I tried really hard to get into this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I even tried waiting and starting again later, but I just couldn’t get into it.

The setting—Mexico in the 1970s—was interesting, and the mix of noir and political intrigue had potential, but it didn’t totally hook me. Maite and Elvis were unique protagonists, but their separate storylines felt a little uneven. There were some cool moments with spies and government agents, but overall, it didn’t leave a huge impact. If you like slow-burn mysteries with historical backdrops, you might enjoy it more than I did.

I recently read Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and as a fan of her previous works, I was eager to dive into this one. Set in 1970s Mexico City, the novel masterfully blends historical events with a gripping noir narrative. The story follows Maite, a secretary with a penchant for romantic comics, and Elvis, a member of a government-sanctioned group tasked with quelling political dissent. Their paths intertwine as they become entangled in the mysterious disappearance of Maite’s neighbor, Leonora. Moreno-Garcia’s vivid portrayal of the era, combined with well-developed, flawed characters, kept me hooked from start to finish. The atmospheric tension and intricate plot twists made it hard to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys immersive historical fiction with a noir twist.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Velvet Was the Night is a winding historical noir that hooked me from page one. I'm constantly amazed at how versatile Moreno-Garcia is in her ability to write across genres continuously. And her use of Mexican history is both fascinating and gripping. Velvet Was the Night did not disappoint. It's dark, gritty, and full of twists and turns with vivid characters that,, while not loveable, draw you in so that you want to cheer them on.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy of this book. Unfortunately, I am not able to finish it. I have tried multiple times to get through it but it is just too slow. While there is a lot of historical detail, I'm giving up at 20%. Maybe next time!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this gifted copy.
DNF at 15%. I was hoping for something a little faster paced. Definitely a lot of historical elements.

silvia moreno garcia is and will always be an author i admire and really root for, being Mexican myself i will always champion as many mexican authors as i can -there's not many main stream ones so SMG is like my shinning beacon. There's just something about her writing that really pulls me in. velvet was the night was such a good historical crime noir novel. perfect for anyone wanting to diversify their bookshelves.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Velvet Was the Night is a captivating noir steeped in 1970s Mexico City. The story unfolds through the eyes of Maite, a lonely secretary, and Elvis, a disillusioned member of a paramilitary group. Their contrasting perspectives weave a gripping mystery around a missing woman, all set against the backdrop of a turbulent political climate. Moreno-Garcia's evocative prose brings the city alive, and the characters' journeys are both intriguing and thought-provoking. This is a must-read for fans of historical noir with a fresh perspective.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a captivating read for fans of atmospheric, suspenseful mysteries and noir fiction, particularly those who appreciate the dark, tense, and mysterious vibes of 1970s Mexico City, as well as the themes of crime, politics, and the power of music to bring people together.

I'm throwing in the towel at 18%. I slogged my way through Mexican Gothic after switching from print to audio, so I'm not sure why I thought this one would be different. I mean, do MFA programs teach that dialogue is a dirty word? Because there was precious little in the early chapters. Also, the heroine is 30 going on 14. Yes, yes, 1970s different time blah, blah, blah - and while her terrible family should have made her sympathetic, it somehow doesn't (which is a neat trick). I don't care about her. I don't care about our revolutionary thug. I don't care about any of it. Giving up, moving on.

A crackling noir from one of the most diverse voices in adult fiction. Whether she’s writing horror, reimagining classics, or cutting her teeth on crime fiction, it seems theirs nothing Silvia Moreno Garcia can’t do.

Characters and scenes pop off the pages thanks to vivid descriptions and sizzling dialogue. This is a book you won’t find yourself bored with. Highly recommended.

First, anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia releases I will gobble up, just shovel it into my mouth. hehe. Velvet Was the Night is an electric noir novel set in dangerous 1970s Mexico. When her activist neighbor Leonora goes missing, unlikely detective Maite dives into the radical underworld seeking answers. Parallel to Maite's story is Elvis, a rock-loving hired gun also tracking Leonora. As their paths intersect, secrets are revealed about Leonora's double life. Silvia brings 1970s Mexico City to vivid life through rich details and political intrigue. The unlikely duo of Maite and Elvis makes for an odd couple detective story full of suspense and humor.

I've come to expect Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books to take me out of Northeastern Oklahoma and transport me to Mexico. Her stories are dark enough to feel the grit and smell the heat as the characters come to life on the page. Whether they travel the same path or collide at the cross roads, their lives will change when they meet. Moreno-Garcia is a skillful writer, building the Mexican communities and developing those who populate their streets into characters that you'd swear you know.

A blazing 1970s noir, when a young secretary's next door neighbor disappears, she suddenly finds herself in the midst of a terrifyingly all-too-real mystery that seems to much more dangerous than she could have ever anticipated.

I have a great appreciation for the way Silvia Moreno-Garcia experiments and doesn't stick to one genre like many other authors. However, it also means that some books work better for me than others. Set against the backdrop of 1970s Mexico City, this book has an interesting sociopolitical setting. A time of such upheaval led to a setting rife with mistrust and violence. It was something I didn't know much about going into the book but I got immersed very quickly. My main issue was something I struggle with in many dual POV books, which is that I almost always end up with a large preference for one POV over the other. I found Maite to be a very vapid and infuriating person to follow. I have no issue with unlikeable main characters but including her perspective honestly didn't add anything useful to the story. I would have much rather followed Elvis around for the entirety of the book.

[Review will be published on January 13, 2024.]

Moral of the story: if your neighbor finally introduces herself after six months and immediately asks you to watch her cat for two days, it's probably best to decline lest you find yourself encountering hitmen and corrupt government officials while trying to solve her disappearance so you can get paid.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia again proves that she is a master with a pen and can weave compelling stories no matter the genre. Velvet Was The Night is a noir crime novel which means that it's a gritty detective story with flawed main characters who live rather bleak lives in a city/country rife with political corruption.

There are moments of the book where the third-person narration reads like a narrator in a gritty noir film, coming alive on the page in my mind. Moreno-Garcia's writing transports the reader to a different time and place with evocative writing that isn't cumbersome to read.

As with some of her other works of literary fiction, the pace is slow and takes some time for the plot to develop and make itself known to the reader. While I found my mind wandering during the first quarter of the book, the book was insidiously sinking its teeth into me and suddenly I couldn't put the book down. There's a lot of character information shared in the narrative, pages and pages of various tidbits that don't appear to have any meaning but readers who pay attention are rewarded when they begin to piece together the mystery.

With dual POVs and antiheroes conducting their own investigations in parallel, at times I struggled to keep track of which information was revealed by which character. That said, I really enjoyed the framing of the narrative with Elvis and Maite on "opposite" ends and coming to their own realizations about the world they live in. I hope they each find happiness because they deserve more than their sad existences.

Overall, Velvet Was The Night is a thought-provoking piece of noir fiction that explores political corruption through the mystery of a missing girl and the various groups who want to find her. Though the story is set in 1971 against the backdrop of real events of a student movement, it resonates today and (sadly) could happen today -- making it an even more powerful read.

eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley for my consideration. This has not affected my opinions of the book nor the content of my review. I have since purchased a finished copy.

3.5 stars

This was fine, but a little too slow-paced for me. I feel like not a lot happened and it should have been a little more intriguing considering it was a mystery (and I think thriller is definitely a stretch).

I love that SMG writes so many different genres, but this is not one of my favorite books of hers.

I think this type of book really isn't for me. So knowing I'm not the intended audience, my review is not helpful. Plus at this point, the book has been out for more than 2 years. Sorry for such a delay but thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia for the chance to read and review.

I rarely read a book in the course of a weekend, but I could not put this one down. Velvet Was the Night has the ambiance of a Jim Jarmusch film, longing and dread painting every page. Maite and Elvis are broken, captivating, and worth cheering for.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3922683350

I had tried reading this book a few different times. The first time trying to read it, It was a DNF at 15%. After reading the second time I eventually finished the audio version of Velvet Was The Night but only because I sped up the audiobook to get through it. I am a fan of Silvia's work and was looking forward to this book. I was quickly let down by the frequently language at the very being of the book. Now, I am not a prude but it was setting up the book for failure IMO.

I felt this type of story did not flow with SIliva's style of books from from her past writings I have read. Mind you, I have read every book but one, Siliva has written. This one- Velvet Was the Night just didn't feel like it was written by her. When I think of Siliva's Written, I think of gothic, unique, and spooky storylines. This just wasn't that type of book.