narrative.
At this point, the book remembered it was supposed to be SCARY...and we launched into the details of the house's past and WHY it was so scary..but this is where it started to lose me entirely. In successful gothic fiction I've read in the past, the haunted house often sort of serves as its own character, lurking in the background, its evil slowly seething within until it unleashes said fury on its inhabitants. But when it came to Moscow House...sure, it was old and had a dark history...but I just didn't find it frightening. We are treated to lots of diary entries from the past and sleuthing by the sisters, but after a while, it simply felt boring. I kept waiting for the tension to ramp up, but I felt the book got so lost in the weeds trying to explain what had happened in the past that I sort of just lost interest.
On the bright side, there is an interesting, engaging, and thoughtful author's note at the end of the story to provide some insight into why the author chose to write this particular story, how it came about, etc. It was the sort of author's note that provides such a glaring contrast to the reading experience that it actually made me question "Did I like the book more than I thought?"...but after some time to process and moving on to other reads, unfortunately the answer is still a firm no.
There are times when a chef can take a hodgepodge of ingredients, toss in some spices, stir vigorously, and end up with a creation that you never thought would work...but just does. In the case of the The Haunting of Moscow House, however, while the meal was presented with every classic ingredient present, it felt a bit more shaken than thoroughly stirred. 🥘
3 stars
Irina and Lili Goliteva can't help but long for simpler times...BEFORE the Bolsheviks took over their ancestral home. As former aristocrats, they now have been forced into a tiny corner of the upstairs of their home and are adjusting to their new normal in Soviet Russia. The sisters feel like they have so little control over their new lives and ache for the days when their choices were truly their own...but as women, there is only so much they are ALLOWED to do about it.
When the American Relief Administration (ARA) provides them the opportunity for employment, however, both sisters are eager to jump on the bandwagon and explore their potential. They'll take ANY chance to turn the tide of their current predicament and maybe even stumble into love along the way. But the large and imposing Moscow House doesn't take too kindly to all of its new inhabitants...and the sisters discover that there is far more dark family history buried in its walls and secrets waiting to be discovered than they EVER could have imagined. Unfortunately, there's a slight problem with the sisters' digging...some secrets prefer to remain buried.
When a body of one of the Bolshevik soldiers is found downstairs, Irina and Lili begin to realize that their curiosity has awakened something evil...and deadly. Can they summon the spirits of their ancestors to battle the evil seeping from Moscow House's very walls themselves? Or will the House take this prime opportunity to crush the enemy AND end the family lineage...forever?
Gothic fiction is always touch and go for me, but with the promise of a fascinating time period and a creepy house and fall at our doorstep, I figured there was no better time to dive into a pre-Halloween spooky historical fiction read. But what I got in this one, rather than a historical fiction feast was a somewhat mushy casserole of historical fiction, gothic fiction, romance, and folklore that simply couldn't decide what dish it wanted to be...and subsequently ended up a mediocre, lukewarm version of all four. 🍴
To say I am well versed in Russian history would be an epic overstatement, so this alone made this read sort of a struggle for me in terms of not getting bogged down in the details. While you don't NEED the historical background to enjoy the story, I do think having a better sense of it would help. The book starts off very dark, dry, and dramatic, and I'll be honest, I thought it would read more like wordy historical fiction throughout, with a plethora of names, dates, and family ties to keep track of, and I sort of settled in for this type of book. Irina and Lili met their ARA companions, and THEN I figured..."Oh, this is going in a women's lib sort of direction"...and was okay with that too.
And THEN...things turned once again. 🥴 We hopped into some semi-romances, which not only felt out of place but wholly unnecessary, with gratuitous spice to boot. All of a sudden, it didn't seem like it MATTERED what Irina and Lili were doing...as long as they ended up with their dreaaamy men. While I understand that gothic fiction often has this romantic element, it seemed sort of shoehorned in rather than central to the plot. I then started to get into the groove with THIS type of book, and figured it would be the 'hero saving the princess' (not my favorite, but oh well) and waited for that to take over the narrative.
At this point, the book remembered it was supposed to be SCARY...and we launched into the details of the house's past and WHY it was so scary..but this is where it started to lose me entirely. In successful gothic fiction I've read in the past, the haunted house often sort of serves as its own character, lurking in the background, its evil slowly seething within until it unleashes said fury on its inhabitants. But when it came to Moscow House...sure, it was old and had a dark history...but I just didn't find it frightening. We are treated to lots of diary entries from the past and sleuthing by the sisters, but after a while, it simply felt boring. I kept waiting for the tension to ramp up, but I felt the book got so lost in the weeds trying to explain what had happened in the past that I sort of just lost interest.
On the bright side, there is an interesting, engaging, and thoughtful author's note at the end of the story to provide some insight into why the author chose to write this particular story, how it came about, etc. It was the sort of author's note that provides such a glaring contrast to the reading experience that it actually made me question "Did I like the book more than I thought?"...but after some time to process and moving on to other reads, unfortunately the answer is still a firm no.
There are times when a chef can take a hodgepodge of ingredients, toss in some spices, stir vigorously, and end up with a creation that you never thought would work...but just does. In the case of the The Haunting of Moscow House, however, while the meal was presented with every classic ingredient present, it felt a bit more shaken than thoroughly stirred. 🥘
3 stars
November 22, 2025
**3.5-stars**
The Haunting of Moscow House is set in 1921, after the Bolshevik Revolution. In this novel we follow two sisters, Irina and Lili, whose family home, a once lush mansion in the heart of Moscow, has been taken over by a group of Boleshevik soldiers.
The remaining family members are banished to the attic living space of the home, even though many rooms in the lower levels remain vacant. Crammed in, frequently cold and hungry, it's a huge transition for this once powerful family.
The sisters understand that the way they used to live is a thing of the past and they must adapt quickly to this new political landscape, or perish trying.
For its part though, this once stately home isn't as adaptable and it certainly hasn't forgotten the past.
Anxious to escape the haunted halls, the sisters end up getting jobs working for an American relief agency. This provides good pay, food, a place to escape during the day, as well as some potential love interests.
At night though, the house seems to be becoming increasingly unsettled. Unexplained things are happening, noises and apparitions. People are getting hurt.
Is the explanation supernatural, like ancestral spirits wrecking havoc, or is someone more corporeal to blame?
While this wasn't necessarily to my tastes, I think for Historical Fiction fans who enjoy a potential Supernatural twist, this could work really, really well.
Nevertheless, I appreciated the direction the author took with this story and I'm glad I took the time to read it. I do have a lot of interest in this time period of Russian history, so having it focused around that was quite captivating.
I did feel a lot of empathy towards the remaining members of the Goliteva family, whose ages ranged from small children, who didn't understand what was going on, to elder family members, who had lost everything they had previously cherished and enjoyed.
The situation in the city at that time, brought to life here by the author, did provide a lot to think about.
It made me think how I may have dealt with such upsetting and dire circumstances. It's an uncomfortable thing to consider, but I appreciated how Olesya Salnikova Gilmore got my mind working.
Without giving too much away, in order to maybe spur more Horror Readers into picking this up, it does have a bit of an Occult bent to it, so if that is something that interests you, check it out.
Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I did enjoy the atmosphere and the character work of this quite a bit. I would be interested in reading more from this author.
The Haunting of Moscow House is set in 1921, after the Bolshevik Revolution. In this novel we follow two sisters, Irina and Lili, whose family home, a once lush mansion in the heart of Moscow, has been taken over by a group of Boleshevik soldiers.
The remaining family members are banished to the attic living space of the home, even though many rooms in the lower levels remain vacant. Crammed in, frequently cold and hungry, it's a huge transition for this once powerful family.
The sisters understand that the way they used to live is a thing of the past and they must adapt quickly to this new political landscape, or perish trying.
For its part though, this once stately home isn't as adaptable and it certainly hasn't forgotten the past.
Anxious to escape the haunted halls, the sisters end up getting jobs working for an American relief agency. This provides good pay, food, a place to escape during the day, as well as some potential love interests.
At night though, the house seems to be becoming increasingly unsettled. Unexplained things are happening, noises and apparitions. People are getting hurt.
Is the explanation supernatural, like ancestral spirits wrecking havoc, or is someone more corporeal to blame?
While this wasn't necessarily to my tastes, I think for Historical Fiction fans who enjoy a potential Supernatural twist, this could work really, really well.
Nevertheless, I appreciated the direction the author took with this story and I'm glad I took the time to read it. I do have a lot of interest in this time period of Russian history, so having it focused around that was quite captivating.
I did feel a lot of empathy towards the remaining members of the Goliteva family, whose ages ranged from small children, who didn't understand what was going on, to elder family members, who had lost everything they had previously cherished and enjoyed.
The situation in the city at that time, brought to life here by the author, did provide a lot to think about.
It made me think how I may have dealt with such upsetting and dire circumstances. It's an uncomfortable thing to consider, but I appreciated how Olesya Salnikova Gilmore got my mind working.
Without giving too much away, in order to maybe spur more Horror Readers into picking this up, it does have a bit of an Occult bent to it, so if that is something that interests you, check it out.
Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I did enjoy the atmosphere and the character work of this quite a bit. I would be interested in reading more from this author.
Read
September 13, 20249/3 Update!
OUT TODAY wherever books are sold!
I cannot wait for you to meet Irina and Lili.
Get your copy today 👉 https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-h...
Request a copy at your local library & don’t forget to review the book when you’ve read it! 🖤
Happy reading!
——————
8/17 Update:
Book club readers, discussion questions are now up on my website!
https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-h...
Enjoy!
___
6/7 Update:
Dear readers, I care very much about your comfort level when reading and enjoying my book, so if any concerns, please make sure you read my trigger/content warnings, up on my website now: https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-h....
Thanks all, and happy reading!
——
4/11 Update!
THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE is now available on NetGalley! Request it here -- https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo... -- and don't forget to leave a review! xoxo
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I just finished copy edits for THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE and wanted to give you some info and a few updates about the book!
You can see a lovely summary of the book here, which I helped my publisher to work on. I think it is a very faithful representation of the novel, especially at the start!
As some of you know, this will be my second novel after my debut "The Witch and the Tsar" came out in Fall of 2022, and my goodness, it is true what they say: to write a second book is sometimes even harder than to write the first. Never did I feel this more painfully than during my latest revisions.
The copy edits is the second to last stage of the editing process in publishing. As an author, you expect to get a nice clean draft with some comments from the copy editor. The focus here is on wording, grammar, consistency, that kind of thing. Well, imagine by utter horror (and many sleepless nights) when I realize how much I need to refine the book on a sentence and paragraph level, as well as checking and rechecking my research, the historical dates and names, you name it. It was one of the most difficult two weeks in recent memory. But I do feel that this book is stronger for it.
The idea for the book -- two formerly aristocratic sisters, coming face to face with the (literal) ghosts of their family's past now illegal to remember in post-Revolutionary Soviet Russia -- came to me when I was researching another project. At that point, I had gotten a two-book deal with my publisher, and my editor asked me what I was thinking for Book 2. For me, it was a no brainier.
I like to change-up my projects, so for now, there is no sequel planned for "The Witch and the Tsar." With my second novel, while keeping to some of my favorite themes and tropes, I wanted to do something different. To take on a new challenge and a new time period (and a new genre!). I've always, always wanted to write a gothic, I had discovered a really cool research idea in 1920s Moscow (and had a story in mind for it!), and what's more, former aristocrats really did exist who stayed in Russia after the Revolution, and who oftentimes even stayed on in their old ancestral homes, frequently living side by side with Soviet officials or party members (as former aristocratic homes were nationalized and owned by the government after the Revolution). Even more fascinating, the American Relief Administration (ARA) was a real American organization that helped Russia with the famine of 1921. Many former aristocrats like the sisters in my book worked for this organization.
To write a second book on the heels of a debut involves a lot of persistence, hard work, and an unbelievable amount of imposter syndrome that needs to be overcome. The writing and editing process as a result was extremely difficult for me. First, changing the time period and genre is no easy feat for a historical fiction author. I was going from medieval Russia of the 1500s to the modern Russia of the 20th century and the post-revolutionary time of the 1920s. Second, figuring out exactly who would tell the story, in how many perspectives, what WAS the story that I wanted to tell?, and of course, refining these questions every step of the way. For example, I changed my POV to the two sisters, third person present in Draft 3. It used to be the sisters, their aunt, and another character. It also used to be first person past! Then, when my editor got what I was convinced was the best draft I could write, I rewrote about 95% of the book yet again, focusing even more on the story I wanted to tell in the way I wanted to tell it.
No stage in this process has been easy. As recently as a few weeks ago, I told my husband, I am calling everyone and telling them the book isn't ready, I don't know when it will be ready, and I certainly don't know how. This meltdown occurred at 2am...needless to say, my husband wasn't thrilled but managed to talk me off the ledge in that brilliant way he has (every author has their person, the person who believes in them every step of the way even when the author doesn't) - well, that's him for me.
But I can honestly say I've never pushed myself harder as a writer and as a person as I have with this book. I believe it is the best book (and piece of writing in general) that I've written so far, and that I am genuinely so proud of this book and myself for writing it. I truly cannot wait to share it with you come September 3.
I have seen what I have been told is the final cover, and I am SO excited to share it with you very soon! Keep an eye out on my socials for announcements regarding a cover reveal, or sign up for my newsletter to hear and see it first!: https://olesyagilmore.com/newsletter/.
I will shortly be putting up trigger warnings for the novel as well, so keep an eye out here and on my website: https://olesyagilmore.com for those.
Lastly, watch for ARCs, NetGalley, giveaways, and other exciting pre-publication things, all coming soon.
I'll be back with more updates! xoxo
OUT TODAY wherever books are sold!
I cannot wait for you to meet Irina and Lili.
Get your copy today 👉 https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-h...
Request a copy at your local library & don’t forget to review the book when you’ve read it! 🖤
Happy reading!
——————
8/17 Update:
Book club readers, discussion questions are now up on my website!
https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-h...
Enjoy!
___
6/7 Update:
Dear readers, I care very much about your comfort level when reading and enjoying my book, so if any concerns, please make sure you read my trigger/content warnings, up on my website now: https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-h....
Thanks all, and happy reading!
——
4/11 Update!
THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE is now available on NetGalley! Request it here -- https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo... -- and don't forget to leave a review! xoxo
----
I just finished copy edits for THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE and wanted to give you some info and a few updates about the book!
You can see a lovely summary of the book here, which I helped my publisher to work on. I think it is a very faithful representation of the novel, especially at the start!
As some of you know, this will be my second novel after my debut "The Witch and the Tsar" came out in Fall of 2022, and my goodness, it is true what they say: to write a second book is sometimes even harder than to write the first. Never did I feel this more painfully than during my latest revisions.
The copy edits is the second to last stage of the editing process in publishing. As an author, you expect to get a nice clean draft with some comments from the copy editor. The focus here is on wording, grammar, consistency, that kind of thing. Well, imagine by utter horror (and many sleepless nights) when I realize how much I need to refine the book on a sentence and paragraph level, as well as checking and rechecking my research, the historical dates and names, you name it. It was one of the most difficult two weeks in recent memory. But I do feel that this book is stronger for it.
The idea for the book -- two formerly aristocratic sisters, coming face to face with the (literal) ghosts of their family's past now illegal to remember in post-Revolutionary Soviet Russia -- came to me when I was researching another project. At that point, I had gotten a two-book deal with my publisher, and my editor asked me what I was thinking for Book 2. For me, it was a no brainier.
I like to change-up my projects, so for now, there is no sequel planned for "The Witch and the Tsar." With my second novel, while keeping to some of my favorite themes and tropes, I wanted to do something different. To take on a new challenge and a new time period (and a new genre!). I've always, always wanted to write a gothic, I had discovered a really cool research idea in 1920s Moscow (and had a story in mind for it!), and what's more, former aristocrats really did exist who stayed in Russia after the Revolution, and who oftentimes even stayed on in their old ancestral homes, frequently living side by side with Soviet officials or party members (as former aristocratic homes were nationalized and owned by the government after the Revolution). Even more fascinating, the American Relief Administration (ARA) was a real American organization that helped Russia with the famine of 1921. Many former aristocrats like the sisters in my book worked for this organization.
To write a second book on the heels of a debut involves a lot of persistence, hard work, and an unbelievable amount of imposter syndrome that needs to be overcome. The writing and editing process as a result was extremely difficult for me. First, changing the time period and genre is no easy feat for a historical fiction author. I was going from medieval Russia of the 1500s to the modern Russia of the 20th century and the post-revolutionary time of the 1920s. Second, figuring out exactly who would tell the story, in how many perspectives, what WAS the story that I wanted to tell?, and of course, refining these questions every step of the way. For example, I changed my POV to the two sisters, third person present in Draft 3. It used to be the sisters, their aunt, and another character. It also used to be first person past! Then, when my editor got what I was convinced was the best draft I could write, I rewrote about 95% of the book yet again, focusing even more on the story I wanted to tell in the way I wanted to tell it.
No stage in this process has been easy. As recently as a few weeks ago, I told my husband, I am calling everyone and telling them the book isn't ready, I don't know when it will be ready, and I certainly don't know how. This meltdown occurred at 2am...needless to say, my husband wasn't thrilled but managed to talk me off the ledge in that brilliant way he has (every author has their person, the person who believes in them every step of the way even when the author doesn't) - well, that's him for me.
But I can honestly say I've never pushed myself harder as a writer and as a person as I have with this book. I believe it is the best book (and piece of writing in general) that I've written so far, and that I am genuinely so proud of this book and myself for writing it. I truly cannot wait to share it with you come September 3.
I have seen what I have been told is the final cover, and I am SO excited to share it with you very soon! Keep an eye out on my socials for announcements regarding a cover reveal, or sign up for my newsletter to hear and see it first!: https://olesyagilmore.com/newsletter/.
I will shortly be putting up trigger warnings for the novel as well, so keep an eye out here and on my website: https://olesyagilmore.com for those.
Lastly, watch for ARCs, NetGalley, giveaways, and other exciting pre-publication things, all coming soon.
I'll be back with more updates! xoxo
September 9, 2024
This was a truly creepy and horrific gothic historical novel. The history was rich and well done, and I will admit you don’t see a lot of Russian historical fiction. It was very interesting to see a family of “former people” and what they went through after the revolution in Russia. I did think that while this story was full of interesting supernatural pieces and truly horrifying horror the story moved to slowly for me at bits which made it hard to focus on this book instead of the never ending pile of books waiting to be read. Lili and her sister Irina are struggling to survive in Russia and to protect what is left of their family. While they once had titles and riches the revolution has left them nothing more than their empty home. As strange things start happening the girls are determined to figure out what happened the night their uncle was killed and their father and grandfather arrested because it seems connected to what’s happening now. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up for good levels of spooky.
October 16, 2024
2.5
I truly struggled with this book and I'm sorry to admit that I skim read quite a lot of the last twenty percent. For me it was overly complicated and drawn out.
The story revolves around Moscow House where sisters Irina and Lili are trying hard to keep body and soul together following the revolution. They are confined, with their aunt and quite a few other "former people" to the attic while the bolsheviks have the rest if their crumbling home.
What follows from this is a convoluted tale about people being brought back from the dead, several love stories, the sisters trying to save their remaining family and home, everyone trying to survive, house imps, some Americans and lots of family secrets.
You can see why I got confused. Add to this the Russian names (3 each), lots of incidental characters and an awful lot of procrastination- some of which takes place while their lives are at stake. I think it was the circuitous nature of the narrative that really got me down. It just went on and on.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I'd really loved the same author's "The Witch and The Tsar" last year. But this book fell far short of my expectations. I am fascinated by Russian history and since it's nearly Halloween I thought this would be a great book to read but I trudged through it at a snail's pace.
I'd still read another book by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore because I think she is a good writer. This just needed some serious cuts making.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for the advance review copy.
I truly struggled with this book and I'm sorry to admit that I skim read quite a lot of the last twenty percent. For me it was overly complicated and drawn out.
The story revolves around Moscow House where sisters Irina and Lili are trying hard to keep body and soul together following the revolution. They are confined, with their aunt and quite a few other "former people" to the attic while the bolsheviks have the rest if their crumbling home.
What follows from this is a convoluted tale about people being brought back from the dead, several love stories, the sisters trying to save their remaining family and home, everyone trying to survive, house imps, some Americans and lots of family secrets.
You can see why I got confused. Add to this the Russian names (3 each), lots of incidental characters and an awful lot of procrastination- some of which takes place while their lives are at stake. I think it was the circuitous nature of the narrative that really got me down. It just went on and on.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I'd really loved the same author's "The Witch and The Tsar" last year. But this book fell far short of my expectations. I am fascinated by Russian history and since it's nearly Halloween I thought this would be a great book to read but I trudged through it at a snail's pace.
I'd still read another book by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore because I think she is a good writer. This just needed some serious cuts making.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for the advance review copy.
October 24, 2025
The Haunting of Moscow House is a dark and atmospheric read filled with unease and devastation.
Set in 1921 in Moscow, Russia, we follow the POVs of two sisters: Irina and Lili Goliteva. The sisters are desperately trying to feed and provide for the remaining members of their family. The family has fallen far from the noble aristocratic lives they once, and the only thing they have left is their family and stately mansion, which is falling apart. When a group of Bolsheviks take over their home and send them to live within the attic, the girls know they must fight back. They both take positions working for the ARA (American Relief Administration), enabling them to feed their family, help others, fulfil their dreams, and fight back. But amidst all this, their aunt has begun acting strange, a murder occurs in the house, and it seems the dead have begun to rise. But those they loved are not who they were, and malevolent forces begin to fill Moscoew House. The sisters aren't just fighting to survive from the living but also the dead.
This was very informative about events that happened during this period of post-revolutionary Russia, and it did take me about a third of the book to really get into it, but once I did, I was gripped. The book gave me vibes of The Hauting of Hill House (TV show), which I really enjoyed.
Set in 1921 in Moscow, Russia, we follow the POVs of two sisters: Irina and Lili Goliteva. The sisters are desperately trying to feed and provide for the remaining members of their family. The family has fallen far from the noble aristocratic lives they once, and the only thing they have left is their family and stately mansion, which is falling apart. When a group of Bolsheviks take over their home and send them to live within the attic, the girls know they must fight back. They both take positions working for the ARA (American Relief Administration), enabling them to feed their family, help others, fulfil their dreams, and fight back. But amidst all this, their aunt has begun acting strange, a murder occurs in the house, and it seems the dead have begun to rise. But those they loved are not who they were, and malevolent forces begin to fill Moscoew House. The sisters aren't just fighting to survive from the living but also the dead.
This was very informative about events that happened during this period of post-revolutionary Russia, and it did take me about a third of the book to really get into it, but once I did, I was gripped. The book gave me vibes of The Hauting of Hill House (TV show), which I really enjoyed.
April 4, 2024
THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE masterfully weaves gothic dread, Russian folklore, and history into a suspenseful tale of sisterhood and survival set in a post-revolutionary Moscow that resembles a countess in a tattered gown: regal and proud, despite her scars. Rife with dark family secrets and steeped in eerie atmosphere, you’ll want to read this one with the lights on!
October 5, 2024
...the ghosts wouldn't have returned unless there was space for them among the living...to let them and the past in, maybe in hope of healing it and themselves.
Irina and Lili were Russian countesses, but after the revolution they are "former people" living at the mercy of the Soviet regime. In 1921 they live in their family's Moscow estate with their grandmother, aunt, and young cousins, although electricity has long since been shut off and they have had to resort to selling valuable family heirlooms in order to be able to feed themselves. A group of Bolsheviks arrive one day and commandeer their home, forcing the family to move into the attic. But then things start happening in the house, frightening things, and people start dying.
A good portion of this book is historical fiction about post-revolutionary Russia, the Cheka, the Bolsheviks, the American Relief Administration providing former aristocrats with jobs helping to ease the famine. There are two separate romances, which I'm not sure were really needed. The Gothic part is due to the fact that the main characters live in a derelict mansion where spooky things are happening. The horror and folklore parts were by far the most interesting to me.
There is no slow, creeping build up of suspense here, as right from the get go our sisters are confronted up close with footsteps from behind, a growl, an earsplitting screech, something skittering past in the dark, glowing red eyes, an implosion of air throwing them off balance as furniture crashes and things smash, culminating with the discovery of a dead body in their home--all in one go. Well, okay then, you can't have imagined ALL of that, I guess there's no questioning an actual haunting going on here, then! (Although actually, Irina sees dead acquaintances sporting their fatal wounds appear before her very eyes at her dining table, and "still doesn't believe in the supernatural, but it's growing harder and harder to refute its existence"...ya think?!)
The last, I don't know, 15% or so of the book really ramps up on the horror and excitement, and I enjoyed it the most.
The rest I only felt lukewarm about. There were a couple of things about the writing that I didn't love. It is understood, even mentioned, that except when speaking to the Americans, everyone is speaking Russian and we're just reading about it in English. So why mix the two languages in some sentences, like with, "Your family, nothing but upyrs"? If all of those words were actually delivered in one language, why present it mostly in one with one random words from another language thrown in? It seems just because the author wants to impress by throwing in the Russian word for vampires.
Also, we are treated to several diary entries, one of which reads, "'What happened, Marie?' I demanded in rapid French." No one would write like that in a diary. You would just write I asked Marie what happened.
There was also a parakeet in the book, a somewhat anthropomorphized one that was never caged but just flew around the estate wheresoever she wished, and I couldn't help but think, "Gee, there must just be bird shit all over that house."
For me this was a case of "Come for the horror, stay only for the horror", because the romances and the historical fiction just weren't that engaging to me. But that Domovoy sure was!
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September 27, 2024
I am a huge fan of Olesya’s other book, The Witch and The Tsar, which is a historical fiction filled with some fantasy elements and focused around the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The Haunting of Moscow House is also a historical fiction with some magical realism, but is being billed as horror. And I think that this marketing is a disservice to this book.
This is not horror, you could make the argument that it’s horror adjacent but I never felt a sense of horror or dread or fear. Maybe a small sense of disgust with the evolution of the physical changes of the house throughout the book but not fear.
So I think I was just going into the book with different expectations and higher hopes, but this is still a good book. I just think the strength is in the historical aspects and how the sisters navigate their new reality over the magical aspects. There is also a heavier dose of romance in this novel compared to her previous.
Overall I would describe this as the Russian Revolution meets The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, with a bit more romance and less horror.
This is not horror, you could make the argument that it’s horror adjacent but I never felt a sense of horror or dread or fear. Maybe a small sense of disgust with the evolution of the physical changes of the house throughout the book but not fear.
So I think I was just going into the book with different expectations and higher hopes, but this is still a good book. I just think the strength is in the historical aspects and how the sisters navigate their new reality over the magical aspects. There is also a heavier dose of romance in this novel compared to her previous.
Overall I would describe this as the Russian Revolution meets The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, with a bit more romance and less horror.
January 5, 2025
All it took was for me to see the cover of The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore to know I wanted to read it, and this is definitely an instance of a 'cover buy' win. I figured it would be about ghosts and that it would be historical fiction, so the cover did its job there, and I loved how gothic and creepy the storyline ended up being. I didn’t really know much about the ARA (American Relief Administration) prior to picking this book up, and it definitely makes me want to see if I can find some more historical fiction where that organization is the main focus. I loved that this book is also about sisters at its core, and Irina and Lili were fantastic characters.
The audiobook is where its at thanks to Saskia Maarleveld who I could listen to 24/7 and never grow tired of. I would highly recommend the audio if you decide to read this book, and Maarleveld’s narration probably made me love the book even more than had I simply read it. Amongst the ghosts and the general unrest of the time period, there is also a bit of a blossoming romance for each of the sisters which was strange but also somehow soothing amongst all the madness and scariness of post-revolutionary famine. There are a lot of moving pieces, but I never found myself confused, and I ended up loving the supernatural element immensely. The historical note at the end is a must read, and I love that the author read it in the audio! Read this if you love ghost stories and romance mixed with your historical fiction, are interested in Russian history, and enjoy slower storylines.
I received an advance listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The audiobook is where its at thanks to Saskia Maarleveld who I could listen to 24/7 and never grow tired of. I would highly recommend the audio if you decide to read this book, and Maarleveld’s narration probably made me love the book even more than had I simply read it. Amongst the ghosts and the general unrest of the time period, there is also a bit of a blossoming romance for each of the sisters which was strange but also somehow soothing amongst all the madness and scariness of post-revolutionary famine. There are a lot of moving pieces, but I never found myself confused, and I ended up loving the supernatural element immensely. The historical note at the end is a must read, and I love that the author read it in the audio! Read this if you love ghost stories and romance mixed with your historical fiction, are interested in Russian history, and enjoy slower storylines.
I received an advance listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 3, 2024
The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesva Salnikova Gilmore
“ What is it about night that brings out the ghosts, you think?
Don’t you know? He had smiled, heavy lidded, teasing, his face incredibly close. Night belongs to the unholy and the dead, morning to God and the living.”
Thank you @berkleypub for the advanced readers copy of this gem in exchange for an honest review.
To me this book is perfection! And here is why:
1. The genre is gothic historical horror with elements of Russian/Slavic folklore woven in with a heavy dose of fairytales. What’s not to love about that mash up?
2. The history depicted is accurate to the time and you can tell the author thoroughly researched the political, social and economic situation in Moscow during the 1920s. And sources were included, which always gets bonus points from me!
3. The atmospheric writing is what makes a gothic horror book and it was executed flawlessly. It was creepy, kept you on the edge of your seat and engaged the whole time, even though it is a slow burn.
4. The character development was fantastic. Without giving away too much, I particularly loved how everything with the aunt unfolded/developed. The whole arc was so well done.
5. The house and people are actually inspired by real life places and individuals which I found to be fascinating. While events are obviously exaggerated and made up to make a good, fictional, story, I love that the bases of this book are founded in reality. I also love that the author provides that information in the historical note at the end.
6. I personally love a slow burn horror so, to me, the pacing is perfect for the genre. But I understand that isn’t for everyone.
If you are a fan of gothic haunted houses + slow burn horror novels, this is a must read and I cannot recommend it enough.
The Haunting of Moscow House is out today and I suggest you run to the book store to snag a copy for your fall TBR!
“ What is it about night that brings out the ghosts, you think?
Don’t you know? He had smiled, heavy lidded, teasing, his face incredibly close. Night belongs to the unholy and the dead, morning to God and the living.”
Thank you @berkleypub for the advanced readers copy of this gem in exchange for an honest review.
To me this book is perfection! And here is why:
1. The genre is gothic historical horror with elements of Russian/Slavic folklore woven in with a heavy dose of fairytales. What’s not to love about that mash up?
2. The history depicted is accurate to the time and you can tell the author thoroughly researched the political, social and economic situation in Moscow during the 1920s. And sources were included, which always gets bonus points from me!
3. The atmospheric writing is what makes a gothic horror book and it was executed flawlessly. It was creepy, kept you on the edge of your seat and engaged the whole time, even though it is a slow burn.
4. The character development was fantastic. Without giving away too much, I particularly loved how everything with the aunt unfolded/developed. The whole arc was so well done.
5. The house and people are actually inspired by real life places and individuals which I found to be fascinating. While events are obviously exaggerated and made up to make a good, fictional, story, I love that the bases of this book are founded in reality. I also love that the author provides that information in the historical note at the end.
6. I personally love a slow burn horror so, to me, the pacing is perfect for the genre. But I understand that isn’t for everyone.
If you are a fan of gothic haunted houses + slow burn horror novels, this is a must read and I cannot recommend it enough.
The Haunting of Moscow House is out today and I suggest you run to the book store to snag a copy for your fall TBR!
November 2, 2024
A novel about a haunted mansion in Moscow just post revolution sounded great for a Halloween read. The Moscow setting and the brutality of the Bolsheviks toward “former people” (former nobility) were decently portrayed. The reader also experiences the extreme changes of life experienced by the two main characters – preciously young noble women – now former people. However, there were way too many ghosts with far too much significance in the story for me. It could have been so much better – it just wasn’t the Halloween read I was looking for.
September 2, 2024
The Haunting of Moscow House is a gothic historical fantasy set in 1920s Soviet Russia that gave me the shivers and feels bleak at times, but is also full of resilient characters and the atmospheric writing and historical details that I love.
The story follows two sisters of the Russian nobility who are navigating the hard times of post-revolutionary Russia: working through their own recent trauma, dealing with antagonistic Bolsheviks, as well as uncovering family secrets that have come back to haunt them. The fantasy elements involve a spooky haunted house, complete with ghosts and an uber-creepy doll, plus Russian folklore aspects. On the historical and cultural side, the specifics were spot-on—accurate and just enough so they didn’t detract from the story—and I was fascinated to learn that so much of the novel was inspired by real people as well as events involving a real American aid organization. There’s also some romance for the sisters woven in, but in my opinion, the relationship between the sisters really takes center stage. The tone is a bit grim and unsettling, as might be expected from a gothic, but not overwhelmingly dark or without a light at the end of the tunnel. I liked that despite all they’ve been through, the characters are tough and don’t give up on each other. And while the writing is lush and wonderfully immersive, I found the action and story fairly fast-paced, more so than Salnikova Gilmore’s The Witch and the Tsar—so overall, it was a great balance that made this book a really enjoyable read for me. Definitely recommend!
The story follows two sisters of the Russian nobility who are navigating the hard times of post-revolutionary Russia: working through their own recent trauma, dealing with antagonistic Bolsheviks, as well as uncovering family secrets that have come back to haunt them. The fantasy elements involve a spooky haunted house, complete with ghosts and an uber-creepy doll, plus Russian folklore aspects. On the historical and cultural side, the specifics were spot-on—accurate and just enough so they didn’t detract from the story—and I was fascinated to learn that so much of the novel was inspired by real people as well as events involving a real American aid organization. There’s also some romance for the sisters woven in, but in my opinion, the relationship between the sisters really takes center stage. The tone is a bit grim and unsettling, as might be expected from a gothic, but not overwhelmingly dark or without a light at the end of the tunnel. I liked that despite all they’ve been through, the characters are tough and don’t give up on each other. And while the writing is lush and wonderfully immersive, I found the action and story fairly fast-paced, more so than Salnikova Gilmore’s The Witch and the Tsar—so overall, it was a great balance that made this book a really enjoyable read for me. Definitely recommend!
August 2, 2024
Because their uncle decides that the Golitevs would wait out the revolution in the hope that things would return to normal, Irina and Lilya Goliteva are eking out a precarious existence in Moscow. Anyone who knows a bit about Russian history will know that there are several long decades of Soviet rule stretching out ahead of 1921. Irina and Lilya have no way of knowing this, of course, but they know that their only chance of a long life is to somehow get themselves out of Russia. It’s hard enough to get one person past the murderous Red Army and nascent Soviet government, let alone the remnant of their family (two children, an aunt, and a grandmother), let alone the remnant of an aristocratic family. Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s atmospheric and gripping new novel, The Haunting of Moscow House, follows Irina and Lilya as they face battles that might finally end their illustrious family...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
November 5, 2024
I just couldn't get into this novel. I was expecting a gothic fiction/gothic horror, but what I got instead was a mash of a few different genres with nothing really taking the lead.
Unfortunately I kept tuning out and had to go back to reread sections. There were also parts that felt so out of place and cringey that I skipped entire parts of chapters.
It could have been a great story if executed correctly and sticking to a couple of genres instead of jumping around with different things just thrown in here and there.
Unfortunately I kept tuning out and had to go back to reread sections. There were also parts that felt so out of place and cringey that I skipped entire parts of chapters.
It could have been a great story if executed correctly and sticking to a couple of genres instead of jumping around with different things just thrown in here and there.
August 14, 2024
Really enjoyed reading this book
September 16, 2024
Expert historical fiction. Chills and mystery. The Haunting of Moscow House. Two disparate sisters—displaced aristocrats—navigate ravages of post-revolutionary Russia. Grief literally ghosts, women’s perseverance & hope endures. Brava Olesya Salnikova Gilmore. Beautiful storytelling. #historicalfiction #gothicfiction #siblingfiction
December 11, 2024
Hands down one of the most hauntingly brilliant reads of the year. Based on real people and places this tale set in WWI really hit me hard. I haven’t read many books based in Russia and this author has really opened my eyes to historical fact and also a country rich in myths and folklore. Lili and Irina will stay with me for a very long time and Moscow House was also a character in itself, inhabited by ghosts from the past. A truly wonderful read, I can’t wait to hear more from this author.
December 29, 2024
"Irina peers at the faces, praying to see someone familiar, but all are strangers, all wide-eyed with feverish excitement, no doubt thinking the Sherbatsky-Golitevs are finally getting what they deserve". This is the only self-reflection the reader will get from our ex-aristocrat protagonists about why they are the position they are in. This book takes the very complex topic of how former aristocrats were treated after the Russian Revolution & dumbs it down to "the aristocrats were good, noble people with no faults actually." You have 2 sisters who have very few faults & the ones they do have are seen as little quirks that do no real harm. This makes them very boring main characters. But this is what happens when you want to whitewash the Russian imperial nobility. These are families that owned people for decades & then when the serfs were finally given their freedom, the nobility forced the serfs to repay the nobility for their lost labor. There were real complaints that led to the Revolution. Rasputin didn't bring on the Revolution with his weird hippy sex cult (he might have helped with his bad advice to the tzarina though). It wasn't because the communists were jealous of the nobility. The Revolution happened because the nobility were exploiting the working classes for their own gain. The author never acknowledges this fact. There is a point in the book where 1 of the main characters & some honestly pointless side characters get arrested by the secret police (an imperial Russia invention, by the way, just ask Fyodor Dostoevsky). This leads the rest of our characters to suggest withholding aid from starving children until the arrested get released. It's honestly one of the more telling moments in the story, yet it is seen as a good solution by the author. I also would never label this as a gothic horror story. It's a romance story with supernatural elements that get samey by the end. If you want an actual horror story, I would avoid this book. I'm also not a fan of the writing. The author writes about how people smell & what their eyes look like about every other paragraph. It's repetitive & boring. I'm also not 100% sure this book passes the Bechdel test, which is honestly sad because there are 2 main female protagonists. Would not recommend this book & honestly, I think this is the nail in my ability to read historical fiction coffine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2024
Russia's history is drenched in war, instability, terror, the unknown, and the fear of the past sneaking up behind you and tapping you on the shoulder. You focus on the present, just to make it through to the next horror. Your stomach caving in on itself in hunger, the Bolsheviks eyes caressing your every move, not knowing what your future holds. Your family is your priority. Getting them through the next obstacle, filling their belly's, and making sure they are loved. When the past finally catches up to you and completely sends you running in terror. You know you must do whatever it takes to get through to the other side.
Irina and Lili Goliteva are sisters. They were brought up in extreme privilege, which has been yanked away by the new government. Their family members have been murdered, their possessions sold off or destroyed. The Moscow House is the only thing they have left. A vast mansion that holds their past hostage. In 1921 a group of Bolshevik soldiers move in, turning their lives into upheaval. The ghosts of the past are not happy and are making it known. As accidental deaths begin to add up. Irina and Lili are beginning to see ghostly forms of their family members. The walls begin to mold, there is the smell of death and decay in the air. The gloom swirls around them, making them fear for their lives. The house haunted in every sense of the word. Their Aunt seems possessed at times. As the past and the present collide the girls need to confront their ghosts to move forward.
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore weaves a fantastical tale. Bringing together Russian folklore, history, and a stunning atmospheric setting, which had me at the edge of my seat. It is a slow burn, that quietly grows with intensity as more of the past is uncovered. I loved the Russian history, it literally oozed from the pages. Making me want to learn more, and to read more of their folklore. Which let us be honest, can be horrifying on its own. Add in a dash of the occult and Russian Superstition and you have a perfect book to add to your pile of spooky book reads. Thank you to Oleysa Salnikova Gilmore and Berkley Publishing for this haunting read of love, sisterhood, and family.
Irina and Lili Goliteva are sisters. They were brought up in extreme privilege, which has been yanked away by the new government. Their family members have been murdered, their possessions sold off or destroyed. The Moscow House is the only thing they have left. A vast mansion that holds their past hostage. In 1921 a group of Bolshevik soldiers move in, turning their lives into upheaval. The ghosts of the past are not happy and are making it known. As accidental deaths begin to add up. Irina and Lili are beginning to see ghostly forms of their family members. The walls begin to mold, there is the smell of death and decay in the air. The gloom swirls around them, making them fear for their lives. The house haunted in every sense of the word. Their Aunt seems possessed at times. As the past and the present collide the girls need to confront their ghosts to move forward.
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore weaves a fantastical tale. Bringing together Russian folklore, history, and a stunning atmospheric setting, which had me at the edge of my seat. It is a slow burn, that quietly grows with intensity as more of the past is uncovered. I loved the Russian history, it literally oozed from the pages. Making me want to learn more, and to read more of their folklore. Which let us be honest, can be horrifying on its own. Add in a dash of the occult and Russian Superstition and you have a perfect book to add to your pile of spooky book reads. Thank you to Oleysa Salnikova Gilmore and Berkley Publishing for this haunting read of love, sisterhood, and family.
August 29, 2024
There's something irresistibly alluring about haunted house stories, isn't there? The eerie atmosphere, the whispers of the past, the mysteries woven into the very walls—it's a genre that calls out to me, inviting me to unravel the histories that made these places haunting grounds.
The Haunting of Moscow House is a captivating blend of horror and historical fiction, a combination that immediately piqued my interest. The novel transports us to 1921, amidst the tumultuous backdrop of the Russian Revolution, where we follow the gripping tale of sisters Irina and Lili. Once proud countesses, they find themselves stripped of their titles and properties, forced to navigate a world that has turned its back on them.
Irina and Lili's story is one of resilience and determination. As they struggle to support their impoverished family, they also encounter love in unexpected places. Yet, beneath the surface of their solidarity lies a web of family secrets that threatens to unravel the delicate bond between them—and perhaps, to finally release the restless spirits haunting their ancestral home.
The narrative is peppered with scenes that send shivers down your spine, evoking a haunting atmosphere that's both chilling and compelling. The author masterfully crafts an environment that feels alive with ghostly presence, making every shadow and creak of the house pulse with tension.
The Haunting of Moscow House is a perfect read for those seeking a spine-tingling journey during the spooky season. It's an enthralling tale for fans of historical fiction who crave a touch of horror and romance, where the past and the supernatural collide in an unforgettable story.
Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for my free books for review.
The Haunting of Moscow House is a captivating blend of horror and historical fiction, a combination that immediately piqued my interest. The novel transports us to 1921, amidst the tumultuous backdrop of the Russian Revolution, where we follow the gripping tale of sisters Irina and Lili. Once proud countesses, they find themselves stripped of their titles and properties, forced to navigate a world that has turned its back on them.
Irina and Lili's story is one of resilience and determination. As they struggle to support their impoverished family, they also encounter love in unexpected places. Yet, beneath the surface of their solidarity lies a web of family secrets that threatens to unravel the delicate bond between them—and perhaps, to finally release the restless spirits haunting their ancestral home.
The narrative is peppered with scenes that send shivers down your spine, evoking a haunting atmosphere that's both chilling and compelling. The author masterfully crafts an environment that feels alive with ghostly presence, making every shadow and creak of the house pulse with tension.
The Haunting of Moscow House is a perfect read for those seeking a spine-tingling journey during the spooky season. It's an enthralling tale for fans of historical fiction who crave a touch of horror and romance, where the past and the supernatural collide in an unforgettable story.
Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for my free books for review.
April 16, 2025
this is an entirely biased review, i am probably this book’s exact target audience as i come from a family that fled russia around the time this book takes place and has always held that history close to us. it takes a while to build to the horror aspects of this book but once it kicks off it really delivers on that as well. for me, this book was an instant favourite and i can’t wait to revisit it again in the future.
January 9, 2025
The Haunting of Moscow House is everything I hoped it would be: a riveting gothic that shines a light on the shadowed, haunted streets of early Soviet St. Petersburg. Equal parts chilling and moving, Irina and Lili's story is a can't-miss for fans of the dark and historical.
September 23, 2024
I learned so much from this book while still being a little scared. The book takes place during the Russian revolution and while I “knew” about Anastasia from a cartoon and Bolsheviks from my high school history teacher saying the word a bunch, I didn’t really know what went on in Russia during this period. Olesya brought history to life with characters that felt like they were living in the pages of my previously mentioned high school history book. She made you feel what life was like for people of the tumultuous time while adding paranormal details to strengthen the fear you should be feeling for them. The book centers on what is left of the Goliteva family. They are known as former people in this new Soviet Russia, because they were princes, princesses and other aristocratic members of high society but they have lost their social status due to the revolution. When things began to look bad their family left the Petersburg house for their Moscow house, but life in the Moscow house was anything but easy. When the Bolshevik’s commandeer the Moscow house, they force the 6 remaining members of the family to retreat to the attic, but they awaken something more sinister lurking in the shadows of all the pain and loss. This book is easy to read and plays out almost like a Netflix miniseries, and slowly unravelling the mystery of the Moscow House is half the fun of this book. The world building is top notch, and as I’ve mentioned before, this whole book reads like a historical fiction novel. There are gothic elements of folklore, witchcraft and social horror that haunt this tale, but I think that people that don’t necessarily “like” horror will enjoy this book too. Sometimes it’s fun to get the blood racing and this book manages this with historical context, romance and through the traditional horror suspense of things going bump in the night so there is a little something for everyone. The story offers an explanation and a resolution for the people that need to know this before picking up a horror book.
September 9, 2024
MALEFICENT MONDAY
Thanks #partners @berkleypub & @prhaudio for my #gifted copies! #berkleyig #berkleypartner #penguinrandomhousepartner
The Haunting of Moscow House
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
Available now
📖 The Haunting of Moscow House follows the Goliteva sisters, Lili and Irena, in 1920s Moscow — the years following the Russian Revolution. Before the war, the sisters enjoyed a life of aristocracy, but after the Bolsheviks commandeer their mansion, the family is forced to live in the attic, bartering family heirlooms for survival. When the Americans arrive, Irina and Lili are offered jobs for the ARA in exchange for food and a better life. But back home, supernatural occurrences unbury dark, sinister secrets that shock the sisters to their core.
💭 The Haunting of Moscow House has so many elements I love! It's based in part on true events, and weaves historical fiction with supernatural horror and a romance subplot. As someone who hasn't read many historical fiction novels set in Russia, this was as educational as it was entertaining. While it did drag at times, I was still fully invested in the story and the sisters' outcome. This tale is often dark — exploring both the horrors of Russian history and the those of the supernatural variety — but it's also an inspiring and hopeful story of sisterhood and perseverance in the face of unimaginable adversity. I appreciate the incorporation of lighter elements to offset the darker elements, which results in an overall well-rounded novel.
🎧 I chose to read this one in tandem, by combining my print copy with the audiobook. The Magnificent Maarleveld (Saskia Maarleveld) was the perfect casting choice here; I always love listening to books in her voice. She nails the accents and genders, flawlessly shifting from Russian to English, and women to men. Wonderful performance as always!
This is the perfect read to get you in the mood for the upcoming Halloween season!
📌 Out now!
Thanks #partners @berkleypub & @prhaudio for my #gifted copies! #berkleyig #berkleypartner #penguinrandomhousepartner
The Haunting of Moscow House
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
Available now
📖 The Haunting of Moscow House follows the Goliteva sisters, Lili and Irena, in 1920s Moscow — the years following the Russian Revolution. Before the war, the sisters enjoyed a life of aristocracy, but after the Bolsheviks commandeer their mansion, the family is forced to live in the attic, bartering family heirlooms for survival. When the Americans arrive, Irina and Lili are offered jobs for the ARA in exchange for food and a better life. But back home, supernatural occurrences unbury dark, sinister secrets that shock the sisters to their core.
💭 The Haunting of Moscow House has so many elements I love! It's based in part on true events, and weaves historical fiction with supernatural horror and a romance subplot. As someone who hasn't read many historical fiction novels set in Russia, this was as educational as it was entertaining. While it did drag at times, I was still fully invested in the story and the sisters' outcome. This tale is often dark — exploring both the horrors of Russian history and the those of the supernatural variety — but it's also an inspiring and hopeful story of sisterhood and perseverance in the face of unimaginable adversity. I appreciate the incorporation of lighter elements to offset the darker elements, which results in an overall well-rounded novel.
🎧 I chose to read this one in tandem, by combining my print copy with the audiobook. The Magnificent Maarleveld (Saskia Maarleveld) was the perfect casting choice here; I always love listening to books in her voice. She nails the accents and genders, flawlessly shifting from Russian to English, and women to men. Wonderful performance as always!
This is the perfect read to get you in the mood for the upcoming Halloween season!
📌 Out now!
January 18, 2025
"Nechistaya sila." 🏚️
"What is it about night that brings out the ghosts, you think?"
Don't you know? (...) Night belongs to the unholy and the dead, morning to God and the living."
"Was it not superstition that brought Russia down?"
"Secrets are dreadful things - they fester like poisoned apples."
This was a fantastic ghost story! Tasteful, historical, intriguing, suspenseful, and captivating!
I loved how Olesya kept it real about Russia. How cruel the Bolshevik times were. How bloody and intimidating a regime can be and how an empire was brought down. What war did to people - the most noble and powerful - how much they were humiliated. But the background provided the necessary darkness to the story, maintaining the intrigue about the hauntings. It was very dark but very necessary.
I also appreciated the inclusion of Russian words in the English text. It set the right tone, allowing readers to feel the environment and the characters deeply. However, I think only those who know and understand Russian history will truly grasp the book's depth.
Despite the darkness of the story and its tragedies, I found many little things to fall in love with. For example, this beautiful quote from Irina's father: "I wish to give you the world, Irinushka. If you have a map, you will have an idea of where you'd like to go." There were many more touching moments when the sisters lingered on memories about their father and Uncle Pasha.
Additionally, this was a story about sisterhood and how much they could uncover in the darkest times to find light. Together. Especially when the darkest times were brought on by their closest family. It’s scary, but it always comes from the closest.
"You reap what you sow." Auntie Marie was the "Evil Queen" who mistook mourning for vengeance. It can create the illusion of justice, but in reality, it is just blind folly. Marie was poisoned by her own secrets, which destroyed everything she wanted to save. That's what made her a great villain.
After every night, there is a day, and this story found a beautiful new day because of the amazing characters Irina and Lili.
"Home is where the heart is."
Final side note - it was very lovely to see Riga mentioned in the story. 🩷
"What is it about night that brings out the ghosts, you think?"
Don't you know? (...) Night belongs to the unholy and the dead, morning to God and the living."
"Was it not superstition that brought Russia down?"
"Secrets are dreadful things - they fester like poisoned apples."
This was a fantastic ghost story! Tasteful, historical, intriguing, suspenseful, and captivating!
I loved how Olesya kept it real about Russia. How cruel the Bolshevik times were. How bloody and intimidating a regime can be and how an empire was brought down. What war did to people - the most noble and powerful - how much they were humiliated. But the background provided the necessary darkness to the story, maintaining the intrigue about the hauntings. It was very dark but very necessary.
I also appreciated the inclusion of Russian words in the English text. It set the right tone, allowing readers to feel the environment and the characters deeply. However, I think only those who know and understand Russian history will truly grasp the book's depth.
Despite the darkness of the story and its tragedies, I found many little things to fall in love with. For example, this beautiful quote from Irina's father: "I wish to give you the world, Irinushka. If you have a map, you will have an idea of where you'd like to go." There were many more touching moments when the sisters lingered on memories about their father and Uncle Pasha.
Additionally, this was a story about sisterhood and how much they could uncover in the darkest times to find light. Together. Especially when the darkest times were brought on by their closest family. It’s scary, but it always comes from the closest.
"You reap what you sow." Auntie Marie was the "Evil Queen" who mistook mourning for vengeance. It can create the illusion of justice, but in reality, it is just blind folly. Marie was poisoned by her own secrets, which destroyed everything she wanted to save. That's what made her a great villain.
After every night, there is a day, and this story found a beautiful new day because of the amazing characters Irina and Lili.
"Home is where the heart is."
Final side note - it was very lovely to see Riga mentioned in the story. 🩷
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2024
So cheese
November 19, 2024
This was a beautifully written historical gothic, with its supernatural mystery unfolding over the backdrop of the early days of Soviet Russia. Atmospheric and eerie, this novel also contained some truly gorgeous prose, with sentences that I found myself rereading and lingering over. THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE is not to be missed for all fans of gothic fiction!
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