The Intrigue
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Posted July 9, 2026
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This is my fifteenth review of Silvia's work, her twelfth novel, and the fourth of those that lie outside the speculative genres of science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Click on her name above for an index of those reviews. The Intrigue will publish next Tuesday, July 14, but I received an advance look from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. The majority of the action takes place in and around the fictional mountain town of Puerco Ahogado (which translates as drowned pig), in the Mexican state of Veracruz, not too far inland from that port city. The time is 1943, and while the country has not yet been directly involved in World War Two, the effects of that conflict have been felt in the economy, including shortages of goods and services, and inflated prices. It could be considered a noir thriller, but not quite a mystery, since the third-person narration reveals a lot along the way, to the reader at least. Some of the characters don't learn specific things until later.
The first character we meet is not a native of that town. Ulises Linares is a con-man who targets women contacted through ads in "lonely hearts" magazines. In the first paragraph we learn he is considering whether his next mark would be a widow from Monclova or the spinster in Puerco Ahogado. He chooses the latter, both because she contacted him first with an offer of lodging in her guesthouse, and the previous time he had targeted a widow there were too many family members that saw through him from the start. Perla Inclán had never married. Her family had operated a successful coffee plantation for several generations, but that declined even before her father died, victim of other wars, revolutions, and depressions, along with the Spanish flu epidemic, which took the lives of Perla's mother and older brother. Her sister, Encarnación, had died from a fall about fifteen years before the main action. Now the large family mansion has been converted to a guesthouse, as many other families had been forced to do to make ends meet. Some of the boarders are permanent residents, other rooms are useful during festival days and holidays. Household staff include a cook, a maid, and houseboy/chauffeur, along with Encarnación's illegitimate daughter Inés, whose father was married to another woman. Perla never let Inés forget that disgrace.
Ulises travels by train from Mexico City. He is not impressed with the sleepy little mountain town, always prefering the activities available in larger cities. Perla is in her early 40s, while Ulises is 29, but he had lied and told her 38. I think Inés is 19 or 20. She resents her aunt's condecension and ridicule, and would love to leave, but she doesn't even receive a salary for the work she does, just room and board, with perhaps occasional purchases of clothing and other necessities. Perla is very prim and proper, expecting Ulises to address her as Miss Inclán, with any intimacies, even a chaste kiss, to be held for later depending on her assessment of him. He has his own room, not allowed into her bedroom. Until they are married, which happens quickly and unexpectedly, which irritates Perla's long-time suitor, attorney Cándido Sotomayor, whom she had always rebuffed due to his insistence that his sister Lulú be part of the family household. Unfortunately, Cándido manages Perla's money, including collecting from those she has loaned money. The more Ulises realizes it will be difficult to even assess Perla's worth, the more he regrets his decision to target her, and begins to plot his escape from the situation. Inés has other ideas. She suggests they kill Perla instead. Ulises balks at that. He has never resorted to violence, only interested in gaining access to Perla's bank accounts, then he will run.
Silvia once again presents realistic characters and dialog, and while the action is similar to previous books and films, it is also unique in the way events unfold. Another stand alone novel, but it should be easy for readers to visualize what might come next in the lives of the characters who survive. I will not reveal any other hints about the who, what or why. While not my favorite of Silvia's stories, it is still recommended.
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