They say to write what you know, and for Silvia Moreno-Garcia, that’s gothic horror. With muses in Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, whom she wrote her Master of Arts thesis on, Moreno-Garcia first made a splash with 2015’s Signal To Noise—a novel about a teen witch who casts musical spells.
She has since become a master of the genre, with her 2020 hit Mexican Gothic quickly becoming a New York Times bestseller. In the years since, it’s frequently been cited as one of the best mystery-thriller books not just of the decade, but of all time. “I love genre fiction, and I love horror,” the author has said.
But simple ghost stories, these are not: Moreno-Garcia’s works are deeply rooted in history and culture, addressing power dynamics through lenses of race, class, and gender. Set in her native country of Mexico, Mexican Gothic explores elements of colonialism and eugenics, for instance, while 2023’s Silver Nitrate deals with Nazi occultism.
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Whether you’re looking for a spooky fantasy for the season ahead or you’re merely craving an antidote to all the fluffy beach reads you’ve had your nose buried in all summer, there’s a Moreno-Garcia title for you. Read on to find all 12 of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books, ranked.
Every Silvia Moreno-Garcia Book, Ranked
12. ‘Velvet Was the Night’ (2021)
Velvet Was the Night may unanimously rank the lowest amongst Moreno-Garcia’s readers, but make no mistake: This is still a New York Times bestseller. Enjoyment of this one largely comes down to its subject matter, as it strays from Moreno-Garcia’s traditional paranormal and gothic fare. Instead, she explores the world of organized crime, as heroine Maite falls down a rabbit hole of spies and government agents after her neighbor goes missing in Mexico City.
11. ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’ (2022)
This is a modern spin on the H.G. Wells classic The Island of Dr. Moreau. Moreno-Garcia’s take follows both Carlota, the devoted daughter of Dr. Moreau who believes him to be a kind genius, and Montgomery Laughton, his estate’s overseer, who watches as Carlota’s blinders to the true nature of her father’s work are ripped away by a horrifying discovery. For a story that includes hybrid creatures, however, it’s one of Moreno-Garcia’s slower works, landing it lower on our list.
10. ‘Silver Nitrate’ (2023)
The lines between fiction and reality get really blurry, really fast for Montserrat and Tristán, who have been tapped to help a famed cult horror director complete his unfinished masterpiece. When they become immersed in his film about a Nazi occultist dealing in silver nitrate stock, creepy things start happening, pointing to the unleashing of something sinister. While it may not be foreboding enough for a true horror buff—the deep development of characters and their relationships here means less time spent on scary scenes—it will be just enough for others.
9. ‘Untamed Shore’ (2020)
Moreno-Garcia has called Untamed Shore her most obscure novel, but this noir coming-of-age story still has its fans. Its heroine, Viridiana, is a Baja California, Mexico, native who gets wrapped up in the lives of the three strangers visiting her shores—and quickly becomes a suspect in one of their murders. Says Moreno-Garcia: “It’s a coming-of-age story wrapped in bleakness.”
8. ‘Signal To Noise’ (2015)
Moreno-Garcia first cast her spell on readers with 2015’s Signal To Noise. Following Meche, a 15-year-old girl with a newfound ability to cast magic through music, the novel serves up a heavy dose of teenage angst along with a side of witchcraft. While readers have praised Moreno-Garcia’s realistic portrayal of the misfit teenage protagonists at its center (you know, minus the whole magic bit), others have criticized the lack of attention paid to its most overlooked character: the Mexico City scenery.
7. ‘The Seventh Veil of Salome’ (2024)
There are no supernatural entities at play in this juicy drama—just some good old-fashioned jealousy mixed with a side of creepiness. It’s about two actresses, including an unknown named Vera, who’s just landed the role of a lifetime, and veteran Nancy, who’s not letting the part go without a fight. Largely historical in its exploration of the woman they’re both vying to play—the biblical figure Salome—it still lends that noir factor Moreno-Garcia is known for.
6. ‘The Bewitching’ (2025)
If ever there was a good time for a book about witches, it’s now, just before Halloween, and Moreno-Garcia delivers in spades with her 2025 offering, The Bewitching. Inspired by the witchy folklore of her Mexican family and her ties to having previously lived in Massachusetts, it’s got magic, warlocks, and superstition galore, much to the delight of the writer’s fan base. Written from the perspective of three separate witches across three different timelines, this one’s more Hocus Pocus and less Suspiria (read: the scare factor is low), but it’s a great autumnal read nonetheless.
5. ‘Certain Dark Things’ (2016)
What happens when a lonely young drifter joins forces with a gang of Aztec blood-drinking vampires? That’s the premise at the heart of Certain Dark Things. It’s fast-paced, it’s fantastical, and it’s ultra-violent—particularly since there’s a rival gang gunning for the lead vampire’s head—which may or may not resonate depending on your tastes. Those who love it agree that it’s a fresh, modern take on the vampire trope that brings their kind into the 21st century.
Released in July 2026, The Intrigue is the newest addition to Moreno-Garcia’s catalog, but already, readers are eating up the seductive noir plot about a handsome con artist named Ulises who teams up with his next target’s niece to cheat her out of her fortune. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Aunt Perla has a few tricks of her own, making for a super psychologically thrilling read. There’s no horror or fantastical elements here, but it works quite well just as it is.
4. ‘Mexican Gothic’ (2020)
Take it from Kelly Ripa: This one’s “sublime horror for your summer reading.” The talk show host loved this ultra-suspenseful tale so much, she wanted to turn it into a TV show (something Moreno-Garcia has said will “hopefully” happen someday). It’s about a glamorous debutante named Noemí who receives a mysterious letter from her cousin begging to free her from her newlywed fate. Noemí’s not at all prepared for what she finds at her cousin’s new estate, however—and might need a rescuer of her own. It’s eerie, it’s unsettling, and it’s right up there at the top of the must-read list for Moreno-Garcia readers. Said the writer: “I wanted my heroine screaming for the last 30 percent of the book, and the readers screaming with her.”
2. ‘The Beautiful Ones’ (2017)
This one’s reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice…if, say, Elizabeth Bennet had telekinetic powers. The heroine here, Nina, is attempting to join the elite ranks of Loisail society, but struggling to conceal her mind-moving powers. Everything changes when a handsome stranger arrives in town who seems to share her gift, but he’s not quite what he appears to be. The love Moreno Garcia’s fans have for this pick—called “delightful,” “cozy,” and “messy”—is very real.
1. ‘Gods of Jade and Shadow’ (2019)
Fans have Moreno-Garcia’s great-grandmother to thank for the book that is widely cited as the author’s best. “My great-grandmother had been a young woman in the 1920s, and I realized that what the story needed was to be set in the Jazz Age,” the writer told Lightspeed.
Her late relative also inspired the protagonist, young maid Casiopea Tun, who accidentally frees the Mayan god of death from the wooden box he’s been entrapped in and is enlisted to aid him in recovering his throne. “[Her] favorite movie character was La India María, who was this comedic maid character. Because she was a bit like her,” Moreno-Garcia said of her relative. “She was a maid, she was humble, and she got to have zany adventures. So I wrote a character who she could identify with and who she would have liked.”
With myths, magic, and a whole lot of heart, Gods of Jade and Shadow truly epitomizes what Moreno-Garcia does best.
What order should you read Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books in?
All of Moreno-Garcia’s books are standalone novels, so you can read them in any order you like. For some, that will mean starting with the bestsellers, like Mexican Gothic or The Daughter of Doctor Moreau (especially if you want to dive in before it hits the small screen).
Others, however, may prefer to read them in the order in which they were published. To do so, you’ll want to start with her first book, Signal To Noise, released in 2015, and make your way down the list below. Or, you could go in reverse by picking up her newest fare, the seductive The Intrigue, and working your way backward from there.
If your appetite for horror borders on voracious, you don’t have to stop there: In addition to Moreno-Garcia’s full-length catalog, she has several novellas and short story collections. You can read those in order, as follows:
What is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s best-selling book?
Mexican Gothic is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s most popular and best-selling novel. In fact, according to JABerwocky Literary Agency, the thriller about entrapment sold over 650,000 copies three years after its 2020 publication, peaked within the top 10 of the New York Times Best Sellers list, and was among the finalists for the prestigious genre award, the Bram Stoker Award.
The novel has captivated readers with its slow-burn horror story, as heroine Noemí’s nightmares gradually become her reality. “I had a 70/30 rule. For 70 percent of the book, things would go a bit slow and quiet, and then at the last 30 percent, all hell would break loose,” Moreno-Garcia explained to PEN America. “You can’t create something suspenseful by dangling a ghost on every other page.”
Is there a sequel to ‘Mexican Gothic’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia?
There is no sequel to Mexican Gothic, but Moreno-Garcia’s hit thriller will soon be reimagined as a graphic novel. According to PEOPLE, the project will be published by Random House Worlds’ comic book imprint, BOOM!
A collaboration between Moreno-Garcia and Steph C. Solis (The Body Was Never Found), the forthcoming release will hit shelves in 2027. “It has been fun writing the script for this adaptation and talking to Steph about what we could do visually to translate the novel into a different format,” Moreno-Garcia told the outlet.
The pair relied on vivid colors to bring the joint project to life. The novelist added, “When many people think Gothic, they think gloomy and grey, but I asked Steph to consider the bold use of color in Hammer films from the 1950s and classic giallos like Suspiria.”
Are any of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books being adapted into movies or TV shows?
Readers will get to see at least one of Moreno-Garcia’s beloved works come to life!
It won’t be Mexican Gothic, though. Husband-and-wife duo Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos previously sought to bring the novel to the screen with a Hulu series produced by their Milojo Productions, but it’s since been shelved. The author gave fans an update on Instagram in 2024, explaining, “Hulu did not renew the option for Mexican Gothic: so no show will be made.”
However, in 2025, another one of Moreno-Garcia’s novels was optioned. Deadline reported that writer/producer Debra Moore Muñoz (Mayans M.C., DMZ) is adapting The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.
The author, who will co-executive produce the show, expressed her excitement over the project, telling the outlet in a statement, “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a mixture of science fiction, historical fiction and drama set in lush, 19th-century Yucatan, and I’m excited to see this part of Mexico come to life on the screen in all its beauty and complexity.”
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