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The houses are grand and decaying. Ghost surely haunt their halls. The settings are atmospheric, the vibes uneasy. Emotions run high, omens abound. There’s a damsel in distress, there might be some mystery and romance, and everything’s shrouded in a bit of doom and gloom. If all of that sounds like a good time to you, come have a seat in the crumbling chair next to me.
Whether you’re new to gothic novels or inhale them on the regular, you’ve probably heard of the gothic classics: Rebecca, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wuthering Heights (which is not the greatest love story ever told), the works of Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allen Poe, or Southern Gothic classics like Beloved by Toni Morrison and Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor. You don’t have to look too hard to find fantastic gothic lit, but maybe you’re looking for more recent works of gothic fiction.
Below you’ll find nine new and recent gothic novels in a whole span of subgenres, from Gilded Age romance and Victorian suspense to a modern gothic thriller and an award-winning Southern Gothic novel. If you’re participating in this year’s Read Harder Challenge, all of these titles will satisfy task #6: Read a gothic novel published in the last ten years. Now, let’s get gothic.
 Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaThis is the book that really blew up Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s career, though real ones know she was doing the thing long before. In 1950s Mexico, Noemi gets a letter from her newlywed cousin Catalina begging for her help. She makes her way to High Place, the mansion Catalina shares with her husband in the countryside, where she immediately senses that something is very, very wrong. I was uneasy for most of this book and made a lot of faces towards the end, and I’m just so glad this work of gothic horror brought more people to the SMG fan club. |
 The Widow of Rose House by Diana BillerI never miss an opportunity to recommend my favorite romance novel. This gothic romance with a touch of paranormal mystery features a brilliant and capable woman redefining life on her terms and a male MC who loves that woman down. It explores heavier subjects like domestic violence with tenderness and care while also being hot as hell; it is perfect proof that explicit consent isn’t just kinda sexy, but scorchingly so. If you’re looking for a Gilded Age romance with a “talk ya through it” vibe (plus a ghost, maybe?), look no further. |
