In honor of the many ways in which Hispanic Americans have shaped American history and culture, September 15 – October 15 is designated as Hispanic Heritage Month. Literacy is one area where Hispanic Americans have made significant contributions. Latinx culture and ethnicity play a significant role in the works of several best-selling mystery and thriller books.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic offers a fresh perspective on the gothic horror subgenre. Noemi, a socialite, is the protagonist of a mystery book in which her cousin—a recent bride to an English aristocrat—wrote a desperate letter warning her of her imminent death. Fearing the unknown, Noemi makes her way to the remote Mexican countryside to investigate the mysterious mansion. Real del Monte (sometimes spelled Mineral del Monte) is a mountain village in central Mexico that served as inspiration for the book. For a spine-tingling book this Halloween, Mexican Gothic is the way to go. This suspenseful mystery will have you on the edge of your seat.
The Secret Life of Insects by Bernardo Esquinca
The Secret Life of Insects is a total of 14 short stories that can be described as a slow and quiet horror ride. In the story, The Secret Life of Insects, the wife of the protagonist, a forensic entomologist, is found dead and remains a mystery to be solved. The husband is trying to piece together how she might have been assassinated in a forest when they were both fast asleep. The tales revolve around the bloody past of Mexico, from the sacrifices made by the ancient Aztecs to the conquest by the Spanish and up into the present day. The short stories in this collection creatively combine elements of noir and horror, and their moods range from terrifying to hilarious.
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas is a supernatural thriller book that blends Mexican Gothic and Rebecca influences. The tale revolves on a secluded home and an unforeseen, terrifying haunting that occurs in the wake of the Mexican War of Independence. The protagonist, Beatriz, chooses to marry Don Rodolfo Solórzano despite her dying father’s wishes to take hold of the security that Rodolfo’s estate in the countryside provides. However, little does Beatriz know that everything is not what it seems and Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined. With the help of a young priest, Padre Andrés, Beatriz might be able to fight off the evil presence haunting the hacienda.
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
Alejandra has given herself up to her husband and kids as a wife and mother. The fact that Alejandra has transformed into a woman battling a darkness that threatens to swallow her is invisible to her loved ones. When depressed, she sees a ghostly wailing lady in a torn white robe. When Alejandra starts to uncover the secrets of the women in her family, she discovers that sadness and tragedy are not her only shared experiences. The Mexican folklore La Llorona is bloodthirsty and will not stop until Alejandra follows her mother, grandmother, and all the women before her into the darkness. In this bone-chilling tale, she will need all her ancestors’ power to defeat La Llorona forever.
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enriquez
Best-selling author, Mariana Enriquez, vividly portrays modern-day Argentina in these macabre short stories that are both incredibly imaginative and terrifyingly daring. The author paints a picture of a country where legions of desaparecidos and shocking inequality, corruption, and brutality are commonplace. One story takes place under a government-enforced blackout, and it follows three teenage friends as they numb themselves with painkillers and narcotics. Enriquez is sure to promise uniquely spooky stories for this Halloween.
Reclaim the Stars by Zoraida Cordova
Reclaim the Stars is an anthology of best-selling and critically acclaimed young adult authors that transports readers of Latin American fiction to imaginative and otherworldly places. Everything from space princesses at war to the catastrophic effects of climate change, eerie ghost tales in Argentina, and mermaids off the Caribbean coast. This selection of science fiction and fantasy literature transcends boundaries and demonstrates the true universality of storytelling. This is a fun, spooky novel that works well for readers of all ages.
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
In Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, Paola Santiago, 12, and her two closest friends, Emma and Dante, are aware that the river where their schoolmate perished a year ago is dangerous. Pao is ashamed to reveal that she has been instructed to stay away since her mother has been telling her about La Llorona—the weeping ghost lady who prowls the banks of the Gila at night in search of young people to pull into its murky depths. Pao is adamant about going into the river despite her mother’s warnings, but when Emma doesn’t show up and Pao spots a dark figure in the reeds, it seems that maybe her mother was right all along.
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
The highly regarded work by Mexican author Fernanda Melchor, who was born and raised in Veracruz, paints a vivid picture of Mexico. Poverty in rural America is the setting for this terrifying and mysterious tale. In the first chapter, five boys in a Mexican village find the corpse of a lady simply called The Witch. Every subsequent chapter then introduces a different character. What happened to the Witch is explained in the tales. With excellent prose and shifting points of views, the story itself feels like a hurricane. Trigger warning, each of the narrators have violent storylines filled with abuse, rape, drug addiction, sex work, and homophobic violence.
