Our Book Of The Month for January was Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. For our online Book Clubbers we have some questions below for you to get involved with. Either answer in the comments section or use as discussion points at your next Book Club. If you haven’t read the book check out our Lowdown all about it here.
Mexican Gothic – the blurb
He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.
When glamorous socialite Noemí 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.
Noemí’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 Noemí; 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 Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
Discussion Points
The following are written with the presumption you have read Mexican Gothic. If you haven’t, bookmark the post and come back to answer the questions later.
- How did the books setting of Mexico add to the atmosphere? Have you read any traditional gothic horror books outside of Europe?
- The dominance of High Place was very similar to Manderley in Rebecca. There was also echoes of Dracula in Howard and Virgil. Did the book remind you of any others? By drawing on these books did it help with the ‘gothicness’
- What did you think of the author’s decision to go with mushrooms as the reason behind the strange goings on? Did you at any point think vampires were going to be included?
- Do you think Noemi and Francis will last?
- Has the curse of the Doyle family been broken?
Get Involved
Feel free to answer as many of the questions as you want. Post your replies below, discuss with us on social media using @BookSocialUK, or pose some questions of your own. If you enjoyed the questions, have a go at last month’s Get Involved: The Girl With The Louding Voice.
