Just finished with the book, The Mexican Gothic book by Silvia Moreno Garcia and here is my review! First review of the month of August!
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.
When glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newly-wed 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.
Noemí’s chic gowns and perfect lipstick are more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she immediately heads to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin.
Tough and smart, she possesses 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 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, 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 leave this enigmatic house behind . . .
No. of pages :- 276 pages
Date Published:- June 30 2020
Genre:- Historical Fiction/Fantasy/Myth
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, Certain Dark Things, Untamed Shore, and a bunch of other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.
That line literally drew me attention and I had been dying to read this book since then! Set somewhere in 1950’s, Noemi Taboada gets a frantic letter from her cousin, Catalina with those above words. Concerned and worried about her cousin’s state, Noemi’s father sent Noemi to the “High Place” located in a very remote countryside place, far from the city. The mansion, owned by Doyles and Catalina is married to Virgil Doyle who seemed to be a sinister man and who along with a woman named Florence doesn’t really want Noemi to meet Catalina much. But a young man named Francis befriends with Noemi and Noemi discovers something sinister about the mansion in general that seems to be haunted with an age long history and revenge.
Here’s the thing–the story was fantastic!!! Though the first few were a bit boring, it got better and interesting until towards the end. It was more like a scene from a horror movie–about the certain eugenic system and some rituals that is carried out in the house. While reading the book, I did feel as if I was in some part of the horror movie. The descriptions, given by the author was fantastic, the decaying of the house, with molds growing around the house, the decaying body of an old man named Howard Doyle who seemed to be the patriarch of the Doyle family, the descriptions of the cemetery that makes you feel like you are also in that cemetery with Noemi and the certain legend surrounding the house that craves you to read more, wondering what that legend really was! And the part about the mushrooms and fungi was a bit creepy to read. The writing was fantastic and the author did a good job making the reader engaged into the story. The story despite being engaging is not very realistic however. More like a thing where you live in the fantasy part of the world. Oh another thing–I like the book cover–it’s so revealing!
For those who love to read a good horror movie, I recommend this book. Mexican Gothic will truly make you engage into the story and will sweep you into the 1950’s Mexico with a hint of gothic horror and ritual. Worth four stars!
Tropical Girl Reads 