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A breathtaking blend of Mexican horror movies and dark occultism from the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.
Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, even though she’s been in love with him since childhood.
‘Gripping and unusual’ – Guardian
Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives – even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.
Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her.
As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán might just find out that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies . . .
“Perfection” – Kiersten White, bestselling author of Hide
Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, even though she’s been in love with him since childhood.
‘Gripping and unusual’ – Guardian
Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives – even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.
Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her.
As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán might just find out that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies . . .
“Perfection” – Kiersten White, bestselling author of Hide
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Reviews
Stylish and edgy
A gothic chiller, set in 1950s Mexico, that will clamp you in its icy embrace and linger like a nightmare
Moreno-Garcia is a magician able to switch genres with ease . . . a superb noir thriller
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is unforgettable
Elegant, rich in description and filled with characters that come vividly to life
Simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-mending, a wondrous and magical tale
A coming-of-age fairy tale of haunting shadows commingled with vibrant life
A beautiful work that will draw you in and keep you transfixed and reading far too late
Saturated with references and genuine love for genre cinema, with supernatural and cinematic magic seen as often interchangeable