The Supernatural and the Disquieting: 7 Horror Novels to Read Right Now 

In this debut, Gerardo Sámano Córdova pens a creative, visionary and fantastic examination of grief and love; parents and children; friends and lovers. When Santiago passes away, his mother seeks to bring him back to life and creates Monstrilio, a monster who tries to be a man. This terrifyingly tender story is one you won’t be able to put down.   

From Mariana Enriquez (International Booker Prize-shortlisted The Dangers of Smoking in Bed) comes Our Share of the Night, a supernatural horror story about a grieving father and son confronting family members who commit horrible acts in their quest for immortality. This brutal novel is a disquieting and mesmerizing tale of the powerful preying on the powerless. 

In an eerie story of generational trauma, The Haunting of Alejandra tells of a lineage of women all visited by La Llorona, a Mexican folk demon, in their times of despair. A provocative novel of oppression, strength and motherhood, this creepy tale blends folklore with grief in a book that will be etched into your mind long after you’ve put it down. 

Filmmaker and writer Leopoldo Gout (Ghost Radio) brings us a horrifying story that started out as a movie script. What was supposed to be a perfect summer turns sinister when an accident at an ancient abbey cuts a family trip short. A harrowing tale of possession, Piñata incorporates Indigenous Mexican lore with the dark legacy of colonialism in this unforgettable novel. 

Agustina Bazterrica first unsettled us with Tender Is the Flesh; this is a collection of nineteen wildly imaginative and shocking short stories about human connection and unspeakable desire. Pick up our exclusive edition for an extra essay from the author and special effects on the cover and endpapers.  

Isabel Cañas, author of The Hacienda — one of our former Discover Picks — returns with a supernatural western centered around the Mexican War. The Vampires of El Norte is a genre-bending tale that weaves Mexican history and culture with romance and monsters. Learn more about Isabel Cañas’s research process, her personal connection with this book and more on our Poured Over podcast.  

For a story described by The Guardian as “Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America”, pick up Mexican Gothic — a gothic horror novel with a haunted house that will send shivers down your spine. Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Silver Nitrate) gives us a chilling and seductive book in this atmospheric tale.