Eye of the Moon
A gothic saga where old money hides older secrets
Book One
Set in 1977 New York. Percy and Johnny, childhood friends who became estranged as adults when their business collapsed, unexpectedly reunite when Johnny shows up with a plea for help that Percy can’t refuse. While investigating something in the cellar of the family estate, Rhinebeck, they stumble upon the secret journals and letters of Lady Alice, Johnny’s aunt who died under mysterious circumstances 20 years prior. The family butler, Stanley, who was also the last to see her alive, offers to share her story for a price. As Percy and Johnny unravel what really happened, they discover more than they bargained for, involving the guests at Rhinebeck, living and otherwise.
Buy in a variety of formats and from multiple platforms
Read a sampleReviews from our Readers
Loved it! World of finance meets Egyptology, in a modern-day Agatha Christie setting. Great twists and unexpected revelations. I want more! The house itself was a character and I want to know its next adventure.
Ann Marie
Obolensky has woven a fascinating and enchanting web with his novel Eye of the Moon. An intellectual rollercoaster ride, it took me to another place in time, and is a breath of fresh air in today's world where we sometimes forget the art of conversation and the importance of forgiveness and love. It has something for everyone, and I will certainly be reading it again and again to catch the subtle nuances, and relive the surprises that come throughout the story!
Vanessa Richardson
Ivan Obolensky has whipped up a storyline in Eye of the Moon that twists and turns the characters in a storm of a journey. We readers are allowed to sit in the eye of that storm quietly peeking into a captivating world few of us have walked through before. In any arena, relationships are the critical factor. The relationship you develop with another individual or group of individuals drives how you exist in this world. Why do you like/respect someone and how does that determine how you...
Dr. Bruce Newlin
I enjoyed Eye of the Moon immensely and hope Obolensky intends to give us a sequel. The style reminded me of the Victorian and early 20th century books that I love so much. The description of the setting was so well done, I could really picture that old place in my mind. I like to be able to follow characters as they move around! The characters themselves I found to be totally satisfying, who first appear to be stereotypical and evolve into complex and profound personalities, reacting in...
Marcela Dutra
Eye of the Moon is an intricate and intimate story of fascinating people; their intellect, their problems, their inner and outer selves.... very nicely detailed with all facets of the individuals revealed.
Kathy Braceland
Obolensky shows us a highly entertaining view of high society family dynamics where female characters possess wealth and power, and where secrets of the past are revealed. At times witty, sexy, and immensely unpredictable, this novel will keep you on your toes and turning pages!
Jennifer Nguyen
Very entertaining. Great dialogue, and the combination of human frailty and spiritual intervention makes for a very unique family drama/ghost story/love story.
Craig Houchin
Eye of the Moon is an engaging and entertaining read. In it, the reader is taken on a journey in which the storyline, and each of the characters, are built around a web of mystery, intrigue, betrayal, and suspense. Based on a wonderful country estate, one is guided by the two main characters through an investigation of the family's secrets, which include magic and the occult, financial trouble, and secret relationships. Detailed descriptions of the fabulous meals and wines served throughout...
Dr. Patricia Alireza
This novel changed my life; it opened my eyes to the world around me, within me, like I could never have imagined.
Amalia Santa Maria
What a great time I had reading Ivan Obolensky's Eye of the Moon! Full of wonderfully fresh characters, it's a story full of stories that become interwoven as the novel unfolds. Looming over the book and all the characters is the fabulous estate of Rhinebeck, part Gothic castle, part Downton Abbey and part upstate New York country home. The estate holds many secrets, mysteries, and the hearts of all who have lived there or hope to. But it's the characters that we take with us and hope to see...
Kurtwood Smith
Eye of the Moon has potions, spells, myths, legends, white- and black-tie dinners, rare wines, and especially intrigue, and lots of it. Ivan Obolensky takes you into a world that existed in the US and Europe in the not so distant past. This was a time when everybody of consequence knew each other and vast wealth was concentrated in the hands of a small group of established families who prized discretion, their reputations, and traditions. Nonetheless, they conducted themselves in ways that...
Donald Zilkha
Quotes from the Novel
"I have always sensed a power in this place. Can you tell me more about it?" "I can, but I won't. My knowledge is not mine to give. You must make your own discovery."
Percy, Dagmar
"My intuitive self also noted that because I disliked her intensely, Bonnie and I might have much more in common than I had considered."
Percy
"… Take the occult. Not to say there isn't truth down there, even great truths, but few survive the search."
Bonnie
"… Did I forgive him? The answer is no. To forgive is to forget. Why be blind to the faults of others? To accept someone is to accept the good and the bad. Otherwise one is fooling oneself."
Baron von Hofmanstal
"All I'm saying is don't assume Aunt Alice had a miserable existence. She had a purpose and a reason to live. You saw her. She enjoyed life to the fullest. You can make a tragedy out of her all you want, but can you recall even one time she looked miserable? She lived her life with gusto, burdened but unbowed, and we should, too. I will follow in her footsteps to hell and back."
Johnny Dodge
"If one can't be happy with what one has, how can one expect to be happy by having still more?"
John Sr.
"Do you wonder if the dead are ever really dead? Conversely, I might ask, 'Are the living ever really alive?' Perhaps life and death are not so different, and it's all a matter of degrees."
Alice
"... The fog above me parted for a few seconds, and what light there was grew brighter. Whoever was in the coffin was alive and awake. I saw her eyes move. They flicked from side to side, back and forth, back and forth. She seemed frightened, which made me lean forward. She noticed me and tried to sit up. Her eyes met mine. The light flared and then grew dim as the mist dissipated and closed in again. ..."
Sir Henry
"Men look at their feelings and poke at them to see if they are real. Women know what they know and are less reserved."
Elsa
"Our games of hide-and-seek were just as scary for the seeker as the hider. The setting was too perfect, the possibilities too numerous. If ghosts existed, there was no better place for them to inhabit than Rhinebeck."
Percy
"You must understand—you'll never drag me down. I descend. Your blackness holds no fear for me. I will always be there with you, no matter how dark it is."
Bruni von Hofmanstal
"Stanley got up and walked to the wall to the left of the entrance to the sitting room. He flicked what looked like a light switch. There was a click, a hiss, and the edge of a door appeared where before had been a blank wall."
Percy
"I told you tonight that you and I are of two worlds and that we live in twilight. We travel the edge of light and dark. You know the truth, but understand you now have several names. Choose the one you wish. Become the one you want. May the ancient ones continue to bless you and keep you."
Alice
“The narration by Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson was well done, and I think the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing this story to light.”
Percy, Eye of the Moon
“The narration by Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson was well done, and I think the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing this story to light.”
Percy, Eye of the Moon
“The narration by Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson was well done, and I think the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing this story to light.”
Percy, Eye of the Moon
“The narration by Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson was well done, and I think the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing this story to light.”
Percy, Eye of the Moon
“The narration by Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson was well done, and I think the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing this story to light.”
Percy, Eye of the Moon
“The narration by Carter Roy and Vanessa Richardson was well done, and I think the narrators did a wonderful job of bringing this story to light.”
Percy, Eye of the Moon
Continue the Series
Book two
Shadow of the Son
Lord Bromley returns to claim Rhinebeck. Betrayal, cunning schemes, and old debts collide.
Book Three
Dark of the Earth
A coma, a murder plot, and secrets that demand a price. Friendship and revenge meet in the shadows.