Mexican Gothic

By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Narrated by: Frankie Corzo

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

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

ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: 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

©2020 Silvia Moreno-Garcia (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic 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

Edge of seat!

I basically sat down and listened to this whole thing straight through. Really compelling and satisfying listen.

Loved it!!!!

I absolutely loved this book. From the way it was narrated to how it was written. Each character was very well written and brought to life with Corzo's voice. 👏👏👏👏 A well round of applause from me.

worth a listen

I felt it was worth a listen and an overall interesting plot and yet It was missing something. narration was well enough to keep listening and at the same time the different charecters seemed to lack depth and much of it seemed sleepy.

Not worth it.

I'm halfway through and it's just a series of hypnotic nightmare scenes with no plot development.

A second half story

One of the reasons I was interested in this book, was because it was titled Mexican Gothic, which is more of a theme and not what the actual story is about. Theme of the first half is somewhat reminiscent of House on Haunted Hill by SJ. Second half I think is when the story really opens up.
A very average performance, probably even a little under par. Almost no character difference from the reader. Probably better to read this than to listen to it.

Great, creepy read!

Great slow burn! Gothic horror a la Shirley Jackson or Charlotte Perkins Gilman in a unique setting. Interesting, dynamic characters, a well-paced plot, and detailed, eerie environments. Highly recommend!

Gorgeous cover, great narrator, story fell flat

Gorgeous cover. That’s what drew me into this book if I’m honest. The first two thirds of this book were great, and the character of Noemí was well written and engaging. The topics of family abuse, gaslighting, trauma, and generational curses was WELL done.

But unfortunately the climax of this book fizzled out dramatically for me. It just wasn’t the horror fierce ending I was anticipating. I wanted the intensity that this book was building to…that just wasn’t there.

It just didn’t feel horror enough or Gothic enough to fit the categories. I wanted to fall in love with this one but the darkness just faded away too quickly for me to give it a full rave rating.

Not scary

I love horror and I seek a truly scary horror book. This was not it. The book held my interest, though it dragged a bit toward the end.
Again, it is OK, just OK. It is not truly scary.

So good

I can see a lot of influence from The Yellow Wallpaper which was such a pleasant surprise. But this was soo much more, really leaning into the horror and ghost story elements. I loved it!

Moreno-Garcia is storytelling brilliance itself

Everything a story of magical realism should be, mixed perfectly with a tale of Gothic horror that pulls you in and won't let go.