Queen of the Cicadas, by V. Castro

Book 23 for my 2026 goal of 36 books for the year! Now a little ahead with my reading schedule. My link to the book is through my bookshop.org affiliate account, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy from there. I’ve been enjoying reading some horror by Mexican authors lately such as Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and so when I came across V. Castro’s Queen of the Cicadas (2021) in one of my bookstore wanderings I pretty much knew I had to grab it. The fact that it is very recognizably published by Flame Tree Press, one of my favorite publishers, sweetened the deal. From the title, one might expect that it is a story of Mexican folklore analogous to La Llorona, and it does feel that way at first, but the story becomes so much more as it evolves. The novel introduces us to Belinda Alvarez, a single woman who in 2018 travels to a remote farm in Texas for her friend’s wedding. Once there, she is shocked to learn that the farm was the site of the urban legend of La…