The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

Synopsis: Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches…

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.

The Hacienda is a book that is rich with culture and while the premise is one found often in the genre of haunted houses it stands solidly on it’s own. The main character is human and flawed. The rest of the cast of characters all play their parts in the unique pattern of this tale. It starts out a little slow but quickly picks up it’s pace around midway through. The description of the countryside, house and the culture paints a beautiful picture that is hard to put down. Once the plot sucks you in it doesn’t let go. Leaving you turning the pages until you reach the end.

There are a few places I wish the author had spent more time on, but instead were breezed through in an attempt to get the plot moving. I wish that more time was spent elaborating on the nature of Beatriz’s marriage, it would have helped the forbidden romance portion of this book feel more potent.

Overall this book was beautiful, haunting and definitely one I would recommend to anyone getting into the horror/supernatural genre.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Re-readability Rating: 4/10