‘You don’t read this book so much as surrender to it. A dark and heady swoon’ THE GUARDIAN
‘As rich is suspense as it is in lush ’50s atmosphere’ ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, socialite 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 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 alluring, menacing husband; not of his father; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with dark visions.
For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire keeps them safe 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 find it impossible to escape.
‘Darkly brilliant and captivating’ YANGSZE CHOO, bestselling author of The Fox Wife
‘Moreno-Garcia gets it absolutely right’ THE TELEGRAPH
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Reviews
This was lovely. Reminded me of the old Mary Stewart romance mysteries mixed with a healthy dose of Lovecraftian horror--in other words, a classic Gothic horror romance, told with perfect skill and elan. Can't say I'm surprised though: Moreno-Garcia is a master who writes with a deft hand and a flare for beautifully evocative details. Seriously loved everything about it, which was so engaging I read the whole thing last night
Mexican Gothic is the subversive, seductive, satisfying haunted house story I didn't know I needed. I genuinely couldn't put it down
To use the author's own phrase, there's a 'velvet black decadence' to Mexican Gothic - it is a luscious, sensuous take on a haunted house novel that will effortlessly wrap you in its spell. I loved it
Clever, wicked and winning. Moreno-Garcia well and truly hits the mark with Mexican Gothic
Blends chilling scenes of all-out horror with elements of traditional gothic . . . It's Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America
With peculiar characters, a family curse and enough suspense to hold the reader's attention, it is the perfect summer read
This pitch-perfect Gothic tale is a delicious, delicious delight
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
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 devouring the dreams of young women - is a character in this marvelously fantastical novel. From 1950s glamorous Mexican high society to the crumbling pride of an abandoned silver mine, Moreno-Garcia enthralls with this twisty tale of love and betrayal
Tense, atmospheric and beautifully written, Mexican Gothic will carry readers back in time to 1950s Mexico where a dark secret looms large, insidiously winding its way through the pages. A spellbinding, suspenseful, immersive read!
A gorgeous piece of work . . . absolutely terrifying, and it has stayed with me in a powerful way
So powerful I sometimes had to look away . . . plays all the classic Gothic tropes with deft confidence while weaving in a much more modern and visceral strain of horror
Stylish and sinister . . . a gothic masterpiece
A fitting example of a new American Gothic novel, as Moreno-Garcia re-imagines this classic genre. You'll certainly find yourself caught between gasps of horror as you start to unravel this mysterious story, just remember to leave the light on as you sit down for a good read
When it comes to the horror, though, Moreno-Garcia gets it absolutely right... it's enormously fun
Moreno-Garcia is having a blast playing with the conventions of Gothic literature
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
A shiver-inducing tale combining touches of Northanger Abbey with bits of the Gormenghast trilogy thrown in for good measure . . . a fascinating atmosphere of dark dreams and intrigue
Moreno-Garcia's energetic romp through the gothic genre is delightfully bonkers . . . [getting] wilder and stranger with every chapter
[An] original, well-paced novel . . . great gothic elements with a little VanderMeer creativity thrown in
An inspiring and totally original homage to Gothic stories of yore, Moreno-Garcia introduces readers to an awesomely creepy place and extremely evil family whose grip on power relies upon their ability to trap others in their venomous web . . . this is not your mother's Gothic tale
Heart-thumping thriller-chiller
This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive
A gothic chiller, set in 1950s Mexico, that will clamp you in its icy embrace and linger like a nightmare
A gripping read and, despite the horror and violence of the story, it's a strangely beautiful one. This is an impressive chiller-thriller; the writing is steeped in the spirit of the Victorian gothic tale and it's as well done as any recent homage
Immersive and suspenseful, Mexican Gothic is up there with this year's best novels
Intriguing and disturbing, what starts as a slow burn ends up an unsettling edge-of-the-seat page-turner
There are echoes of Mary Stewart and Daphne du Maurier, but Moreno-Garcia has plenty of satisfying twists of her own
A superb fireside evening read
A pitch-perfect Gothic novel . . . You will be left unsettled, unsteady, and uncertain. You will also be left satisfied
The genre's palette is typically limited, but it doesn't necessarily have to be-as Mexican Gothic amply, deliriously, and gloriously demonstrates. No lazy afternoon spent reading it will ever feel wasted
It's as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic
A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush '50s atmosphere
The books starts off with a mystery and slowly descends into horror that grips you to the page
I love a good gothic horror novel and Mexican Gothic didn't disappoint
Gripping, terrifying, atmospheric and suspenseful
A deeply, creepy read...builds to a strange, pulsing, psychedelic ending
This novel gives classic tropes a fresh and thrilling take
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
An inspired mash-up of Jane Eyre, Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, Dracula, Rebecca and that 1958 classic sci-fi movie, The Blob . . . Inventive and smart, [Mexican Gothic is] injecting the Gothic formula with some fresh blood
[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
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
A new classic of the genre . . . alluring and foreboding, ambiguous and beautiful. And like its heroine Noemí, it's ambitious, determined, and well worth getting to know
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
Deliciously creepy . . . Read it with your lights on - and know that strange dreams might begin to haunt you, as they haunted Noemí
Moreno-Garcia writes with heated abandon . . . Mexican Gothic's fearsome storytelling can't be contained
Moreno-Garcia weaves elements of Mexican folklore with themes of decay, sacrifice, and rebirth, casting a dark spell all the way to the visceral and heart-pounding finalé. Fans of gothic classics like Rebecca will be enthralled
Brilliant, beautiful, gripping, a necessary read
Mexican Gothic is an intense, beautiful monster of a novel. Moreno-Garcia's gothic plot is as sharp as a razor and twice as dangerous. Like any good terror, I couldn't look away. Lush and lyrical writing makes this a vivid, seductive read