Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: Mexican Gothic
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published: June 2020, Del Rey
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Source: Personal copy

Summary: 
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic artistocrat. 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—“fans of classic novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca are in for a suspenseful treat” (PopSugar).

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.


My thoughts: While I am not a straight-out horror lover, I do love horror books when they are mixed with other genres and that it was appealed to me about this book. The gothic vibes definitely called to me with this book and I'm so glad I gave it a chance...it was really good!

This book is quite creepy and while it is a bit on the slower side, I found myself not really wanting to read this one at night. The haunted house definitely creeped me out and between the gothic vibes and the tension that just amps up all the way through, I was on the edge of my seat. The action of the book really doesn't happen until the last 50 pages or so of the book and then it is non-stop, so until then it's really more character-driven, but I still really felt it was an engaging and immersive read and totally atmospheric!

This is the type of book that totally gets under your skin. It's dark and full of secrets and once Noemi starts uncovering them, you will be hard-pressed to walk away. I found myself completely absorbed in this uber-suspenseful read and cannot wait to see what comes next from this author.