Raul Palm’s A HAUNTING IN HIALEAH GARDENS is a short read about a Bolivian immigrant working as an exorcist for the debt collection attorney who has a judgment against him. As with all horror, the story is less about a devil or a ghost terrorizing a family than it is a story about how guilt and shame can manifest—haunt—one in all aspects of one’s life. It is a story about the chains that debt can link around a person, spiritual and monetary debt alike, and how the indebtedness links a debtor to their creditor in strange ways. It is a critique of the cycles of debt and the injustices of medical billing debt collection systems.

While the story starts with a rich prose that drew me in, I found myself put off by how relentlessly unlikeable pretty much everyone in the story actually is. It’s tough to root for redemption when the protagonist is so distasteful. It’s tough to take seriously a villain who is such a cartoonishly stereotypical lawyer (as an aside, the microlevel details of the debt collection firm and procedures were… hard to believe… but not in any way that affected the story, it was just an element that bumped me out of my immersion).

The strength of the book is in how the protagonist’s past is revealed slowly but surely via brief windows to his childhood in Bolivia, his courtship of his wife, his life as her husband, her illness, and ultimately her death. What is truly terrifying are a handful of snapshots of our protagonist’s past and the implications those snapshots had on the events taking place in the “present.”

4 stars

I really enjoyed this book, I liked Hugo for the simple reason, that I didn’t like him. Now this wasn’t a horror book at all in my opinion, and it didn’t seem to be tagged that way either, so if you go in to it thinking it will be that, you will be disappointed. For a debut novel I think it is quite well done. There are some parts that maybe didn’t go the way I had hoped/expected but it’s not my story to tell. It was a fascinating and engrossing read and I really hope to see more by Palma in the future.

This novel was very different! The main character Hugo is an immigrant to the United States and has lived his life in Miami after coming to the US as a boy. The story revolves around his mountain of debt that he has collected in his adult life and how it has been all consuming. He has the opportunity to finally be rid of that debt but this is going to have a profound effect on his life. As the book unfolds, the reader learns much more about his past and what motivated him to make the choices he did.

The book moved quickly and I enjoyed reading about Hugo. This is not my typical genre that I read but I do have to say that I did not really like Hugo as a character. I felt for his wife and I will be honest, I was a little confused at the ending. Overall this was just an ok book for me but I do recommend it if you are looking to step out of your comfort zone as a reader. It was very unique.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this ARC.

A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens was an interesting story about a guy named Hugo who is drowning in debt and gets the opportunity to erase that debt and get back at the man he believes is the root cause. Hugo is a babaláwo and is hired by the debt collector to take care of the haunting. Hugo was complex, he is not the nicest guy, in fact, I found him kind of indifferent to everything except his wife and Santi. I did root for him, I really wanted to see him get free of the awful scamming debt collectors. I will admit near the end I could not tell if things were real or if he was having a vision of some sort. I did enjoy the story, it was unique and well-told.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: October 3, 2023

This was my first time in a while branching out into the "horror" genre and I honestly was scared to read this genre. Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. You are thrown right into the story with very choppy writing. It felt that it was telling rather than showing. I also could not connect with Hugo as a character and found him annoying.

Perfect for fans: third person POV, choppy story pieces, spooky reads

“A Haunting in Hialeah Gardens” is a debut novel by Raul Palma. This was an odd book. The main character, Hugo, has mounting debt since the passing of his wife. His job is being a high priest, who performs spiritual consultations, but Hugo doesn’t believe in the spirits. Hugo gets a call from Alexi, who is a debt collector and, in fact, has garnished Hugo’s wages. Alexi wants Hugo to rid Alexi’s house of spirits and, in return, will forgive the debt. I think, like another reviewer, I had the idea that this was going to be more of a gothic horror book than it was. My main problem was that while Hugo was flawed, I just never felt like I really cared about his story. Flawed characters are okay (and can be extremely interesting), but this wasn’t what I expected and that colored my enjoyment of the book.

Hugo doesn't believe in hauntings or spirits. He works as a babaláwo, a high priest who is able to perform spiritual rituals and consultations. This is his job, not what he believes, so when debt collector Alexi asks Hugo to cleanse his home, Hugo is reluctant. Hugo agrees after Alexi agrees to clear Hugo's account balance. What Hugo finds at Alexi's home is not his usual run-of-the-mill job.
This is a mind-bending story that fits perfectly in Twilight Zone/Black Mirror territory. This was unlike any horror novel I have ever read. It kept me guessing. Even when I thought I knew where this was headed, I was surprised and intrigued right up to the last sentence.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Dutton for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Hugo is suffocating in debt after his wife died. He is barely making ends meet and his wages are garnished. When his nemesis, Alexi Ramirez, calls him with a proposition to rid Alexi of spirits in exchange for wiping his debt away, Hugo can’t refuse.

Hugo plans to do what he’s done to countless others – use sleight of hand and amateur psychology to free Alexi of these ghosts. But when that doesn’t work, Hugo finds himself in trouble.

I have complicated and conflicting thoughts on this book. I loved it at times, but other times I really couldn’t stand it. It was complex and immersive, while also frustrating. I think that a lot of my frustration from this one comes from mismatched expectations. After reading the blurb and title for this I expected it to be more of a gothic horror, but it was really a character driven exploration. Don’t get me wrong, Hugo was fascinating, but he was also insufferable. He used tricks and slight of hand to fool people, and then took from them. I understand why he took on this last client, the allure of being out of debt was too much. This is a deeply nuanced book and full of layers, I just don’t think I appreciated them all as much as I would have liked. I do recommend this book if you are looking for a character study into someone who is flawed, and haunted.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton, and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

After his wife's death Hugo’s world has shrunk to miniscule dimensions. His debt looms over him, an inescapable presence that defines his continued existence. Until one day, reluctantly, he is given the opportunity to confront the man who he feels is responsible. There is a haunting, and only Hugo can resolve the root cause.

Claustrophobic and ominous, Raul Palma's debut sweeps you along through Hugo's misery and darkness.