This one’s been on my list for a hot minute, and a bunch of horror books on my tbr cite it as inspiration. Noemí Taboada is an independently minded woman looking towards graduate school, but her parents would rather she put effort into finding a husband rather than going to parties and studying. 

An opportunity arises when Noemí’s cousin reaches out from a far-flung, isolated village asking for help — in exchange for finding out what’s wrong, Noemí will be allowed to continue her schooling. 

Of course, for a while all she has to go off of is the decidedly creepy manner in which her in-laws conduct themselves, the slowly decaying mansion they reside in, and the hedged words of the cousin herself.

Noemí as a main character is whip-smart, determined, and loyal. The narrative doesn’t undercut her or any of the other protagonists — each has a vital role to play and a fully developed personality. Eventually this book becomes something at home in the Resident Evil franchise, which for me was fantastic. It felt like a much shorter read than it was.