Hotel Moscow (35 page)

“Talia Carner has a sharp eye for detail and a captivating storytelling eloquence.
Hotel Moscow
is a finely-drawn tale of a country emerging from its dark Soviet past into a present overshadowed by a new kind of terror and lawless corruption. Told from the point of view of an American woman, Brooke Fielding, who is in Moscow on business, this is a frightening journey into a world of violence and power struggles that will keep the reader mesmerized. A wonderful evocation of time and place and an insightful post–Cold War thriller that reminds us that in Russia the more that changes, the more that stays the same.”

—Nelson DeMille, author of
Radiant Angel

“
Hotel Moscow
is a tantalizing book full of corruption, extortion, and shocking treatment of women—and that is just the tip of the Russian iceberg. Talia Carner’s engaging style draws you in with its powerful description of life in Russia twenty months after the fall of communism. I was mesmerized from beginning to end.”

—Deborah Rodriguez, author of
The Kabul Beauty School

“With the urgency of a thriller and the sharp, atmospheric lens of a great documentary,
Hotel Moscow
hurls you into the vortex of the corrupt, outlaw world of the Soviet Union morphing into modern Russia. A fascinating and ultimately gripping read!”

—Andrew Gross,
New York Times

bestselling author of
One Mile Under

“
Hotel Moscow
is bold and breathless. A smart story about a fearless New York woman who arrives in Russia with more baggage than she knows, it explores both the personal and the political with compelling prose, heartfelt insights, and gripping action. An impressive achievement!”

—Ellen Meister, author of
Farewell, Dorothy Parker

“Inspired by true events surrounding the fall of communism in the Soviet Union,
Hotel Moscow
follows a group of enterprising American businesswomen on their quest to teach Russian women about the opportunities available to them through capitalistic business ventures. Overcoming decades of rigid thinking, and navigating in a dark underworld controlled by a brutal mafia and a male-dominated, politically corrupt bureaucracy, makes the task a lot more challenging and dangerous than anticipated, at the same time it makes for a gripping read. Rich with insight and detail, as well as drama and emotion, through its multiple-character narrative this book deftly explores a chapter in history that is little understood much less written about, while telling a heartening story about the possibilities for change and empowerment that follow when brave women work creatively together to forge a better future.”

—Rodney Barker, author of
Dancing with the Devil: Sex, Espionage, and the U.S. Marines

“Talia Carner is a born storyteller, and in her new novel,
Hotel Moscow
, her unique gifts are in abundance. She has written a compelling tale of life during the fall of the Soviet Union—engaging, exciting, and revelatory of what it was like for a woman to be there in a time of great danger, and great change. This is a stunning and very shrewd book that will linger vividly in the memory of every reader.”

—Jay Neugeboren, award-winning author of
Imagining Robert
,
1940
,
The Stolen Jew
, and others

“Mesmerizing, thought-provoking . . . A moving, poignant, and rich novel,
Hotel Moscow
is an eye-opening portrait of post-communist Russia and a profound exploration of faith, family, and heritage.”

—
Jewish Book World

“A heroine both glamorous and smart, hard-driving and compassionate, Brooke Fielding—American investment counselor and daughter of Holocaust survivors—travels through the looking glass of Russia 1993, when the country was lurching toward capitalism, women were coming into their own, and danger lurked around every corner. In Talia Carner’s sweeping and suspenseful
Hotel Moscow
, Brooke takes us lucky readers on a perilous journey with her not only to a fascinating place and era, but also into the secrets of her own soul.”

—Roy Hoffman, author of the novels
Chicken Dreaming Corn
and
Come Landfall

“Talia Carner sweeps us away along with her brave and determined heroine to an exotic and complex time and place, and keeps us riveted with the tension and dangers of international intrigue. A real page-turner!”

—Tami Hoag,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Cold Cold Heart

Puppet Child

China Doll

Jerusalem Maiden

Cover design by Adam Johnson

Front cover photographs: woman © by Ayal Ardon/Arcangel Images; Moscow © by Todd Antony/Gallerystock

This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
“Russia Then and Now . . .” previously appeared on digitaljournal.com.

HOTEL MOSCOW
. Copyright © 2015 by Talia Carner. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

ISBN 978-0-06-238859-9

EPub Edition JUNE 2015 ISBN 9780062388605

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