The Haunting of Moscow House

By: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

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.

Russian Historical Fiction

This is a pretty entertaining story. It had a good balance of mystery, intrigue, romance and history. The narrator does such an exceptional job with her voices as well. It wasn’t a book I felt like I “couldn’t put down”, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

The Elegant Horror HF+F Gothic Tale You Need Right Now

Ah! A book that held my attention when just about all others failed. It’s entertaining, informative story and more. Did you know the American Relief Association (ARA) went to Russia in 1921 to help with the famine? Neither did I. I love learning unexpected history in a well told story, especially when the story isn’t sacrificed for the telling.

This book, inspired by real events, tells the story of an aristocratic family living in their house along with their early Soviet counterparts—and, as this particular story goes, the family ghosts. It’s told through the voices of two sisters, Lili and Irena, and the lengths they go to keep memories alive while they survive. It’s also, as the title promises, spiced with fantastical elements, which is really quite perfect for right now. The heart of the story is a woman’s heart, and also all the we carry: love of child, parent, sibling, spouse, society, everything we rightly or wrongly take upon ourselves for all others, and last, but hopefully not least, love of self. Gilmore’s voice has stayed true to her debut (The Witch and the Tsar—also worth a read!) while growing into a maturity that is going to keep resonating with a wider audience. Gilmore’s use of language is also quite beautiful without getting in the way and is definitely an outgrowth of both her native and adopted country. This is «elegant gothic horror HF-F fiction» —a genre I didn’t know I needed. I’ll be watching for her future offerings. The audio version, narrated by the indomitable Saskia Maarleveld, is perfectly voiced.

If you need distraction, this is a great choice. If you need a good travel to a new land, this is your book. If you love fantasy but find that the current crop of fantasy offerings seems just not quite mature enough for our time, this is your answer. And if you love historical fiction but really need it to do something different, anything different please!, I give you THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE.