MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey Books, June 2020) Hardcover, 301 pages. ISBN # 0525620788 / 9780525620785. Awards: Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Best Novel 2020; Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel 2020; Locus Award for Best Horror Novel 2021; World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel 2021; Shirley Jackson Award Nominee for Novel 2020; British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel (August Derleth Award) 2021; Goodreads Choice Award for Horror 2020; Ladies of Horror Fiction Award Nominee for Best Novel 2020
Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .
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.
My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
The sub-genre of gothic fiction is a broad category that encompasses many themes. Whenever I hear the term I have an immediate impression of certain things that I expect to be included: a creepy old mansion/estate; a family with a dark secret; suspense and dread that slowly builds before coming to a head; and because these are usually older works - - some archaic writing that takes extra effort to read.
MEXICAN GOTHIC met all of those expectations for me with a pleasant exception: the writing was extremely easy to digest with great flow and engagement. While slightly more than the first half of this novel moved slowly, it never became repetitive or boring. Every chapter introduced something new.
There was some very fine character development throughout this novel, perhaps because of or maybe despite the slower pace of early proceedings. There are characters that are extremely likable and empathetic (despite some limitations) as well as characters that are despicable and unlikable. That made the final chapters worth waiting for.
The conclusion was rapid-paced and horrifying. The explanation and identity of the actual threat was creative as well as disgusting. This one is worth your time and effort.
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