Title: Mexican Gothic
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Series: none
Genre: Horror
Pages: 304
Dates Read: January 1 – 21, 2021
Edition Read: Kindle eBook
Blurb: 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 Noemí’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.
Review
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!!!
Once again, I am very grateful to the Nerdist Book Club for pointing me in the direction of a book I may not have picked up otherwise. I hadn’t heard of this book or this author previously and you all know how much I love finding new things. This book kept surprising me and making me want to keep reading even when I really shouldn’t have (don’t read this before going to bed, for example – it’s a bad idea).
Everything about this book was great. Our protagonist, Noemí, was such a delight. I loved her spirit and her snarkiness and her determination to figure out what was going on with this weird family. She was so out of her element here but she didn’t let that stop her. If I had been her, I would have run away screaming and called for help, but she couldn’t do that. She had to stick to it and figure out what was happening. And this family, the Doyles – UUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! They were so creepy, but perfectly done so that you at times couldn’t tell if they were genuinely doing something that was out of line or if you were being overly sensitive to something. A portrayal of gaslighting at its finest.
The house was another part of this story that was really interesting and terrifying. It was almost its own character which is always fun. Super dark and creepy, but again – you couldn’t tell whether it was just natural neglect and decay or if it was something more sinister. Until the end, of course. Then you know just how truly sinister everything is. All the descriptions were so vivid and nightmarish – you could almost smell the place! I love when an author can submerse you into their world so completely. It was so easy to get lost in it.
I was not expecting how the ending would play out. It was a complete surprise how everything worked together and how truly terrible these people were. I’m not giving any of that away because you need to experience that for yourself.
GoodReads rating: 5 stars
Categories: Books I've Read
Life With No Plot 
Probably no- hate horror
I will admit that this is probably not for everyone. Some of it is pretty brutal.
There is a cretan kind of scary I can see- I can handle Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings