Rare is the family that is without drama, though the wealthy, extended Abreu clan has enough to spare. Upon the death of the family patriarch Papi Ramon, they are all called to his estate for the reading of the will. Xiomara dreads the experience, feeling that her deceased mother and herself have always been treated as outcasts by their relatives. Still, she decides to attend alone so her father, who married into the Abreus, won’t to be subjected to the mistreatment she is expecting and is rewarded by quickly having her worries confirmed. Her aunts, uncles, and cousins all behave outwardly polite, but it’s readily apparent that there is enough tension simmering beneath the surface of the hugs and smiles to fuel even the most outrageous telenovela.
The usual family lawyer is unexpectedly absent from the reading, but once the Abreus are all present, one of his subordinates begins, only to surprise everyone with the revelation that the document is a few meager sentences long and solely consists of the declaration that one of those present is a demon they will have 12 hours to root out and remove lest they all be cursed forever. It’s a pretty wild claim and no one is inclined to believe it, except for Xiomara, who can’t help but feel there’s at least a kernel of truth, what with the eerie feeling of being watched that has lingered over her the entire time she’s been in the old house and fragments of memories about her grandfather having been an exorcist.
The attorney tries to contact his office to see if there was some sort of mistake, but a strengthening storm has rendered communication impossible, so he decides to drive there himself and see if another, more sane copy can be located. Xiomara is disappointed to discover that she is stuck with her family even longer, but at least her old friend Naomi is also there to make her feel a little less alone. As the hours pass by and the weather grows increasingly perilous, the mood in the house grows thick with tension. When something unseen begins attacking people, Xiomara realizes it may be up to her to root out the alleged demon in their midst before someone winds up dead.
The story gets off to a slow start, spending a lot of time on introductions to Xiomara’s headspace and her family. It is admittedly a necessity for any of what follows to work, but it can drag a little. Thankfully the characters are all interesting, Xiomara especially, though none are especially likable and most are dealing with problems that are more akin to commentary on contemporary society than anything relatable.
Whether or not Papi Ramon’s will was telling the truth or if Xiomara is just going crazy makes for an intriguing mystery that does get its claws into the reader pretty quickly. Nuggets of information are doled out at a decent clip, filling us in on the truth, the family’s myriad secrets, and how Xiomara’s mother died, much of it via the charmingly video-game-esque medium of found audio recordings. As the action picks up the pages begin flying by, Tirado’s smooth prose pulling us along towards a genuinely surprising if somewhat abrupt ending. It’s a fun read that might feel a little too “cozy” for some, but that entertains nevertheless. ★★★½
★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor
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