I have never read the author before and this was honestly such a good introduction to her work. This is an intense creepy story that never fails to make your skin crawl or wonder what is going in with this damn house. The constant claustrophobia and anger felt by both the protagonist and the reader certainly stay with you off the page.

Its hard not to feel that you are locked in the crumbling mansion that is High Place. Long gone is the grandeur of Manderley and all that is left is the rotting, moldy remnants of an English family home. I am a big fan of house as character tropes and while I never felt the house was it's own character, I definitely felt the sense that it wouldn't let me go. From the silver laden cabinets to the enforced silence of dinner times it's clear this house is insanely corrupt. The author went straight to the point, not once taking the attention away from High House or it's dreary residents. For what we see of even the local town, you never spend long enough there to escape the house and that made this all the more creepy.

While investigating this weird family and this even weirder house, it's hard not to connect with the characters or even have an emotional reaction to them. I loved Noemí right from the start. She never backs down and refuses to settle for anything less. While she can be both capricious and shallow it only strives to enforce her wonderful character more. She is pure steel with a strong sense of family, she never fails to try and challenge anyone who either offends her or stands in her way. She is the first to call out the patriarch, Howard, on his clear racism and discussion of eugenics.

Upon meeting Virgil and his family, the whole story gets even creepier I think. Is there anything creepier than racism, old English attitudes and the ideas of a superior race? I truly didn't think this would have such relevant themes to the current climate but Virgil and his Usher style folks are a bignred flag from the get go. Except Francis. He must be kept safe at all costs.

Now I will say this isn't going to be a nail biting read with moment after moment of shocking horror. What this truly is a gothic tale taken right out of the classics and is set in 1950s Mexico with a very unsettling story. There are some genuinely disgusting moments in this story and it didn't help that one of the more fungal aspects of the house, is something I have a bit of an aversion to already so my reaction was a lot more visceral. There are some moments of body horror too which I was not expecting when the plot took a certain turn but it definitely added to the building tension and worked in the authors favour.

If you are a fan of creepy stories or gothic narratives or even want a story that is a welcome and refreshing take on both of these, then this is definitely for you. I read this in a day which is testament to how hard it is to put down as well.

Thank you to both Netgalley and Jo Fletcher Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for a review. Thank you also for having me on this blog tour!

Mexican Gothic is published today the 30th of June!

*Blogtour review*

Welcome to my stop on the blogtour! A massive thank you to Milly @Millsreid11 and @JoFletcherBooks for giving me a spot because I adored this book!

Now this is how you do Gothic literature. Mexican Gothic is a beautiful, creepy and outright horrifying tale that perfectly captures the heart of Gothic literature while also keeping it fresh and unique.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.

Content/Trigger Warnings: May Contain Minor Spoilers: Sexual Assault/Attempted Rape/Gore/Murder/Suicide/Violence/Abuse/Captivity/Incest – I apologize for any I may have missed.

Ok, so this review is probably going to be a little less structured than usual because I’m basically going to be telling you why I loved this beautiful book a lot and could find no faults! You all know by now that Gothic Literature is a love of mine, after studying it for 2/3 years I fell in love and actively seek it out and this one was a perfect read for me!!

So firstly, let’s see what key Gothic Elements Silvia Moreno-Garcia could have included and nailed (hint ALL OF THEM Are Done Perfectly):

Gorgeous Gothic Architecture usually part of a mansion or castle? – CHECK
Isolated Landscapes that have An Alluring Sense Of Beauty But Also Danger – usually Woodlands/mountains/marshes? – CHECK
Cemeteries/Graveyards, usually accompanied by mists/fog – CHECK
A Damsel In Distress, An ‘Old Hag’/ Elderly Mother, Headstrong Save Herself Woman, Or Seductress – one or all of these may appear- CHECK
Woman locked up by a man (usually creepy/stereotypically masculine – toxic masculine) – CHECK
The ‘Innocent’ (who probably knows more than they let on) who wants to help but can’t –CHECK
Monsters/Family Curses/Hauntings/Doppelgangers – usually paranormal and can have psychological elements- CHECK
Love/Romance/Seduction – can be romantic or sexual – CHECK
Each category is checked in someway filling at least one requirement in each section, this book is the perfect blend of Gothic Motifs and each one is portrayed perfectly. Silvia Moreno-Garcia manages to create a darky, creepy and horrifying story that is beautifully written and has some incredible female leads.

— Rich, Descriptive, Immersive, Evocative And Atmospheric —
The Writing Style/Narrative: Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing style is beautiful – it is rich, descriptive, immersive, evocative and atmospheric. She perfectly captures the beauty of the Gothic genre and balances it well with the horror and gore present in the story. The writing is beautifully descriptive, each of the settings are bought to life through the gorgeous or chilling metaphors – each scene stand out and feels realistic. Moreover, the dark lexis of decay supported by the use of mould and mushrooms creates some startling imagery that only grows more terrifying and sinister as the story goes on – this was a very unique take on the traditional gothic ideals of death and decay, the unusual motifs and repeated imagery was inherently dark and gothic but also a fresh take on the gothic genre. It created a spine-tingling atmosphere that was unsettling and eerie and incorporated them into a complex story that was fascinating and disturbing. The parrying of beauty and horror is done perfectly in this book.

This book is told from the third person perspective (my favourite) using Noemi’s point of view. I, surprisingly, adored this perspective. Noemi is a beautiful socialite, loves fashion and is very spontaneous, usually women like this are written as airheads who make infuriating decisions BUT not in this book. Noemi is very feminine but she is smart, determined and headstrong and I loved this portrayal and it made her narrative much more interesting.

This was a very effective perspective because Noemi has the smallest frame of knowledge – she doesn’t know anything about what is going on and gains knowledge from multiple sources as the story goes on, it is very natural and adds to the tension of the story. It is, as a whole, well paced, the slow build up with the increase in horrifying events works wonderfully and creates the perfect creepy atmosphere that never falls into a lull. This perspective is also effective because we get to see a specific side to each of the other characters present, their reactions and interactions with Noemi are interesting (and disturbing) and creates a tense dynamic as the story goes on.

I also adored the almost flashback/dream style that was used frequently throughout the story. This was a very interesting addition to the story and added another layer to the plot – it allowed us insight into the past without spoiling any of the reveals and instead added more intrigue and horror to the story.

I adored Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing style, I adored the descriptions, the perfect gothic atmosphere, the progressive increase in horror, the interesting perspective and piecemeal reveal of information. It maintains the perfect pace, tension, horror and dynamic between characters.

— Refreshing Take On The Gothic Genre And Very Unique —
The Story/Plot: So we follow Noemi as she is sent to check on her newly married cousin, Catalina, after she sends a letter suggesting she is need of some help because she is being poisoned, though Noemi’s father believes she needs psychiatric help. However, when Noemi arrives at High Place things start to take a sinister turn, creepy occurrences and strange behaviours of the household members makes Noemi suspicious and only Francis, the awkward youngest son seems to be on her side.

This story was a WILD RIDE. It was an incredibly refreshing take on the gothic genre and very unique despite using common gothic motifs. This story managed to be a shocking, twist filled horror full of creepy reveals and disturbing characters. Right from the start a disturbing premise is set up, Catalina’s letter suggest either psychological hauntings or actual sinister intentions so immediately we get both a physical and psychological aspect of horror to build upon.

The story then get’s increasingly more disturbing and creepy after Noemi’s arrival at High Place, an isolated mansion. The patriarch of the household is obsessed with discussing Eugenics (immediately horrifying and creepy as hell, the man is vile). And this is only the start, as Noemi herself begins to experience the haunting’s Catalina described and notices the increasingly strange behaviours of High Place’s inhabitants. Florence insists on maintaining insane and strict household rules, growing mad at Noemi for the smallest behaviours. Virgil goes from seemingly calm and handsome to cruel and creepy, and Noemi is utterly alone and isolated.

As the story goes on the horror becomes much more obvious and gory, the big twists and reveals are disturbing and shocking and really just outright creepy, the tension and build up to this reveal is well worth it because the pay off is excellently done. The ending was honestly brilliant and chilling as we see how past event’s link with the current ones.

There is a romance that runs through the story, parts of the story are sexual and disturbing but there is also a more innocent love that runs through it and is a slow progressing relationship. This, however, doesn’t take away from the story at all and instead adds to the plot and creates another layer of suspicion as to whose side he is on.

This story was just amazing, it has the isolated, beautiful, creepy landscape with a mansion run by patriarchal men who appear to be trapping the woman. It has the beautiful Gothic architecture paired with the chilling decay and household hauntings, graveyard scenes with mists/fog, and the running motif of mould and mushrooms that add to the atmosphere. An incredibly female lead who is smart and headstrong, and an intriguing play on the idea of doppelgangers and ghosts. I loved everything about this story, and the 1950’s Mexican setting was beautifully done.

I can’t say much more on the plot without spoilers but it is a fantastically terrifying story that will truly chill you.

— Complex, Dynamic, Intriguing Or Disturbing —
The Characters: The cast of characters is decent, with a small cast taking over the majority of the story. Each character is very complex, dynamic, intriguing or disturbing – they all fit perfectly into the gothic tropes and yet managed to distort them into something new and entertaining. The relationships between the characters are interesting and each relationship has a vastly different dynamic. (Representation includes: Latinx main characters and side characters.)

Noemi. As I said before Noemi is a beautiful, fashion conscious, socialite who embraces her feminine side but is also incredibly clever, determined and headstrong with an interest in anthropology (It was interesting to see how this came into play in the story, as a sociology lover there is a lot of overlap and it was intriguing to see it play out). Noemi is clever and loyal to those she loves and is determined to help Catalina, I really loved her character and found her development over the course of the story to be brilliant. I also loved how she wasn’t afraid to stand up to those (the men) who were trying to be oppressive, initially she seems a little flaky jumping from interest to interest, but as the story goes on you realise she just want’s to be independent and have the freedom to enjoy her life and find her own passions and I loved that. Noemi is a fiery character and a brilliant one.

Catalina. Catalina is your ‘damsel in distress’ character, the one Noemi is out to save and for the most part Catalina’s character seems kind of subdued (this is intentional and works very well.) She is sick and sleeps a lot, in her lucid moments you get a glimpse into the dreamer she was, a girl obsessed with fairytales and stories, kind, sweet and gentle. But, she believes she is being poisoned and haunted, her delusional state is a little more unsettling and worries Noemi. As the story goes on though you realise that Catalina is not your typical helpless damsel and in fact she is quite clever and logical, as well as determined in her own way and her own strength proves to be admirable as more is revealed.

Francis. Francis is the youngest son and inhabitant at High Place, physically he differs from his family being traditionally less handsome and much more subdued. He seems sweet though, and he appears to genuinely care for Noemi and tries to help her. However, he lives at High Place so I never fully trusted him, but his character as a whole I liked and found interesting – he was also the only character from High Place I ever had any sympathy for. He can come across as a little bland but his character is more about nuance and bears a striking contrast to Howard and Virgil making his subdued character much more interesting due to his difference.

Virgil. Virgil is a strange man. He presents as calm, handsome and charming, maintains a neutral tone in arguments to belittle the validity of others and to appear reasonable but the man is creepy and cruel when he gets angry. I won’t say to much more about him in order to avoid spoilers but the more the story went on the more I disliked this character, this of course made him compelling in the role he fills.

Howard. If Virgil is bad Howard is the devil. His introduction to Noemi is a discussion on eugenics and he actively points out her ‘darker’ complexion, as though it makes her different – the man is creepy and vile. Right from the start Howard comes off as a disturbing character and this only gets worse as the story goes on, he is a compelling creepy patriarch – but he definitely is chilling. Again I don’t want to spoil the story so I can’t say much more about him but I hated him – which of course means he was written wonderfully!

Florence. Ok so all High Place residents are creepy and I didn’t like them so naturally Florence is another character who is a tad creepy and one I did not like. She is stoic and dislikes Noemi’s very presence but gets incredibly infuriated if you break the rules of the house, she is dedicated to Howard and his wishes. She does concede to Virgil and Howard’s demands and never questions them but it doesn’t stop her from irritating Noemi. As the story goes on she is another that becomes increasingly disturbing.

Overall. So in case you hadn’t guessed, I LOVED this book. It has everything I want from the gothic genre, but twisted into something new and refreshing, it hits each category in gothic motifs without being over the top and has excellent characters and phenomenal female leads. The story is unique and horrifying both psychologically and supernaturally whilst also including gore and natural fears. I loved everything about this book from the writing to the content.

This was an excellent gothic read and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the gothic genre, particularly if you can handle gore, love strong feminine female leads and gorgeous gothic settings.

I received an eARC of #MexicanGothic by @silviamg from #netgalley #Quercus @QuercusBooks in exchange for an honest review- and to be a part of a blogtour organised by @Millsreid11 @JoFletcherBooks

My full review is available on my blog.

The title says it all. A distinctly Gothic novel set in 20th century Mexico, complete with a sprawling, haunted house shrouded in mists, a feisty female protagonist thrown by fate into the middle of unknowable, and a terrible secret from the past. Sounds a bit like paint-by-numbers piece, but Moreno-Garcia deftly introduces elements of postmodern literary play into that sombre, creepy genre, freely mixing moods and plot threads, artfully twisting tropes and the rules of the game, all the while staying true to the spirit of the Gothic fiction. Blending body horror with social commentary regarding colonial past and gender roles in old and modern Mexico, Moreno-Garcia creates a unique story that will be perversely satisfying to fans of Hannibal Lecter and Brontë sisters alike.

I have received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ended up really enjoying this gothic thriller which included a decadent old family pile, mystery illness and a cemetery. I guessed part of the twist (always makes me feel clever) but still wanted to know what happened. A quicker enjoyable read.

Mexican Gothic marks the return of critically-acclaimed writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia with a mesmerising feminist re-imagining of Gothic horror and Victorian Gothic fantasy, in which a young socialite discovers the haunting secrets of a beautiful old mansion in glamorous 1950s Mexico. It's a gripping mystery with supernatural elements and will appeal to those interested in a variety of genres including horror, historical fantasy e.g. paranormal, and the mystery/suspense genre. The novel centres on socialite, Noemí, who is called away from her gilded life to a mysterious mansion housing both her newlywed cousin (seemingly descending into madness) and a whole lot of dark, eerie secrets. Her visit is precipitated by a number of worrying letters from her highly strung cousin, Catalina, who believes her husband to be poisoning her. But what she encounters when she arrives both terrifies and fascinates her in equal measure and she finds it increasingly difficult to tear herself away from the decaying, haunted hilltop mansion known as High Place.

This is a Gothic ghost story with the creep factor turned up to maximum and an atmosphere to die for; it’s claustrophobic, chilling and intriguing all at once and there's an underlying menace that underpins the narrative for the entirety of the book. It's thoroughly enjoyable and manages to address some important issues within the context of the story including: race, class, societal norms, patriarchy, family secrets and colonialism, to name but a few. Due to how intense and disturbing it is Moreno-Garcia adds a little romance into the mix to lighten everything up and it's well-executed. How much you enjoy the book may hinge on how much you warm to protagonist Noemí as she isn't the most likeable; however, she is a complex character and there are aspects of her I admired and feel many others will too. This is a potent mix of Mexican folklore and Gothic tropes and I simply couldn't turn the pages quick enough.

Written in perfectly poised prose and with a cast of engaging and exceptionally developed characters, this is a delightful horror show and the authors best novel to date. It will appeal to those who have enjoyed classics such as Rebecca, Wuthering Heights, The Turn of the Screw, Jane Eyre and The Haunting of Hill House and those readers will find much to love within these pages. This truly is comfort reading at its finest and the perfect dark escapism for these troubling times. Many thanks to Jo Fletcher for an ARC.

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Quercus Books and Silvia Moreno-Garcia for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Let’s get talking about one of my most anticipated reads of THIS YEAR!! The beautifully written, sultry, dark and deliciously Gothic (by name and nature) Mexican Gothic. This book was DRIPPING with thrills, mysteries and a strange nostalgia that just spoke to my soul! Let’s get on with the review…

What is it about?
After recieveing a strange and desperate message from her cousin, Noemi Taboada – a strong willed socialite – travels to High Place in search of answers. What is happening to the once fun loving, sweet Catalina who has married into a strange and mysterious family? Here Noemi meets the Doyle family and things start to go from strange to down right nightmarish. Noemi’s only ally being the youngest son of the family – Francis who seems to want to help her find answers but is bound to the family and it’s deep dark secrets. The longer Noemi stays at High Place the more she becomes encapsulated by it, binding her to the building.

What I loved…
I am very rarely left GUSHING after a book!!!! But Mexican Gothic is one that I just want to read, and read and read it again.

If you love Gothic horror this is the book for you!! Moreno Garcia laces this truly thrilling story with elements of dark horror, chilling secrets and a strong female lead THEN layers it with tension and atmosphere that seeps into your very soul!

It has the air of a classic black and white movie about it and at times it even had those silent scenes that create such a tense reading! The story telling is beautiful and the descriptions have characteristics of Bram Stokers writing – atmospheric, delicious and devour-able! Noemi is a true strong female lead – we need more of these!! and I just LOVE the Mexican back drop to this!!

As well as this, Mexican Gothic has the theme of eugenics that runs through the story – something Garcia-Moreno says she studied herself. There is evidence that ‘mixing races’ is looked down upon and if I’m being honest its not far from the truth in reality; of course we don’t call it eugenics in everyday life, but the stigma of looking a particular way or having indigenous traits in some cultures (including mine) is very much frowned upon. Mexican Gothic tackles this through the theme of eugenics and the portrayal of certain characters.

MORE IMPORTANTLY in recent times this has become even more apparent through the B.L.M. movement and the awareness of institutionalised racism – a lot of cultures that have been ‘Westernised’ also carry the vision that being light skinned or marrying into a family that looks more indigenous is a taboo.

For this reason I totally loved the theme of eugenics – if gave a spine tingling reality to the novel which is missing in many other horror novels.

Garcia Moreno has made up a spotify playlist of chilling and thrilling music to go with the novel which can be found here.

And there is also a cardboard dress up doll of Noemi that has been drawn by talented artist Kelly McMorris which can be found here.

BUY THIS BOOK! – Amazon

BUY THIS BOOK – Waterstones

5/5 stars – Buy it now and read it again and again!!
Whilst reading I have also created a Pinterest board for this novel – you can find it here.

I am never eating a mushroom again in my life.

"You're an inquisitive creature." She wasn't sure whether he meant it as a compliment or a defect.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is firmly placing herself amongst my favourite authors of all time. No matter the genre, no matter the story, I am hooked from the first page. She has such a beautiful, haunting way with words that just capture your mind and caress it like a long lost lover. Describing places in a way of "... places where the earth would never again spill wealth from its womb." just has a way of making you yearn for more descriptors, yearn for more lyrical and raw depictions that you cannot wait to see what else the book has in store for you.

Strong female characters is also another reason why Moreno-Garcia has such a firm place in my book loving heart. The female characters are fleshed out, they're strong and they have flaws - their flaws are them and they don't shy away from their shadow side. At times their shadow side can even be a strength. They are unapologetically themselves and I adore this about them. Like Casiopea (Gods of Jade and Shadow) and Viridiana (Untamed Shore), Noemi Taboada is a woman to behold. Noemi may be a glamourous socialite but don't be fooled by external beauty, her inner beauty and indomitable strength is what she will use to try and save her cousin, Catalina, who sent an unnerving letter to Noemi's father pleading for help.

The beauty, and downfall when it comes to writing reviews, about horror is that it's the build up of the storyline that truly gets you at your core, so to write about anything concrete within the story gives the reader of the review an insight into the plot which they should be experiencing for the first time when reading. So I'm not going to go too much into the actualities of the story (apart from providing some trigger warnings), but instead talk about how the book made me feel.

You truly don't know what you're walking into. As I was working my way through Mexican Gothic I could feel the eeriness seeping into my bones and settling deep within my core that just made me feel incredibly unsure of what else was in store for us. This is definitely a horror novel, and as such, horror novels don't shy away from topics which could be triggers. These include, but aren't limited to: family death, mild-cannibalism, sexual assault and threat of rape, body horror, scenes that set my trypophobia on edge and just all around horror.

I absolutely cannot get enough of watching horror movies however I haven't really ventured into the realm of horror novels (I do love horror podcasts though). This was a fantastic leap into the world of horror novels and it's not a place that I'm likely to leave any time soon. I thoroughly recommend Mexican Gothic for those who are just getting their feet wet in horror or those who have been swimming for years.

4.5 stars!

This book!! Wow!! Mexican Gothic is a dark, creepy, atmospheric read that I could not get enough of. Moreno-Garcia does an incredible job at creating a truly gothic story, reminiscent of Wuthering Heights & Jane Eyre, within a 1950s setting.

I absolutely loved the main character Noemí, and thought she was strong, witty, passionate and glamorous. There are so many things I loved about Noemí's character, from her love of education and her passionate spirit, to her independence and confidence in herself and her decisions. She is easily one of my favourite main characters I have read in a long time!

The writing was beautifully immersive, and the plot was incredibly original! A sense of mystery and foreboding prevails throughout the story, and I was not disappointed in the direction the story went in. Mexican Gothic lived up to every expectation I had for it, and did everything I hoped it would do! A truly gothic, dark and creepy story with a cast containing a mixture of both terrifying & loveable characters, an incredibly eerie setting, and a mind-bending 'wtf' style plot, this book did everything it set out to do and more! I really enjoyed every aspect of this book, and it is probably one of my favourites of the year!

I have read a few of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books and I think I can safely say that this one is my favourite. It tells the story of Noemi, a vivacious Mexican girl who receives a worrying letter from her cousin, Catalina. Noemi must travel to High Place, a rambling mansion inhabited by the Doyle family, in a bid to rescue her cousin. Firstly, I absolutely loved the atmosphere of this book. There is a pervasive sense of dread throughout the novel that just builds and builds, which I thought was incredibly well done. Noemi is an appealing protagonist, vibrant and sociable with a strong personality and a well developed sense of self, which was refreshing. I think this strength of character adds to the dread, because there is a very definite vein of gaslighting running through the narrative which is particularly unsettling. As the plot unfolds, and goes in some particularly imaginative places, I found myself swept away into the narrative and the whole second half of the book was so compelling that I read it in one feverish sitting. What I would say is that the first half, while it does such a fantastic job of building the atmosphere and setting the scene, did feel a little bit repetitive at times, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has firmly cemented Moreno-Garcia as one of my auto-buy authors.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mexican Gothic is already a favorite of the year and this cover is just divine.

I had the opportunity to read an eARC from Netgalley by Quercus books and I loved it. It's creepy and unsettling with lots of plant life and symbolism woven through the story to give it that particular gothic-horror atmosphere. Noemi isn't necessarily the most like-able character, but she's a bit entitled and vain, but also a brave and free-thinking spirit, who tries everything to save her cousin from the clutches of her new family and the family manor.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a fantastic talent to write books that are not comparable to other books in the genre. The only book I can think of that would come close to the feeling I got is maybe "The Lost Ones" by Anita Frank.

I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow and I already got my hands on Untamed Shore and I cannot wait to see what she will put out next!

I can highly recommend this to everyone who wants to read something different and who'd like to read more diverse from an amazing author.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Naomí, a socialite and ambitious student living in Mexico City. After her father receives a strange letter from her cousin Catalina, who recently married and moved to the mountains, he requests that Naomí investigate and, potentially, rescue her cousin

The atmosphere of this book is palpable, the writing stunning. This is also what I loved about the other book I've read by this author, Gods of Jade and Shadow. I felt like I was in that damp, draughty, old house in the misty mountains, discovering all its secrets alongside Noemí, however that's where most of my enjoyment ends

This book is incredibly slow paced, which would be fine if the characters were...interesting. They were all very cryptic and dramatically mysterious, and I felt like I read the exact same scenes and conversations over and over until the book ended. The pace did pick up a little towards the end, and I get that the beginning was setting up the groundwork of creepiness, but it was glacially slow and repetitive

Another issue I had was I wouldn't have known throughout that it was set in Mexico in the 1950s if I wasn't periodically told, because of the occasional Spanish words or the dated customs and treatment of women. These things weren't integrated into the plot, they were just told to me occasionally, which didn't add to the setting. It's likely all an allegory for colonisation and the eradication of local culture, but if so it wasn't quite done strongly enough

TW: incest, body horror, attempted rape, murder suicide, possession, drugging

This is an atmospheric Gothic fantasy set in a neglected old mansion in Mexico in the 1950s. A decent read but the first two thirds of the book are incredibly slow . However, the pace really does pick up in the last section of the book and the twist is extremely original and disturbing. 3.5 stars

"The serpent does not devour it's tail, it devour everything around it, voracious, it's appetite never quenched."
.
Think of this as a slow-burn thriller set in a decrepit, ghostly house but these are not ghosts that haunt the characters but memories, preserved by the house and intricately wound with the actual structure. Noemi, the heart of any party in Mexico City is called to High Place, mainly because she needs to focus her curiosity and attention to one thing only, her cousin Catalina's well-being. Catalina's last letter might seem like the ramblings of a mad-woman and Noemi is to ensure her sister gets the help she needs. But as she steps into High Palace, a mansion that reeks of death and hopelessness, she finds herself in the middle of a giant puzzle.
.
A classic Gothic horror, Mexican Gothic has bloodshed, violence, twisted secrets, vulgarity and a dark atmosphere that will instantly suck you in. Noemi with her stubborn attitude towards finding the truth stumbles upon information and trust me, this is a twist you wouldn't have seen coming. The author combines Mexican Folklore, the theory of Natural Selection and an inherently evil house. The narration is eerie with shady characters and a plot that unravels very slowly, but will have your eyes glued to the pages until the very end.

This book starts slowly and you are slowly hooked to this story that is one of the best horror I read in some times.
All the elements of a gothic story are present: the weird family, the isolated and dark mansions, family secrets and a sense of dread that get more intense as you turn pages.
And then it becomes a series of nightmare mixed with moments of normality and tenderness while you try to understand if it's Noemi who is dreaming and experiencing terrible visions in her dream or it's the reality and the horror of the reality.
I can tell it was not easy to put this book down as I was enthralled and turning pages as fast as I could. The last 20% of the book was a whirlwind of emotions, horror scenes and it left breathless and with a lot of adrenaline in circle.
There's also an interesting part about eugenic, race and the dominance of the superior over the inferior. They are well woven into the plot and they play an important part into how things work.
I can't find no fault to this book: the atmosphere is dark and fascinating, the characters are well rounded and interesting. Ms Moreno-Garcia is a very talented storyteller and this book is a perfect example of how well she writes.
This book made me think of The Turn of the Screw and Dracula as it shares some traits in common with both books.
It's not a book for the faint of heart or if you are easily scared. It won't be easy to forget the emotions it made me fell and the great characters.
It was an exciting and excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the authors whose next book I always look forward to. Apart from anything else she's so versatile - this year we've already had an excellent Mexican noir from her (Untamed Shore), while last year saw her previous novel for Jo Fletcher Books, the 1920s Mexican-set fantasy Gods of Jade and Shadow (which you should read, if you haven't already).

Now we have - well, the title says it all, Mexican Gothic.

Mexico City, 1950. A young socialite, Noemí Taboada, is summoned from the latest party by her father and instructed to sort out a tricky family problem. Recently married cousin Catalina is unwell, and Naomí's father - who is also Catalina's guardian - wants Naomí to investigate. I loved the way Moreno-Garcia establishes both Naomí's self-possession - she is a confident young woman who knows what she wants and how to present herself to get it ('Naomí' looked a bit like Katy Juarado when she struck the right pose, and of course she knew what exact angle to strike') - and her place within wider Mexican society: a student of anthropology, in no hurry to be married (though she enjoys partying and social life, she's in no hurry to commit to any of the boys who are interested in her).

Noemí travels to the remote (and somewhat faded) town of El Triunfo outside which stands High Place, the home of the Doyle family into which Catalina has married. The Doyles are English and refuse to speak Spanish: they made their fortune mining silver, though the mine is now derelict and they have fallen on hard times (hence the alliance with Noemí's own wealthy family). This is a genuinely Gothic setting: High Place is a decayed mansion full of mouldering rooms and dust-sheeted furniture. There's a family graveyard wreathed in mist, a collection of hostile relatives - in particular matriarch Florence who present Noemí with a list of rules: no smoking, no noise, no visits to El Triunfo, limited contact with Catalina - and a series of mysteries: about the house, the family, and Catalina's physical and mental health.

There was a bit of a flavour here, I thought, of Cold Comfort Farm in the contrast between the modern young woman and the benighted Doyles, but unfortunately the inhabitants of High Place aren't to be easily reformed and the tension between them and Noemí fairly crackles. You can't miss the extent to which they cling to their Englishness: the family has been in Mexico for decades yet they doggedly speak English and maintain a Victorian outlook on life. It's easy to read this as a commentary on colonialism and post-colonialism, the source of the family's wealth having dried up and their whole purpose having been swept away by civil war and revolution even while they maintain their peculiar forms and customs, their foreignness clear in Mexico (they 'even brought European earth here').

Noemí is, as I have said, confident. She's used to getting her own way, both within her family and, as a wealthy young woman, in society more widely. ('She had experience dealing with irritating men'). Yet she may have met her match in the Doyles: older, established, arrogant and even rude in that specific way the English upper class still has, even in decay. ('You are much darker than your cousin, Miss Tabadoa'). It's clear there's a struggle for control going on here. Noemí is isolated, without allies, and doesn't have a clue what is happening. Because there is certainly something very sinister going on. As Noemí unravels the tragic family history of the Doyles, based on portraits, tombstones and fragments of stories she manages to collect in the town, it becomes clear that tragedy has followed them for generations with more than one untimely death. But how does this relate to what's happening to Cataline - and Noemí - now?

The unfolding of the story, with the creepy Gothic atmosphere growing thicker and thicker, combines with Noemí's growing doubts and fears, makes for an exciting and compulsive read. The family members present different threats, different challenges, from the haughty Florence to the monstrously unpleasant patriarch Howard to the smoother Virgil, Catalina's husband ('He was, likely, not used to being refused. But then, many men were the same.') I found myself torn between wanting Noemí to press them harder, to discover more, and fear of what might happen if she did. There's something dangerously unstable in the Doyle household with its devotion to eugenics, to taxonomical classification and to understanding the right place for every one, with its almost captive family members - younger son Francis has never travelled further than El Triunfo and seems almost hypnotically controlled by Florence and Virgil - and a history of violence gradually emerges.

While there's clearly something very wrong here, Moreno-Garcia kept me guessing almost till the end about the nature of the threat in High Place and about how that might influence a possible romance. Dark, scary, Romantic and deeply, deeply Gothic this is a remarkable book and an intense read. It's one I'd strongly recommend.

My brain is mush and this book is the reason why. I read this pretty much all in one sitting, finishing it at around 2am and so naturally I went to bed questioning my whole entire reality.

The only reason this isn't a 5 star read is because in my opinion it started out a bit too slow and took a while to build up the intrigue of the actual plot. Apart from that, I cannot fault this book on anything.

Silvia's writing is enveloping and whimsical and the plot is full of captivating intrigue.

Mexican Gothic follows Noemi Taboada who lives in Mexico in 1950. Noemi is strong headed, loves to party and believes that life should be what you want to make of it. After receiving a frantic letter from her newly wed cousin Catalina, Noemi and her father agree that it is best if Noemi goes visit her cousin in High Place. High Place, however, isn't what Noemi imagined Catalina would be living in: an old mansion with no eletricity and a family who is nothing but mysterious and silent.

Noemi is sure that Catalina's arguments that she can see ghosts in the walls and that they speak to her have more to it than just a simple high fever. And so it begins Noemi's adventure in High Place whilst she tries to save her cousin and find out what is happening in that house.

This is a wonderful, terrifying, seductive gothic novel that is sure to draw you in and leave you second guessing everything you thought you knew could be done in literature.

If you were to take Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Mix in the movie Gaslight, the abjection of bodily horror, and the history of men seeking to own women’s bodies, then you’d come close to Mexican Gothic.
There is a creeping, oozing fear pervading Moreno-Garcia’s work, where what begins as strange rules, and racist old misogynists becomes an all too real horror.
I was actually so genuinely creeped out, that I had to wait and finish reading it in the morning. In bright daylight. With people around me.
Extra applause for the impeccable research. Noemí as a character is vivid, intelligent, stubborn, and determined. She is also as at home in the glamorous social whirl, as she is reading the actual anthropological ethnographies that I read in my own undergrad. Margaret Mead and E.E. Evans-Pritchard? So much yes.
You may need to read it with the lights on, but do yourself the favour.
5 stars, plus you should definitely go and buy Mexican Gothic AND Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade And shadow immediately

Mexican Gothic is a rotten, vile, tale of delusion. An oozing pustule on the cusp of bursting. And it’s brilliant!

After receiving a letter from her cousin where she claims her new husband and his family are poisoning her, Noemi Taboada travels from her comfortable city life in New Mexico to the rural former mining town of El Triunfo. She arrives at High Place, the ancestral home of her cousin’s husband’s family. The place is dark and unwelcoming, much like its inhabitants. Forced to follow the strict rules of the family, Noemi tries to seek the truth of cousin Catalina’s condition. As she bucks against the family and their strange, Noemi begins to have strange dreams and finds herself sleepwalking around the vast, partially decrepit mansion. But are they just bad dreams or is the house, or it’s inhabitants, infiltrating her mind? As Noemi learns more about the family’s disturbing past, will she ever escape the clutches of High Place and is there anyone she can trust?

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic is a beautifully dark, visually rich novel. From the opening sequence to the chilling conclusion, I could really picture every scene. Moreno-Garcia catapults readers into a cesspool of depravity, decay and disturbing morality. This is everything you could want from a psychological horror/thriller, haunted house novel and the wider supernatural horror genre. The atmosphere builds gradually as events unfold and Noemi finds herself experiencing more and more bizarre occurrences. As the novel builds like a crescendo to its explosive conclusion, frankly, things have become really strange! However, it is this unique plot twist that makes Mexican Gothic such a good read. I didn’t know where Moreno-Garcia was taking me and I didn’t have a chance in hell of guessing just what High Place and it’s residents were hiding. There is plenty of tension that meanders throughout the narrative, as well as memorable moments of nauseating horror. This really is edge of your seat reading and if it ever gets made into a film or television series, it will be an intense watch. In fact, whilst reading, I was fondly reminded of the Hammer Horror films of the 1960s and 70s. This story would have fit perfectly into that cannon of work and there is something equally timeless about Mexican Gothic.

As well as the overarching horror, I really enjoyed the subtle allusions to a love story between Noemi and Francis. The interwoven moments of tenderness and kindness between them were a nice contrast to the rest of the taut story. I also enjoyed the fact that we don’t quite know whether we can trust Francis, so there was and edginess to this aspect of the narrative. The rest of the Doyle family characters are very well executed too - Florence has echoes of Mrs. Danvers from Daphne Du Marier’s “Rebecca”, Virgil is an arrogant and reprehensible brute, whilst Howard is both physically and mentally vile.

Another theme that is expertly explored is that of identity and race. Noemi’s desire to study anthropology is a direct passage into this theme, but her conflict with the British-born Doyle family is a literal battle of the indigenous dwellers against the foreign settlers. Howard Doyle’s outdated and overtly racist opinions of Noemi highlight the arrogance the supremacist white male (a trope that is urgently relevant in the current global climate) - he devours and destroys, with little regard to anyone outside of his family, let alone his race. His lust for Noemi as an exotic piece of meat is both nauseating and uncomfortable. Similarly, Virgil’s blatant disrespect and abusive treatment of her perfectly alludes to a troubling systemic view on race and superiority. This theme made me feel that Mexican Gothic is a very topical read, but it is also so much more than this. Essentially it’s an extremely well written ghost story that touches on a variety of interesting and memorable themes.

I highly recommend this chilling read!

I chose to read and review an eARC of Mexican Gothic but that has in no way influenced my review.

I'll be completely honest and say that I didn't know what to expect from Mexican Gothic. I've read plenty of gothic novels over the years. They fit quite nicely into my love of dark fiction. But this book is billed as a historical gothic fantasy/romance and, as a reader of predominantly crime with a splash of horror on the side, this book felt a little like an unknown entity to me. I needn't have worried. Mexican Gothic is a haunting gothic tale which played straight into my love of the horror genre, taking me on a terrifying journey into the very heart of a creepy old mansion and the sinister family who inhabit its walls.

Party girl and socialite Noemí Taboada is reluctant to follow her father's wishes and visit her recently married cousin, Catalina, at High Place - a decrepit old mansion on the outskirts of a small Mexican village. But Catalina has written such a strange letter, leaving her family in Mexico City concerned for her mental health and well being, that Noemí feels she has no choice but to go -- the promise of a place at University to study anthropology made by her father also helps! When Noemí arrives, she meets Catalina's strange extended family. They're guarded. She's an unwelcome guest in their home but she feels something is definitely wrong at High Place. The more time she spends in the house, the more concerned she grows for Catalina and the more desperate she is to leave. But the more Noemí digs into the history of High Place and the Doyle family, the more frightening secrets she discovers...

I loved tenacious, fiery Noemí. She's one gutsy woman who won't be put in a box and behave as the era expects of her. She's forthright, outspoken and determined to discover what is happening to her cousin and why Catalina reports of seeing ghosts. But getting to Catalina for any length of time is a problem as she's closely guarded by the family and their staff. Other characters in the book (virtually all of the Doyle family actually) made me feel really uncomfortable, which I loved. I felt particular disgust for creepy old Howard Doyle, the family patriarch, his handsome yet utterly repulsive son, Virgil, and Howard's niece, the detestable Florence. The scenes in the book between Noemí and Virgil are so brilliantly written, they physically made my skin crawl. Florence's son, Francis, faired a little better. I wanted to know what his secret was though. What was he hiding from Noemí.

It's very difficult to talk about the plot of Mexican Gothic without revealing a few spoilers so I'm going to say as little as possible about it. The first half of the book, I found a touch slow. But I think that's quite true of many gothic novels. You need time to get to know the characters and the setting and make that connection. The second half I loved and sped through the story. When the family secret is discovered, the pace really picks up and I struggled to put this book down. It's so compelling and I was lost in the world of High Place alongside Noemí.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Mexican Gothic is a chilling read and one I heartily recommend. With that stunning cover, a fierce female lead and a story that takes you places you don't expect, this is a book not to be missed. Despite my initial reservations, I'm glad I read Mexican Gothic and lost myself for a few hours in the dark and dank corridors of High Place. As settings go, it's going to be one I remember for some time to come. Recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Mexican Gothic. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

*Rated 3.5/5 stars

Mexican Gothic was my very first book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and it certainly won’t be my last! While horror is a genre that I don’t usually reach from, I thought Silvia Moreno-Garcia did a good job at it and yes… I got terrified at some point.

From the moment Noemí arrived to High Place, the isolated mansion of an English family, I was so engrossed by this novel: it had such a deliciously gothic atmosphere and I couldn’t get enough out of it. Mexican Gothic is mainly set in High Place and its surroundings, the house coming more and more alive with every page as Noemí is exploring it, which made me almost feel the house’s walls closing up on me. Alongside Noemí, I felt like I couldn’t get out of the house and as I read the most chilling chapters at night, I really felt like I was there.

Mexican Gothic is rather a slow-paced read, so getting through it might be a bit of a struggle for some readers, but I thought it was definitely worth it. Sure, the first half of the book could be a bit repetitive at times, considering both the main character and the reader had to be kept in the dark as they’re trying to figure out what is going on, but I think it did a really good job at setting up the scene.

I really enjoyed where the plot went in terms of reveals in the second half: it took turns I wasn’t expecting, which I loved, and it became really gross at some point, which wasn’t as much fun for me reading at night, but was suited to a horror novel I imagine (see trigger warnings at the end of my review). I couldn’t stop reading during the last hundred pages or so: still, I have to admit that it wrapped up a little quickly for me, but I really enjoyed that plot overall.

I adored Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing; I think that descriptions are definitely her strong suit: from describing Noemí’s outfits (she’s a socialite, so of course she has to be best-dressed for everything) to describing a creepy mansion and its surroundings, her writing was so vivid that I could picture very clearly everything that was happening, which doesn’t happen very often for me. Because of that, I even got spooked during some of the chapters taking place in the dark, as I was reading at night, and I was so engrossed in the book! Honestly, I lived for every gothic element this book gave me.

I wasn’t completely convinced by the characters: they were a bit flat for me, as most of them were pretty stereotypical, though Silvia Moreno-Garcia did a great job at making me loathe the family, which was obviously the point. I could never quite bring myself to love Noemí, because I don’t think she had that much character development throughout the course of the novel. Moreover, I really disliked that the book had a very unnecessary romance towards the end: the last chapters would have had more of an impact on me without it. To be honest, I’d rather have the book focus on Noemí and her cousin’s relationship, as she went to High Place to rescue her in the first place.

Overall, I really enjoyed Mexican Gothic: it had an amazing gothic atmosphere and it spooked me during some chapters, plus the plot took turns I didn’t expect. I adored Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing when it comes to description, but I wasn’t as convinced by her characters and even less by the romance. I usually don’t read horror novels, so I don’t know anything about the genre, but I went into this without expectations and really enjoyed the experience. I’m really curious to read more of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s works now!

For those interested, Silvia Moreno-Garcia did a great interview on Goodreads for Mexican Gothic.