The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Jo Fletcher, £16.99)
Inspired by HG Wells’ classic tale, a version set not on an unknown island, but in Yucatán, Mexico, in 1871, after the native Mayan people had refused to work any longer for their European oppressors. This Dr Moreau is dependent on the landowning Izalde family for patronage. But the Izaldes grow impatient as Moreau’s promise to supply them with the ideal new workforce remains unfulfilled, and his daughter Carlota knows that, unless she can seduce the charming Eduardo Izalde into marriage, her family will lose everything. Once again the author of Mexican Gothic demonstrates her genius for genre mashups, combining contemporary political awareness with the appeal of a creepy gothic romance.