Take a photo of a barcode or cover
elle_mentbooks 's review for:
Untamed Shore
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A Mexican thriller set in the late 70s by the author of [b:Gods of Jade and Shadow|36510722|Gods of Jade and Shadow|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1543268579l/36510722._SY75_.jpg|58230232]—did someone hear me quietly praying to my Kindle at night?? I read Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s historical fantasy plotted around an ancient Mayan god of death a little less than a year ago and have been hoping for more from her ever since. With Untamed Shore coming out February 11th and the absolutely seductive-sounding [b:Mexican Gothic|53152636|Mexican Gothic|Silvia Moreno-Garcia|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575673549l/53152636._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73647361] arriving in June this year, I’m beginning to wonder if Moreno-Garcia herself has made a deal with an ancient spirit to keep churning out these utterly unique and appealing projects, one after the other.
The book itself was a little slow to start, with not much happening until about a third of the way in, and even after that there wasn’t a lot of action til the very end. But that ending, my god, it’s satisfying. I probably wouldn’t really classify it as a thriller, either, but more of a domestic suspense. That’s not really my favorite sub-genre, but I still plodded through because I really loved the setting.
Viridiana lives in the small town of Desengaño in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The major industry of her quiet beach town is fishing, with many still catching and killing sharks, despite the overall drop in profitability. The entire village is in a plateaued decline with tourism all but dried up, so when three Americans arrive carrying with them the allure of a world outside of what Viridiana can even imagine, she gets swept up in their plots, in hopes it will help her carve out a new life for herself far away.
Some of the characterization is a bit heavy-handed, especially the dialogue. There’s also very little mystery surrounding the events of the novel, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still be on edge. I liked Gods of Jade and Shadow more than this and am desperately awaiting Mexican Gothic, but all in all this was a solid performer by Moreno-Garcia.
*Thanks to Polis Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!
The book itself was a little slow to start, with not much happening until about a third of the way in, and even after that there wasn’t a lot of action til the very end. But that ending, my god, it’s satisfying. I probably wouldn’t really classify it as a thriller, either, but more of a domestic suspense. That’s not really my favorite sub-genre, but I still plodded through because I really loved the setting.
Viridiana lives in the small town of Desengaño in the state of Baja California, Mexico. The major industry of her quiet beach town is fishing, with many still catching and killing sharks, despite the overall drop in profitability. The entire village is in a plateaued decline with tourism all but dried up, so when three Americans arrive carrying with them the allure of a world outside of what Viridiana can even imagine, she gets swept up in their plots, in hopes it will help her carve out a new life for herself far away.
Some of the characterization is a bit heavy-handed, especially the dialogue. There’s also very little mystery surrounding the events of the novel, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still be on edge. I liked Gods of Jade and Shadow more than this and am desperately awaiting Mexican Gothic, but all in all this was a solid performer by Moreno-Garcia.
*Thanks to Polis Books & Netgalley for an advance copy!