Velvet Was The Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexico City in the 1970s was a hotbed of political intrigue, as rival factions struggled for control of the nation. Elvis is a young man recruited to The Hawks, one of the right-wing paramilitary groups sent to infiltrate student organizations suspected of communist leanings. He’s good at his job, though has a strong distaste for the violence that several others in his unit seem to revel in. Personally, he doesn’t really care about politics: he’s just glad for employment. Work prospects have been dim since he came to the city from his rural hometown, and he’s grateful to his boss, El Mago, for giving him the opportunity. Plus he admires how El Mago is a man of wealth and taste, and aspires to be just like him one day.

Maite is a secretary, on the verge of turning thirty and desperately longing for a life of romance and adventure. She’s addicted to the romance comics she buys from the newspaper vendor, to the exclusion of almost anything else. Politics certainly holds no interest for her, even when headlines blare about recent clashes in her own city:

QUOTE
The papers were all talking about the confrontation that had taken place on Thursday. “The president is willing to listen to everyone,” declared <i>Excélsior</i>. She hardly paid attention to the headlines. Sure, she’d heard chatter about the student demonstration, but politics seemed terribly dull.

Love, frail as gossamer, stitched together from a thousand songs and a thousand comic books, made of the dialogue spoken in films and the posters designed by ad agencies: love was what she lived for.
END QUOTE

If only love was more for her than a story she reads in comic books! Maite fears aging and loneliness and poverty, but she doesn’t really know what to do about coming to terms with or preventing any of those things. At least on the money front, she makes a little extra income pet sitting animals in her apartment building when their owners go away. That’s how she gets acquainted with Leonora, the glamorous student living across the hallway from her.

Leonora hires her for a weekend, promising to be back by Monday at the latest, but when Leonora suddenly calls asking Maite to bring her cat and a box to a certain address, Maite agrees, if less than graciously. To Maite’s dismay, Leonora never shows up for their rendezvous. Maite tries asking around after her and unwittingly gets swept up in the very political chaos she’s never had time for before.

Meanwhile, Elvis has been tasked with finding Leonora and retrieving a camera with incriminating photographs. As he investigates her disappearance, he can’t help noticing the prim, spinsterish secretary whose path keeps crossing his. But men like him don’t have time for romance, not if they want to stay alive in a treacherous world of quasi-legal maneuverings and double-crosses. It doesn’t help that he operates in a virtual alphabet soup of agencies:

QUOTE
Ears were a dime a dozen. Justo had been sniffing around Asterisk for the DGIPS, and this bozo had been talking to Anaya, and there was some Russian fucker too, and for all Elvis knew the CIA and Santa Claus also had spies in that little commie nest. Overkill and a lack of coordination. That was the problem. The DFS hated the DGIPS thinking they were hicks, and the DGIPS thought DFS agents were stuffy pricks.
END QUOTE

Velvet Was The Night is a remarkably evocative noir novel set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent political times in Mexico’s recent history. Silvia Moreno-Garcia deftly maneuvers our two almost-anti-heroes through a dance of revolutionaries, reactionaries and misdeeds, setting them to chase down the MacGuffin of Leonora’s photographs while each longing for a better life. More importantly, both Maite and Elvis struggle to come to terms with the faults in their own expectations, even as the reader grows to sympathize with these flawed but relatable leads. It’s not quite a romance novel, but it does feel deeply romantic, with a truly wonderful ending.

I do not have a lot of knowledge of noir. I do not have a lot of knowledge of The Dirty War in Mexico in the 1970's. My knowledge of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is limited to her last novel, Mexican Gothic, but that was enough to send me scurrying to NetGalley in the hopes of gaining access to her latest work. I'm so glad I did, because this was wonderful. I don't often get terribly excited over covers, but this one absolutely nails the feeling of the book and is gorgeous. And the prose contained within was exceptional. This is a gritty story, a bit more than I would normally take on, but the violence isn't gratuitous and is necessary within the context of events. The story grabs on right away and moves quickly, barely allowing the reader to catch a breath. Overall an excellent story and another triumph for the author. Well done.

I was provided an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to Ms. Moreno-Garcia, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for granting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
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They say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but just LOOK at this super-cool cover art for the new noir-mystery novel from Silvia Moreno-Garcia! How could this book not be cool? If you recognized the author’s name, it’s likely because I reviewed (and really liked) one of her previous novels, “Mexican Gothic.” But don’t be fooled, “Velvet” is a very different story. The story is a noir set in 1970s Mexico. The novel centers on two main characters: Maite, a secretary whose status as a single lady is starting to grate, and Elvis, part of a group of covert enforcers tasked with quelling political dissent. When Maite’s wealthy neighbor goes missing, the suspicious circumstances of her disappearance bring our very different characters together.
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I don’t normally read a lot of mystery, or noir, but Moreno-Garcia is an author that has made me willing to step out of my reading comfort zone. I hadn’t read much horror before “Mexican Gothic” and that was a great read. This book highlights the author’s ability to jump into different genres. Given my inexperience with noir, I wasn’t accustomed for the slower pacing inherent in the genre. Unlike a thriller or a horror, this story delves deeper into character development than the rapid progression of the plot. Don’t be alarmed though, this story still has its fair share of twists! And I liked the distinctiveness of our MCs. I also appreciate the unique setting in this book, I enjoyed reading about social and political life in 1970s Mexico. Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read. Try it out, whether noir is new for you or not!

This was a really cool story, it reads like a movie and i would watch that movie. Not to mention, Moreno-Garcia's prose improves with each new book. Great read and I love that she serves such a variety of genres and fully realized tone/aesthetics every time.

In 1970s Mexico City, political unrest bubbled beneath the surface of everyday life, and sometime boiled over in the form of protests, riots, and violence. In the midst of this, El Elvis is part of a gang seeking to quell leftist protesters. He hates violence and he loves rock ‘n roll and old movies. His life has been strange, and though he wants to rise even higher in his shadowy mentor’s favor, part of him yearns for something like a normal life. Maite, meanwhile, is newly-minted thirty-year old woman trapped in a dead end office job. She yearns for excitement in her life, or at least a boyfriend who will make her feel beautiful and wanted. But her own apathy gets in the way of her advancement, and so she loses herself in romance stories and rock ‘n roll music. When Maite’s beautiful neighbor, the artistic Leonora, asks Maite to look after her cat for the weekend, Maite agrees for the sake of the money Leonora offers. But after Leonora disappears without a trace, Maite ends up in the midst of an investigation that brings her into a world of artists, dissidents, spies, and the secret police. Elvis, meanwhile, is also looking for Leonora– or the photographs she took at a protest– but after encountering Maite and her taste in music, he slowly grows more intrigued by this ordinary woman wrapped up in extraordinary events. With gangs, spies, and the secret police slowly tightening the noose around their lives, Maite and Elvis must find a way out before their worlds explode.

With every new novel, Silvia Moreno-Garcia explores a new subgenre. In The Beautiful Ones, was a fantastical comedy of manners; Certain Dark Things told a vampire story set in modern Mexico City; in 2020’s Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia delved into the eerie world of Gothic horror. In Velvet was the Night she takes on noir fiction to a somewhat mixed effect, putting the reader in the midst of political turmoil in 1970s Mexico, with a right-wing president actively suppressing leftist demonstrations, political factions, and student groups with the aide of organized street gangs, CIA operatives, and his own secret police. So far, so noir. But Moreno-Garcia tells her story through the eyes of two young people, Elvis and Maite, whose lives until now have had little to do with politics. Neither of them imagines being heroes or martyrs for a cause. They just want to listen to their music and dream their rock ‘n roll dreams. Maite, especially, is an ordinary person. She’s just turned thirty, hates her job, is sick of her mother’s nagging, and is short of the cash that will allow her to get her car back from the mechanic. When intrigue comes her way, she doesn’t end up in the middle of it because she thinks it’s glamorous- she wants the money her missing neighbor Leonora owes her. Maite is almost an ‘everyman’, though not as likeable as that quintessential archetype. She half-heartedly takes action to improve her life, then abandons that to read the latest issue of her favorite romantic comic. She’s a petty thief who steals trinkets from her neighbors. She is a complete foil for the artists and revolutionaries she ends up with, who are willing to risk life and limb for a cause.

While some readers might condemn Maite for being apathetic, she’s not so different from real people. How many of us spend the weekends complaining about work, talk about going off on some adventure or looking for a new job, and then head back to our usual lives on Monday morning? Maite’s response to her situation is just what a “normal” person’s reaction would be- to imagine herself walking into a romantic and adventurous situation, only to find that the reality is far dirtier and not nearly as romantic as her daydreams.

For Elvis’s part, in spite of his unusual life, his true dream is far more ordinary, as one might expect for someone who has lived on the fringes of society and imagines that spending a Saturday night at a cafe listening to good music with a pretty girl might be the best thing ever.

In Velvet was the Night, neither of the main characters are heroes. But after all, noir isn’t a genre of bright shiny heroes. Elvis and Maite are plunged into dramatic- even melodramatic- circumstances. There is darkness all around, and while neither of them are dark people, they’re not beacons of goodness, either. Noir is a genre that deals with the dark, and its characters are, to a one, morally ambiguous. There are no easy answers, and there is no certainty. And while there are answers for Elvis and Maite, they are as likely to disappear into the night as shadows are.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion.

I believe this was my first historical Noir and it left me wanting more. I wanted faster paced twists and turns. I also did not like any of the characters - especially Maite. The atmosphere built by the author was wonderful, though. I could smell and envision Mexico City when I closed my eyes after reading one of the descriptive paragraphs. I think it just comes down to Historical Noir not being my favorite genre. But if you are a fan of this author and this genre - I think you will love it.

Really riveting noir against the background of student movements in Mexico City in the 70s. Moreno-Garcia writes us some complicated and flawed main characters who you still can't help but root for. Her prose is direct and attention-grabbing. I couldn't put it down!

A vacuous young women patterns her life after the romantic comic books she reads. Additionally, she likes to steal little things from people's homes. The plot was not interesting. I felt the characters were cardboard cutouts and could not identify with them. I may not be the author's target audience.

“Some people are made to be lonely.”

Thank you to Del Rey, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Netgalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia dives into the noir genre with her newest book. One of the things I love about her books is that each one is so fresh and different from anything she’s written before. I haven’t read a ton of noir before so I wasn’t too sure what to expect.

The loneliness of the two main characters, Maite and Elvis, just seeps off the pages, even when they aren’t actually alone. I really struggled with Maite’s character and her self-loathing. I can’t decide if this character aspect was intentional by the author or a just me thing. I loved Elvis’s chapters even though he is arguably the antihero of the book, a thug with a heart of gold type of guy.

I also learned something new about Mexico’s political history in the 70s. I knew that the US government had a dark history of manipulating politics in Latin and South America due to their panicky fear of communism but hadn’t actually read anything about the US’s involvement in Mexico before. The author included an excellent note at the end of the book that talks about this that I encourage readers to read as well.

SYNOPSIS
Mexico City, 1970s. Maite is a lonely secretary whose life is stuck in a rut. She can’t seem to get ahead, loathes her job and lives for the next edition of Secret Romance. After her neighbor goes missing leaving Maite stuck watching her cat, Maite decides to take action for once in her life and track Leonora down. What Maite doesn’t realize is that Leonora may or may not be in possession of photos that the government considers dangerous. And that there are many dangerous elements, including a thug named Elvis, watching her every move and circling closer and closer.

Velvet Was the Night is out August 17!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4078324093?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
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i'm fascinated w silvia moreno-garcia's prose, there's something about it that's so distinct and unlike other writers. anyway it's really good and well-plotted, kept me interested even though i questioned a couple of choices

This is a moody noir with a slow burn. It didn't quite get to the payoff I expected, but I really enjoyed the journey. Plus a small lesson in Mexican history.

Velvet Was the Night is set in 1971. Maite is quiet secretary who loves collecting records and books, reading the romance comics, and daydreaming about a more adventurous life. Her landlord tells the other tenants that she’s reliable, so she ends up watching her neighbors cat for a few days, but ends up being in the middle of a political conflict that she’s not entirely prepared for.

I read Mexican Gothic and loved that one, so I was so happy to get this ARC. However, these books are different genres. Velvet was the Night is historical and noir—there’s nothing paranormal in this. Fans of noir will for sure love this one!

Velvet Was the Night’s pub day is approaching on August 17! I think you should check this one out!

Thank you @netgalley and @delreybooks for this gifted copy!

I loved this unique blend of noir and historical fiction. Set in 1970s Mexico City, Velvet Was The Night explores themes of political unrest, corruption, loneliness, and self-discovery. This is a bold step away from Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s typical genre and I’m pleased to report that her execution is remarkable. She manages to capture the essence of noir by creating a bleak atmosphere of suspense and developing complex characters with cynical voices. I was so engrossed by Maite and Elvis’ stories that I devoured the book in less than a day to find out how their paths would eventually cross. I foresee myself reading this one again and discovering even more about it to enjoy. Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray for providing me with an e-galley.

One sentence summary:
Maite is a day-dreaming secretary who is suddenly thrust into the political unrest of 1970s Mexico when her neighbor suddenly disappears under suspicious circumstances, and her desire to uncover the truth about what happened is shared by an eccentric criminal named Elvis, leading them both into a web of hitmen, government agents and Russian spies.

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Man, I really loved this one!! It’s the perfect mix of gritty noir and political intrigue and thriller and just a tiny touch of beautiful kismet. It’s a slow burn that takes its time luxuriating in character, interesting detail and historical tensions. The pay-off, at the end - in my humble opinion - is HUGE. It’s worth every minute.

I’m going to keep this short, so that I don’t reveal any spoilers, but I LOVED the character of Maite and adored Elvis and thought this was unique, fun, fascinating and moving.

And then you throw in this title?? And that cover??? Forget about it.

As a side note, I really enjoyed this one much more than Mexican Gothic, which was Moreno-Garcia’s last book. But honestly, that probably comes down to personal taste more than anything else. The writing, in both, is very strong. But I am MASSIVELY impressed that the same author wrote both of those books as they are SO very different.

This is one of my top reads of the year. I recommend it if you like historical fiction, noir or political thrillers.

It comes out Aug. 17!

Thank you Ballantine for the ARC!

I have never read a Noir genre before. Even though it read like a classic movie, it was actually fun at times to read. The book opens with a riot going on in Mexico and corrupt politicians and journalist waiting to expose all of the juicy details, it seriously reminded me of something I watch on Netflix. We meet Maite who is a secretary at some firm, she's an amazing woman who is knowledgeable and trying to find love and acceptance with her family.

Anyway this woman has a neighbor that turns her whole life upside down and then POW the book unravels and then I am not as interested after that, there was so much going on, and I even stopped and then continued to read it again. The ending wrapped everything up, and I was thinking to myself "ok this was worth pushing through."

It is a slow burn but if you are into the Noir Genre then this is the book for you. But overall I love the mystery behind corrupt politics.

CWs: (gang) violence; descriptions of graphic injury and blood; death; physical assault; some sexual content; some homophobic slurs; brief allusion to sexual harassment; and brief mention of a past predatory relationship

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, master literary shape-shifter, has done it once again in delivering a unique, fascinating story that's as compelling as it is challenging.

Velvet Was the Night is a historical noir thriller set in 1970's Mexico City. Because it is considered "noir," it's important to understand that noir is a specific subgenre of crime fiction characterized by morally ambiguous characters and viewpoints as well as cynicism. This book definitely hits that mark. You may not "agree" with the characters or "like" the characters, but they're undeniably compelling and trapped in a quickly spiraling set of circumstances. One of them is a member of a notorious gang and the other is a cynical broke woman who engages in petty theft just to feel something.

I like that neither of these characters actually care about finding this missing woman because they especially care about justice, but because they have vested transactional interest in tracking her down. Elvis is following Leonora's trail because that's what his boss ordered him to do, and Maite is only retracing Leonora's steps because the missing woman owes her money and she's hoping there's a hefty chunk of change at the end of the tunnel. I think it's fascinating they they're not especially motivated by justice, and furthermore it begs the question of what "justice" even means or looks like within this specific time period in Mexican history where political corruption was running rampant.

There's also a fascinating parallel between Maite and Elvis in the sense that neither of them are free to make their own choices. They always answer to someone else with more power, they're both trapped in these very fixed systems, and they both desire a different way of living for themselves.

Additionally, I think there's an interesting commentary on the parallel between "male fantasy" and "female fantasy" throughout the story. (As a non-binary person, it chafes me to use such reductive terms. But I do so for the sake of clarity.) The "male fantasy," embodied by Elvis' world, is shaped by desire for power, aggression, and violence. The "female fantasy," represented by Maite and her undying devotion to romance comics, revolves largely around desire/desirability, romance, sexual gratification, and drama. The story not only shows that there's more overlap between these two (seemingly) "opposite" fantasies than we often think, but that neither one is "better" than the other, because they're ultimately both just fantasies, not reality.

I also think it's fascinating that the official synopsis makes it seem like Maite and Elvis will eventually meet and formulate some kind of relationship, when that's not what actually happens. Their alternate narratives are completely separate for a majority of the story, but still strongly connected in the sense that Maite's actions might impact Elvis in some way, and vice versa, whether they realize it or not. There's almost more tension in the fact that they *don't* meet, because they're continuously circling each other and getting closer and closer to each other without actually knowing it. I think that’s a great dynamic that really adds an extra layer of tension on top of what’s already an intense mystery.

All in all, this is a very plot-forward story with strong political overtones and an ever-evolving air of mystery. While I wouldn't necessarily say it's my favorite of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books, that's not a huge knock against it when you consider her incredible range as an author. She's still one of the best authors, in my humble opinion, and if you're hankering for an intense noir thriller that centers Mexico and Mexican characters, this would absolutely fit the bill and then some.

The cover was what actually caught my eye to start. Once I realized who the author was I knew it was going to be good. SMG did another great job. The characters were very complex and I enjoyed watching them develop as the story goes on. I really enjoyed the historical component as well as it is an era I haven't read before!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Velvet Was the Night, the latest from Silvia Moreno-Garcia (the author of Mexican Gothic). Whether or not you enjoyed Mexican Gothic, I encourage you to pick up Velvet Was the Night (out next week on August 17th!).

Admittedly, I was not a huge fan of Mexican Gothic. While I could appreciate the fact that it was beautifully written, it was a bit too out there for me. I’m also not much of a horror fan. However, apart from the country in which the book takes place, this historical fiction noir could not be more different than the author’s last book.

Set in Mexico City in the 1970s, the book follows the overlapping stories of Maite and Elvis. Maite is a lonely secretary who spends her days reading romance and listening to her vast record collection. Elvis is an ex-convict turned “Hawk” (a government trained paramilitary group). When Maite’s neighbor, Leonora, goes missing after a deadly political riot, Maite begins searching for answers. Meanwhile, Elvis is assigned to investigate the disappearance of Leonora. As the two wander down a path of lies, murder, secret agents and political secrets, Maite and Elvis’ lives eventually intersect.

I really enjoyed reading this one and learning about the political upheaval in 1970s Mexico. While the book certainly has elements of a mystery/thriller, it reads much slower than a typical thriller and instead focuses in on character development and the historical setting. If you enjoy slow-burn mysteries and/or political conspiracies, this one’s for you!

A historical noir set in 1970s Mexico following two characters from completely different worlds. Maite, borderline unlikeable, is an apathetic secretary who isn't satisfied with anything in her life. Elvis is a surprisingly amiable enforcer who thinks there must be more to life. Slowly unfolding, we watch as they both become entangled in the web surrounding a missing girl. While the pacing was a little slow for my taste, noir fans and those looking for an accessible introduction to the genre, as well as anyone looking to immerse themselves in an interesting and tumultuous time and political atmosphere will appreciate Moreno-Garcia's latest.

honestly when i decided to read velvet was the night i had no idea what will i gotten into, except that the event of this book happened around mexican in the 1970s. as i dove into the story the understanding came in: this was a story about the disappearance of a young, twenty one years old leonora with the important camera files. it was a time when activists and protestors were being the target of violence and prosecuted by polices and governments.

the main characters itself were interesting. the dual pov did really a good job for portraying character with vastly different job and lives yet they’re almost identical inside—lonely, brokenhearted, and having a passion on books and musics. i can relate to some of elvis and maite thoughts about lives, but mostly maite’s thoughts. she’s not your typical, traditionally attractive or talented or lucky main character, and i liked her for that. she’s so human. such a breath of fresh air. and there was a red thread that connecting these two characters together. the epilogue was hands down, a nice conclusion on the story. it was realistic.


mystery surroundings the disappearance of leonora and the most wanted photo files was one of the thing keeping me intrigued; because she’s The typical main character—here she’s a side yet important key character—she’s surrounded by people and men who admired her. it would keep you wondering, which one of them lead her to her vanishing and what was the photos are. and the biggest plot twist was pretty shocking for me.

overall velvet was the night was a good read.