After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even 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 seems to want to help Noemí, but 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 Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

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I’m having an incredibly difficult time getting reviews started right now, which is causing me to fall behind, which is giving me anxiety, which is making it harder to get started on any reviews.

So yeah, that’s how it’s been going. It’s fine though. I’m fine.

This is fine. Anyway.

I’m not sure what else you could call Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC other than an outright masterpiece, because…goddamn. This book is just exquisite & weird & grotesque, and is easily one of the most atmospheric horror novels I’ve ever read. It’s written in such a way that it feels somehow timeless, like it’s always existed. The story is set in and around Mexico City in 1950, and Moreno-Garcia somehow pulls off the trick of making this book feel as though it could have been written in 1950 as well.

The premise is simple enough: Noemí Taboada is our main character. She’s something of a socialite, however she isn’t content to resign herself to a life of fancy clothes and dull, pretty men. She has ambitions in academia, and she pursues them with passion, much to the chagrin of her father. Noemí receives word that her cousin Catalina is in some type of distress. Catalina lives in the country with her new husband, an Englishman named Virgil Doyle. They live in Virgil’s family’s old mansion, High Place, and in a disturbing letter, Catalina claims to be held there against here will, and that the house is haunted.

Noemí’s father is concerned, as is Noemí. It’s decided that she’ll take a trip out to High Place to see what’s what.

Things take on an ominous tone for Noemí almost right away. High Place is in a state of decay, with mold covering some of the walls. There’s an oppressive vibe to the place, made worse by the rigid rules put upon Noemí by the various & sometimes hostile members of the Doyle clan.

In short, Noemí is about to have a bad time.

MEXICAN GOTHIC is a book that works on a lot of different levels. As a creepy, Gothic horror novel, the book just soars. There are some genuinely unsettling moments here, and Moreno-Garcia takes some familiar elements from haunted house stories & breathes new life into them. Truly, there are some twisted & grotesque passages in this book that I did not see coming.

Thematically, MEXICAN GOTHIC goes into some heavy territory, with racism & classism being explored, and we also get a horrifying look into the practice of eugenics.

This book was just fucking incredible. Meticulously written, beautifully descriptive, and perfectly paced. It’s weird and tense and sometimes it’s icky as fuck! I couldn’t have enjoyed this any more, and I’m really looking forward to reading more of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work going forward!