Goodreads Blurb:

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.

But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.

When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark its doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?

Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.

Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.

Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 Stars

I chose this book to read for a book club at work to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Isabel is a new author to me, and happy that I decided to pick up her book. I was fascinated by the first book Isabel Cañas has written. She brought the gothic horror to the next level. I resonated with her fear of the dark, as I am afraid of the dark. I felt those frightening moments when Beatriz was in the dark, finding her way to escape the frozen claws of the darkness. The words used to describe the house and the frightening moments were an added fear factor that added terror to the reader’s craving.

It’s a story of a forbidden love after the Mexican War of Independence with a Cinderella twist turned Haunted of Hill House. The build-up of Beatriz trying to fight to survive the grasp of the mansion and free herself from being trapped gives the readers hope that the house will not take another innocent life. There is always a story behind haunted houses, and when spirits taunt you, they might be warning you of dangers to come. So, as a believer of ghosts, evil spirits, and vengeful warm-blooded people, I warn you that you will need to strap yourself down in order to survive this nail-biting story.

Author Biography

Isabel Cañas is a Mexican American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage.