He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemi. You have to save me.
When glamorous socialite Noemi Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it’s clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.
Noemi’s more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she heads immediately to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin. She’s 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 is fascinated by Noemi; and not 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 wants to help – but he 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 Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemi, mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind …
Genre: Fantasy & Horror/Fantasy
Number of Pages: 301 pages
Date of Publication: 23/06/2020
Author/Illustrator/Publisher:
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of ‘Mexican Gothic’ who has written ‘Gods of Jade and Shadow’,‘Signal to Noise’ and ‘The Beautiful Ones’.
The book has been published by Quercus Publishing
Rating: 4.5/5
Review:
This was my first time reading a book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia so I was very excited to start it. Personally, I didn’t want to put this book down as it absorbed me into the story completely. Despite being set in the 1950s, the culture and feel of the book was familiar to me having grown up in Mexico. The references to Mexican popular culture were very accurate for the time and place the book was set which in a way made me feel nostalgic. Mexico is a country that is famous for its Gothic architecture and superstitious culture and so having a horror story set there was a perfect location.
The story was very well thought through and well paced in how it kept building up and up in order to deliver a great ending. Noemi, the main character of the story, has a strong personality but is also a little immature and only worried about being present at every social event, having fun and being courted by rich suitors. Soon into the book her life changes when her father receives a letter from her cousin Catalina asking for help and for Noemi to be sent to her. Soon she discovers a mouldy house, a father who is very sick and a family full of secrets.
The pace of the story was very good although I did feel that there were moments that it could have been a little faster rather than continuing to build tension. The story is full of gothic elements, ghosts and creepiness which are easy to vividly imagine and make you feel that you are experiencing everything that is happening. I think I might try to get the Spanish translation of this story. This book was original written in English but I am really curious how the Spanish translation turned out as Silvia was able to read the Spanish version and send corrections which not a lot of authors have the ability or opportunity to do.
This was such a great read for me being familiar with Mexican society and culture but I also understand that some people might not enjoy all of these story elements but if you love a good gothic horror story I would definitely encourage them to read it.
Availability: The book is available in all good bookshops.
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