The Haunting of Moscow House

“Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s sophomore novel is a Faberge egg confection: post-Imperial Russian history filigreed over classic gothic suspense. Aristocratic sisters Irina and Lili Goliteva struggle to find their footing in the new Communist regime, demoted to live in the attic of their elegant mansion as swaggering Soviet officials take over the wing below. But when ghostly apparitions begin to pile up the bodies at Moscow House, only the despised former countesses can unravel the secrets of past and present to halt the bloodshed. The Haunting of Moscow House will delight history lovers and gothic mystery lovers alike!”
—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

“An atmospheric and gripping novel, The Haunting of Moscow House transports readers to the chilling streets of post-revolutionary Russia and a grand, mysterious mansion brimming with deadly secrets and the ghosts of the past. A must-read for lovers of gothic suspense!”
—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The House on Biscayne Bay

“With graceful, captivating prose, Gilmore weaves a haunting tale of post-revolutionary Russia, about confronting the ghosts of a painful past to find hope for the future. Eerie and atmospheric, romantic and heartrending, The Haunting of Moscow House is a gorgeous historical gothic.”
—Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Black Sheep

“Inspired by the fall of a real-life aristocratic family during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and their subsequent mistreatment at the hands of the Bolsheviks, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s The Haunting of Moscow House quickly establishes that the horrors of the past are just as frightful as any shadowy apparition—even those that reveal dark family secrets. This juxtaposition of gothic horror and revolutionary history serves as an effective backdrop to the novel’s moving portrait of sisterhood, ultimately celebrating the incredible strength women can summon to hold together their families in the face of otherworldly challenges.”
—Chicago Review of Books

“The Haunting of Moscow House is a decadent treat of a novel. The historical setting is vivid, the characters feel achingly believable, and the atmosphere is delicious. A perfect story for anyone who loves Gothic suspense.”
—Darcy Coates, USA Today bestselling author of Dead of Winter

“[T]he story provides intense conflict and tension . . . [Gilmore’s] readers will be satisfied. She has designed an exciting book that evokes compassion for the sisters, disgust for the Bolsheviks, and gratitude for the Americans.” 
—New York Journal of Books

“Perfect for readers of Isabel Cañas, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and even historical fiction authors like Marie Benedict, The Haunting of Moscow House is a spellbinding blend of history and horror that reminds us that some secrets are better left to the dead.”
—BookReporter

“Past and present collide in The Haunting of Moscow House, a harrowing look into the afterlives of Russia’s so-called Former People, left in the shadow of the Revolution. Unsettling and compelling in equal measure, Moscow House had me reading late into the night!”
—Bryn Turnbull, internationally bestselling author of The Paris Deception

“Elegantly haunting, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore weaves a tale of secrets, the heartrending fall of an empire, and a family torn asunder into an elegiac portrait of sisters confronting the past that can never be buried, steeped in Gothic dread. Curl up with hot tea and keep the candle lit, as you enter the world of a captivating storyteller whose writing is deft as rain and shadows on her titular mansion.”
—C.W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress

“Chilling and exquisite…a captivating tale of love, strength, and sisterhood that will make you forget that the rest of the world exists while you are reading it.”
—Kristen Loesch, author of The Last Russian Doll

“Formerly aristocratic sisters in an empire crumbling like their decaying mansion, family secrets haunting the living, gothic dread wrapping its tendrils around it all — I’m hooked. This atmospheric tale set during the fall of tsarist Russia would have even Anastasia reading into the night, with all the candles burning.”
—Wendy Webb, author of Daughters of the Lake

“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.”
—Paulette Kennedy, author of Parting the Veil

Coming Soon!

Discussion Questions
1. How did the author meld elements of gothic horror, folklore, and real history in this book?
2. What does Moscow House represent? How does the setting shape the story?
3. In the beginning of the novel, Irina and Lili decide to secretly get jobs with the American Relief Administration. Given their controlling aunt, their Bolshevik landlords, and the danger of working for Americans, would you have done the same? Why or why not?
4. Do you believe that the past never dies? Why or why not?
5. How does sisterhood grow and change for Irina and Lili throughout the course of the novel? Conversely, how does each of the sisters come of age individually? Which sister did you identify with more?
6. How might the sisters’ struggles reflect the political and social climate in 1920s postrevolutionary Moscow?
7. Who was your favorite secondary character, and why?
8. What did you think of Aunt Marie and her decisions throughout the novel? Is she a villain, deeply misunderstood, or just a victim of circumstance?
9. Did you feel the characters got closure in the end? Why or why not?

• Strong language and violence
• Murder and dead bodies (some witnessed by the reader)
• Death, including death of a child sibling (mentioned), parent (mentioned), grandparent,
  and other family members, as well as a funeral
• Illness (mentioned)
• Racism/mention of homophobia
• Famine and hunger
• Arrest and imprisonment
• Police investigations
• Arson
• Blood sacrifice and ritual
• PTSD following revolution and war
• Sexual coercion (witnessed by the reader in flashback)
• A possessive romantic relationship & resulting psychological abuse
• Harassment/sexual advances
• Sexism
• Pregnancy, birth referenced (not graphic)
• Sex (some graphic)
• Forced adoption
• Drinking/intoxication/mention of alcohol abuse
• Requisition and destruction of property