📚 Book Review 📚

The Haunting of Moscow House drips with the dark and gothic. It is suspenseful and pretty scary but it’s not just a ghost story, it exists on a framework of the disturbing history of Russia.

The story follows sisters, Irena and Lili who are desperately trying to navigate post revolutionary Russia as deposed and penniless former people. The threat of starvation and arrest follow them at every turn and their dilapidated house decays around them, their aunt, two young children and their elderly grandmother. Many of their family were murdered and imprisoned so every day is a trial of finding food and staying safe.

One day, their house is invaded by soldiers and they are told to move up to the attic rooms. The soldiers take over the main part of the house, that is until the dead return to reclaim their home.

Russian history and folklore play a large part in this book and as a reader, we are taken on a historical journey throughout the novel. Although, there are scary events described here, it’s the history that swept me away. The impressive role of women in post revolution Russia tumbles from the pages. It’s so well written and is absorbing; I genuinely wanted the sisters to lead happy lives.

I’d like to thank Harper Collins UK, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 12th September 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A deeply atmospheric and twisty story. Two sisters linked to their past by dark ties during difficult times seek to make lives for themselves in the present while looking to the future. The soviet oppression ignites darkness and ghosts from the past who lead Irina and Lili Goliteva on a journey through the mysteries concealed in their once great family and house. Full of suspense and surprises, this is a deeply woven web that the sisters must unravel. Sadness and unhappiness along with earie chills are at the heart of this tale which gets under your skin.

Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s *The Haunting of Moscow House* is an exquisite blend of gothic horror, historical drama, and mystery, set against the eerie backdrop of post-revolutionary Russia. In this chilling novel, Gilmore masterfully weaves together family secrets, supernatural whispers, and the dark realities of Soviet life, creating a story that is both haunting and deeply human.

The novel centers on Irina and Lili Goliteva, two sisters from a once-noble family now forced to live in the attic of their ancestral mansion in Moscow. Their grand home, which has been taken over by Bolshevik officials, is decaying like the world they once knew. Stripped of their former aristocratic privilege, Irina and Lili must navigate the harsh new realities of Soviet Russia, all while being haunted—literally and figuratively—by the ghosts of their past.

What makes *The Haunting of Moscow House* truly compelling is how Gilmore blends the sisters' personal struggle with the larger historical context of the Russian Revolution. Through Irina’s pragmatic resolve and Lili’s artistic sensibilities, the novel explores themes of survival, loss, and the erasure of memory. Their work with the American Relief Administration offers them a lifeline, both physically and emotionally, as they attempt to carve out a new life amidst the chaos. Yet, even as they try to move forward, the house itself pulls them back, its walls whispering of long-buried traumas and secrets.

Gilmore’s portrayal of the decaying mansion as both a literal and metaphorical representation of the sisters' crumbling past is particularly striking. The house becomes a character in its own right—one that holds the key to unraveling the dark mystery surrounding their family’s fate during the Revolution. As the supernatural elements slowly reveal themselves, the tension builds, culminating in the death of one of the Bolshevik officials. Was it the vengeful spirits of the past, or something far more human? This question lingers, heightening the novel’s gothic suspense.

At the heart of the story is the relationship between Irina and Lili, whose bond is tested as they confront the ghosts of their family’s history. The sisters’ dynamic adds emotional depth to the tale, making their journey all the more poignant. Their differing responses to their changing world—Irina’s practicality and Lili’s artistic idealism—create a captivating tension that enriches the narrative.

*The Haunting of Moscow House* is a novel about memory, both personal and collective, and the ways in which history refuses to be forgotten. Gilmore deftly combines the supernatural with historical realism, creating a rich atmosphere of dread and sorrow that lingers long after the last page. For fans of gothic horror and historical fiction, this tale offers both eerie chills and a deeply immersive exploration of post-revolutionary Russia.

With its elegant prose, richly developed characters, and a mystery that keeps you guessing, *The Haunting of Moscow House* is a beautifully crafted story that unearths the horrors of the past in a way that feels hauntingly relevant today.

An interesting read, I had not previously read about the fates of the surviving Russian aristocracy after the revolution before this book. That part for me was the most interesting part. It will not feature on my favourite books of the year list but was ok. I preferred the previous book.

3.5 stars.

Great autumnal, Halloween read. I loved the Russian and historical fiction elements.

Two sisters trying to survive the post revolutionary Russia. Like many families, the men are all dead and it’s up to the females to continue the family legacy.

The sisters are forced to move into the attic where the ghosts appear. The last part of this book is spooky and I’m really unsure if I’d stay in the house.

The authors notes at the end are amazing too!

The haunting of Moscow house by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is creepy historical novel set in 1921 in worn torn Russia.
Irina and Lili Goliteva are former aristocrats, still living in their crumbling ancestral home of Moscow House when the Bolsheviks move in, and the two sisters and the rest of the family are forced to live in the attic. To get away from the going on in the house they get jobs with the ARA. Which gives them both respite and access to decent food.
But sinister things start going on in the house when ghosts of the past members of the family start appearing and one of the new inhabitants ends up dead.
But not is all bad when there is romance on the cards for both girls as they discover a new life with the ARA.
I am looking forward to reading this as I love a gothic tale. But this didn’t hit the mark for me. Don’t get me wrong I like the gothic/supernatural element, but I found the storyline slow and the elements of parts of their uncle’s diaries didn’t grip me and I struggled to connect with the storyline. 3 stars from me.

Having loved the author's previous book, The Witch and the Tsar, I was really excited and nervous to read this one. Once again the author mixes historical fiction with a supernatural mystery, this time in the early years of the Soviet Union. The mystery works well, and it was interesting to read a fictional account of life in 1920s Moscow from the point of view of the deposed aristocracy.

There are plenty of fantasies based on Russian/Slavic folklore but this is the first one I have come across set in the aftermath of the Russian revolution, and the clash of new communism and ancient beliefs is an interesting one. The story is centred on two sisters, former aristocrats, living with the remnants of their family in a decaying mansion, Moscow House. They spend their time trying to find food and avoid being arrested - or worse - by the Checha. The book begins with the sisters, Lili and Irina, having a chance encounter with some American aid workers which leads to job offers. However at the same time, Bolshevik officials requisition their house and they are forced to live in the attic with the rest of the house occupied by men who hate them for their bourgeois past. Strange events start happening, ghosts bearing a frightening resemblance to their dead family members appear, and soon one of the occupying Bolsheviks is found dead.

It's more of a horror story than a fantasy, at least in the way I classify things. There's none of the sparkle and wonder you get with a fantasy, and plenty of descriptions of decay, rot, mould, ghosts grabbing people etc. - which put it into the 'horror' category in my mind. It's a disturbing concept because the ghosts are recently deceased, and people that the haunted characters loved, so it's sinister to see them changed and no longer benevolent. I think the ghost of someone you knew and cared about must be a lot more distressing to encounter than an anonymous one.

Irina and Lili are likeable enough characters, but I never felt any real connection with them - I didn't love them, and I didn't feel invested in their fates. This is surprising as I did have that investment in the characters in Gilmore's excellent previous novel, so she is certainly capable of creating that emotional connection from readers. The story is compelling, particularly as it nears the end, but I found it just too dark. I also found it annoying that both sisters found love interests as part of the story - it frustrates me when authors seem to think no book about a woman could be worth reading unless she finds a partner during it. The actual romances felt perfunctory and the sex scenes were not well written.

If you like Gothic horror, then it is worth reading. The Bolshevism-meets-folklore angle is an interesting one and it is hard to put down once the plot gets going. But I wouldn't rate it highly enough to recommend to a wide range of readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperVoyager & author Olesya Salnikova Gilmore for the eARC

Gilmore's writing is beautiful and wonderfully atmospheric and even though the plot moves at a snails pace I still enjoyed The Haunting of Moscow House.
I think that is mainly because I really liked the historical fiction part of it. The gothic/supernatural element brought another level to the story, but as it only really gets going after the 45% mark I also wouldn't have minded if it wasn't there. What I mostly enjoyed about this book was seeing life in post-revolutionary Russia.
3.75 stars

Russian History. Ghosts. Murder Mystery. This book checked some of the main boxes for my must haves in a book and it didn't disappoint. In fact it offered more. Russian Folklore and strong female characters.

This dark murder mystery will keep you guessing to the end with well written suspects and Gothic folklore abound for the reasoning.
Away from the murder and folklore are the well written characters and especially Irina and Lily who for former Royals are a lot stronger than I was expecting. It's always great to find a good story with strong female leads.

The story was amazingly dark and offered enough shivers to keep the light on.

Grab this book for a weekend read because you wont want to put it down and the ghosts may keep you up.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

I had read this author’s previous book and absolutely loved it so I was excited to see what she’d come up with next.

Though the title makes it sound like a horror novel, this is a historical novel with supernatural elements. This did feel more like a historical novel though it does embrace some gothic and folkloric elements. This book was heavily informed by the historic context in which it was written. It takes place in Russia in the years following the Russian Revolution and sees the experience of a previously noble family whose house has been taken over by soldiers. They are forced up to live in the attic where damp and mould makes them sick. A simmering resentment grows as the soldiers treat their home and heritage with disrespect, and treating the women left in the family with cruelty. However people start dying in the house and frightening things occur. The soldiers believe the women are the murderers treating them with suspicion and derision, but things soon start to get far worse.

This book did feel like it took a while to get going but once it did it was really good! I struggled at first with all the different characters in the family and the soldiers and beyond. Once I established a clear, distinct voice between the two sisters who are the main characters it was easier.

This book explores the corrupting power of grief and rage and the extent people will go to when overcome by these emotions. The exploration of the folkloric elements I really enjoyed. I also found the culmination of the supernatural elements in the final scenes of the book so evocative and engrossing. I’ll be looking out for more from this author as that’s two books from them I’ve enjoyed.

A gothic novel brimming with Russian historical fiction, romance, specters, and a struggle for survival. It diverged from my usual reading choices, yet I believe it merits a recommendation. The characters and their dynamics were particularly engaging.

Eerie and based on an interesting premise, I liked the idea of this book however I felt that at points the pacing could have benefitted from being a little tighter. Although a number of elements worked well on their own, unfortunately I felt that they could have perhaps been integrated a little better.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review

Sadly every time I thought this story is finally grabbing my attention I was let down while reading it. I was very excited about this russian folklore - gothic - atmospheric story and liked the spooky elements and the sister's relationship but the pacing was horrible for me and I was a bit disappointed by the "historical" elements. The writing style was ok for me.

Sadly "The Haunting of Moscow House" by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore didn't live up to my expectations of a historical novel with gothic elements. If the author had kept out the ghost story then I think it would have been a stronger story as the historical facts are quite horrific and the way the sisters had to pull together to survive was really gripping. It wasn't really a gothic story more of a ghost story. The Russian folklore elements could have been interwoven a bit more effectively too.

Unfortunately I could not get into this story at all and this was a DNF for me

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc

This is an eerie and atmospheric read. A mix of Historical / Folksy/ Supernatural elements to it.
The book itself was well written, unfortunately the pacing of it was a bit up and down. At certain times I couldn’t wait to get back to it, yet at others I found myself wondering “How much longer?”.
The authors writing style flowed well but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to really make the book enjoyable.

The plot to this story appealed to me straight away history, and a mixture of the supernatural blended into one. I started to zoom my way through this book, but then, for some reason, I had trouble getting the need to finish it. I'm not sure why maybe it was the way it had downloaded onto my Kindle it didn't form as a book should... which is not the author's fault. I would say maybe it was just a bit too slow paced for me as I felt it dragged in places where it didn't need to

The characters were amazing, and you felt like you connected with them and the fall of the Upper Class during the Revolution. It was well written, but I would have liked a bit more depth on Russian mythology/folklore. This is more of a three and half stars book for me.

Rounding up to 3 🌟

Just an OK from me I'm afraid.
It was never a book that fully caught my attention, or made me race back to it.

At times though, I'd be completely pulled into the story, but they just didn't happen enough.
Too slow at times, with too many names to remember.

A gothic read filled with Russian folklore and a sprinkling of romance and the need to survive. This is eerie and captivating. A little different to what I usually read but I’d recommend it!