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The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru
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10 copies available
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A fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris must use her powers to divine who she can trust—and even more importantly, learn to trust herself—in the searing new gothic novel from the author of
The Haunting of Moscow House
.
Spirited twenty-something Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele.
Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for answers about the disappearance of their father, the Grand Duke and cousin to the murdered last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother’s death.
As Zina delves into her family’s hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening Zina and her grandmother’s found family, home, and tearoom, not to mention their very lives.
Spirited twenty-something Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele.
Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for answers about the disappearance of their father, the Grand Duke and cousin to the murdered last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother’s death.
As Zina delves into her family’s hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening Zina and her grandmother’s found family, home, and tearoom, not to mention their very lives.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 24, 2026
10279 people want to read
About the author
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
5 books436 followersOlesya Salnikova Gilmore is the author of The Witch and the Tsar and The Haunting of Moscow House. Originally from Moscow, she was raised in the US and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. Now she is happiest writing novels in a variety of genres, including fantasy, paranormal, gothic horror, and historical fiction. She also loves exploring Eastern European history and folklore. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Tor.com, CrimeReads, Writer’s Digest, Historical Novels Review, Bookish, Washington Independent Review of Books, among others. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and two daughters.
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October 31, 202510/31 update —
Happy Halloween!
Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is now on NetGalley (!)
👉 https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
There is also a Goodreads giveaway going on right now thru November 9 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
This is all very, very hard to believe — I still think of this story as a bunch of random notes in my notes app…
Reviewers, bookstores, fellow writers and readers, pretty much anyone (no, you don’t have to be in publishing to request on NetGalley, an online website for books not yet published available for early read & review, and yes, it is completely free to sign up and start requesting), pretty please request my book!
Reviews are super important for authors at any stage, but in particular, this one, so I would love it if you checked out my book and requested an early read of it. Then, if you enjoy it, leave a review on Goodreads or your favorite review platform.
🔮🔮🔮🔮
In my newest gothic suspense novel (my third!), a string of mysterious deaths come to light when a young fortune teller in 1920s Paris summons a vengeful spirit in her family’s tearoom, only to discover her grandmother is the prime murder suspect and her secret past is the key to the mystery.
👻👻👻👻
(Check out the full GR summary for more!) 🖤🖤
—————————
Hi, readers!
I can’t wait for you to read my third novel, now with a shiny new and stunning cover, as revealed by PEOPLE!
See the article (and an exclusive excerpt of the book!) here 👉 https://people.com/the-fortune-teller....
This book, another gothic, was a blast to write (ie, it’s my most fun 🤩), and is about a young and fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris and her spitfire of a grandmother, seances and fortunes whispered over cups of coffee, a tearoom haunted by a vengeful ghost, and the sins of a shadowy, secret past threatening to destroy everything 👻🔮☕️🔪🩸Oh, there’s also romance with a certain snooping inspector 😝 Check out the publisher’s summary here on Goodreads for more.
Preorder info is up 👉 https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-f.... And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get ALL the updates! 👉 https://olesyagilmore.com/newsletter/.
More news coming soon, including NetGalley info and Goodreads giveaways and so, so much more!
xx
Olesya 🖤
Happy Halloween!
Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is now on NetGalley (!)
👉 https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
There is also a Goodreads giveaway going on right now thru November 9 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
This is all very, very hard to believe — I still think of this story as a bunch of random notes in my notes app…
Reviewers, bookstores, fellow writers and readers, pretty much anyone (no, you don’t have to be in publishing to request on NetGalley, an online website for books not yet published available for early read & review, and yes, it is completely free to sign up and start requesting), pretty please request my book!
Reviews are super important for authors at any stage, but in particular, this one, so I would love it if you checked out my book and requested an early read of it. Then, if you enjoy it, leave a review on Goodreads or your favorite review platform.
🔮🔮🔮🔮
In my newest gothic suspense novel (my third!), a string of mysterious deaths come to light when a young fortune teller in 1920s Paris summons a vengeful spirit in her family’s tearoom, only to discover her grandmother is the prime murder suspect and her secret past is the key to the mystery.
👻👻👻👻
(Check out the full GR summary for more!) 🖤🖤
—————————
Hi, readers!
I can’t wait for you to read my third novel, now with a shiny new and stunning cover, as revealed by PEOPLE!
See the article (and an exclusive excerpt of the book!) here 👉 https://people.com/the-fortune-teller....
This book, another gothic, was a blast to write (ie, it’s my most fun 🤩), and is about a young and fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris and her spitfire of a grandmother, seances and fortunes whispered over cups of coffee, a tearoom haunted by a vengeful ghost, and the sins of a shadowy, secret past threatening to destroy everything 👻🔮☕️🔪🩸Oh, there’s also romance with a certain snooping inspector 😝 Check out the publisher’s summary here on Goodreads for more.
Preorder info is up 👉 https://olesyagilmore.com/books/the-f.... And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to get ALL the updates! 👉 https://olesyagilmore.com/newsletter/.
More news coming soon, including NetGalley info and Goodreads giveaways and so, so much more!
xx
Olesya 🖤
January 5, 2026
Review in the January 2026 issue of Library Journal.
Three Words That Describe This Book: menacing, political intrigue, historical
more words: occult, seances, family secrets, strong frame-- time and place and people, flashbacks, Russian Emigre community
Draft Review: In 1924 Paris, Zina and her grandmother, Valya, run a teashop in a bustling Russian emigre neighborhood. Their fortunetelling is 100% real. Valya has a gift and is helping Zina fine-tune her own. Valya supplements their income by staging seances, even though Zina very clearly holds the dark and dangerous power to call up the dead because Valya knows from experience that welcoming in “the darkness” will lead to nothing but disaster. Ignoring her grandmother, Zina agrees to help a prince and princess figure out who killed their father, the Grand Duke, realesing a demon who forces all to reckon with generations of betrayals and trauma. Readers follow Zina in the present and Valya in both the present and through flashbacks, as this supernatural horror story winds its way through the vibrant streets of 1920s Paris and into the deadly politics of late 19th century Russia, with the headstrong and thoroughly modern Zina owning her powers, wielding them at whatever the cost in search of the truth.
Verdict: Gilmore’s latest historical horror will be another crowd pleaser. For fans of menacing supernatural tales of family secrets, ghosts, possession, and intrigue such as The Deep by Alma Katsu and House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama.
As the title says, this story follows a family of Fortune Tellers centered around their teashop- Samovar-- on the Rue Daru. The present of the book is 1924 where Zina aged 24 works with her grandmother- Valya. Valya has raised Zina since her mother was murdered back when Zina was a baby. Valya and Zina are not fakers. There are real fortune tellers. Valya can read fortunes in coffee grounds while Zina can see people's auras. Zina is still learning to hone her craft.
They perform fake seances at night because Valya is afraid of really doing one and bringing dark. demons into the living world.
Zina has had a brush with doing one though and wants to try again, no matter what her grandmother thinks. When the Grand Duke's children-- Princess Olga and Prince Alec come to fins Zina and ask her to help them figure out who killed their father- Zina's life changes forever. She does the seance and it starts a chain of events that will reveal all of the secrets her grandmother refused to share but it may also endanger her life.
The story opens in 1900 at the tea house as the Grand Duke is stumbling and dies. and throughout Valya's narration alternates between the present and telling her story from 1869 in Russia forward, explaining how her life and the Grand Duke's are intertwined. Those "past" chapters are revealed slowly throughout the narrative and do a very good job to anchor the reader to Valya as a fully fledged character and not just the grumpy grandmother.
A strong histrionical supernatural horror story that captures the Russian Emigre community in Paris during the 1920s but with ties back to their lives in Russia before the Bolshevik revolution.
There are many twists here and all of the characters get involved in the story and the twists. Not just Zina, Valya and Olga but the various secondary characters too. And the ghosts. No character here is wasted, which was well done. But it is Zina's story here. She needs to find her strength and powers, take control of her life, and her family's destiny.
Readers will think they have figured things out and then a twist and then more information and
For fans of female led menacing supernatural tales of family secrets, ghosts, possession, and betrayal like The Deep by Alma Katsu and House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama.
Three Words That Describe This Book: menacing, political intrigue, historical
more words: occult, seances, family secrets, strong frame-- time and place and people, flashbacks, Russian Emigre community
Draft Review: In 1924 Paris, Zina and her grandmother, Valya, run a teashop in a bustling Russian emigre neighborhood. Their fortunetelling is 100% real. Valya has a gift and is helping Zina fine-tune her own. Valya supplements their income by staging seances, even though Zina very clearly holds the dark and dangerous power to call up the dead because Valya knows from experience that welcoming in “the darkness” will lead to nothing but disaster. Ignoring her grandmother, Zina agrees to help a prince and princess figure out who killed their father, the Grand Duke, realesing a demon who forces all to reckon with generations of betrayals and trauma. Readers follow Zina in the present and Valya in both the present and through flashbacks, as this supernatural horror story winds its way through the vibrant streets of 1920s Paris and into the deadly politics of late 19th century Russia, with the headstrong and thoroughly modern Zina owning her powers, wielding them at whatever the cost in search of the truth.
Verdict: Gilmore’s latest historical horror will be another crowd pleaser. For fans of menacing supernatural tales of family secrets, ghosts, possession, and intrigue such as The Deep by Alma Katsu and House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama.
As the title says, this story follows a family of Fortune Tellers centered around their teashop- Samovar-- on the Rue Daru. The present of the book is 1924 where Zina aged 24 works with her grandmother- Valya. Valya has raised Zina since her mother was murdered back when Zina was a baby. Valya and Zina are not fakers. There are real fortune tellers. Valya can read fortunes in coffee grounds while Zina can see people's auras. Zina is still learning to hone her craft.
They perform fake seances at night because Valya is afraid of really doing one and bringing dark. demons into the living world.
Zina has had a brush with doing one though and wants to try again, no matter what her grandmother thinks. When the Grand Duke's children-- Princess Olga and Prince Alec come to fins Zina and ask her to help them figure out who killed their father- Zina's life changes forever. She does the seance and it starts a chain of events that will reveal all of the secrets her grandmother refused to share but it may also endanger her life.
The story opens in 1900 at the tea house as the Grand Duke is stumbling and dies. and throughout Valya's narration alternates between the present and telling her story from 1869 in Russia forward, explaining how her life and the Grand Duke's are intertwined. Those "past" chapters are revealed slowly throughout the narrative and do a very good job to anchor the reader to Valya as a fully fledged character and not just the grumpy grandmother.
A strong histrionical supernatural horror story that captures the Russian Emigre community in Paris during the 1920s but with ties back to their lives in Russia before the Bolshevik revolution.
There are many twists here and all of the characters get involved in the story and the twists. Not just Zina, Valya and Olga but the various secondary characters too. And the ghosts. No character here is wasted, which was well done. But it is Zina's story here. She needs to find her strength and powers, take control of her life, and her family's destiny.
Readers will think they have figured things out and then a twist and then more information and
For fans of female led menacing supernatural tales of family secrets, ghosts, possession, and betrayal like The Deep by Alma Katsu and House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5/3
In Samovar, a Russian tea room in Paris, Baba Valya and Zina ply their trade as cafe owners - but when evening comes Valya reads cards or coffee beans to tell the fortunes of the well-heeled. Zina is aware of a talent she possesses that her grandmother does not - an affinity with those who had already passed over.
So when Princess Olga and Prince Alec arrive at Samovar, Zina goes against Valya's wishes and holds a seance for the siblings to discover what happrned to their father, the Grand Duke. But Zina's powers are untrained and soon both she and her grandmother are fighting for their livelihoods and even their lives.
The story begins very well with an interesting story within a story of what happened not just to the Grand Duke but also to Zina's mother and a fortune that has gone missing.
However the story becomes very circuitous and overlong with too many explanations about what has just happened. Even at the end Zina explains one more time what had just taken place.
The characters are not particularly sympathetic either. I didn't like either Zina or her grandmother and the peripheral characters are all quite haughty. Zefir the cat was a nice touch.
On the whole, a decent story with an obvious ending that needed some judicious editing to give it more impact.
Thankyou to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the digital review copy.
In Samovar, a Russian tea room in Paris, Baba Valya and Zina ply their trade as cafe owners - but when evening comes Valya reads cards or coffee beans to tell the fortunes of the well-heeled. Zina is aware of a talent she possesses that her grandmother does not - an affinity with those who had already passed over.
So when Princess Olga and Prince Alec arrive at Samovar, Zina goes against Valya's wishes and holds a seance for the siblings to discover what happrned to their father, the Grand Duke. But Zina's powers are untrained and soon both she and her grandmother are fighting for their livelihoods and even their lives.
The story begins very well with an interesting story within a story of what happened not just to the Grand Duke but also to Zina's mother and a fortune that has gone missing.
However the story becomes very circuitous and overlong with too many explanations about what has just happened. Even at the end Zina explains one more time what had just taken place.
The characters are not particularly sympathetic either. I didn't like either Zina or her grandmother and the peripheral characters are all quite haughty. Zefir the cat was a nice touch.
On the whole, a decent story with an obvious ending that needed some judicious editing to give it more impact.
Thankyou to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the digital review copy.
November 19, 2025
Salnikova Gilmore's writing soars with this inventive, chilling feast of fortune-telling, seances, and deadly secrets, while dazzling readers with the unforgettable scenery and achingly beautiful prose. This thrilling story of murder, generational power of love and treachery will be devoured in one sitting.
February 1, 2026
I feel so torn. I loved the fortune telling element of this book; the different types of capability was really interesting. I liked the sections including the spiritual collective of Paris and the whole 'getting the hand back together' trope is always a favourite
I felt like the characters and dialogue felt really modern. This didn't feel like a historical novel.
I felt that Zina felt very young, she didn't seem like a 24 year old. This book felt like a young adult book (which isn't a bad thing, just not what I wanted to read).
I really enjoyed some parts but I think this was more of a miss than a hit.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I felt like the characters and dialogue felt really modern. This didn't feel like a historical novel.
I felt that Zina felt very young, she didn't seem like a 24 year old. This book felt like a young adult book (which isn't a bad thing, just not what I wanted to read).
I really enjoyed some parts but I think this was more of a miss than a hit.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
There was a lot I liked about this but other elements overshadowed my enjoyment. I loved the 1920's setting of Paris with the blended Russian-French culture. The unsolved crimes kept me invested in the story, eagerly following the FMC as she learns her occultist skills as she searches for the truth. Her relationship with her grandmother was beautiful and the end had me teary. I found the seances and mystical elements enjoyable to read. Unfortunately the book felt drawn out with too much detail invested in unrelated areas. I struggled to like the FMC in the end, particularly regarding how she managed the events that unfolded between her and Gabriel.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is a haunting, beautifully layered gothic historical novel that completely pulled me under its spell. This read was FUN. This is the kind of story that feels both intimate and sweeping—rooted in family, legacy, and love, while threaded through with ghosts, secrets, and danger.
Set primarily in 1924 Paris, the novel centers on Zina, a young fortune teller who can see auras, and her formidable grandmother Valya, who reads futures in coffee grounds at their teahouse, Samovar, on the Rue Daru. These women are not charlatans—their magic is real, and deeply feared. When members of a fallen Russian royal family ask Zina to perform a forbidden séance to uncover a murder, the fragile balance Valya has fought to maintain begins to unravel.
What truly elevates this novel is its dual timeline. Valya’s chapters, stretching back to 1869 Russia and unfolding alongside the present-day story, are revelatory and devastating. They transform her from a prickly, secretive grandmother into a fully realized woman shaped by love, loss, survival, and choices that echo across generations. The pacing of these revelations is masterful—each new piece of the past recontextualizes the present and deepens the emotional stakes.
The atmosphere is impeccable: 1920s Paris feels alive, shadowed by grief and displacement, and the Russian émigré community is rendered with care and authenticity. The supernatural elements are menacing rather than flashy—possession, ghosts, and séances feel genuinely dangerous, with real consequences. The twists are sharp and surprising, and no character feels wasted; even the secondary cast and the spirits themselves are integral to the unfolding story.
At its heart, this is Zina’s coming-of-power story—about claiming her abilities, confronting the truths buried by those who loved her, and deciding what kind of future she’s willing to risk everything for. For fans of richly atmospheric, female-led historical horror filled with family secrets and supernatural dread, this is an absolute must-read. Chilling, emotional, and deeply satisfying.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy!
Set primarily in 1924 Paris, the novel centers on Zina, a young fortune teller who can see auras, and her formidable grandmother Valya, who reads futures in coffee grounds at their teahouse, Samovar, on the Rue Daru. These women are not charlatans—their magic is real, and deeply feared. When members of a fallen Russian royal family ask Zina to perform a forbidden séance to uncover a murder, the fragile balance Valya has fought to maintain begins to unravel.
What truly elevates this novel is its dual timeline. Valya’s chapters, stretching back to 1869 Russia and unfolding alongside the present-day story, are revelatory and devastating. They transform her from a prickly, secretive grandmother into a fully realized woman shaped by love, loss, survival, and choices that echo across generations. The pacing of these revelations is masterful—each new piece of the past recontextualizes the present and deepens the emotional stakes.
The atmosphere is impeccable: 1920s Paris feels alive, shadowed by grief and displacement, and the Russian émigré community is rendered with care and authenticity. The supernatural elements are menacing rather than flashy—possession, ghosts, and séances feel genuinely dangerous, with real consequences. The twists are sharp and surprising, and no character feels wasted; even the secondary cast and the spirits themselves are integral to the unfolding story.
At its heart, this is Zina’s coming-of-power story—about claiming her abilities, confronting the truths buried by those who loved her, and deciding what kind of future she’s willing to risk everything for. For fans of richly atmospheric, female-led historical horror filled with family secrets and supernatural dread, this is an absolute must-read. Chilling, emotional, and deeply satisfying.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Typically, I am not a huge fan of dual timeline books, but Ms. Gilmore has absolutely nailed that format here. This one had me hooked from the get-go, and it also has me wanting to read the author's back catalog (I wasn't familiar with her before Rue Daru).
I have to confess a little bit of bias here: the story of the Russian emigrés in Paris during the early 1920s is one of my favorite historical topics. Add in some intrigue from the fallen Russian royal house and you have a recipe to get me interested. But what kept me reading after I started was the way Ms. Gilmore tells a story. She weaves a complex but very followable narrative throughout both timelines, and the supernatural elements actually feel supernatural--this is not a saccharine story of potions and magic, this is a very real and frightening tale of suspense with menacing ghosts and possessions.
As someone who is very particular about the horror genre, this hit the spot for me. I also love that it is a female-driven story, because I feel like that is something quite lacking in the horror space, at least historically. This was a great read, and I look forward to checking out more in the future!
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC; I have received no other compensation from the publisher or author in exchange for this review.
I have to confess a little bit of bias here: the story of the Russian emigrés in Paris during the early 1920s is one of my favorite historical topics. Add in some intrigue from the fallen Russian royal house and you have a recipe to get me interested. But what kept me reading after I started was the way Ms. Gilmore tells a story. She weaves a complex but very followable narrative throughout both timelines, and the supernatural elements actually feel supernatural--this is not a saccharine story of potions and magic, this is a very real and frightening tale of suspense with menacing ghosts and possessions.
As someone who is very particular about the horror genre, this hit the spot for me. I also love that it is a female-driven story, because I feel like that is something quite lacking in the horror space, at least historically. This was a great read, and I look forward to checking out more in the future!
Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC; I have received no other compensation from the publisher or author in exchange for this review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love the period of Russian history during that of the last tsar, Nicholas (Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert Massie is my favorite nonfiction book) so this novel set in France after the fall of Tsarist Russia intrigued me (thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Books for this ARC).
Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on Rue Daru. By day it’s a tearoom, by night it serves to tell fortunes and provide seances for rich Russian clientele. It’s post WWI, and Russian émigrés abound in Paris. Enter Princess Olga and her brother seeking to find their father, an exiled Grand Duke. Zina holds a seance but is unable to contact the Grand Duke, a cousin of the last tsar. Instead he’s now haunting their tearoom and appears to know something about Zina’s mother’s death. It soon becomes obvious to Zina that investigating her mother’s death may be fraught with peril.
This is a fine gothic mystery. I loved the balance of magical realism with real events. The seances were interesting.
This definitely is a book for loves of historical fiction mysteries.
Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on Rue Daru. By day it’s a tearoom, by night it serves to tell fortunes and provide seances for rich Russian clientele. It’s post WWI, and Russian émigrés abound in Paris. Enter Princess Olga and her brother seeking to find their father, an exiled Grand Duke. Zina holds a seance but is unable to contact the Grand Duke, a cousin of the last tsar. Instead he’s now haunting their tearoom and appears to know something about Zina’s mother’s death. It soon becomes obvious to Zina that investigating her mother’s death may be fraught with peril.
This is a fine gothic mystery. I loved the balance of magical realism with real events. The seances were interesting.
This definitely is a book for loves of historical fiction mysteries.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this one. As someone slowly tiptoeing into the horror genre, Olesya’s books have been the perfect gateway—and this story nails the balance. It’s deliciously creepy without being gory or relying on cheap jump scares. I could feel the temperature drop as the Grand Duke’s presence grew more malevolent
The family-saga element really stood out to me, especially uncovering the connection between Valya (Zina’s grandmother) and the Grand Duke’s family. And the way this book blends eerie horror vibes with a murder mystery? Absolute perfection!
if you enjoy historical settings (I mean who doesn’t love Paris across the ages?!), occult vibes and softly sinister stories than this book is perfect for you. Bonus points if you are a fan of MJ Rose’s books, because this gave me similar vibes
Thank you to Berkley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
The family-saga element really stood out to me, especially uncovering the connection between Valya (Zina’s grandmother) and the Grand Duke’s family. And the way this book blends eerie horror vibes with a murder mystery? Absolute perfection!
if you enjoy historical settings (I mean who doesn’t love Paris across the ages?!), occult vibes and softly sinister stories than this book is perfect for you. Bonus points if you are a fan of MJ Rose’s books, because this gave me similar vibes
Thank you to Berkley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In the heart of Paris, in the heart of the community of Russian exiles, Zina and her grandmother Valya, run a tea room that is much better known as the place to have your fortune told. On the surface, life is good. The two women live comfortable lives among the émigrés and refugees. But as we get deeper into Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s new novel, The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru, we start to learn how brittle this life is. Zina is restless under her grandmother’s strictures. Valya is weary from carrying her secrets for so long. It only takes an invitation to blow up their facade...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is the perfect mix of the mysteries of the occult and the realities of life in 1920s Paris. It’s meticulously researched, and it’s easy to picture Zina and Valya in their cozy tearoom, reading coffee grounds and performing nightly seances. I loved the darkness surrounding the Grand Duke and Svetlana’s deaths and their spirits still seeking vengeance and release. I gained even further appreciation after reading the author’s notes, which made the story come alive even more. I was fortunate enough to also have access to an early audio version, and Saskia Maarleveld’s narration is nothing short of spectacular, taking what is already a 5⭐️ read and adding her own special magic. Whatever format you choose, this is a must read/listen for lovers of historical fiction and all things beyond the veil.
November 20, 2025
The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is a spine-tingling gothic tale of family, a legacy of secrets, and the dangerous cost of unearthing the past through a forbidden séance. Gilmore conjures 1920s Paris and the Russian émigré community, delivering a haunting and compelling story that is sure to grip readers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this book but felt it dragged a bit in the middle. I thought the characters were intriguing but I did get a bit lost at times with similar names and relationships - probably just me! Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I enjoyed the fortune telling and seance aspect of this story. It's always a joy to witness women embracing their magic! I had some trouble connecting with this story, but did enjoy the inspiration of the Russian immigrant story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An entertaining read, particularly if you can appreciate mysticism/fortune telling. The timeframe/locale of Belle Epoque Paris simply adds to the atmosphere. TY NetGalley for digital ARC
February 14, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for the earc!*
Well, I think this was a first. I loved the story, but didn't like any of the characters. There were many parts I liked, but overall, the characters ruined it for me. Zina’s decision at the end really angered me. Also none of these characters are able to communicate. So many problems could have been avoided if they just talked honestly! But no, let’s keep secrets and lie!
The story takes place in 1920s Paris, with Russian emigrants. I loved the setting, but I feel like we didn’t get to see so much of the era and the city.
*The earc’s formatting was bad (seen worst tho, so it wasn’t tragic) it made me fall out of the rhythm of the story. It’s highly possible it affected my rating and overall feeling of the book.
Well, I think this was a first. I loved the story, but didn't like any of the characters. There were many parts I liked, but overall, the characters ruined it for me. Zina’s decision at the end really angered me. Also none of these characters are able to communicate. So many problems could have been avoided if they just talked honestly! But no, let’s keep secrets and lie!
The story takes place in 1920s Paris, with Russian emigrants. I loved the setting, but I feel like we didn’t get to see so much of the era and the city.
*The earc’s formatting was bad (seen worst tho, so it wasn’t tragic) it made me fall out of the rhythm of the story. It’s highly possible it affected my rating and overall feeling of the book.
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