Mexican Gothic

Noemí Taboada is a young socialite in 1950s Mexico, more at home at cocktail parties than in a crisis. Then a frantic letter arrives from her cousin, recently married, who begs for someone to rescue her from a doom she cannot explain. Noemí sets out for High Place, a remote house in the Mexican countryside, with no real idea of what she will find. Her cousin's English husband is a stranger to her, and she knows almost nothing about the region.

She may look like an unlikely rescuer, with her elegant gowns and flawless red lipstick, but she is sharp, stubborn and unafraid. She is not intimidated by her cousin's husband, who is at once menacing and magnetic. She is not intimidated by his father, the ancient head of the family, who takes an unsettling interest in her. And she is not intimidated by the house itself, which starts to creep into her dreams with images of blood and ruin.

Her one possible ally is the family's youngest son, a shy and gentle man who seems willing to help, though he may know more about his family's past than he lets on. The family once held enormous wealth through a mining empire that has since faded, and that wealth long kept outsiders from looking too closely. As Noemí digs, she uncovers tales of violence and madness buried in the walls of High Place.

The more she learns, the more the house's dark and seductive pull takes hold of her, and leaving may become harder than she ever imagined. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Gods of Jade and Shadow, brings a fresh twist to classic gothic horror in this atmospheric, suspenseful novel.