From theNew York Timesbestselling author ofMexican GothicandVelvet Was the Nightcomes a sizzling noir about desire, danger, and greed, in which seduction is the ultimate con.

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR:The New York Times, People, Book Riot, Southern Living

Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won’t last forever, and he’s desperate to get his hands on a real fortune.

He thinks he’s found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn’t expect. The woman has a niece, Ins, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunts household.

When Ins discovers Ulises’ true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. Theyll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. Easy, fast and clean.

But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. And although Ulises does not believe in true romance, Ins is more alluring than he bargained on. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated.

Venture into the streets of a small town where the patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust.

Silvia Moreno-Garciais the author of the novelsThe Bewitching, The Seventh Veil of Salome, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Mexican Gothic,and many other books. She has won the Locus and British Fantasy awards for her work as a novelist, and the World Fantasy Award as an editor.

• Publisher: Del Rey
• Publish Date: July 14, 2026
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• Type: Hardback
• EAN/UPC: 9780593874356
• Dimensions: 9.3 X 6.1 X 0.8 inches | 1.12 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Popular Fiction, Mystery