Mexican Gothic

Magic? Science? A bad dream?

This one got plenty of harsh reviews for being a slow burn, but as a gorgeous example of cosmic horror, I think that gradual start was fittingly Lovecraft-ian. The story opens when Noemi is called home early from a party by her father. He has received a worrying letter from Noemi's cousin detailing, in an even more concerning rambling voice, disturbing occurrences happening to her in the large country home of her new husband. Noemi is swiftly sent out to investigate, and finds so much more than she bargained for. Beautiful and disturbing images are described in equally vivid detail, leading the reader down a meandering path straight into the nightmarish final pages. The characters carry the first part of the book and carry it well, until the very end when the plot and world-building take over. And in true horror fashion, even after a narrow escape, the remaining characters as well as the reader are left with an unsettling sliver of doubt.
I would recommend Mexican Gothic to readers 15 and older who enjoy the works of HP Lovecraft, and series like 9 Perfect Strangers which is now both a book by Liane Moriarty and a Hulu show.