THE PLOT: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a post-colonial gothic horror novel set in the 1950’s. Noemí is a wealthy socialite in Mexico City who is bored of her glamourous life. After her favourite cousin marries a strange yet handsome Englishman, Noemí receives a mysterious letter suggesting that her cousin had a mental breakdown on the honeymoon. Noemí decides to investigate by visiting the newlyweds at High Place, a distant Mexican country house sitting atop silver mines. Determined to save her cousin from this unsuitable match, Noemí attempts to learn the secrets of his family’s dark past. But the longer she stays at High Place, the harder it is for any of them to leave.

SUMMARY: This novel came highly recommended but it still exceeded all of my expectations. I loved the historical setting, intriguing characters and gloomy atmosphere. The exciting plot kept me on the edge of my seat and I raced through the last fifty per cent because I was desperate to know the ending. I read this on my honeymoon in Mexico and, despite the less than romantic plot, it was the perfect setting to enjoy this book. It gave me an appreciation of the geographical and cultural context which made the book all the more poignant. Building on the tradition of classic gothic novels, it puts a Mexican-spin on some familiar tropes and speaks directly to the post-colonial context.

GOOD BITS: The author has done such an impressive job of writing a modern classic and certainly deserves her flowers. Published in 2020, this novel can proudly sit next to classic gothic novels such as Rebecca or Jane Eyre. Historical fiction is my favourite genre and the 1950’s setting is what made this book standout to me. Tying familiar tropes to the historical context allowed me to immerse myself in this book and believe in the characters. It also helped that the characters were intelligent and kept questioning the events of the plot, rather than being passive.

NOT SO GOOD BITS: Due to the nature of the tropes, I semi-guessed the twist pretty early on. However, it was more complex and insidious than I initially thought, which demonstrates how good the plotting is. I’ve also heard that some disability advocates were disappointed in the portrayal of epilepsy and seizures in this book, but I haven’t been able to corroborate this.

OVERALL: I’d recommend this book to fans of Laura Purcell, Elizabeth Macneal, or C.E. McGill. If you like gothic novels but want something a little more unique, definitely pick this up. You can purchase this book (with a discount) and support @aminasbookshelf via my bookshop.org. affiliate link.