I picked up Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia on a whim at Waterstones last weekend. I knew nothing about the book (I know, I must live under a rock) but judging by the blurb I was expecting something slightly sinister, creepy and atmospheric – what an understatement.
Mexican Gothic is a historic gothic horror book set in the 1950s. You may want to read the trigger warnings in advance to gauge your comfort level. It contains some very disturbing content.
“When glamorous socialite Noemí 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.
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.”
I read Mexican Gothic in the space of just a few hours. It was unsettling, disturbing and utterly captivating. Its macabre content and graphic descriptions of the festering house in which the Doyle family reside were incredibly bleak and made me feel almost claustrophobic at times. I could smell the rot and decay seeping off each page. I vividly remember a moment that had me practically gagging.
I was completely on edge the entire time and, although I had a few suspicions, nothing could prepare me for where the story took us. I’m still actually processing the ending.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is available HERE.
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