Genre Fiction
![Silvia Moreno-Garcia - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B004H7M5PA.jpg)
Mexican Gothic
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • "It's Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird."-The Guardian
IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New Yorker • Vanity Fair • NPR • The Washington Post • Tordotcom • Marie Claire • Vox • Mashable • Men's Health • Library Journal • Book Riot • LibraryReads
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes "a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror" (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
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.
"It's as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic."-The Washington Post
"Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre's most exciting talents."-Nerdist
"A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush '50s atmosphere."-Entertainment Weekly
IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New Yorker • Vanity Fair • NPR • The Washington Post • Tordotcom • Marie Claire • Vox • Mashable • Men's Health • Library Journal • Book Riot • LibraryReads
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes "a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror" (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
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.
"It's as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic."-The Washington Post
"Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre's most exciting talents."-Nerdist
"A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush '50s atmosphere."-Entertainment Weekly
Editorial Reviews
"An inspired mash-up of Jane Eyre, Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, Dracula, Rebecca and that 1958 classic sci-fi movie, The Blob . . . Inventive and smart, [Mexican Gothic is] injecting the Gothic formula with some fresh blood."-NPR's Fresh Air
"Stylish and edgy. . . While the book draws inspiration from Gothic classics like Rebecca and Jane Eyre-there is a spunky female protagonist and an ancient house filled with disturbing secrets-its archly intelligent tone and insightful writing make Mexican Gothic an original escape to an eerie world."-New York Times
"[An] irresistibly dark feminist reimagining of the Gothic fantasy novel . . . It's all wonderfully creepy, blending chilling scenes of horror with classic Gothic tropes for a seductive and subversive tale. A book to devour in a few-very thrilling-sittings."-Vanity Fair
"The author's postcolonial spin on the gothic tradition evokes the usual suspects: Daphne du Maurier, Emily Brontë, Mary Shelley, even Anne Radcliffe. Like those authors, Moreno-Garcia works in a tradition in which chills and thrills tap into elemental cultural fears-runaway science, carnal passion. But to these she adds a more politically inflected horror, both ancient and timely."-Los Angeles Times
"A new classic of the genre . . . alluring and foreboding, ambiguous and beautiful. And like its heroine Noemí, its ambitious, determined, and well worth getting to know."-Chicago Review of Books
"This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive. . . . This is a must-read for fans of gothic writers like the Brontës, Daphne du Maurier, and Shirley Jackson, and also for those who enjoy the feminist, surreal fiction of Carmen Maria Machado."-Buzzfeed
"Deliciously creepy . . . Read it with your lights on-and know that strange dreams might begin to haunt you, as they haunted Noemí."-Vox
"Masterful . . . a gloriously moody adventure, spooky, smart, and wry. Chic, no-nonsense Noemí Taboada is one hell of a tour guide through this world of mystery, scandal and spirits."-Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling
"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, nationally bestselling author of The City in the Middle of the Night
"Darkly brilliant and captivating . . . Readers who love old houses and family secrets will devour this book (as I did!). The...
"Stylish and edgy. . . While the book draws inspiration from Gothic classics like Rebecca and Jane Eyre-there is a spunky female protagonist and an ancient house filled with disturbing secrets-its archly intelligent tone and insightful writing make Mexican Gothic an original escape to an eerie world."-New York Times
"[An] irresistibly dark feminist reimagining of the Gothic fantasy novel . . . It's all wonderfully creepy, blending chilling scenes of horror with classic Gothic tropes for a seductive and subversive tale. A book to devour in a few-very thrilling-sittings."-Vanity Fair
"The author's postcolonial spin on the gothic tradition evokes the usual suspects: Daphne du Maurier, Emily Brontë, Mary Shelley, even Anne Radcliffe. Like those authors, Moreno-Garcia works in a tradition in which chills and thrills tap into elemental cultural fears-runaway science, carnal passion. But to these she adds a more politically inflected horror, both ancient and timely."-Los Angeles Times
"A new classic of the genre . . . alluring and foreboding, ambiguous and beautiful. And like its heroine Noemí, its ambitious, determined, and well worth getting to know."-Chicago Review of Books
"This twisty horror fantasy is engrossing and wonderfully repulsive. . . . This is a must-read for fans of gothic writers like the Brontës, Daphne du Maurier, and Shirley Jackson, and also for those who enjoy the feminist, surreal fiction of Carmen Maria Machado."-Buzzfeed
"Deliciously creepy . . . Read it with your lights on-and know that strange dreams might begin to haunt you, as they haunted Noemí."-Vox
"Masterful . . . a gloriously moody adventure, spooky, smart, and wry. Chic, no-nonsense Noemí Taboada is one hell of a tour guide through this world of mystery, scandal and spirits."-Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling
"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, nationally bestselling author of The City in the Middle of the Night
"Darkly brilliant and captivating . . . Readers who love old houses and family secrets will devour this book (as I did!). The...
Readers Top Reviews
‘Crimson Peak’ (brilliant film) meets ‘A Cure For Wellness’ (terrible film), but make it Mexican. The only redeeming feature of this book was the fact that for once that the main character is in their twenties and not their teens 🙄 Very forceful and cliche with the spookiness: -Fog. -Haunted House on top of a hill. -Minimal electricity causing need for intricately detailed candelabras -Old, creepy men who look like vampires/ zombies -Furniture covered in white sheets, -Creaky doors and floorboards, -Old, mouldy libraries, -Rooms and furniture covered in dust. -Graveyard ...All of that before page 47! 🙄 This made the book feel extremely tacky for me. And that ending... the “twist” on why the house is creepy.....what a pile of crock!
Anamelia Regan (Eldr
I have so many feelings about this book. I will start by saying that love gothic novels. This has all the trappings of a perfect gothic novel - creepy house, a distressed cousin sending an ominous letter, a strange, unsettling family and a lot of creepy secrets. But it's also so much MORE than that. It was unique and gripping, bringing so many new ideas but blending them seamlessly into an old formula. Noemi is a very strong character and I absolutely adored her. She's feisty and passionate and intelligent. She's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery of Catalina's letter and is loyal and brave. She's so much more than she seems when we are introduced to her at the beginning of the novel, and she's the gothic heroine that I've always needed. She refuses to be anything but what she is. The setting of High Place has a feeling of overwhelming heaviness. It's permeated by a miasma of despair and dominance over it's occupants. Its unsettling, hostile and strange. It's covered with damp, decay and full of the uncanny. It's the perfect setting for this book, and I wouldn't have been able to set foot in it. The atmosphere of this book and house are so deeply entwined, and it was so incredibly well written! Mexican Gothic is filled with horror in so many ways. There are some disgusting descriptions of horrible things that I felt almost ill reading (and they followed me into my dreams, and I NEVER get affected by horror or gore in books usually) which were beautifully written despite the nauseating images! The book also has some very different moments that made me sick to my stomach- there's definitely triggering content in here, that at times was difficult to read, but it also added a whole new level of horror and awfulness to the story. There are so many things I want to say about this book but can't because almost everything is a spoiler, but it is incredible. I honestly loved this book so much. It was incredibly written, gripping, tense and had an incredible gothic heroine in Noemi, as well as some other fascinating characters. The setting was atmospheric and creepy and the book had an overwhelming sense of mystery and wrongness. If you like your books creepy and unsettling, your characters strong and well written with a touch of gothic horror, then you NEED to read this book!
SusannahBTripFiction
Set in Mexico in the early 1950s, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novel 'Mexican Gothic' focuses on beautiful socialite, Noemi, who finds herself travelling to a remote mountainside estate after receiving a desperate letter from her recently married cousin, Catalina, who thinks her new husband, Virgil Doyle, is trying to poison her. When she arrives at High Place, a crumbling gothic mansion, Noemi meets the Doyle family, who are of English origin and all of them rather unusual characters. The handsome, cool and very collected Virgil tells Noemi that Catalina is merely suffering from a fever caused by a bout of tuberculosis and that Noemi need not worry herself about her cousin, but when Noemi tries to investigate further, she finds herself stonewalled by Virgil and the rest of the family - apart from the shy and gentle Francis, the youngest member of the family, who becomes very attracted to the lively and confident Noemi. As Noemi spends more time at High Place, the strangely menacing atmosphere begins to affect not only her waking hours, but also her dreaming hours and before long Noemi is having violent and macabre nightmares which seem too horribly real to be merely dreams. As time passes, and Catalina shows signs of acute mental distress, Noemi becomes convinced there is something rather sinister going on behind the scenes at High Place - but will she be able to discover what that is before something very unpleasant happens? This story is one that I can only describe as an incredible gothic romp - and, by incredible, I mean it is just not credible. It is true that I initially became caught up in the story and I enjoyed the author's descriptions of High Place with its unsettling atmosphere and its proximity to an eerie, mist-enshrouded cemetery, but this tale was just too far-fetched for me to really take on board and it became even more unbelievable as the story progressed. I have to say that I'm quite easily scared, but I'm frightened by things that I believe could possibly happen and not those which seem altogether too bizarre, so instead of finding myself "mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place" (as promised by the 'blurb') I actually found it almost comical in places - especially when amongst all the gory descriptions provided by the author, Ms Moreno-Garcia takes time out to describe Noemi's fashionable clothing for the day. That's not to say that there weren't parts to this story which held my attention and, as already mentioned, I enjoyed the atmosphere created by the author (and the cover on the book is gorgeous), but this was all a bit too fantastically bizarre for me and the book is now off to a friend who reads fantasy novels and who I feel will enjoy this more than I did. 2.5 Stars.
Chad L. ReederSheRea
This book was very disappointing. Takes forever to get to the point and the point is a brainwashing mushroom fungus?!? Just skimmed the final pages to get it over with. Still can’t figure out what the hype is about concerning this one.
Short Excerpt Teaser
1
The parties at the Tuñóns' house always ended unquestionably late, and since the hosts enjoyed costume parties in particular, it was not unusual to see Chinas Poblanas with their folkloric skirts and ribbons in their hair arrive in the company of a harlequin or a cowboy. Their chauffeurs, rather than waiting outside the Tuñóns' house in vain, had systematized the nights. They would head off to eat tacos at a street stand or even visit a maid who worked in one of the nearby homes, a courtship as delicate as a Victorian melodrama. Some of the chauffeurs would cluster together, sharing cigarettes and stories. A couple took naps. After all, they knew full well that no one was going to abandon that party until after one a.m.
So the couple stepping out of the party at ten p.m. therefore broke convention. What's worse, the man's driver had left to fetch himself dinner and could not be found. The young man looked distressed, trying to determine how to proceed. He had worn a papier-mâché horse's head, a choice that now came back to haunt him as they'd have to make the journey through the city with this cumbersome prop. Noemí had warned him she wanted to win the costume contest, placing ahead of Laura Quezada and her beau, and thus he'd made an effort that now seemed misplaced, since his companion did not dress as she had said she would.
Noemí Taboada had promised she'd rent a jockey outfit, complete with a riding crop. It was supposed to be a clever and slightly scandalous choice, since she'd heard Laura was going to attend as Eve, with a snake wrapped around her neck. In the end, Noemí changed her mind. The jockey costume was ugly and scratched her skin. So instead she wore a green gown with white appliqué flowers and didn't bother to tell her date about the switch.
"What now?"
"Three blocks from here there's a big avenue. We can find a taxi there," she told Hugo. "Say, do you have a cigarette?"
"Cigarette? I don't even know where I put my wallet," Hugo replied, palming his jacket with one hand. "Besides, don't you always carry cigarettes in your purse? I would think you're cheap and can't buy your own if I didn't know any better."
"It's so much more fun when a gentleman offers a lady a cigarette."
"I can't even offer you a mint tonight. Do you think I might have left my wallet back at the house?"
She did not reply. Hugo was having a difficult time carrying the horse's head under his arm. He almost dropped it when they reached the avenue. Noemí raised a slender arm and hailed a taxi. Once they were inside the car, Hugo was able to put the horse's head down on the seat.
"You could have told me I didn't have to bring this thing after all," he muttered, noticing the smile on the driver's face and assuming he was having fun at his expense.
"You look adorable when you're irritated," she replied, opening her handbag and finding her cigarettes.
Hugo also looked like a younger Pedro Infante, which was a great deal of his appeal. As for the rest-personality, social status, and intelligence-Noemí had not paused to think too much about all of that. When she wanted something she simply wanted it, and lately she had wanted Hugo, though now that his attention had been procured she was likely to dismiss him.
When they arrived at her house, Hugo reached out to her, grasping her hand.
"Give me a kiss good night."
"I've got to run, but you can still have a bit of my lipstick," she replied, taking her cigarette and putting it in his mouth.
Hugo leaned out the window and frowned while Noemí hurried into her home, crossing the inner courtyard and going directly to her father's office. Like the rest of the house, his office was decorated in a modern style, which seemed to echo the newness of the occupants' money. Noemí's father had never been poor, but he had turned a small chemical dye business into a fortune. He knew what he liked and he wasn't afraid to show it: bold colors and clean lines. His chairs were upholstered in a vibrant red, and luxuriant plants added splashes of green to every room.
The door to the office was open, and Noemí did not bother knocking, breezily walking in, her high heels clacking on the hardwood floor. She brushed one of the orchids in her hair with her fingertips and sat down in the chair in front of her father's desk with a loud sigh, tossing her little handbag on the floor. She also knew what she liked, and she did not like being summoned home early.
Her father had waved her in-those high heels of hers were loud, signaling her arrival as surely as any greeting-but had not looked at her, as he was too busy examining a document.
"I cannot believe you telephoned me at the Tuñóns'," she said, tugging at her white...
The parties at the Tuñóns' house always ended unquestionably late, and since the hosts enjoyed costume parties in particular, it was not unusual to see Chinas Poblanas with their folkloric skirts and ribbons in their hair arrive in the company of a harlequin or a cowboy. Their chauffeurs, rather than waiting outside the Tuñóns' house in vain, had systematized the nights. They would head off to eat tacos at a street stand or even visit a maid who worked in one of the nearby homes, a courtship as delicate as a Victorian melodrama. Some of the chauffeurs would cluster together, sharing cigarettes and stories. A couple took naps. After all, they knew full well that no one was going to abandon that party until after one a.m.
So the couple stepping out of the party at ten p.m. therefore broke convention. What's worse, the man's driver had left to fetch himself dinner and could not be found. The young man looked distressed, trying to determine how to proceed. He had worn a papier-mâché horse's head, a choice that now came back to haunt him as they'd have to make the journey through the city with this cumbersome prop. Noemí had warned him she wanted to win the costume contest, placing ahead of Laura Quezada and her beau, and thus he'd made an effort that now seemed misplaced, since his companion did not dress as she had said she would.
Noemí Taboada had promised she'd rent a jockey outfit, complete with a riding crop. It was supposed to be a clever and slightly scandalous choice, since she'd heard Laura was going to attend as Eve, with a snake wrapped around her neck. In the end, Noemí changed her mind. The jockey costume was ugly and scratched her skin. So instead she wore a green gown with white appliqué flowers and didn't bother to tell her date about the switch.
"What now?"
"Three blocks from here there's a big avenue. We can find a taxi there," she told Hugo. "Say, do you have a cigarette?"
"Cigarette? I don't even know where I put my wallet," Hugo replied, palming his jacket with one hand. "Besides, don't you always carry cigarettes in your purse? I would think you're cheap and can't buy your own if I didn't know any better."
"It's so much more fun when a gentleman offers a lady a cigarette."
"I can't even offer you a mint tonight. Do you think I might have left my wallet back at the house?"
She did not reply. Hugo was having a difficult time carrying the horse's head under his arm. He almost dropped it when they reached the avenue. Noemí raised a slender arm and hailed a taxi. Once they were inside the car, Hugo was able to put the horse's head down on the seat.
"You could have told me I didn't have to bring this thing after all," he muttered, noticing the smile on the driver's face and assuming he was having fun at his expense.
"You look adorable when you're irritated," she replied, opening her handbag and finding her cigarettes.
Hugo also looked like a younger Pedro Infante, which was a great deal of his appeal. As for the rest-personality, social status, and intelligence-Noemí had not paused to think too much about all of that. When she wanted something she simply wanted it, and lately she had wanted Hugo, though now that his attention had been procured she was likely to dismiss him.
When they arrived at her house, Hugo reached out to her, grasping her hand.
"Give me a kiss good night."
"I've got to run, but you can still have a bit of my lipstick," she replied, taking her cigarette and putting it in his mouth.
Hugo leaned out the window and frowned while Noemí hurried into her home, crossing the inner courtyard and going directly to her father's office. Like the rest of the house, his office was decorated in a modern style, which seemed to echo the newness of the occupants' money. Noemí's father had never been poor, but he had turned a small chemical dye business into a fortune. He knew what he liked and he wasn't afraid to show it: bold colors and clean lines. His chairs were upholstered in a vibrant red, and luxuriant plants added splashes of green to every room.
The door to the office was open, and Noemí did not bother knocking, breezily walking in, her high heels clacking on the hardwood floor. She brushed one of the orchids in her hair with her fingertips and sat down in the chair in front of her father's desk with a loud sigh, tossing her little handbag on the floor. She also knew what she liked, and she did not like being summoned home early.
Her father had waved her in-those high heels of hers were loud, signaling her arrival as surely as any greeting-but had not looked at her, as he was too busy examining a document.
"I cannot believe you telephoned me at the Tuñóns'," she said, tugging at her white...
