Heritage to Haunts
6 Suspense-filled Books by Latinx Authors
By Kerry Liekkio
As the air begins to chill and the leaves fade to orange and yellow, a celebration of Hispanic Heritage is upon us. From delicious, mouth-watering, flavorful food to rich, deeply meaningful culture and everything in between, the Hispanic community has brought our world so much to honor and deserves to be appreciated. In the literary community, this month also reinforces our responsibility to uplift Hispanic and Latinx voices. The blending of suspense, multidimensional character dynamics, haunting vibes, folklore, and culture makes for the perfect reading vibe as we transition into autumn.
Diversifying your reading is not only a beautiful way to uplift and celebrate voices of marginalized communities, but it’s a surefire way to ensure your TBR will never disappoint. These six suspense-filled books by Hispanic authors are the ultimate picks to jumpstart your fall reading in an intentional, hauntingly wonderful way.
Salt Bones by Jennifer Givhan
From the author of River Woman, River Demon comes Salt Bones — a magical realism retelling of Persephone and Demeter riddled with Hispanic folklore and culture, familial bonds, betrayal, environmental disaster, corruption, mystery, and horror.
Set in the Mexicali Borderlands, along the edge of the Salton Sea, lives Malamar Veracruz — a hardworking, fierce mother of two grappling with the mysterious disappearance of her beloved sister, Elena. A local girl goes missing, catapulting Mal into a terrifyingly familiar world of nightmarish proportions. Pulled to find answers for the girl’s family, Mal begins investigating, but overwhelming visions of a horse-headed woman known as a local legend lure her to follow.
This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
Gus Moreno's debut novel, This Thing Between Us, combines elements of loss, grief, psychological horror, modern-day technology, and culture to deliver a suspense-filled read of mind-bending proportions.
It was Thiago’s wife, Vera, who wanted the new smart speaker, Itza. With odd things happening around their home, she thought the speaker would be a fun addition to their lives. When Itza seemingly begins to make online purchases itself, the oddities become undeniable yet entertaining. That is, until Vera unexpectedly passes away after being thrown onto the train tracks by an undocumented man. Local politicians immediately exploit the incident for their own twisted political agendas, and the overwhelming complexities of the loss become too much for Thiago to handle, forcing him to flee the city and seek solace in an isolated cabin in Colorado. Unfortunately, Thiago soon learns this nightmare is not something he can escape that easily.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
From the author of many beloved novels, including Mexican Gothic, comes Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s most recent publication, The Bewitching. This story follows three women across three different eras, interconnected through familial and amical relations as they live their encounters with witchcraft. Culture, generational trauma, relationships, betrayal, dark secrets, and a journey for answers are woven together in this historical fiction fantasy horror.
When graduate student Minerva begins researching the life of a mysterious author named Beatrice Tremblay, her world is consumed by what she discovers. Information exposing that Beatrice’s most famous book was based on real-world events. Thrown into Beatrice’s life during the Great Depression, a story of an encounter with witchcraft begins to emerge.
Echoes of the stories she has once heard from her Nana Alba begin to emerge, and the reader is catapulted to Alba’s 1940s timeline and her experience with witchcraft. As the timelines unravel, a student attending the same college as Minerva vanishes, leading her to suspect she’s encountering a similar fate as Alba and Beatrice.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Known for her blend of historical fiction, mystery, and horror sprinkled with brilliant subplots of romance, author Isabel Cañas. Her debut novel, The Hacienda, has to be my favorite by Cañas. With rich themes of the effects of colonialism, classism, bigotry, dark secrets, forbidden romance, and betrayal, The Hacienda oozes dark gothic vibes and female defiance.
Following the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz is overcome with grief when her father is killed and her home is demolished. Broken and defeated with nowhere to turn, Beatriz accepts the proposal of a man shrouded in mystery named Don Rodolfo Solorzano. With whispers of his previous wife’s passing, Beatriz moves into his home, Hacienda San Isidro, and takes on the duties of the estate. Called back to the city, Don leaves Beatriz at the hacienda with his odd sister Juana, who refuses to enter the home at night.
Plagued with curiosity, Beatriz connects with a priest to learn more about the home and the family she has joined. But Padre Andres is not a typical priest, and his abilities will be essential to battling the malevolent presence haunting Hacienda San Isidro.
House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
Known for his barrio noir horror, author of The Devil Takes You Home, Gabino Iglesias comes with his most recent captivating release, House of Bone and Rain. This blending of natural disaster, a revenge plot, bloody violence, unwavering loyalty, and systemic injustice brings an unforgettable story that will chew you up and swallow you whole.
When a group of friends band together after the murder of one of their mothers, a plan of vengeance comes to fruition. Justice needs to be served, and Puerto Rican friends Gabe, Xavier, Tavo, Paul, and Bimbo will find themselves in a world of violence as they search to right this wrong. As a looming storm makes its way to land, the five friends stand beside their friend Bimbo as he transforms into a ruthless version of himself in his fight to avenge his mother’s murder. When the friends find this journey has led to something far more complex than they ever imagined, the lines between the boundaries of reality and myth begin to blur.
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
Two-time Bram Stoker-nominated author V. Castro is known for her film novelizations and tales that draw on her Mexican heritage and history. The Haunting of Alejandra combines rich Mexican culture and folklore into a story of identity, self-exploration, generational family trauma, growth, hauntings, and resilience.
Alejandra has lost herself. Struggling with the darkness and worries within her, she goes unnoticed by her family. Alejandra was adopted, and this she has always known. When a ghostly vision of a sobbing woman in a white gown appears, she can no longer cope on her own. Turning to a therapist, Alejandra is convinced she must learn what she can of the family she once came from, beginning with her birth mother.. As she explores her familial past, a pattern is unveiled – the crying woman has been attached to all of the women in her family. Now, Alejandra must connect with her biological family to escape the grasp of La Llorona.
From hauntings and missing people to tales of witchcraft, revenge, and stories of great loss, these books shine brightly. These stories haunted me to my core, filling my soul with suspense, stirring up feelings I didn’t know I could feel, and opening my eyes to unique and riveting fictionalized stories from the Hispanic voices.