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Find out what people have to say about Ivan Obolensky and his works
Industry Reviews
Read moreKirkus Book Reviews
In this debut murder mystery, a pair of friends searches for clues in the darkest recesses of the occult. Johnny and Percy grew up as close as brothers. So when Johnny asks Percy to accompany him to his family's luxurious estate in Rhinebeck, New York, he agrees despite some reservations. While rummaging about in the cellar, they stumble upon some personal effects that belonged to Johnny's deceased aunt, Alice, a larger-than-life figure who died under mysterious circumstances. In response to...
Eye of the Moon
Clarion/Foreword Review, 4 stars
Set in 1977, the novel has a timeless, eerie feeling. Wealth, family politics, and the occult make for a strangely captivating and exotic brew in Ivan Obolensky's Eye of the Moon. Wealthy playboy Johnny Dodge invites his childhood companion Percy on an extended weekend in Rhinebeck at his family's Gormenghastian country estate. At first, it seems that nothing more sinister is in the offing than the Bertie Woosterish hijinks of rich bachelor boys dodging the slings of omniscient butlers and...
Eye of the Moon
IndieReader, 4.7 stars, IndieReader Approved
A gothic mystery set in 1977—involving the occult, stolen treasure, family secrets, and financial sabotage—EYE OF THE MOON is sumptuous in its description of white-tie dinner parties and sexual tensions with baronesses, and sharp in its maneuvering of several secret puzzles at once. When Johnny Dodge knocks on Percy's door and asks him to help uncover whether they've accidentally drunk the bottles of Château Lafite 1959 that Johnny's parents were saving for their anniversary, Percy should...
Eye of the Moon
Readers' Favorite, 5 stars
In the scintillating supernatural mystery, Eye of the Moon by Ivan Obolensky, two young men battle family discord and the forces of the occult. Percy's parents had no place for him in their busy lives and left him with their close friends, the Dodges. Percy was the same age as the Dodges' son Johnny, and the two boys grew up together as brothers. When they were young, Johnny's Aunt Alice died unexpectedly during a house party. Alice had lived an extraordinary life, and her death was out of...
Eye of the Moon
Feathered Quill
Shadow of the Son is the sequel to Ivan Obolensky's incredible first novel, Eye of the Moon and, if possible, this return to Rhinebeck is even better than our original trip. Percy and Johnny are back, along with all our old friends and a few new ones in another wonderful, mysterious, and captivating weekend that just might hold even more secrets than the first. As this sequel begins, we are all back at Rhinebeck for another gathering full of old secrets, new beginnings, and, of course...
Shadow of the Son
Reader Reviews
Read moreMarcela Dutra
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...
Eye of the Moon
Craig Houchin
Very entertaining. Great dialogue, and the combination of human frailty and spiritual intervention makes for a very unique family drama/ghost story/love story.
Eye of the Moon
Jennifer Nguyen
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!
Eye of the Moon
Kurtwood Smith
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...
Eye of the Moon
Dr. Bruce Newlin
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...
Eye of the Moon