Buy new:
$13.68$13.68
FREE delivery: Monday, Feb 13 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Read & Refine
Buy Used: $9.66
Other Sellers on Amazon
& FREE Shipping
95% positive over last 12 months
FREE Shipping
97% positive over last 12 months
FREE Shipping

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.


Mexican Gothic Hardcover – June 30, 2020
Price | New from | Used from |
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial |
Enhance your purchase
IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Marie Claire, Vox, Mashable, Men’s Health, Library Journal, Book Riot, LibraryReads
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
“It’s as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic.”—The Washington Post
“Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre’s most exciting talents.”—Nerdist
“A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush ’50s atmosphere.”—Entertainment Weekly
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDel Rey
- Publication dateJune 30, 2020
- Dimensions6.33 x 1.13 x 9.41 inches
- ISBN-100525620788
- ISBN-13978-0525620785
Frequently bought together
- +
- +
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
- It was easy to kiss someone when it didn’t matter; it was more difficult when it might be meaningful.Highlighted by 2,095 Kindle readers
- “So I’ll be wed in the Church of the Holy Incestuous Mushroom?” she intoned. “I doubt that’s valid.”Highlighted by 1,150 Kindle readers
- Like the old car that had picked Noemí up, the town clung to the dregs of splendor.Highlighted by 978 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
---|---|---|---|
Gods of Jade and Shadow | Velvet Was the Night | The Daughter of Doctor Moreau | |
The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore. | A simmering historical noir about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of the missing woman they’re both desperate to find. | A dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Review
“Stylish and edgy. . . While the book draws inspiration from Gothic classics like Rebecca and Jane Eyre—there is a spunky female protagonist and an ancient house filled with disturbing secrets—its archly intelligent tone and insightful writing make Mexican Gothic an original escape to an eerie world.”—New York Times
“[An] irresistibly dark feminist reimagining of the Gothic fantasy novel . . . It’s all wonderfully creepy, blending chilling scenes of horror with classic Gothic tropes for a seductive and subversive tale. A book to devour in a few—very thrilling—sittings.”—Vanity Fair
“The author’s postcolonial spin on the gothic tradition evokes the usual suspects: Daphne du Maurier, Emily Brontë, Mary Shelley, even Anne Radcliffe. Like those authors, Moreno-Garcia works in a tradition in which chills and thrills tap into elemental cultural fears—runaway science, carnal passion. But to these she adds a more politically inflected horror, both ancient and timely.”—Los Angeles Times
“A new classic of the genre . . . alluring and foreboding, ambiguous and beautiful. And like its heroine Noemí, its ambitious, determined, and well worth getting to know.”—Chicago Review of Books
“This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive. . . . This is a must-read for fans of gothic writers like the Brontës, Daphne du Maurier, and Shirley Jackson, and also for those who enjoy the feminist, surreal fiction of Carmen Maria Machado.”—Buzzfeed
“Deliciously creepy . . . Read it with your lights on—and know that strange dreams might begin to haunt you, as they haunted Noemí.”—Vox
“Masterful . . . a gloriously moody adventure, spooky, smart, and wry. Chic, no-nonsense Noemí Taboada is one hell of a tour guide through this world of mystery, scandal and spirits.”—Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling
“Mexican Gothic terrified and fascinated me. Silvia Moreno-Garcia proves once again that she's a genre-jumping wizard, one of the most exciting and necessary authors writing today.”—Charlie Jane Anders, nationally bestselling author of The City in the Middle of the Night
“Darkly brilliant and captivating . . . Readers who love old houses and family secrets will devour this book (as I did!). The setting itself—High Place, with its reputation for swallowing the dreams of young women—is a character in this marvelously fantastical novel, stretching from glamorous 1950s Mexican high society to the crumbling pride of an abandoned silver mine. Silvia Moreno-Garcia enthralls with this twisty tale of love and betrayal.”—Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The parties at the Tuñóns’ house always ended unquestionably late, and since the hosts enjoyed costume parties in particular, it was not unusual to see Chinas Poblanas with their folkloric skirts and ribbons in their hair arrive in the company of a harlequin or a cowboy. Their chauffeurs, rather than waiting outside the Tuñóns’ house in vain, had systematized the nights. They would head off to eat tacos at a street stand or even visit a maid who worked in one of the nearby homes, a courtship as delicate as a Victorian melodrama. Some of the chauffeurs would cluster together, sharing cigarettes and stories. A couple took naps. After all, they knew full well that no one was going to abandon that party until after one a.m.
So the couple stepping out of the party at ten p.m. therefore broke convention. What’s worse, the man’s driver had left to fetch himself dinner and could not be found. The young man looked distressed, trying to determine how to proceed. He had worn a papier-mâché horse’s head, a choice that now came back to haunt him as they’d have to make the journey through the city with this cumbersome prop. Noemí had warned him she wanted to win the costume contest, placing ahead of Laura Quezada and her beau, and thus he’d made an effort that now seemed misplaced, since his companion did not dress as she had said she would.
Noemí Taboada had promised she’d rent a jockey outfit, complete with a riding crop. It was supposed to be a clever and slightly scandalous choice, since she’d heard Laura was going to attend as Eve, with a snake wrapped around her neck. In the end, Noemí changed her mind. The jockey costume was ugly and scratched her skin. So instead she wore a green gown with white appliqué flowers and didn’t bother to tell her date about the switch.
“What now?”
“Three blocks from here there’s a big avenue. We can find a taxi there,” she told Hugo. “Say, do you have a cigarette?”
“Cigarette? I don’t even know where I put my wallet,” Hugo replied, palming his jacket with one hand. “Besides, don’t you always carry cigarettes in your purse? I would think you’re cheap and can’t buy your own if I didn’t know any better.”
“It’s so much more fun when a gentleman offers a lady a cigarette.”
“I can’t even offer you a mint tonight. Do you think I might have left my wallet back at the house?”
She did not reply. Hugo was having a difficult time carrying the horse’s head under his arm. He almost dropped it when they reached the avenue. Noemí raised a slender arm and hailed a taxi. Once they were inside the car, Hugo was able to put the horse’s head down on the seat.
“You could have told me I didn’t have to bring this thing after all,” he muttered, noticing the smile on the driver’s face and assuming he was having fun at his expense.
“You look adorable when you’re irritated,” she replied, opening her handbag and finding her cigarettes.
Hugo also looked like a younger Pedro Infante, which was a great deal of his appeal. As for the rest—personality, social status, and intelligence—Noemí had not paused to think too much about all of that. When she wanted something she simply wanted it, and lately she had wanted Hugo, though now that his attention had been procured she was likely to dismiss him.
When they arrived at her house, Hugo reached out to her, grasping her hand.
“Give me a kiss good night.”
“I’ve got to run, but you can still have a bit of my lipstick,” she replied, taking her cigarette and putting it in his mouth.
Hugo leaned out the window and frowned while Noemí hurried into her home, crossing the inner courtyard and going directly to her father’s office. Like the rest of the house, his office was decorated in a modern style, which seemed to echo the newness of the occupants’ money. Noemí’s father had never been poor, but he had turned a small chemical dye business into a fortune. He knew what he liked and he wasn’t afraid to show it: bold colors and clean lines. His chairs were upholstered in a vibrant red, and luxuriant plants added splashes of green to every room.
The door to the office was open, and Noemí did not bother knocking, breezily walking in, her high heels clacking on the hardwood floor. She brushed one of the orchids in her hair with her fingertips and sat down in the chair in front of her father’s desk with a loud sigh, tossing her little handbag on the floor. She also knew what she liked, and she did not like being summoned home early.
Her father had waved her in—those high heels of hers were loud, signaling her arrival as surely as any greeting—but had not looked at her, as he was too busy examining a document.
“I cannot believe you telephoned me at the Tuñóns’,” she said, tugging at her white gloves. “I know you weren’t exactly happy that Hugo—”
“This is not about Hugo,” her father replied, cutting her short.
Noemí frowned. She held one of the gloves in her right hand. “It’s not?”
She had asked for permission to attend the party, but she had not specified she’d go with Hugo Duarte, and she knew how her father felt about him. Father was concerned that Hugo might propose marriage and she’d accept. Noemí did not intend to marry Hugo and had told her parents so, but Father did not believe her.
Noemí, like any good socialite, shopped at the Palacio de Hierro, painted her lips with Elizabeth Arden lipstick, owned a couple of very fine furs, spoke English with remarkable ease, courtesy of the nuns at the Monserrat—a private school, of course—and was expected to devote her time to the twin pursuits of leisure and husband hunting. Therefore, to her father, any pleasant activity must also involve the acquisition of a spouse. That is, she should never have fun for the sake of having fun, but only as a way to obtain a husband. Which would have been fine and well if Father had actually liked Hugo, but Hugo was a mere junior architect, and Noemí was expected to aspire higher.
“No, although we’ll have a talk about that later,” he said, leaving Noemí confused.
She had been slow dancing when a servant had tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she’d take a call from Mr. Taboada in the studio, disrupting her entire evening. She had assumed Father had found out she was out with Hugo and meant to rip him from her arms and deliver an admonishment. If that was not his intent, then what was all the fuss about?
“It’s nothing bad, is it?” she asked, her tone changing. When she was cross, her voice was higher-pitched, more girlish, rather than the modulated tone she had in recent years perfected.
“I don’t know. You can’t repeat what I’m about to tell you. Not to your mother, not to your brother, not to any friends, understood?” her father said, staring at her until Noemí nodded.
He leaned back in his chair, pressing his hands together in front of his face, and nodded back.
“A few weeks ago I received a letter from your cousin Catalina. In it she made wild statements about her husband. I wrote to Virgil in an attempt to get to the root of the matter.
“Virgil wrote to say that Catalina had been behaving in odd and distressing ways, but he believed she was improving. We wrote back and forth, me insisting that if Catalina was indeed as distressed as she seemed to be, it might be best to bring her to Mexico City to speak to a professional. He countered that it was not necessary.”
Noemí took off her other glove and set it on her lap.
“We were at an impasse. I did not think he would budge, but tonight I received a telegram. Here, you can read it.”
Her father grabbed the slip of paper on his desk and handed it to Noemí. It was an invitation for her to visit Catalina. The train didn’t run every day through their town, but it did run on Mondays, and a driver would be sent to the station at a certain time to pick her up.
“I want you to go, Noemí. Virgil says she’s been asking for you. Besides, I think this is a matter that may be best handled by a woman. It might turn out that this is nothing but exaggerations and marital trouble. It’s not as if your cousin hasn’t had a tendency toward the melodramatic. It might be a ploy for attention.”
“In that case, why would Catalina’s marital troubles or her melodrama concern us?” she asked, though she didn’t think it was fair that her father label Catalina as melodramatic. She’d lost both of her parents at a young age. One could expect a certain amount of turmoil after that.
“Catalina’s letter was very odd. She claimed her husband was poisoning her, she wrote that she’d had visions. I am not saying I am a medical expert, but it was enough to get me asking about good psychiatrists around town.”
“Do you have the letter?”
Product details
- Publisher : Del Rey; 1st edition (June 30, 2020)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0525620788
- ISBN-13 : 978-0525620785
- Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.33 x 1.13 x 9.41 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #11,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #150 in Gothic Fiction
- #174 in Magical Realism
- #221 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Velvet Was the Night, Mexican Gothic, and many other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu's Daughters).
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2022
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Noemi receives a troubling letter from her recently married cousin, Catalina. The letter doesn't make much sense and doesn't seem like the Catalina Noemi knows. Since Catalina implores Noemi for a visit, Noemi's father convinces her it's the right thing to do. When Noemi arrives at Catalina's husband's family home she notices right away how cold it looks. In fact, it's pretty cold inside as well as are her cousin's new family members. Florence, in particular is one of the coldest of the house's residents. In fact, the only normal one is Florence's son, Francis who is friendly with Noemi and proves to possibly be her only companion in this house other than her ailing cousin.
That Noemi is mostly barred from seeing Catalina also troubles her. No one seems to want to let Noemi in to see Catalina and even in the rare moments that she gets to spend with her, Catalina doesn't seem like herself. She didn't remember writing Noemi even. Then in a moment of lucidity she asks Noemi to go into town and seek out a medicine woman to get more of a tonic she was taking that would help her sleep.
Virgil, Catalina's husband is another character who is straight up bizarre and mysterious and maybe a little creepy. Okay, he's kind of downright creepy! Noemi is plagued with strange dreams that feature Virgil as well in most amorous situations.
This read definitely kept me turning the pages and trying to guess things and figure out what was behind all the strange going-ons in this house. Let's just say, I never even got close! Lol. It's definitely one you will need to pay attention to, which I admit to getting a little distracted when reading on my break. So I might have missed a thing or two, but it wasn't enough to dissuade me from the story!
The creepiness factor was what kept me going. It was so strange and weird and creepy too! I ate up the weirdness because it was done so well! I love when a book can really suck you in with that kind of pull! I also enjoyed how the mystery was drawn out in increments. There was also just a hint of romance going on with Noemi and Francis. It was subtle and very much fit with the mood of the story and I enjoyed it quite immensely! A little romance added to a horror story is always nice if it fits in right!
All in all, Mexican Gothic was a very entertaining read! It was a dark and atmospheric kind of read that is perfect for this time of year! If you're looking for a spooky mysterious kind of read, I would highly recommend this one!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
*possible spoilers*
Okay, but I actually love the characters. I mean only Noemi, Francis, and Catalina. TBH, I was always wary of Vigril, I was curious but something told me he was something else. I disliked Doyle and Florence with a passion, don't get me started. I liked Noemi bc I felt that she was breakout character for the 1950's, like she said women couldn't even vote at that time but I really loved that she was breaking glass ceiling for her era in the book. Listen, I actually loved the end but wanted more. The thing between Francis and Noemi intrigued me and I'm happy they stayed connected in the end.
Noemí Taboada's (her surname is a bow to Carlos Taboada, famed Mexican horror director) 'spunky female protagonist' is the heroine of this novel as she journeys to the 'High Place,' an ancient and deteriorating mansion in the Mexican countryside filled with dread and dark secrets. Noemí has been sent by her wealthy father in response to her cousin Catalina's plea for help for she fears that her husband, Virgil Doyle, intends to kill her. Suspecting that Virgil may also be after Catalina's money amidst rumors that the Doyle family having fiscal problems (their mining business is failing), Noemi turns elsewhere for medical assistance. Noemí sees that her cousin Catalina needs different medical than what she is receiving from the Doyle's family physician, Dr. Cummins. After visiting with Marta Duval, a healer who lives in El Truinfo, the small village near the mansion, she administers the tincture made by Duval to her cousin. Unfortunately, it causes a seizure and raises the ire of Florence Doyle, current wife of the ancient patriarch, Howard Doyle. Florence seems to be an obsessed 'caretaker' of the transplanted English family (like Mrs. Danvers of 'Rebecca') and enforces tradition and a strict adherence to family restrictions. Desperate, Noemí to help her cousin and solidify her position, she contacts a local psychiatrist, Dr. Julio Camarillo who informs her that the Doyles have their own doctors but offers to help.
As Catalina slips further, Noemí spends time digging for reasons. She turns to Francis Doyle, Florence and Howard's son who warns her not to trust anyone. Noemí begins to have strange and erotic dreams and visions. When she begins to sleepwalk, Noemí decides it is time to leave but Florence stops her. After uncovering a dark family secret involving Howard Doyle, the mysterious death of Agnes Doyle (Howard's previous wife), an elongated life span from ingesting 'mycelia' mushroom spores, incestual marriages, and human sacrifice, Noemi realizes to her horror that she and Catalina are in peril. She must fight to break free of the family and the hold of the mushroom spores which bring on the 'gloom,' a power to capture memories and mind control. Noemí realizes she must battle Howard who uses the 'gloom' to control and 'possess' family members to further preserve his own life. Noemi finds that she is now a target of the vile and heinous Howard Doyle. He wants her and her fortune.
This horrifying tale reaches its climax with terror and menace as Howard Doyle plans a sinister way to extend his family line, using Noemí and his nephew, Francis. Like the true but fallible heroine that she is, Noemí plot her escape with Francis' help. The author spins a climax that is complex but in line with the horror of the situation. Noemí, Catalina, and Francis procure their escape through violent means but a specter of possible menace but Francis fears the family curse is not truly ended. Noemí asks Francis to accompany her to Mexico City in an attempt to allay his fears.
Honestly, this novel moved at a leisurely pace for the first 75 pages. After that, it was a heart-pounder and menacing as it moved to its horrific climax. It is well-written and suspenseful. Ms Moreno-Garcia has written a novel that will become a modern classic.
Top reviews from other countries

Set in 1950, Noemi lives in Mexico City, enjoying the parties, games and the flirting with handsome heirs to vast companies. When her cousin Catalina sends a telegram saying her new husband is trying to poison her, Noemi sets off to investigate her cousin's strange claim. Trekking across the Mexican countryside, Noemi arrives at High Place, a Victorian-style manor house that lords over a small town once famed for its silver mine. All that remains of the silver is Catalina's husband's family, the Doyles, and a few silver trinkets. Unwelcomed by the Doyles, Noemi finds her cousin has become a nervous wreck - making claims the walls are talking to her and her husband Virgil is trying to poison her - and vows to stay with her to keep her company. But as Noemi investigates her cousins claims, she unwittingly uncovers dark mysteries surrounding the Doyles and their silver mine. The more she scratches at the mysteries, the deeper Noemi begins to fall into the same dark trap as Catalina.
This is NOT my usual read, however I'm lately taken by creepy houses/towns with creepy histories and this definitely delivers. It's a bit of a slow burn to begin with, but it absolutely knocks it out of the creepy park about 3/4 of the way through and looking back, it's not possible to do that without the slow setup.
What I loved most about this book was the time period and the setting. The author describes everything so richly I had no trouble picturing it. Noemi also has several disturbing dreams and they too were handled really well - the creepiness of this book is delivered in the writing. Everything is so easily pictured and I think that's why I both love and am afraid of this book.
It's honestly a gem and you should give it a go!

This story is one that I can only describe as an incredible gothic romp - and, by incredible, I mean it is just not credible. It is true that I initially became caught up in the story and I enjoyed the author's descriptions of High Place with its unsettling atmosphere and its proximity to an eerie, mist-enshrouded cemetery, but this tale was just too far-fetched for me to really take on board and it became even more unbelievable as the story progressed. I have to say that I'm quite easily scared, but I'm frightened by things that I believe could possibly happen and not those which seem altogether too bizarre, so instead of finding myself "mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place" (as promised by the 'blurb') I actually found it almost comical in places - especially when amongst all the gory descriptions provided by the author, Ms Moreno-Garcia takes time out to describe Noemi's fashionable clothing for the day. That's not to say that there weren't parts to this story which held my attention and, as already mentioned, I enjoyed the atmosphere created by the author (and the cover on the book is gorgeous), but this was all a bit too fantastically bizarre for me and the book is now off to a friend who reads fantasy novels and who I feel will enjoy this more than I did.
2.5 Stars.

I confess that this took me out of my comfort zone, I am not naturally drawn to the gothic/horror genre but I have to say it was the cover that swung me in the book’s favour; that, and also because it was set in Mexico. Just see, the power of the book cover ad location!
Catalina is living with her husband Virgil Doyle, in the misty mountains near El Triunfo in the family mansion, where patriarch Howard Doyle is still wheezing away his days on his looming death bed. The family have mined the silver in the area for several generations. Catalina has sent a letter to her cousin Noemí’s family in Mexico City and Noemí is despatched to check on the health and well-being of Catalina. It seems that she might be experiencing psychological disturbance.
Noemí arrives and almost immediately a shiver runs down her spine. It is a dank and dreary building, and the household is ruled with an iron fist (absolutely no speaking over dinner), with sharp-tongued Florence as at the helm.
As Noemí delves deeper, she discovers all kinds of horrors and mysteries – and death.
It is a reflective storyline, leaving the reader to ponder whether the house is sick or whether the sins of the ancestors – colonisers plundering the land for its resources – are being visited upon this generation.
I was enthralled by the first third of the book, the writing and storytelling fully drew me in. Thereafter it levelled out for me. The longer she stays, the more Noemí sinks into the bowels of the sinister clutch of the house and its occupants. She starts to sleep walk, apparently, and the blur between reality and ghostly adventures starts to add confusion to her days. Soon thereafter it goes into more otherworldly realms. This is not my genre of choice and sometimes one just needs to step out of one’s comfort zone and expand one’s horizons. In many ways I am very glad I have read it. The New Yorker says its addictive prose “..is as easy to slurp down as a poisoned cordial…” It is indeed!


Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 16, 2020
I confess that this took me out of my comfort zone, I am not naturally drawn to the gothic/horror genre but I have to say it was the cover that swung me in the book’s favour; that, and also because it was set in Mexico. Just see, the power of the book cover ad location!
Catalina is living with her husband Virgil Doyle, in the misty mountains near El Triunfo in the family mansion, where patriarch Howard Doyle is still wheezing away his days on his looming death bed. The family have mined the silver in the area for several generations. Catalina has sent a letter to her cousin Noemí’s family in Mexico City and Noemí is despatched to check on the health and well-being of Catalina. It seems that she might be experiencing psychological disturbance.
Noemí arrives and almost immediately a shiver runs down her spine. It is a dank and dreary building, and the household is ruled with an iron fist (absolutely no speaking over dinner), with sharp-tongued Florence as at the helm.
As Noemí delves deeper, she discovers all kinds of horrors and mysteries – and death.
It is a reflective storyline, leaving the reader to ponder whether the house is sick or whether the sins of the ancestors – colonisers plundering the land for its resources – are being visited upon this generation.
I was enthralled by the first third of the book, the writing and storytelling fully drew me in. Thereafter it levelled out for me. The longer she stays, the more Noemí sinks into the bowels of the sinister clutch of the house and its occupants. She starts to sleep walk, apparently, and the blur between reality and ghostly adventures starts to add confusion to her days. Soon thereafter it goes into more otherworldly realms. This is not my genre of choice and sometimes one just needs to step out of one’s comfort zone and expand one’s horizons. In many ways I am very glad I have read it. The New Yorker says its addictive prose “..is as easy to slurp down as a poisoned cordial…” It is indeed!


And then, I got to the final part. It was such a let down for me. I'm keeping tight lipped on purpose as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I've read some books that take bizarre turns, and it works but this was just a tad too odd. I do really want to read more books by Moreno-Garcia though as I loved how atmospheric and eerie the writing was.


Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 30, 2022
And then, I got to the final part. It was such a let down for me. I'm keeping tight lipped on purpose as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I've read some books that take bizarre turns, and it works but this was just a tad too odd. I do really want to read more books by Moreno-Garcia though as I loved how atmospheric and eerie the writing was.


The only redeeming feature of this book was the fact that for once that the main character is in their twenties and not their teens 🙄
Very forceful and cliche with the spookiness:
-Fog.
-Haunted House on top of a hill.
-Minimal electricity causing need for intricately detailed candelabras
-Old, creepy men who look like vampires/ zombies
-Furniture covered in white sheets,
-Creaky doors and floorboards,
-Old, mouldy libraries,
-Rooms and furniture covered in dust. -Graveyard
...All of that before page 47! 🙄 This made the book feel extremely tacky for me.
And that ending... the “twist” on why the house is creepy.....what a pile of crock!