Silvia Moreno-Garcia is on a roll! I read her novel Gods of jade & Shadow last year and loved it now in 2020 she gives us two more novel Mexican Gothic out in June & Untamed Shore, out now. To avoid any spoilers, I’m going to keep this simple.

Moreno-Garcia's is a talented storyteller, this suspenseful, noir mystery had up way pass my bedtime. I must say, don’t let Viridiana “naivety” fool you, there is more to her than you know. There are some trigger warnings you should be aware of here: some unwanted sexual activity and domestic violence. Over all I thought this was a worthy read, can’t wait for Moreno-Garcia's next novel.

Thanks to Polis Books/Agora books for this gifted DARC via NetGally, in exchange for an honest review.

So good! I appreciated that most of the loose ends that I cared about were tied up. I loved how ballsy but still showing decorum Viridiana was. The writing was excellent and I’m excited to read more from this author. I’ve already pre-ordered Mexican Gothic and cannot wait for it to get here!

Part coming-of-age tale, part crime novel, Untamed Shore follows the story of Viridiana, a young woman residing in the town of Desengaño in Baja California. Set during the 1970’s, the women of the town are supposed to follow tradition and marry a nice Mexican man, stay home and raise babies, and keep their dreams small and local. Viridiana knows that life isn’t for her and she dreams of things much bigger than anything Desengaño (and Manuel) can offer her. When a highly profitable job arises, Viridiana agrees to work for the wealthy Americans that are staying nearby. Viridiana’s always been fodder for gossip in her tiny town, but when trouble strikes her employers, she’s an even bigger target than she’s ever been.

The world that Moreno-Garcia created in Untamed Shore was so rich and dimensional, it was easy to picture yourself right on the beach surrounded by the sharks and the fishermen and the hustle and bustle of this small, often depressing sea town. My favorite aspect though was Viridiana’s experiences throughout the book and seeing the world through her (often) very innocent eyes and watching her grow and change through the course of the book. The mystery is a main part of this book, and it’s interesting to see how the mystery shapes Viridiana and forces her to sort of let go of her naïveté. Death has been known to do that to people, and it certainly did so with Viridiana.

I love Moreno-Garcia’s books and I’m always so impressed by her ability to cross genres, much as she did with Untamed Shore. But what I love most of all is that no matter if she’s writing fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, or domestic crime novels — Mexican characters and culture are *always* the heart and soul of her books. Untamed Shore reminded me quite a bit of those gritty, soft boiled crime novels of the 1970’s, and when you combine that aspect plus an amazing main character, a slowly developing mystery, and a rather depressing seaside town, this book easily gets 5 stars. Highly recommend for anyone who likes a good crime novel, and now I need to go and devour any of Moreno-Garcia’s books that I haven’t yet read.

*eARC received via NetGalley.

I don’t generally read crime novels, but the description of Untamed Shore as a “novel of suspense with an eerie seaside setting and a literary edge” intrigued me. I was even more interested in it because of Silvia Moreno-Garcias authorship, since I adored last year’s Gods of Jade and Shadow. Untamed Shore represents the author’s entry into a different genre so I had some trepidation, but my love for her voice won the day and I requested the ARC.

The year is 1979. Viridiana is an eighteen-year-old girl living in Desengano, a shark-fishing village in Baja California, Mexico. She is bored and restless. Her father lives in Mexico City, a place that seems glamorous to Viridiana, but he and her mother divorced when Viridiana was very young and he has pretty much moved on with a new family.

The remainder of this review can be found at Dear Author, here:

https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-plus-reviews/review-untamed-shore-by-silvia-moreno-garcia/

"There was a calm inside her now, a silence. She'd always been so afraid that the land would eat her, but it was obvious now that the answer was you had to eat it. You have to be the carnivore, the devourer, the one who bites first. A shark, enormous, majestic, unstoppable, rows and rows of teeth."

Untamed Shore is the second book that I have read written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I am obsessed with the way that she writes. There is a certain flow to the writing that just absorbs you into the story and it makes you feel like you are living it. The depictions of day-to-day life comes across as so authentic and you can tell that the representation comes from genuine knowledge and understanding.

Viridiana starts of this novel with small-town naivete and a yearning to escape what is her life, she is able to make the most of what she has been given so far - using her intellect (both book-smarts and street-smarts) and her passion to get through each day. She refuses to accept the life that her mother and the community has planned for her, but doesn't know how she will get out. Thanks to three newcomers to Baja California, a way out starts to emerge.

"Happy endings have a price, Viridiana. Hansel and Gretel don't get to escape the witch's house until they've pushed her in the oven ..."

Viridiana is hired as a Personal Assistant to an author and lives alongside him, his wife and her brother. It is this melding of lives that starts us down the path of no return. We join Viridiana as she quickly loses her small-town naivete and learn that she has the strength and tenacity of the sharks she loves so much.

I can't say too much about the characters in this novel without running the potential of writing spoilers, so I won't say too much, apart from the fact that I love that Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes such strong female characters and doesn't shy away from giving them flaws. It's an authentic, enjoyable experience reading these novels.

*thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to be up front that I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a brilliant writer and I love the project of what she is doing in all her books: centering Latinx characters, history, and culture in a variety of genres they have typically been erased from. Here, she is doing that in a noir thriller and as always, the writing and the project are very well executed. That said, this is not a genre that particularly appeals to me and the main reason I picked this up is because of the author. Readers who are more into this type of book would probably enjoy it much more.

Untamed Shore is a slower-paced, character driven thriller set in a small coastal town in Mexico known for fishing sharks, and it easily feels like it could have been one of the classic black and white films that are referenced in the book. Viridiana is 18-years-old and has never left her small, conservative town, but dreams of bigger things. Her mother wants her to settle down with her uninteresting ex-boyfriend and work in his family's stationary shop. Instead, she takes a job opportunity as a translator and assistant to an American man trying to write a book for the summer. She moves into his rental home, along with his much younger wife and her handsome brother. Things take a dark and complicated turn as Viridiana must decide how to navigate the complex web she has entered and what she wants for herself.

This is partly a coming of age story, partly a noir thriller and the text is entirely populated with morally gray characters. Honestly, I had a hard time being all that interested in most of the story, even though I can see what the author was trying to do. I think this is more a matter of personal taste than anything else, but I didn't care that much for any of the characters and found myself bored by the minute and day-to-day details. That said, the ending was brilliant and I loved the way she wrapped things up in an unexpected way. Thematically, this is a rich story that touches on racism, colonialism, and misogyny. It has deeply feminist undertones and while I found Viridiana to be frustratingly naive and reckless, she does eventually learn and we see how her world has led to her choices. If the type of book this is sounds appealing, definitely pick it up. And regardless, Moreno-Garcia always has beautiful, smart and thoughtful writing, even if this particular genre wasn't quite my cup of tea. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The nitty-gritty: A lush and evocative story about a young girl’s coming-of-age in Baja California, Untamed Shore was a pleasant surprise.

Sometimes expectations get in the way of enjoying a book, but I do try to see past my expectations and judge the book I’m reading rather than the book I was expecting. I definitely struggled with that while I was reading Untamed Shore, because I had the wrong impression of the type of story I was about to read. Luckily, I pushed aside my negative reactions and ended up really enjoying this book. Silvia Moreno-Garcia never writes the same story twice, and for that I’m grateful (although I certainly wouldn’t mind another story set in her Certain Dark Things world!). I’ve seen this book categorized as a thriller, but it is NOT a thriller at all. Rather, this is a sort of dreamy, atmospheric coming-of-age story with elements of suspense, but suspense is not the driving force behind the story. If you are looking for some shark action—and I’ll admit the cover led me to believe there might be some shark related violence—then you are in the wrong place. Moreno-Garcia brilliantly uses sharks as metaphor in some beautiful ways, but the only sharks in this story are dead ones.

Viridiana is eighteen and lives in the small Baja California town of Desengaño where she was born. She spends her days at the beach watching the fishermen ply their shark trade and acts as a tour guide whenever foreign tourists come to town. Viridiana’s mother wants her to marry and take over running the family shop, but Viridiana has no interest in marriage or small town life. 

Luckily a distraction presents itself that will change her life. Three Americans have just rented a remote house on the cliff side and they are looking for a translator. Viridiana reluctantly agrees to live with them in the house over the summer, but soon finds herself fascinated with their glamorous lives. Ambrose is a writer and needs help typing up his notes. Daisy is Ambrose’s wife, and Gregory is Daisy’s brother. The three spend their days drinking rum and lazing in the sun at the beach, and Viridiana tentatively joins them, seduced by the promise of a different kind of life.

But when one of the Americans ends up dead, her safe, idyllic life is threatened. Viridiana suddenly finds herself caught up in a web of lies and must choose between doing the right thing or saving herself.

Viridiana is such an interesting character. This is an excellent coming-of-age tale with an old fashioned feel that reminded me of one of the old classic black-and-white movies that Viridiana loves so much. I love that her father named her after the old Luis Buñuel movie of the same name, and she takes her name to heart by viewing the world through a lens of old movies and movie stars. She compares Gregory to Montgomery Clift and imagines a happily ever after love story with him as the leading man. However, like all good coming of age stories, that innocence starts to crack when one of the Americans dies and she has to make some tough decisions. We also witness Viridiana’s sexual awakening, which I thought was very well done. She’s lived a very sheltered life with her conservative, Catholic mother and lives in fear of her mother finding out that she’s not only hanging out with an older American man, but that he’s trying to get her into bed. Her struggle between doing the right thing and following her heart felt very real to me.

I did struggle with a couple of things. First of all, the plot is very slow paced, much like life in Desengaño is, I imagine. I think that was a deliberate choice by the author, to mimic the lazy, sun drenched days in a small town where not much happens. But I have to admit I was bored at times. There were a few suspenseful moments where I expected one thing but got another, and these moments were slightly frustrating. We do finally get a few thriller-like moments at the end, but if you’re hoping for a story full of shocking twists and turns, you might be disappointed. But even though the typical thriller elements were absent, I loved the subtle, ominous feeling that hangs over the story. It’s as if danger is just off the page out of reach, but it’s coming for you and you won’t see it until it’s too late.

I also felt a little distanced from the story in a weird way, as if I were watching an old movie on TV. We see everything from Viridiana’s POV, and there is a strange lack of emotion in her reactions to some of the things that happen. When she finds out that Ambrose, Daisy and Gregory are keeping secrets, she doesn’t react much at all, but shrugs her shoulders and goes along with it.

But what I did love was Moreno-Garcia’s writing. It’s simply gorgeous and perfectly captures the setting and the late 1970s time period. There’s a sort of sadness to the town and I really wanted Viridiana to find a way to leave. She thinks she’s stuck there and I felt her frustration in my bones. The town’s economy revolves around the sharks that inhabit the area, and the story is chock full of wonderful metaphors showing how Viridiana sees the world. She’s grown up watching the fishermen catch, kill and skin sharks (I know, ugh) and she knows very well how sharks behave. I love her insights into the people she interacts with and how they remind her of certain shark characteristics.

Overall, I’m so glad I had the chance to read this. Yes, Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote something that I wasn’t expecting, but it simply proves how versatile a writer she is. Readers who enjoy a more literary bent to their stories will love this book.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Untamed Shore is a historical Baja California noir written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and published by Agora Books. Although Silvia Moreno-Garcia has previously only published speculative fiction books (her latest is the popular Gods of Jade and Shadow from last July), Untamed Shore proves that she has mastered storytelling to the point where she can play in any genre she wants.

Introducing Untamed Shore’s Heroine
Silvia Moreno-Garcia - Untamed ShoreSilvia Moreno-Garcia – Untamed Shore
One thread that Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books often feature is ambitious young women in less than ideal situations. Untamed Shore‘s heroine is Viridiana. Viridiana is a bright young woman who knows that the only way that she can live a dramatic and unexpected life is to get out of her conservative hometown. However, despite a facility with languages, she knows that there are no easy paths out, especially not for a young woman.

Untamed Shore begins as three American strangers arrive in Desengaño, Viridiana’s provincial Baja California hometown. Due to Viridiana’s ease with languages, she quickly gets hired as a secretary for one of these American strangers. As she spends time with the American trio, she begins to bond with the other two. Suddenly, one of the visitors dies and Viridiana must decide how to handle the situation. Does she want to help the Americans who are still alive, or find justice for the one who has now died?

Notes on Untamed Shore’s Genre
If you’re looking for a whodunnit, you should look elsewhere. While the circumstances behind the death are not entirely clear at first, and even though they get clearer with time; that’s not the endgame of the narrative. Instead, the narrative centers on Viridiana, and does not let her out of its steady gaze.

Considering Moreno-Garcia’s previous body of work (which you should also go read), I think it’s necessary to emphasize that there are no speculative elements in Untamed Shore. Viridiana has no magic to draw upon (not like magic can solve all a person’s problems). There is no chance that she’ll get passage to another world (to her, Mexico City is already another world).

Instead, the plot pivots on each little choice that Viridiana makes. She doesn’t always make the choices that you or I would make. I had to keep putting the book down because I was concerned for her welfare. The humid heat in Baja California seems to leak out from each sentence, making the reader tense and sweaty. Not a lot happens in Untamed Shore. No wives fake their own deaths and frame their husbands with a convoluted plan. However, Viridiana’s problems seem extremely present.

Conclusion: Untamed Shore Brings Humid Heat
Even though this thriller isn’t a highway full of twists, it is not a smooth road. You will feel for Viridiana, and root for her to make the best decisions she can in a terrible situation. Untamed Shore is like a humid day at the beach: you think that all you’re going to do is relax, but the atmosphere has other plans. I highly recommend this.

I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Moreno-Garcia's talent in different genres is remarkable. Historical fantasy, thriller, noir - it's all amazing. I don't want to spoil too much but I highly recommend it.

RTC

Trigger warnings for domestic abuse and violence.

Take note going into this story that we are in the viewpoint of a naive 18 year old in 1979. The story is well written with a plot to keep you turning pages until you're finished. Keep in mind that although beautiful in words, it's a hard hitting story of the want for something more and the lack of respect you sometimes encounter to get there.

"He had as much as he would ever have. In the end, isn't that true for everyone?"

Untamed Shore is a bit different from other novels by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, as it's her successful foray into the suspense/thriller genre.  Taking place in a small shore town in Mexico during the 1970s, the scene is set set right from the getgo. Things quicky spiral out of control for main character, 18 year old, Vividiana.  I found the book to be enjoyable, extremely engrossing, and pretty nerve-racking. As the reader, I wished I could reach into the book and shake some sense into the characters. Instead, I was left feeling like a parent who has to watch their child make mistakes and learn from them on their own, just hoping for the best.

This is my first experience with this author - I do actually have one of her earlier novels in my TBR pile. I was drawn to this one because of the shark on the cover, to be honest. While the sharks in this story are rather sad - being dead from being the main source of income for this remote Mexican town in Baja California. I really appreciated the strong sense of setting rampant throughout the entire novel. Viridiana, the narrator is 18 and in 1979, three American tourists rent a home for an extended stay and all four of their lives are changed forever.

It's a sort of coming-of-age story, and though it seems to be marketed as mystery, though none of the plot's twists are all that surprising. My initial guesses all turned out to be right... but the narrator is sympathetic and the setting is so beautifully drawn that I still really enjoyed this. It's fast-paced and well-written. I loved the old-Hollywood connection with the quotes and references. It's a satisfying, though not surprising, read. I enjoyed the setting, perhaps more than anything else, but I am definitely looking forward to checking out more books by this author - I just wish that the sharks had been live!

I really enjoyed this! It is definitely a thrilling ride and you will love the havoc these tourists wreak on this small town that, let’s face it, loves the drama just like us readers! The writing is gorgeous and stellar, but I’ll be honest, what got me reeled in were the characters! Viridiana was un-apologetically herself all the time. She wants what we all want, a life worth having lived. Where she can reach for the stars like anyone else. And she lies, cheats and maybe does more to get that. The Americans were quite colourful characters! I got caught in their web just like Viridiana!
There was a lot of suspense to be had and the book keeps you on the edge of your seat constantly. I’ll be honest though the beginning sets up a lot of groundwork so it takes a bit to get to that first moment of craziness. After that there is lots of tension mixed in with romance and murder and sabotaging. Yet, I think it ended almost too smoothly. I was hoping for that last minute WTF moment that I thought would come with thrillers, but no it was pretty chill. It was a good ending, satisfying too, but perhaps I was hoping for one more twist

Untamed shore takes place in Baja California following 18 year old viridiana as she questions what she wants in life and dealing with three mysterious strangers. Silvia Moreno- Garcia’s writing is simple but so elegant, I just love her descriptions of Baja California. The story starts slow but gradually grew more tense especially after that death happen. I enjoy our main character viridiana and loved her development throughout the story. It was nice seeing her go from native to learning how to use the skills she learn from the white family. I wished some of the side characters were fleshed out more but oh well. The commentary on class privilege was also well done,. Overall this book was amazing from the plot and setting to the main character, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Viridiana is an 18 year old woman living in a small fishing village in the Mexican state of Baja California. She lives a very sedate life with the main source of excitement watching the catching and killing of sharks sold by the fisherman as their principal livelihood. Like many other Mexican girls of her age she is under pressure to get married and move out of the house. She has greater ambitions than that and has already learned several languages, including English as well as having read many books giving her an educated picture of the world outside of her village. While her mother owns a shop and ekes out a living running it Viridiana due to her proficiency with language earns her spending money as a tour guide for tourists coming to her section of Baja California.
The story begins when three Americans move into her village and rent a house to stay in for the summer. These include an older man with a young wife and the wife's brother traveling with them. They contract Viridiana to help the husband who is writing a book with his work and also act as a translator for all three since none of them speaks Spanish. She also gets a room of her own while working with them as part of her pay. In short order a love affair develops between Viridiana and the wife's brother. She is thrilled at the attention she gets from him and also his promise to take her to Paris as soon as his brother in law finishes his work on the book.
When the husband dies under strange circumstances Viridiana tries to help out by supporting the story told to the police by the wife and her brother. Later, the husband's lawyer arrives and indicates that he has new instructions from the deceased about a will that establishes the procedure for granting about one million dollars to his wife. Again it is Viridiana that provides information supporting the wife and her brother to the lawyer.
The strength of the novel is the development of Viridiana in the light of what is happening. Ms Moreno-Garcia carefully shows the girl's reactions to the events she has fallen into and the story becomes an excellent portrait of her coming of age. This was the author's first published book and certainly showcases the entrance of a talented writer into the literary field.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this thriller through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings.  Though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. So occasionally I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were.

untamed shore (Silvia Moreno-Garcia)

Title: untamed shore

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Polis Books - Agora – Established in 2019, a "new imprint devoted to crime fiction from unique and diverse voices from across all cultural spectrums."

Publication Date: TODAY!!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1947993921

Source:  NetGalley

This be fourth book I have read by the author and me fourth five star read.  I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other.  The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history.  The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico.  The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era.  And this is a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979.  I adored this book!

The story follows Viridiana who lives in a small town called Desengaño where every day follows just like the one before it.  Instead of doing what is expected, like get married and have babies, Viridiana dreams of making it to a bigger city.  Her mastery of foreign languages, intelligence, and longing make her an outcast in her tiny community.  During the brief tourist season she makes a little money as a translator and tour guide.  The rest of the time she spends watching fisherman hunt sharks on the beach, watching classic Hollywood movies, reading, and dreaming.  Her life changes when three rich tourists come to town and she is asked to be not only a translator but also a personal assistant.  Life gets interesting when her employer dies.

This is a character driven story with plot twists and turns but is not really fast-paced.  That said the book was so absolutely satisfying.  Viridiana is a fantastic character whose naivete hurts to read about but her journey towards adulthood and reality is compelling.  Watching her struggle between her heart and her head is truly lovely even if ye want to shake her for her stupidity at times.  Viridiana's psychological journey was really the thriller aspect because of wondering if, and how, she could get out of the mess she found herself in.

I can't really get into more than that because of spoilers but I thought the ending was perfect and yet partially unexpected.  I thought all the shark symbolism was awesome.  I am in awe of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's talent and am so excited that she has another book coming out this year - Mexican Gothic on 6/30/2020.  Arrr!

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the first book I've read by her, but it sounds like she's taking publishing by storm at the moment. This book follows Viridiana in 1970s Baja California. She's always wanted to leave town in search of something bigger. After being hired by a wealthy American tourist, she gets more than she bargained for.

I loved this book's take on a classic noir. With its seaside setting and isolated town, it felt like a refreshing twist, and Viridiana's isolation and the plot twists kept me reading past my bedtime.

I really enjoyed this. The writing was excellent, and the characters were interesting.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

SMG is on fire! Three books publishing in less than a year! Fantasy novel Gods of Jade and Shadow was published July 2019, this mystery novel publishes in February 2020, and another horror novel called Mexican Gothic book comes out in June 2020 (dying to get my hands on this)! Ever since I read Signal to Noise I’ve appreciated her work and voice.

*small spoilers ahead*

This book is a departure from the Author’s normal fantasy-inspired worlds. It’s set in 1970’s Baja, Mexico, in a town called Desengaño (translates to disillusion). It’s a small fishing village known for the killing and selling of shark meat and parts (hello, cover inspo). The novel is told from the perspective of Viridiana — no nickname. She’s a young woman who is trying to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life that doesn’t involve staying in town and working at her mother’s store. The plot kicks off when a wealthy American family comes to town; Ambrose and his wife Daisy, and Daisy’s brother Gregory are staying during the off season so that Ambrose can write his autobiography or novel or whatever strikes his fancy. Ambrose hires Viridiana at the recommendation of a friend of a friend (a Dutch man who lives in town named Reynier, who used to be a friend of Viridiana’s father before her father moved away. Reynier taught Viridiana multiple languages and has been a companion to her). Viridiana is there to help Ambrose write, help the family get things from town, and translate with the locals. A perk of the job is that she is allowed to live with the family, which she sees value in because her mother’s house is not very welcoming (many half-siblings, rude step-father, mother nagging about Viridiana’s life).

The family turns out to be a bit more excitement than Viridiana expected. Ambrose has violent outbursts mostly directed towards his wife, Daisy plays hot and cold with her conversations with Viridiana, and Gregory starts a sexual relationship with Viridiana, though, notably, they never have sex because Viridiana doesn’t want to end up like her mother. She very quickly gets mixed up with their lives. On the night Ambrose dies, it’s clear that Daisy and Gregory are covering it up. Because of her naivety, Viridiana speaks with the cops and covers for Daisy and Gregory when they recount what happened. When Lawrence, Ambrose’s nephew, arrives to make arrangements for Ambrose’s death he also begins looking into his death and questioning everyone involved because he suspects Daisy killed him to get her payout of $1 million dollars. He earns Viridiana’s trust and she’s able to steer him in another direction. Daisy manipulates Viridiana into making sure she gets her money (otherwise she would acuse Viridiana for the death). The more she covers for Daisy and Gregory, the more she finds out about their past and the trouble they are running from in America.

The coming-of-age theme is the most prevalent in Viridiana’s relationship with Gregory. She quickly accepts his attention as love, and it makes her easily trust him (as with any young relationship, tbh). When the time comes, she chooses to lie for him after Ambrose’s death and is doubly disappointed in him later on when she digs into his past with Daisy. I was so satisfied with the ending here because it’s so justified for their relationship and the plot as a whole.

Another theme is how small this small town is. Viridiana was previously in a relationship with another boy in town and people expected her to marry him and settle down (at the young age of 18), but she resisted and alienated her family and friends because of it. Further, the other translator in town, Alejandro, harasses her after she takes up her friendship with Lawrence. People assume what they want to assume about her and Lawrence, but it’s not the reality. Cleverly, the author flips this trope when Viridiana uses town gossip for her own benefit. When she makes up her mind about right and wrong and her way out, it was smart to use the townspeople as an alibi for her movements. (Sorry this is a bit vauge, but I don’t want to spoil the ending.)

The conclusion was, as I mentioned, extremely satisfying. Viridiana uses Lawrence’s affection towards her as a means to escape the town. I think there’s real feelings there from her, but it’s overshadowed by her deep need to leave because of murder reasons, but also the urge to escape that was addressed at the beginning of the book.

To summarize, I had some frustration in the beginning because I felt that it took too long to get to the murder. I kept trying to guess who was going to die because it went on for quite a few chapters. The characters kept talking about people swimming with sharks, undercurrents drowning townspeople, and other accidental deaths, but we pretty much know right away who the killer is and from there it becomes a cover-up. Overall, I enjoyed how we got to see each characters strengths and weaknesses, and Viridiana’s overall character growth from innocent young woman to empowered personhood. I really recommend this for fans of thrillers like Ruth Ware and Agatha Christie (I get those vibes from the 1970s setting!).

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for the ARC!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Viridiana might have one of my favorite characters arcs in fiction.

The novel is a little slower than other suspenseful books I have read, but it definitely balances out and is worth it. The murder in the synopsis takes a while to appear, but the time spent before is spent developing the cast and the location so we can be shook as everything begins to shift for the second half of the book. As the entire second half is surprise after surprise after surprise.

The plot developed naturally and everything felt connected the further you went in. There weren't any surprises/revelations that didn't make sense. The town felt very small-town which is what is was, and I loved it. There was an intense feeling of isolation even with there being people around. And just in general, Moreno-Garcia is a great writer and her prose can just carry you through a novel.

I really don't want to spoil anything but if you are only going to read one noir book in your life it should be this one.

When you read a book you may be thinking that it’s interesting, wondering about what’s going to happen next, suffering about a character’s fate or picturing the setting in your mind. Silvia Moreno Garcia’s novels accomplish all this, using the most beautiful the prose. Now, a lot of atmospheric novels with beautiful language are, honestly, boring but Moreno Garcia’s are not. She is the real deal: a superior writer who gets you engrossed in her plots. In her first thriller, she tells the story of Viridiana, a nice girl from a poor family in Mexico who is not happy with her life. She works hard and, her knowledge of languages gets her a job as a personal assistant to an American tourist. What starts in her mind as a Montgomery Cliff-Liz Taylor romance turns suddenly into the darkest noir and it all goes downhill from there. The characters are complex, they may have bad traits but even the villains have redeemable qualities. I knew what was going to happen with Viridiana’s crush but, being so young, it’s understandable how she gets blindsided. She is naïve but also smart, so she learns quickly. I was worried about her and hoped that she’d get out of the novel in a better position. The one TW I add to my reviews is animal cruelty. Know that there are passages describing the killing of sharks that I had to skip, but this is not gratuitous, as it is an important part of the background of the novel and a metaphor of the closed society Viridiana lives in.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Polis Books-Agora Books!