Mexican Gothic Synopsis
The acclaimed author of Gods of Jade and Shadow returns with a mesmerising feminist re-imagining of Gothic fantasy, in which a young socialite discovers the haunting secrets of a beautiful old mansion in 1950s Mexico.
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemi. You have to save me.
When glamorous socialite Noemi Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it's clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.
Noemi's more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she heads immediately to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin.
She's tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who is fascinated by Noemi; and not of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he wants to help - but he might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemi, mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind . . .
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9781529402681 |
Publication date: |
15th June 2021 |
Author: |
Silvia Moreno-Garcia |
Publisher: |
Jo Fletcher Books an imprint of Quercus Publishing |
Format: |
Paperback |
Pagination: |
301 pages |
Primary Genre |
Historical Fiction
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Other Genres: |
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Silvia Moreno-Garcia Press Reviews
Clever, wicked and winning. Moreno-Garcia well and truly hits the mark with Mexican Gothic - Angela Slatter, author of the World Fantasy Award-winning The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings
Blends chilling scenes of all-out horror with elements of traditional gothic . . . It's Lovecraft meets the Brontes in Latin America - Guardian
With peculiar characters, a family curse and enough suspense to hold the reader's attention, it is the perfect summer read - The Lady
This pitch-perfect Gothic tale is a delicious, delicious delight - Heat
Masterful . . . a gloriously moody adventure. Spooky, smart, and wry. Chic, no-nonsense Noemi Taboada is one hell of a tour guide through this world of mystery, scandal and spirits - Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling
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 - Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger and The Ghost Bride
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! - Chanel Cleeton, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of The Last Train to Key West
A gorgeous piece of work . . . absolutely terrifying, and it has stayed with me in a powerful way - Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award-winning author of Magic for Liars
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 - Vivian Shaw, author of the Dr Greta Helsing series
Stylish and sinister . . . a gothic masterpiece - Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
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 - Starburst
When it comes to the horror, though, Moreno-Garcia gets it absolutely right... it's enormously fun - Telegraph
Moreno-Garcia is having a blast playing with the conventions of Gothic literature - Locus
Moreno-Garcia writes with heated abandon . . . Mexican Gothic's fearsome storytelling can't be contained - Shelf Awareness
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 finale. Fans of gothic classics like Rebecca will be enthralled - Kirkus
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 - Charlie Jane Anders, award-winning author of The City in the Middle of the Night
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 - Booklist
Moreno-Garcia's energetic romp through the gothic genre is delightfully bonkers . . . [getting] wilder and stranger with every chapter - Publishers Weekly
[An] original, well-paced novel . . . great gothic elements with a little VanderMeer creativity thrown in - Library Journal
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 - Becky Spratford, RA for All
Heart-thumping thriller-chiller - Lancashire Evening Post
This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive - Buzzfeed
A gothic chiller, set in 1950s Mexico, that will clamp you in its icy embrace and linger like a nightmare - Daily Mail
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 - Barry Forshaw on Crime Time
Immersive and suspenseful, Mexican Gothic is up there with this year's best novels - Culturefly
Intriguing and disturbing, what starts as a slow burn ends up an unsettling edge-of-the-seat page-turner - The Skinny
There are echoes of Mary Stewart and Daphne du Maurier, but Moreno-Garcia has plenty of satisfying twists of her own - i news
A superb fireside evening read - NB magazine
A pitch-perfect Gothic novel . . . You will be left unsettled, unsteady, and uncertain. You will also be left satisfied - NPR
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 - Slate
It's as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic - The Washington Post
A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush '50s atmosphere - Entertainment Weekly
The books starts off with a mystery and slowly descends into horror that grips you to the page - Uptown Oracle
I love a good gothic horror novel and Mexican Gothic didn't disappoint - The Indian Express
Gripping, terrifying, atmospheric and suspenseful - Big Issue North's best books of 2020
A deeply, creepy read...builds to a strange, pulsing, psychedelic ending - SFX Magazine