Title: Mexican Gothic
By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre:
Pages: 301
Release Date: June 30th, 2020
Publisher: Del Rey
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:
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 Noemí’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.
Review:
I never thought a book that could jump genres would be this eloquent and enticing. Noemi receives a letter from her newly wed cousin begging to be saved from her husband and his family. She’s more of a glamorous debutante than a sleuth, but her father convinces her to visit her cousin to find out the truth behind the concerning letters. When met by the husband’s family, things seem a little off. They are callused and obviously hiding a secret.
This book went from all out mystery, to thriller, to horror and then ended in a strange paranormal. This shouldn’t work, but oddly enough it does. Even with the genre war going on between the pages, I felt wonderfully wrapped up in the story and had no problems following the plot.
Noemi is a strong character, with a ferocious sense of self and duty to her cousin, but in the background wanting to be free from the chains of her overbearing family. This internal struggle is something that drives Noemi throughout the story.
With the dark gothic feel of the setting, no electricity, a creepy old home that has been owned by the same family for generations, you really get that pit of despair thriller vibe and later on in the book, the horror that makes your skin crawl.
The author, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has assembled one of the most intriguing reads I’ve had the pleasure of holding in my hands. It’s a New York Time’s best seller and won the 2020 Goodreads Choice award for best in horror by the bookish community. If only I had gotten my hands on this one sooner. Definitely an amazing read.
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