Review: The Haunting of Las Lágrimas by W.M. Cleese

The unusual cover of this book caught my eye - I do love pretty book covers! I was hoping for a spooky gothicky historical, and I was not disappointed!

Argentina, 1913: Ursula Kelp developed her love of gardening because of her eccentric grandfather. When he died and left her his estate, she hoped to continue his work but he left lots of debts and her family refused to help her financially, so his house and garden had to be sold. Ursula's parents assumed she'd meekly return home and accept an arranged marriage, but instead she sets off to Argentina, determined to fulfil her dream of becoming a professional gardener. When she's offered the opportunity to become head gardener at the isolated Las Lágrimas, she jumps at the chance. But her new colleagues are distrustful and sexist, the garden is a hopeless jungle and, when Strange Things Happen, she starts to realise that maybe there was a very good reason that no one else wanted the job!

I really enjoyed this supernatural story and the unusual setting of Argentina. The location is brilliantly realised and I loved the character of Ursula, who knows she has taken on too much, but is determined to prove her detractors wrong. The house is deliciously spooky and the staff who work there are strange, eccentric and sometimes downright nasty. Her sleazy boss has problems of his own, and refuses to admit that he also hears the sound of  someone chopping down trees in the wood when there is no one there.

I did find the story a little bit too slow burn at times. While I'm a keen gardener, and enjoyed the gardening detail, I can see that a reader hoping for jump shocks and gruesome horror might be disappointed. I loved the scenes from the past, that 'replay' every night, the floating lights and the deft weaving of the house's dark past into the story. However, the supernatural occurrences came a bit too thick and fast towards the end, and I found it hard to get my head around the logic of some of them.

The Haunting of Las Lágrimas is a slow burn supernatural horror story that would appeal to readers looking for a story with an unusual setting, traditional hauntings, and for fans of authors such as Laura Purcell (The Silent Companions). 

Warning: Story contains mention of animal cruelty, an off-the-page rape scene and off-the-page BDSM.

Thank you to W.M. Cleese and Titan Books for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.