This book will catch you with its plot to change it upside down and and somewhere completly different! You won't be prepared for this.
But, oh my, it is so worth it to go through this fascinating book.
Hauntng of Hill House meets Sherlock Holmes meets Nancy Drew.
This book is brilliant!

Horror Fiction: 2.5/5
Gothic Fiction: 3/5
Historical Fantasy: 1/5

Overall: 2/5

Blurb: 'Great Idea turned into a snoozefest'. The novel had great potential but I might as well be reading 'Waiting for Godot', because for the first 65% of the novel...NOTHING HAPPENS. And when it DOES happen, its most cliché turn of events ever. One after the Other.

Instead of combining the two words, Silvia focused on 'Mexican' part first half and 'Gothic' the next, and readers are left with a good but unjustified ending. There are plotholes as big as doors of 'High Place'. This novel would've been much better had it been a novella instead.

Synopsis: Meet Noemí, Miss Know-it-all and Suave Princess who is tasked with assessing whether her cousin is well in her mansion far away in wilderness. She goes to High Place, where the only thing High is the vertical height on which it stands. We have a Sleezy Husband of the cousin, Virgil; Bitch Aunt Florence, Slimy Grandfather Howard and pipsqueak son of Florence, Francis. They are treating Catalina, the cousin, or so they pretend. Something is amiss in this High Place and its upto Noemí to find out. Will she be able to find out in time? And when she does, will she be able to escape with everyone she holds dear? The answer comes after 300 pages of agonizing reading in this latest Gothic novel.

Language: It switches out between Dream and Reality and Trance. Writing is very convoluted which makes it harder to follow, and sometimes its downright lazy.

Strength: Actually making us hate the despicable characters and make us wanna puke at times. So the Horror is nailed down.

Weakness: Everything Else. Boring for first 65%, Cliche Ending, Plotholes and general annoying stupidity of characters.

Why to Read: If you loved Silvia's previous works, love Gothic novel to the core and like good ending

Why not to Read: if you don't want your time wasted for nothing OR wants to read something new and creative and loves good writing.

Takeaway from Novel: Never marry someone without a proper background check. Especially when they live in an isolated mansion on top pf a hill which oozes and molds.

If I could rate a book only by the cover, I'd give Mexican Gothic 5 stars because the cover art is stunning. Alas, I can't do that because I didn't love it as much as I expected. It was too slow, nothing really happens for a good 70% of the book. I couldn't connect with the main character either and some gothic/horror aspects of the story felt a bit too weird. It's a pity because I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow and I was excited to read this one.

DNF at 26%, very much to my surprise.

I have read a couple of other books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and based on those books I trusted the author to give me a third-act save that would make a sometimes harrowing journey well worth it. But to me, the journey in this book wasn't that interesting. Vaguely sinister, decrepit house belonging to uptight, rude foreign (English) family, rumours of a curse, sloooow build... not really what I was looking for, from this author or in general.

I think you probably need to be a fan of the Gothic novel to appreciate this, and I'm not.

After Gods of Jade and Shadow, I was like: I will read anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and here we are.

A strange letter from her cousin sends Noemi to a distant house on the Mexican countryside. Out of place and surrounded by oddities, both the town and those in it, she's determined to discover who or what has caused her cousin's distress. The people try to control her every breath, the house invades her dreams with bloody visions, it's a whole thing.

It's intriguing, disturbing, unsettling, and ugh, I am a wimp for horror and creep but I just love the book. Luckily for readers, it's easier to take a step back and leave High Place. Recommend.

I adore tense stories. I loved Daphne du Maurier’s, "Rebecca", so I jumped at the chance to read and review an advance copy of Mexican Gothic. It promised tension, and let me tell you, it delivered.

Noemi Taboada is a twenty-two year old glamorous socialite who agrees to visit her cousin, Catalina, after a letter claiming that Catalina’s husband, the mysterious Virgil Doyle, is trying to poison her. Set in 1950’s Mexico against the backdrop of a crumbling, old mansion, Noemi attempts to investigate Catalina’s illness under the watchful eye of the Doyle family, and perhaps, even the house itself…

Mexican Gothic is a sumptuous gothic fantasy with serious style and bite. I lost myself in High Place, lit by candles and full of silver, and its cemetery “with a romantic aura”. Genuinely eerie and unnerving, I was immersed in its dark and sinister undertones and the layers upon layers of divine tension. This is a story to be savoured to the last drop.

I adored Noemi who is a strong-willed, flighty, stubborn heroine reminiscent of Holly Golightly. The contrast with her romantic cousin Catalina is like night and day. The Doyle family; the ancient Howard, enigmatic Virgil, strict Florence, and shy Francis, fit this world like a glove and add layers of complexity. Mexican folklore and culture, from Chinas Poblanas to the quaint El Triunfo, and references to old fairytale stories flesh out the narrative and made this a joy to read.

Mexican Gothic is an opulent eldritch fantasy; feminist to its very core. It terrified, repulsed and delighted me and genuinely inspired a something-is-in-my-room nightmare. I simply adored it.

If ever there was an award for most succinctly descriptive title, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia would be a deserved winner. This darkly atmospheric, lushly written Gothic horror set in Mexico starts at a slow burn but steadily ramps up the tension and darkens the mood leaving the reader as trapped as the central character, unable to put the book down.
While there are echoes of classics like Rebecca ,The Yellow Wallpaper and Jane Eyre, the horror element adds another dimension and makes for a truly chilling and at times genuinely unsettling book.
In 1950's Mexico sassy socialite Noemi has nothing more pressing to worry about than which outfit to wear to her next social engagement and how to avoid pressure from her rather more traditional father who thinks its time for her to settle down. When she receives a garbled and disturbing letter from her recently married cousin, Catalina, begging for help and implying that her husband is poisoning her, Noemi travels to High Place, the remote estate where Catalina now lives with her husband's family. From the outset she feels that something is very wrong, from the rather chilly welcome to the library filled with books on eugenics and the strict house rules that seem designed to isolate her as much as possible , and when Catalina's husband starts to show an almost predatory interest in her she begins to believe that something is really wrong. The family's refusal to consider psychiatric treatment for the clearly unwell Catalina is another red flag , and Noemi becomes determined to get her the help she clearly needs. Little does Noemi realise that she is in real danger herself, even when her dreams begin to fill with visions of blood and doom. Her only ally is the younger son of the family, Francis, who seems keen to help but is still reluctant to share the secrets of the family's past. As that secret is revealed in the second half of the book, the true scale of the danger she faces shakes Noemi to her core.
I cannot overstate how much I loved this book. Noemi is a wonderful character, full of sass and determination, and the perfect heroine for this story- and what a story it is, full of darkness, perfectly thought out and beautifully written. The author does a wonderful job of building the tension throughout the book, and created a wonderful cast of potential villains , meaning the reader never quite knows who to trust and is constantly kept on edge. The horror elements are beautifully blended into the story - at first I was worried that they would take me out of the story and make it less believable, but that never happened, instead I found myself being gripped even more.
One final note of appreciation for that beautiful and vivid cover, the rich and vibrant colours are both eye catching and a wonderful representation of the writing within.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This was a brilliant story, properly gothic and the villain’s gaslighting was soooo chilling. I really bought into the main characters frustration at the Doyle families behaviour when they turned around and said she was the problem (sounds very familiar at the moment). The prose was like slipping into a pool of cool water, gorgeous and just what I needed to read in the shade of the last, hot week.. Definitely one for fans of Laura Purcell.

Think gothic haunted house mystery mixed with a dash of creeping horror, or 'The Silent Companions' by Laura Purcell with a dose of Jeff VanderMeer's 'Annihilation.'

The pace, tone, setting and characters worked perfectly for me, I appreciated the main character's sass and agency and apart from a few nail biting moments I rarely felt she was a damsel in need of rescuing.

I don't usually note favourite quotes but this one is a gem: ["So I'll be wed in the Church of the Holy Incestuous Mushroom?" she intoned. "I doubt that's valid." (hide spoiler)]

I loved this as much as 'Gods of Jade and Shadow,' Silvia Moreno-Garcia is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I look forward to reading more of her novels.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

A gothic horror story set in 1950's Hidalgo, Mexico is a new and exciting idea in itself, but this book was surprisingly and satisfyingly individual at pretty much every turn. All the familiar elements- creepy old building, unsettling occupants, strange occurences, dangerous secrets, hidden symbolism- were present and utilised. But, although the comparisons to Rebecca, Jane Eyre and Crimson Peak are warranted, Mexican Gothic stands by itself; a new take on old ideas. The latter parts that reveal the real horror behind the mystery (that I won't detail further to avoid spoilers) were the main source of my enjoyment, and fans of all things dank and dark and morbid will likely feel the same.
I really liked the multi-layered Noemi as the unlikely protagonist and rescuer. Again, she was refreshing- a departure from the well-known gothic heroine trope. Polished and straightforward, she contrasted the murkiness of the setting and the vagueness of, well, just about everyone else!
There were just a couple of things that held this book back for me. I did feel a few times that some sentence structures were a bit halting or odd-sounding and threw off the flow, but I felt the same thing when reading Gods of Jade and Shadow, so perhaps the author's writing style just isn't my preference in those instances. Lastly, although Mexican Gothic is plenty eerie and grim, I would have loved it to have a heavier atmosphere, a bit gloomier (and longer, with more description of the setting) would have been perfect for the subject matter! But what stands out overall, just as it did in GoJaS, is the manner of phrasing during the occasional introspective moments -lyrical and gorgeous writing!
Thank you very much to NetGalley, Del Rey and Silvia Moreno-Garcia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The mystery and the hidden aura was maintained throughout the book. The ghost and the paranormal stuff was not overwritten. A perfectly unique and crisp writing style. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Even at the ending it will leave readers wanting for more. Though it was scarry at times but I absolutely loved it. Though I still wonder, did our protagonist get her wish fullfilled?
A perfect, mystery, thriller combination.
I recommend this to every soul breathing and not.

Review to be published 3 weeks before the book is released.

Thank you, to NetGalley and Quercus Books/Jo Fletcher Books for providing me with an eARC for my honest opinion

This was a very nice break from all the fantasy book I usually reach for. I when in very intrigued but the synopsis but didn't know who horror/thriller book will sit with me. And it turned out I really enjoyed it.

After this book, I will never look at mushrooms the same way again...

Things I liked:

-Atmosphere. The author managed to paint a vivid Gothic filled with mystery and anticipation atmosphere.
-The writing was nice easy to go through and I hallway appreciate that.
-The main character, Naomi. She is strong, stubborn, feisty with the right amount of femininity. I think the author manages to find the right balance between those two qualities,
-It was gorry and disgusting in places but the writer put the right amount of it. It didn't felt like she was trying too hard to shock her reader just for the sake of it, it was just what was needed.
-There was a twist I was expecting that never came and I like that! That was a twist for me. I kept thinking where the story was going with some characters and I was completely wrong. This novel proved me wrong in so many ways.
-[Spoiler] Francis. I admit I was constantly waiting for the twist where it turns out he is also a bad person but... I was wrong... He was an honest sweet and carrying man and I really liked him.
-[Spoiler] I like that between all the horror there were some tender moments and romance, that I didn't think were honest but... I was wrong...
-[Spoiler] I was expecting the ending to be your classic "They think they got away but they didn't! Tan Tan tan!" but actually it ended in a nice complete way and I found myself enjoying that.

Things I didn't like:

-I haven't read a lot of horror book but when I was a teen I watched a tone of horror movies. And I really didn't see anything new. Old creepy man, the mentally (or maybe not) sick woman, ghosts and haunted, in a way or another, places and pretty much every horror/thriller recipe that is known.
-Many dream sequences. I understand that it was nicely tied into the story and well explain but sometimes it felt like it was the only way to give us, and the main character, hints on what is going on.

I really enjoyed this book and I'll keep an eye on the author future releases.

Calling all fans of literal titles! Yes, this book has a Mexican setting and yes, it is Gothic in genre. This turned out to be a tantalising combination and a nod to the knowing tone that author Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes: "Noemi stepped inside the bedroom and regarded the ancient four-poster bed, which looked like something out of a Gothic tale."

Mexican Gothic is a homage to the great Gothic stories, you'll pick up vibes of Dracula, The Fall of the House of Usher and lots of direct references scattered throughout: "She recalled that Mary Shelley had rendezvoused with her future husband in a cemetery: illicit liaisons by a tomb. Catalina had told her this story, just as she had gushed over Wuthering Heights."

I enjoy playing the 'tick-the-Gothic-conventions-off-the-list' game when reading Gothic books. It sort of makes me fizz with anticipation when the lead character is summoned to a sinister, isolated house with a suspicious past. Does that happen here? Why, yes.

We're transported back to 1950s Mexico where we meet Noemi Taboadas, a popular socialite. She is fascinated with anthropology and wants to study it at university, but her parents are far more keen for her to marry a man from the right family. She is the strong, feminist before her time that wonderfully drives this book.

When Noemi's father receives a disturbing letter from her recently-married cousin Catalina, Noemi is dispatched to Catalina's new home, High Place, in the remote village of El Triunfo to see what's wrong with her... Noemi knows little about her cousin's new husband, the mysterious Virgil Doyle, so endeavours to find out more.

So, once Noemi arrived at High Place, what could I tick off the Gothic convention list? Well... the electricity doesn't work so they rely on candles for light (tick), there are rogue mushrooms, mould and fungus growing throughout the house to give a damp, unwelcome atmosphere (tick), there is a cemetery attached to the creepy house (tick), mysterious deaths of miners that worked for the Doyle family (tick), Noemi has lots of inexplicable nightmares (tick), the townspeople believe the Doyle family are cursed (tick), the family patriarch, Howard Doyle is inexplicable old and very sinister (tick). Yes, Mexican Gothic is a veritable feast of conventions! And that's what makes it so brilliant. It's taken its theme and run with it.

This is by far the most gruesome contemporary Gothic novel I've read so far. I know that there is an element of gore in the genre, but I'm not a huge fan of horror books and some parts of this book skimmed very close to the horror line for me. I will say this though, it conjured up some vivid scenes that will be etched in my brain for a while to come. They didn't feel excessive either - very much a necessary (if gory) part of the story.

Interestingly, Mexican Gothic didn't end up taking me down the narrative path I thought I was going on, which mades it a very entertaining read. Definitely add to your list if you love a clever Gothic tale.

Sometimes the title of a book tells you everything you need to know about the content, but in the case of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic it's hard to know whether the author is making self-conscious allusions to the genre of the Gothic Romance novel and repurposing it for a Mexican setting or just getting wrapped up in an unoriginal play through the genre's conventions with no new ideas to offer. Either way, whether it seeks to be original or not, whether you think it's original or not, it certainly delivers on plenty of Mexican Gothic.

At the centre of the horror about to unfold (might as well set it up with an suitably ominous opening) is Noemí Taboada, wealthy young socialite in Mexico City in the 1950s. Flighty but stubborn, enjoying life and not quite ready to take anything seriously, least of all earnest young men, Noemí is summoned by her father with an urgent request. Her cousin Catalina has been acting strangely and has sent a rambling letter to Señor Taboada talking about ghosts and claiming that her husband has been trying to poison her, but the medical diagnosis is that she appears to be suffering from tuberculosis.

Taboada has never been happy about Catalina's marriage to Virgil Doyle, an attractive man but a bit of a cold fish who Catalina married much too soon after they first met. Little is known about Doyle or his family's background other than they once ran a successful mining business in a small provincial town, which now appears to have fallen on hard times. Taboada wants Catalina to return to city but her husband is objecting, possibly afraid he will no longer have access to his wife's money. Securing a promise from her father that he will allow her to go to university instead of spending her time looking for a husband as he thinks she ought to do, Noemí reluctantly agrees to go to country to see what the truth of the matter is.

It's soon apparent that the glory days of the formerly busy mining town of El Triunfo are long gone, as indeed are the former splendours of the Doyle estate, the High Place, a fading Victorian construction of European design perched in the mists up a road that is barely passable in bad weather. With its chandeliers and dour portraits of ancient family members hinting at close to incestuous relationships, a family curse, a creepy patriarch, an unreliable electric generator that means everyone carries candles and candelabras and a cemetery out the back haunted by shadows… well, you get the picture. Aside from Mexico it's a typical location for a Gothic melodrama where the lady of the house is held prisoner suffering from apparent madness.

With heavy referencing from Dracula, The Fall of the House of Usher and a whole range of Edgar Allan Poe works, SIlvia Moreno-Garcia really leaves no Victorian Gothic novel unmined, overtly referencing Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, but also referencing The Yellow Wallpaper as an indication of madness. With hallucinogenic mushrooms found growing on graves in a damp misty cemetery and fungi perhaps causing chemical reactions and nightmares, it's hard to know whether to take Mexican Gothic seriously or as a parody. The only difference is it is all transposed here to Mexico in the 1950s, but even that feels contrived with all kinds of dubious rationale for it looking like a damp cold Victorian Gothic mansion where they speak English as their first language and keep up European customs, even going as far as shipping the earth over from their homeland. Hmmm, let me think what that reminds me of...

There's an attempt to give Mexican Gothic a bit of character and depth through the subject of eugenics and social anthropology related to the maintaining of family traditions and to historical cultural differences between the white and native population of Mexico, with some Freud, Jung, mycology and perhaps a little Mexican Day of the Dead imagery thrown in. The writing however isn't particularly strong enough to bind this all together in any meaningful way and the patching together of ideas and imagery from every Gothic horror imaginable is deeply lacking in originality. Despite this Mexican Gothic certainly delivers on the expected dark thrills as it develops towards a suitably bloody and ludicrous conclusion.

eARC provided by NetGalley , thank you to NetGalley , Quercus and Jo Fletcher books.

1950’s Mexico is brought to intense life with this dark Gothic story, creepily atmospheric and broods like a dark noir fiction but so modern and elegant. Beautifully done!

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Standalone
Publish date: 23rd June 2020
Adult – Historical Fiction – Gothic- Fantasy – Horror – Paranormal

What’s it about?

Noemí Taboada is an educated, (slightly selfish) independent, willful and stubborn socialite. Her father receives a letter from Noemi’s newly-wed cousin, begging to be rescued from being poisoned. Something is clearly wrong and her father makes her a bargain - if she goes to investigate, Noemí can study for her master’s degree in Anthropology.

After arriving at High Place (the countryside family mansion) Noemí is even more determined to find out what is happening to her cousin. The house is quiet (unlike her) and there are many rules.

Her cousin’s husband is menacing and unfriendly. His father is strange and seems to be obsessed with her. And the house itself is invading her mind and giving her visions of death and blood. Her only ally seems to be the family’s youngest son but he is shy and hiding secrets.
As she digs deeper to uncover the truth she realizes the family is hiding secrets of madness and terror. Will Noemi be able to leave High Place at all?

What do I think?

This book is everything it told me it would be it’s a MEXICAN GOTHIC – spoiler alert.

This author has an amazing gift -I was immediately transported in Noemí ‘s world (why is Noemí so damn likable!?) without feeling exhausted or overwrought by the language. The prose is direct and imaginative but without feeling heavy or overdone in details as many historical books can get. From the start of arriving at High House you are overcome with a sense of dread, and with Gothic horrors’ this is exactly what you want to feel throughout.

It’s a slow burn sort atmospheric novel and includes dream sequences which some people might not like. I would have loved a bit more action in the first half of the book as the pace only picks up within the last 40%. But when it does pick up, it takes turns you would never have dreamed of!

The gorgeous characters and elegant writing kept me reading against my will so that I could unravel its secrets until late at night. I did wish it was slightly faster moving with more action but overall a stunning read – I will be reading more from this author.

Who will like it?
Anyone that loves Gothic horror novels or new to this Author. Her writing is brilliant!

I will post my review on Amazon, Goodreads and to my social media/review accounts, closer to the publication date or on the publication date as specified by the publisher.

When she receives desperate letter from her newly-wed cousin Catalina, Noemí goes to High Place, a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside and the ancestral home of her cousin’s English husband. After strange events start happening around the house, she must uncover the family’s ancient and disturbing secrets.

I loved this! I’m a big fan of Gothic Horror and one that is set in 1950’s Mexico sounded so intriguing to me.
The novel starts with a creeping atmosphere and sense of mystery. Silvia Moreno-Garcia does a great job subtly weaving in really unsettling details into the story. I spent the majority of the book desperately wanting to know what was going on with creepy, eugenics family and their evil, mouldy house and I was equally delighted and disturbed with the conclusion.

I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot or the mystery but I will say that Mexican Gothic is a well-written Gothic novel with a likeable main character and a rich, atmospheric setting.

Perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier , Wuthering Heights and Crimson Peak.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a copy of this book early!

Noemi is used to grand parties, sweeping dresses, and a string of admiring suitors. She isn't used to poverty-stricken towns, ramshackled grand houses, and a dismal mist that coats it all. Yet here she must remain to save both her cousin and her own future.

Her father received a scrawled letter from her cousin's new address that spoke less of newlywed bliss and more of the mania of a troubled mind. Noemi has been dispatched to transport her to the nearest psychiatric aid, with dire warnings for the repercussions it will hold for the family name and Noemi's future scholarly endeavours should she fail in this task. It may be more difficult an undertaking than foreseen however, when her new husband and their ominous abode won't release their claws on both her cousin and its new guest.

My Gothic-loving heart could not have been more enamoured with this sinister setting and the uncanny occurrences that transpired there. Mysteries were in abundance and it was never clear where their roots lay or why exactly they were taking their menacing toll on the house inhabitants. I loved exploring the mould-ridden interior confines and the dark spaces where secrets and nightmares dwelt.

Noemi proved herself a capable protagonist to see the reader through these horrors as her sassy ways, sarcastic wit, and fearsome spirit were a strong tonic against midnight terrors and the morbid house inhabitants. The entire cast were unique in their creation and it proved just as difficult to discern what was a trippy nightmare spectre as it was who to trust or loathe. I loved getting to know this close-knit family and their strange string of ancestors.

Whilst never an altogether horrifying read for me, it remained suspenseful and sinister throughout. the finale was a mad dash for truth that left me open-mouthed yet breathless at the revelations and the journey to get there. This was wonderfully unique read and combined the best of Gothic fiction with a vivid historical setting, and vibrant Mexican roots.

This novel had a really interesting premise, not to mention an exquisite cover, the Mexican backdrop combined with a thriller/mystery plot is a unique and exciting place to start. However, I unfortunately found the dialogue and descriptions of events to be a minor let-down.
The dialogue came across as rather forced and unrealistic, occasionally contradictive (for example: in the second chapter Noemi asks Francis how he is related to the household, and then immediately states upon his response that she it doesn't matter to her how anyone is related) but otherwise the luscious atmosphere mostly made up for this.

A mystery in the hills! A trapped family! A living house! FUNGI HORROR!!

This is, by far, one of my favorite books of the year. I read it some weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about it. I find the trope of the haunted houses really interesting, although a little bit forgotten, but Silvia Moreno-Garcia manages to revitalize it through a series of concepts based on fungi (!!), a complex plot, and the perfect main character. At one point, I couldn’t stop reading –I was completely trapped inside High Place and, who are we kidding, inside that cursed ship between two characters.

All in all, I love it more and more, and I want to recommend it endlessly when it is published. With that gorgeous cover and with all the wicked magic Silvia Moreno-Garcia has written in between the pages, I am sure it would be an instant hit.

(We NEED a film of Mexican Gothic made by Guillermo del Toro!)

This was one dark and creepy story. There were a few times where I wanted to put it down and not pick it back up again but I needed to know what was going to happen. The storyline was very unique and although you knew there was something, that something was unexpected. Sucked me in and kept me there to the very end.
Noemi is a spoiled little rich girl used to getting her way but this changes when she going to see her cousin at High Place. She is not used to so many rules and of course breaks as many as she can, but are those that live there going to break her and mould her to what they want?
A must for those who like dark twisted tales.