Let Silvia Moreno-Garcia's forthcoming novel, Mexican Gothic, whisk you away to the mountains and countrysides of Mexico, to a haunted mansion atop a silver mine. Set in the 1950s, our protagonist Noemi, a tenacious Mexico City socialite a la Grace Kelly, is sent to the mansion to help her cousin Catalina after receiving a distraught letter asking to be saved from "the restless dead, ghosts, flesh-less things" that will not let her go. The house and its inhabitants are hiding a dark secret, and Noemi must discover the truth before it's too late. Written with a strong sense of place and ideal pacing, fans of Stranger Things, the Bronte sisters, and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier will love this suspenseful and spooky read.
I would say a 3 1/2, while I loved the sense of place and the story itself, some of the writing felt forced. Also, I feel like Catalina should have played a bigger role? I would have liked to have heard more from her.

Noemi Taboada is a society girl in 1950 Mexico City who dreams about getting her master’s degree in anthropology. When her family receives a disturbing letter from a favorite cousin, Noemi’s father makes her an offer: go investigate her ailing cousin, and he’ll allow her to go to grad school. Of course she accepts. What could possibly go wrong?

High Place is a worn-down English manor secluded in the distant Mexican countryside, and Noemi immediately senses something amiss. Mist shrouds the house and grounds in a clammy white veil. Dampness seeps into every room, mold growing on walls and books. It’s always cold. The family is strict, quiet, and mean. Noemi’s cousin swings from listlessness to panic to possible psychosis, and the doctor doesn’t seem to help. Something is happening at High Place, and Noemi is determined to uncover its secrets before she, too, falls victim to its madness.

I loved Mexican Gothic from the very first page. The story is cinematic, from Noemi’s night out in Mexico City to the dreary, claustrophobic High Place, and I can totally imagine it as a movie from the 1950’s. High Place has the overbearing presence of Wuthering Heights or Manderley, its atmosphere a “wrongness” that smothers everything good in the world. I was terrified and I loved it.

As much as the story reminded me of other gothic horror novels, VC Andrews, Henry James, The Yellow Wallpaper, it’s absolutely necessary for it to occur in Mexico. Colonization, revolution, the English family’s obsession with eugenics (to the point where they brought their own English dirt to Mexico, which was very Dracula of them), even the rights Noemi and her cousin did and didn’t have as Mexican women are integral to the story. Noemi is now easily one of my favorite heroines.

I can’t wait to buy a copy when it’s published. I want Silvia Moreno-Garcia to be able to create more books that haunt me.

Rating: Five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a copy of the book.

Not my usual fare but into the world of the haunted is where this book took me. A silver mining family lives in a house that has a hold on the residents. A mexican cousin , recently a bride, has sent a disturbing letter pleading for help. Our heroine is sent by her family to check on the bride and what unfolds is a horrific, sensous, suspenseful acid trip of a ride through a family's dark history.

Copy provided by the publisher

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an amazing book that gripped me from the first to last page. I easily devoured it in 2 days.

How can I even describe this book? It is part general fiction part mystery part gothic part psychological thriller part romance part horror part historical fiction. It has moments where there is the slow, torturous climb to something big (you just know it), and like a roller coaster, you teeter on the edge before plummeting into the depths of a quick twist, turn, and move.

The whole concept of Noemi heading to this dark, musty, moldy haunted home where it almost seems like it has a life of its own to find out what has happened to her cousin, only to he thrown into the mystery and horror as well, is just fabulous. There were moments that I checked my pulse because it felt like my heart was pounding out of my chest, and others that I felt myself gripping the armrest trying to aid in the fight.

This book has everything: creative plot, awesome 1950s Mexico time and location, amazing mystery and intrigue, wonderful characters ( I looooove Francis and Noemi), a bit of romance tossed in, and I LOVED the ending. It was so perfect.

So original. So amazing. One of my favorites this year for sure!

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine/Del Ray for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I love a good gothic-style novel and this one checks all the right boxes. Noemi is a young socialite with a flair for flirtation, dancing, impulsive decision making, and a touch of rebellion. At the beginning of the novel, Noemi’s father receives a strange letter from Catalina, Noemi’s recently wedded cousin. The letter leaves him questioning Catalina’s state of mind so he asks Noemi to travel to High Place in order to check on Noemi with the promise that he will allow Noemi to attend anthropology school if she complies. Upon arrival at High Place, Noemi is greeted by a secretive and quietly sinister cast of characters with strange traditions. She soon comes to believe she is descending into madness much like her cousin Catalina as she discovers that the mansion is shrouded by long-standing tragedy and mystery. The plot incorporates dreams, hallucinations, poisonous mushrooms, folk remedies, eugenics, human sacrifice, and a bit of romance. While the plot setup and atmospheric descriptions were enthralling, I found the story to drag a bit towards the middle. Thankfully, it picked back up during the last third or so of the book and ended with a homerun. In true gothic style, the author’s fantastic use of description to create a bizarre, creepy, and ominous atmosphere makes the book well worth reading.

Thanks to Random Publishing House and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This felt like a love letter to every horror novel. If you love horror you will need to have this in your collection.
The tension and creepiness just astounds and builds leaving you to feel winded. I would advise to read this not during a pandemic when everyone is quarantined. In the story we are in an old moldy house with a hostile family.

Our main Character Noemí receives a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí 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.

Noemi is strong and stubborn and she continues to stay for her cousin even though she knows something isn’t right about this family, or this house.

I really found the imagery and the metaphor very poignant.

3.5 stars

Noemí Taboada is sent by her father to High Place after receiving a letter from her recently married cousin, Catalina. Her cousin's letter in unsettling and her father hopes Neomi can help her cousin and bring back answers as to her cousin's mental status.

Noemí arrives at the distant home called High Place. Her husband's family lives there, and she doesn't know them at all, but it doesn't take long for her to know that something isn't quite right with them. Talk about pushy, demanding. and controlling. It becomes crystal clear that her cousin has changed since her marriage. She has moments of clarity and moments where she is clearly not herself. Plus, her cousin's husband, Virgil and his family do not want Noemí bringing in outside doctors or taking her cousin to seek medical attention elsewhere. Not only that, but they also limit the amount of time she is able to visit with her cousin. Strange....hmmm

High points for originality. This book is creepy with a capital "C". Soon the you-know-what begins to hit the fan and this freakshow of a family begins to show their true colors. There is a saying " you can't choose your family" but this family would disagree.

This book is dark, creepy, atmospheric and chilling. The descriptions are very vivid, and I could easily see this book playing out in my mind. I could see this book being a movie. I did wish for the pacing to be a little faster at times. There were parts where I felt as if I were trapped in High place and wanted to escape myself.

Overall, very original, dark, atmospheric, chilling and just plain strange at times.

Thank you to Random House Publishing- Ballantine Del Rey and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Crimson Peak meets Annihilation in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s newest gothic novel. While the Gods of Jade and Shadow remains my all-time favorite novel, Mexican Gothic did not disappoint.

We head back to the beautiful country of Mexico in the 1950’s, to a hillside mansion modeled after the English countryside. Our heroine, Noemi, is strong willed and intelligent but also flawed by her own hubris. Beseeched by her father, she sets out to save her cousin, Catalina, after a letter arrives highlighting her deteriorating mental state. Upon arriving at High Place, Noemi’s psyche begins to unravel as she is tested by the spirits that haunt the Victorian mansion. She begins to alternate between questioning her own intelligence and her surroundings. Could the house be as malevolent as Catalina described? As with Gods of Jade and Shadow, Moreno spares no detail into building suspense and crafting a dark world filled with shadows lurking in corners. The victorian house and the rundown village are a classic setting for gothic novels but it is juxtaposed against the sunny countryside of Pachuca, Mexico. Interspersed with references to Grim’a dark fairy tale, the heroine encounters horror of the worst possible kind at the hands of her captors.

I really enjoyed Mexican Gothic for its innovative plot and setting. As a fan of horror in general, it’s pretty difficult to think of a thrill that hasn’t been done before. Moreno manages to weave a fresh tale of gothic horror using a very unique prop. At the center this tale is Ouroboros, the World Serpent, a symbol of life and death and is prevalent throughout our tale. While the plot is focused on the gothic mystery, there is a little nod to romance. However, don’t expect Wuthering Heights or Daphne. That said, if this sounds like a book you would love—order a copy today! You won’t regret it.

Also I don’t know if I have just been following the news too closely recently but I pictured Howard Doyle (the patriarch) as Harvey Weinstein and that just made him even more ghastly.

5 stars to Mexican Gothic.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes the classic tropes of a Gothic novel: remote, moldering house owned by an eccentric family full of secrets and a cursed past and a curious young heroine intent on uncovering those secrets.

Noemí Taboada is a progressive, opinionated, wealthy young woman. Her father sends her off to the remote aforementioned creepy old house to check on her cousin Catalina. Catalina, an orphan, who married into the eccentric family, has fallen ill. Noemi, colorful and loud, is the opposite of the family Catalina’s married into. The more the family tries to hide their secrets from Noemi, the more determined she is to unearth them.

Full of atmospheric descriptions of a mist enshrouded cemetery, unspoken family tragedies, mysterious symbols and repressive rules.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Silvia Moreno-Garcia can do anything. Mexican Gothic is completely different from any of her or the books, with an entry into gothic horror that doesn’t shy away from a truly spooky, bloody, dark narrative. Look, this is not a genre that I would usually dive into, but Moreno-Garcia has created something that’s impossible to look away from!

The story follows socialite, spunky and strong willed, Noemi as she ventures into a small Mexican town to find out what is happening with her cousin, Catalina, who had sent a panicked letter describing strange happenings in her new husbands rickety old mansion. The dread slowly builds as you get to know the other family members residing in this version of 13 Dead End Drive (did anyone play the board game other than me???). Each character has their own particular brand of creepiness, with the exception being shy, odd Francis - the family’s youngest son. This cast of characters and the meticulous description of the house as an active part of the story makes me see this as a perfect future Guillermo del Toro movie (or maybe it just reminds me of Crimson Peak!)

There is one major twist that I saw coming from about halfway thru the book, and I am notoriously bad at guessing things - but I’m unfamiliar with this genre and it might be a regular trope. I also didn’t think that the ending fully stuck it for me, but I didn’t want it to end! If you’re looking for something that will haunt your dreams at night, and is beautifully told, pick this book up! Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own. This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year, and it didn’t disappoint!

This was the creepiest and weirdest book I've read so far this year. WHAT A WILD RIDE.

Imagine it's the 1950's, you're driving through a small town, up a winding hill, through some rusty gates and through the fog you see a huge Gothic mansion... with a VERY troubled past.

Silvia has an outstanding way with setting a mood. Every bit of her writing and setting comes together into this dreamy, Gothic sense that pervades absolutely every bit of the book. It’s enchanting really and helps catch the reader up and make the strange world within convincing. What is so terrific in this novel is the intricately woven back story to the reckoning. The cryptic but riveting manner with which the passing of time is described had me enchanted. It was, in a way, full of desperation and longing, though strangely beautiful

This is a plot and mystery driven novel. In addition to the alarming present happenings, there's a mysterious past that Noemí has yet to unscramble, and a future that remains grimly uncertain. I loved that she's not supposed to be likable. She's very vain and she knows it and being surrounded by a mysterious family who are incredibly strict:
1. Absolute silence! (especially during dinner)
2. No driving down to the local town
3. No smoking
4. No lighting (better keep curtains closed)
5. No hot water during baths
6. Be a respectful young lady

It lead's her to become feisty, with numerous confrontations and rebellious acts and you can't help but root for her and hope she finds the answers she seeks. Also on the subject of balance, with all the eeriness and horror, I was glad to have some sweet moments of awkward, youthful romance to lighten things up. Don't expect a passion-filled, all-encompassing love story. It's a simple, yet sweet romance that leaves you smiling.

Come to Mexican Gothic for the dark and creepy, and you shall likely leave satisfied.

Mexican Gothic was a thrilling read! So I don’t normally read scary books, or anything that is going to give me nightmares. I still wanted to read this book though, and when I got approved I was elated, then worried because I’m a bit of a chicken. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

However I could not put this book down. At all. This book is incredibly Gothic. It’s in the name, yes, but also in everything that goes on inside of it. From gloomy fog covered abandoned mansions, to women being told they are in hysterics just for knowing the truth.

The book starts out immediately with an introduction to Noemí Taboada and let me just say, she is fierce. ““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.” This is an energy that she carries with her throughout the whole novel and the reader can see it developed as she interacts with both Francis & Virgil. One of the things I loved about this book is how Noemí is solidly developed as well as this light and dark comparison between Francis and Virgil. The reader gets a strong sense of who she is and what she is willing to do.

Sent to High Place by her father, she is motivated to stay and figure out what is happening to her cousin by stubborn determination and being able to attend a university of her choosing. But when she arrives in High Place, sees her cousin and meets its inhabitants, the reader can already tell that that place is going to have an effect on Noemí. Pacing of the events left me wanting to know what happened next and I would have kept on reading through the night but again, chicken. I liked having to wait for sunlight to have to read though, it felt like I too was part of the Gothic story.

Each chapter felt like a thread unraveling, and let me just say that when the reader learns of what’s really happening, it takes you by surprise.The sheer terribleness of it, but also the unexpectedness too. And Noemí is in so deep by the revelation that I had to keep reading. The ending was good, and I would definitely recommend this read.

Mexican Gothic was a creepy, slow burn of a book and I really liked it.
You could smell the moldy house, you could feel the mist on your skin, and you could see the dark, dank, gloom in the house. This book engaged all your senses and made you squirm. Gave me goosebumps!

When I got the email saying that I was approved to read this on Netgalley, I was so excited.  I had been eyeing this book for a while, mainly for the gorgeous cover and how vibrant and catchy it was.  I love a good gothic novel; I would dare to say that if well written, the Gothic genre is my favorite because of how dense and dark it can be.  Usually there is some sort of intertwined mystery with ghosts and family secrets, and I can usually sink deep into a gothic story and just disappear.  This book fulfilled everything I love about gothic stories and did it in a novel way for me, set in Mexico.

Noemi's father receives a letter from her cousin who has just been married and lives in a remote part of the Mexican mountain/forest.  The letter is graphic and includes some disturbing confessions, so Noemi is sent to visit her cousin who is sick and check up on the situation.  Noemi is not the best person seemingly for this job, as she is a glamours debutante from Mexico City who is more versed in entertainment and city life than one in the country.  Once she gets to the enigmatic english-style mansion, High Place, set amongst the mountains and jungles of central Mexico, she notices things are a little strange.  She is greeted by the Doyle family (old silver mining family) headed by Florence, the matriarch who is strict and cold.  Her sons, Francis and Virgil rule the house along with their sick and bedridden father.  Virgil, the new husband to Noemi's cousin has a sly way about him and Francis is meek, pale, and placid.  As time goes on, Noemi begins to have horrible dreams, begins sleepwalking, and starts to see some changes in the house and the family.  Before long, Noemi is faced with a fate amongst the cursed house and the cursed Doyle family that she had not intended for.

I don't want to give a lot away about this book because it is such a fun ride to go on.  I love the writing style and how well Silvia Moreno-Garcia catches parts of the Mexican culture as well as the general land of the country.  This book starts in Mexico City; not much in that sense is explained but you can get a glimpse of what life is like there.  I love when this book jumps to wherever the main part of the story is set.  The exact place isn't discussed; however, from reading you can tell that is is near Veracruz in some sense and near the state of Hidalgo.  The capital of Pachuca is discussed often, appearing as the largest city nearby.  Hidalgo also has a lot of silver mines so I assume its somewhere in there.

The jungle and forests of Mexico are different from anything I visited in the states; the author does a fantastic job catching those areas in her writing and making you feel like you can actually see the settings.  Part of the year I live in Mexico, very very very close to this area so it was even more exciting for me!  I live about 2.5 hours from Pachuca and about 10 minutes from the border of Hidalgo (I can actually see Hidalgo from our roof) so it was really fun for me to read this and imagine it all taking place so close!  I feel like I was really able to get a feel for the area, the setting, and the culture.

Along with setting and descriptions, I love the author's writing in general.  She has a very realistic and easy-to-read dialogue form that kept the story rolling for me.  I felt like interactions between characters were pretty true to form and didn't make me suspend my belief.  I do wish that there had been a bit more Spanish worked into this book, especially since the townspeople speak Spanish and at High Place Spanish is banned.  I think that would have added an interesting dimension to the story.

The author's descriptions of characters was a very strong part of this book.  It is obvious, from what she writes, that something more sinister is going on, especially in her descriptions of eyes and facial expressions.  I enjoyed reading these parts.  Along with this, she is very good at writing the grotesque and weird, so much that near the end when Noemi is leaving and saying good bye to the sick Doyle, I almost had to stop reading because it was so well-described that it was literally making me sick.  Good job!

Last, but not least, thank you for adding in a soft boy!  I love Francis and the way he is described as a pale, quiet, strange-looking man who loves to visit the cemetery to collect mushrooms and fungi for spore prints.  How precious and perfect can you be?!?  But seriously, Francis is amazing and easily my favorite character.

Overall, this was a fantastic read.  This is a new author for me, but I don't doubt that I will be reading more of her work in the future.  I'm already looking at her book, Gods of Jade and Shadow, because of its connection to Mexico again and it just sounds like a great book.  If you like to reading gothic pieces I would highly recommend this book not just because it does a great job with the genre, but also because it does it in a new and interesting way, incorporating a country and culture that you would not normally expect.

I was so excited to read Mexican Gothic. I don't remember the last time I had so much hype to read a book and I was so overjoyed when the publisher sent me over an early copy.
This was the first book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia that I've read but as soon as I finished Mexican Gothic, I knew I had to pick up her other books right away.
I loved everything about this book. The writing is absolutely stunning and captivating. I adored the main character so much! She was well written, determined, and so much fun to read about.
The plot was so unique and mysterious, I never wanted to put this book down. It was such a one of a kind read, I won't be forgetting Mexican Gothic anytime soon.

Noemí Taboada is a Mexican City debutante, awash in a world of fashionable dresses, parties, and eligible gentlemen. She longs to get her degree in anthropology, but as Mexican Gothic takes place in the 1950's, she's been told this is not the path of a debutante. When a terrified letter arrives from her newlywed cousin, Catalina, Noemí's father gives an ultimatum: Go assess what's wrong with her cousin, and Noemí can go to school for anthropology.  She arrives at High Place, a gothic English manor in the Mexican countryside. Immediately she is made uneasy by the silent servants, the brusque family members, and the fact that everyone seems to be hiding a secret in a home filled with moldy walls and a murderous past. Catalina seems to have lost her mind, but is it the house itself or the family? 

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is rapidly gaining ground in my top five author list. Her work is beautifully atmospheric and creates a legend all on its own. Her characters are believable, and as I was finishing the book I found myself holding my breath more than one while frantically reading through the pages. Noemí is a smart, resourceful character with wit and grace. The reader wants her to succeed.  Mexican Gothic is a haunted house novel for those who love the style of tale, but want something a bit more. Moreno-Garcia's writing, as always, embraces the local legends and beliefs of the Mexican people, while also being something just different enough to thrill both those who love adventure tales and fairy tales.  If you haven't had a chance to read her work, Mexican Gothic is a great place to start. Gods of Jade and Shadow, a release of hers from last year is still on my top reads list. Her most recent novel, Untamed Shores is more of a crime novel, but also something to snap up and read quickly. 

Mexican Gothic comes to stores June 30, 2020 from Random House. You can, and should, pre-order it now.

I read Gods of Jade and Shadow last year and was excited to see something new coming from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The title Mexican Gothic and the fabulous cover realed me in.

Mexican Gothic has all the hallmarks of a gothic suspense novel. There are secrets, family curses, a house at seems to be alive, madness, and a beautifully creepy atmosphere. It gave me a Crimson Peak vibe, but set in Mexico.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book and can't wait to give another read in October!

I loved GODS OF JADE & SHADOW last year, so this was definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. But in many ways I wasn't this book's target audience. I don't enjoy anything scary, so I don't think I've ever read a single gothic novel beyond FRANKENSTEIN and JANE EYRE in high school, In many ways I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the first half of the book in particular; Noemi is a great character and the creepy goings-on at the house and with the Doyle family hooked me immediately. But there were a few things that dragged this down for me. One, the final explanation for everything was... pretty weird. This is no normal "curse" or "haunting" and frankly, I would have preferred this if it were. Second, the climax dragged on way too long. I think shaving at least 50 pages off here would have highly benefitted the overall pacing of the plot. In general, I love that we've added a Mexican take on the traditional Gothic novel, and I highly enjoy Moreno-Garcia's style. If you're into all things spooky, or if you loved Moreno-Garcia's past work, I recommend picking this up.

Move over, Daphne du Maurier --- there is a new queen of gothic suspense and her name is Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The book cover is what initially intrigued me but it was the description that had me obsessed!  I was willing to beg for an advance copy but luckily Del Rey approved me on NetGalley and I'm so thankful that they did because this book lived up to all the hype I'd created in my mind!

The equally beautiful and tough debutante Noemí Taboada has received a strange letter from her newly-wed cousin Catalina, begging to be saved.  In it, she claims her husband is trying to poison her and that something is wrong with High Place, their house in the Mexican countryside.

Noemí and her father strike a deal that she will travel to High Place and visit Catalina to determine if she's ill or in danger.  Noemí knows little of Catalina's husband Virgil and his family, other than they once held great wealth in a mining empire destroyed by a mysterious epidemic.

"The house loomed over them like a great, quiet gargoyle. It might have been foreboding, evoking images of ghosts and haunted places, if it had not seemed so tired, slats missing from a couple of shutters, the ebony porch groaning as they made their way up the steps to the door, which came complete with a silver knocker shaped like a fist dangling from a circle." *

Upon Noemí's arrival, Catalina claims she has been incredibly ill, diagnosed with tuberculosis, and the letter was written in the throes of a high fever.  While this should be a perfectly acceptable explanation, Noemí can't shake the feeling that something is wrong.  Virgil and his family are peculiar and vaguely menacing and the house itself seems to hold sinister secrets.

As Noemí uncovers the truth behind the family and their home, she unearths a madness beyond her wildest dreams.

Mexican Gothic seriously has it all:  the atmosphere, the creepy characters, whispers of a family curse, plenty of tragic events in the past, a house that seems to have a life of its own.

I was immediately captivated by High Place and its secrets.  This book is everything I could possibly want in a gothic horror novel.

I recommend this book to readers who love literary fiction, gothic, horror,  and/or sci-fi.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!  Mexican Gothic is scheduled for release on June 30, 2020.

*Quote included is from a digital advance reader's copy and is subject to change upon final publication.

He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.

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, smart, and has 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.- Goodreads

Well this was a heck of a book. It took me a while to write this review because my thoughts on this read is all over the place. Not a bad way just all over the place.

As with everything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes you get that colorful detailed historical fiction that I am completely in love with. I didn't care for Noemí but I did enjoy reading her change. I wouldn't necessarily call it growth... maybe she became more humble at the end of the book but we really don't know because the ending was lacking (it just ended with no real follow up). Noemí is an interesting character because I viewed her as a selfish individual that at times forgot the purpose of her being there. When she did remember, there was always something stopping her from seeing her cousin. I would have liked more digging and more of drive from Noemí.

I would like to note that this book is a slow burn, It takes some time to really get into it. But going up that ladder. . . it is creepy. No other word to describe parts of this book but creepy. I loved it and I also loved the little hints/clues the author gives throughout the book.; helping you put the pieces together. It was an interactive story and I was completely for it. 

I give this read 4 Pickles and the reason being in those last few chapters. Not exactly the ending but those pages leading up to it was what I was waiting for the entire book. It made the slow burn worth it. 

Again, overall, 

4 Pickles