I wanted to love this book so much. The cover, the synopsis, 1970 vibes...it sounded like the perfect book. Maybe it was the writing style but the constant repeating of Maite not having enough money for her car and wanting to live in her comics and Elvis having sex with a girl in a cult and wanting to prove himself. It became very monotonous. It was also challenging to follow the political talk not having any background knowledge of Mexican politics or history. I wish the story had been more thrilling and more of a true historical fiction.

First of all, the cover is so eye catching! This book is described as a noir. It is heavily character driven and is based around the political unrest in 1970s Mexico City. First we have the disappearance of Leonora, who is Maite’s neighbor. Maite is in her 30s, down on her luck, and her family considers her a disappointment. She is in desperate need of something happening in her life to jolt her back into living. Elvis, our other narrator, is a criminal who gets assigned to watch Maite in hopes she’ll lead them to Leonora whom everyone assumes as a valuable roll of film. As a noir suggests, all the characters are morally grey and I didn’t find myself rooting for them or caring that deeply about them. Silvia Moreno Gracia has a beautiful writing style though, that draws you in. I did find the premise very informative and I learned about a time in history I hadn’t heard of before. The release date is August 17. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this! I’m giving it 3.5 rounded up.

This book has a great historical atmosphere and explores a time/place that most American readers are probably not familiar with. I really felt for Elvis and his struggles (though the other protagonist, Maite, was a less sympathetic character for me, probably in part because of the negative way she sees herself and because I was constantly waiting for her to kill the poor cat who is probably the character I was most worried about in this whole book! Ha! Other cat lovers may rest easy, she does not kill the cat.) This is a slow burn thriller/mystery but the stakes are high, the twists do keep coming, and the ending was fabulous. Well worth reading.

I am not completely sure why, but this book fell flat for me. Maybe noir isn't my thing? The story seemed slow, and also had excessive details that I found unnecessary. The characters, however, seemed lifelike, which was reassuring.

2.5 stars. I really wanted to love this book. I’ve been intrigued by Silvia Moreno-Garcia but had never read any of her books until now. The cover is stunning, the premise sounds promising, and yet it just fell flat. No character was particularly likable, especially our female protagonist Maite, who was such a drab and pathetic stiff from start to finish. I also found the storyline was predictable before I was even halfway through the book, which is always a bit of a bummer.

What I did appreciate about this book was the author incorporating notable events in Mexican history as the basis for the story; it taught me something and piqued my interest. However overall I was left wanting more. More character development, more explanation to help me understand this part of history, more depth, more to pull me in and grab me.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this read. It had similar vibes to the last book I read by this author. The vibe was eery and the plot was engaging going forward.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley. The full review will be posted on Goodreads on August 3rd and shared on Twitter. Review will be posted on Amazon after the book is released.
Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/17108692-paul-mcguire
Twitter: @pdmcguirelaw

Velvet is the Night starts off with a bang. A protest turns violent and one of the infiltrators is on his way to the hospital. Elvis continues as our guide to the world of the Hawks. Soon Maite, a music lover addicted to romance comics, finds herself sucked into a world of intrigue. Maite and Elvis both share a love for music not shared by most of the other characters, adding a deeper layer of atmosphere through their playlists.

Little do Maite and Elvis know they are both searching for the same missing woman, though for completely different reasons. This search sucks Maite into a world she could never have imagined existing around her all this time; a world of subversive elements and law enforcement tracking their every move. Soon Maite finds herself in the center of a conflict that rivals the dramas in her favorite comic books.

The story is based off a protest against government overreach in Mexico in the 1970s and the Hawks the government sent in to suppress dissent. Though many Americans may not be familiar with the Dirty War this story is based off, elements of the story will be familiar. Most Americans are have watched movies about various groups the FBI watched in the United States. The closest film I watched most recently is Seberg. But there are many others like it exploring the FBI's surveillance of the Black Panthers and other groups in the 60's and 70's.

Velvet is the Night builds the tension, introducing us to the various elements of the story, that explodes in a clash. Through all the energy are a few big reveals that I did not see coming. I found it refreshing to follow a main character who felt real thanks to detailed character development. Though early on I thought there was a bit much back story, it helped humanize Maite and made me care about her struggle.

Last year I was sucked into the horror of Mexican Gothic and the magic of Gods of Jade and Shadow. After finishing this, I read an early copy of her novella, Return of the Sorceress. Each book is so distinct that I am amazed that they are by the same author. Yet there is a talent for storytelling visible throughout all her works. Velvet is the Night rivals the excellent crime novels I have read over the past few years from Tana French and Peter James.

I was hoping this book would never end. Such an amazing world of Noir. Reminded me of "A Touch of Evil" but this was much much better. Great characters and full of surprises coming at you from from every dark corner! Cant wait to see where this author pops up next!

This was a slow burn thriller with and the mystery surrounding the mysterious disappearance of a neighbor and the backstory of the leader of the Hawks. The characters were developed and showed a modicum of growth through the story. What I would have liked to have seen more of was the historical aspects of what was happening in Mexico in the 1960s. I knew very little of the back story which was significant to the overall plot and felt I would have benefitted more from having the history woven into the novel as opposed to the brief blurb in the afterword. This is my second book by Moreno-Garcia and I preferred Mexican Gothic to this one but will continue to look for more works by the author.

I don't know enough about the Noir genre to assess how this fits into it, but I loved this book as historical fiction with a light layer of suspense. The two main characters progress in their own orbits, rarely crossing paths, but the reader knows how much they have in common and so it has the feeling of a long preamble to a romance. But, it's definitely not a romance novel. This story taught me a lot about a period of Mexican history I knew little about, and I loved the precise and flawed characters. The ending was phenomenal. Even if it feels like a slow start, the build-up is worth it. So many readers are going to love this next novel by Moreno-Garcia.

Velvet was the Night is set in 1970s Mexico City during the Mexican Dirty War which was a time of great political unrest. We jump between two perspectives, Maite, an ordinary thirty-something secretary and Elvis, a young man who is part of a secret para-military group called the Hawks. Maite is a girl after my own heart, who lives for her favorite fantasy and romance stories and her music. She doesn't have many friends and doesn't care much for her drab life or her job. Things start to get interesting when her neighbor, Leonora, who lives in the apartment across the hall asks her for a favor and then mysteriously goes missing. Maite takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of her neighbors disappearance. At the same time Elvis has also been tasked with finding out what happened to Leonora. We get bits and pieces of information from both characters and the author does an excellent job of weaving all the pieces together to make for a compelling story,

Maite was a really interesting protagonist to me and when I first started reading I wasn't so sure how a felt about her. She has some traits that initially made me not like her very much but as we get to know her better throughout the book, I understand why she is the way she is. She ends up being a super relatable character in the most unexpected ways and that was really refreshing. Both characters are lonely and we get this sense of longing for something more out of life from both of them. The overall tone of the book is dark, gritty and real and it is definitely more of a slow burn mystery. So while there wasn't a ton of action, we get just enough to propel the story along and there is a nice twist at the end that I did not see coming. I loved the way the Moreno-Garcia ended it. I really really enjoyed this book and I would recommend to fans of noir, historical fiction and slow burn mysteries or thrillers.

I really enjoyed Velvet Was the Night. It is truly unlike any other book I’ve ever read and I loved that.

I think for some people they may find it slow and boring, but it is a noir and is meant to be “simmering” as the author described it. I think simmering is the perfect word to describe this novel. It is slow, builds, but boils over rather than catching fire. I loved that about it.

I really enjoyed the characters and how they all interwove together and revealed themselves at the end. I found the ending to be incredibly real as well. The events and characters reactions to them as well as the choices they make felt so real. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, but I think that’s part of what made them so real. Each one had unlikeable qualities like typical humans do. It almost felt like reading a true story but more interesting.

I also loved the authors ending talking about the true events which inspired her story. It is important to know true events happening to real people like those depicted in the novel.

Finally, I loved the playlist she included. As we learn at the ending, music was a huge component of the events during this time so I loved that the author included a playlist. Not to mention it was amazing!

I read this book and listened to the soundtrack in a day, and really enjoyed the experience! I became a fan of this author after reading Mexican Gothic. This story classified as noir, grabbed me from the beginning, and the pace did slow down quite a bit for the second two thirds of the book before coming to an exciting and satisfying end. I recently read another book that included a soundtrack that I did NOT think added much, and this was not the case with this soundtrack--it added a lot of context in a fun and meaningful way. I also appreciated the historical context of this book—set in Mexico in the 1970’s against the backdrop of the government training groups on the DL to attack college-aged dissenters and attempting to inhibit rock music. I would recommend this unique story!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/Del Ray for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don't think noir is for me. The story was ok but it was too slow and had too many details that I didn't care about. Though I didn't care for the characters, they were well written and felt real. I still want to read more from this author.

Before I begin this review I’m going to do a bit of a preface—If you are already a Silvia Moreno-Garcia fan then I’m sure you’ll love this. If the only work of hers you’re familiar with is Mexican Gothic then it may diverge from your expectations. While <Mexican Gothic was a slow-burn gothic horror novel set in the 1950s, Velvet Was the Night is a crime noir that takes place in 1971 Mexico City. It’s not a thriller. There’s nothing paranormal. And if those are deal breakers then this might not be the book for you.

One of the things I love about Moreno-Garcia’s writing, though, is that she never does the same thing twice. And for that reason it’s really difficult to anticipate what direction the story is going to take. Velvet Was the Night was an engrossing journey through a tumultuous period in Mexican history, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.

Before even the first chapter of the book, there’s a (real) telegram from the CIA describing a paramilitary group known as Los Halcones (the Hawks) and their actions as unofficial enforcers of the Mexican government. The Corpus Christi Massacre, or El Halconazo (The Hawk Strike), took place on June 10, 1971 in Mexico City. A group of students were protesting and marching when they were attacked by their own government in an effort to control and eliminate dissent from left-wing organizations. My own cursory research puts the death toll at almost 120 killed and hundreds more injured, but the exact number remains unknown. This event was part of a larger campaign known as the Mexican Dirty War, where the Mexican government, backed by the United States, waged an unofficial war on leftist students and guerrilla operations.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well the majority of the novel is set after these events, but I feel as though having some background on the political climate at the time adds a lot of important context. When examining the choices that characters make you have to keep in mind that there was a current of fear surrounding even the suggestion of opposition, and that fear ended up being well warranted.

The story is split between alternating perspectives of two main characters. Maite is working as a secretary in a law firm, and feels content only when reading her favorite comic Secret Romance or listening to records from her extensive collection. She’s intentionally uninformed about current events in general until a favor she does for a neighbor thrusts her into the middle of a conflict she’s unprepared to navigate on her own. On the other hand, Elvis knows exactly what he’s signed up for. As a member of the Hawks, he was there for the bloodshed and is still dealing with the ramifications of his choices during it. Slowly, Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves these two characters’ stories together, testing existing loyalties and building new alliances.

There’s a moderate amount of action in this book, but a lot of it is sleuthing, inner-dialogue and tense character interactions. The story evolves as the characters wade into various shades of moral grey and I was genuinely shocked by a couple major twists at the end. But like I said earlier, this is not going to be a punchy, heart-pounding thriller. I’d say out of all of Moreno-Garcia’s books that I’ve read so far, it’s the closest in tone to Untamed Shore, which makes sense as it’s also a noir and set during the 1970s.

Still, this book has a vibe all its own and I appreciated learning some of Mexico’s more recent history while being thoroughly entertained. I loved this book, and I think a lot of other readers are going to enjoy their time with it.

What I love about Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is that it's never the same so everytime you open a new book it feels like a clean slate. Silvia paints the story so beautifully no matter the genre and that's very interesting to witness it happen on the pages.

This book is a noir set in 1970s mexico right after the events of the Mexican Dirty War.
It follows the story of two characters - Maite who is the secratary at a law firm and Elvis a member of the Hawks.
These two characters are very different from each other but who have unfortunately been tangled in this series of events.

It was a very interesting read and I was genuinely shocked at the plot twists at the end. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves a little bit of history, some action and some noir.

Thank you for providing me with this opportunity.

Thank you Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC of Velvet Was The Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am becoming a big fan of Silvia Garcia-Romano. Her style of writing is different. In Velvet Was The Night, she kept a hold of the reader with suspense and action. It is a work of fiction from a real life situation.

An attack on students marching, by the Mexican government and a group of men trained by the Mexican government, is caught on camera. The owner of the camera and the film is nowhere to be found. Soon, the hawks, the CIA, and the government is looking for the photos. Leaving a trail of death and mayhem behind. Maite is a lonely lady, living in an apartment across from the owner of the camera, and finds herself tangled up right In the middle of the mess.

I enjoyed the book and looks forward to reading more of Ms. Moreno-Garcia’s books.

I received a free ARC ebook of Velvet Was the Night from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This novel is totally different from Moreno-Garcia's mega bestseller Mexican Gothic. Set in the early 1970s in Mexico City, the events unfold amidst political chaos that has a foundation in Mexican history.

Here our female protagonist is so ordinary and her life is humdrum. Approaching thirty she is unmarried with a boring job and a mother and sister who view her as a lonely disappointment. Maite finds solace in her record collection and her graphic novel romances. Might she, someday, live such a dramatic, exhilarating life? A new neighbor, lovely Leonora, asks Maite to feed her cat while she goes out of town. Such an innocuous request changes Maite forever.

Meanwhile, Elvis is a hired thug. As a member of the Hawks he beats protestors, threatens many, and is a living embodiment of a failed society. His only family consists of other thugs. He, too, finds comfort in music and strives to learn new words to explain his world. His boss asks him to locate Leonora and Elvis must now confront who he is and what he is.

Moreno-Garcia's afterword provides the historical connection between the novel and real life. Woefully ignorant of Mexican history, I wish I had read the afterword as a foreword since I had a few connection stumbles in the plot. But, Velvet Was the Night is a great read.

Delicious Noir seti in Mexico in 1971 against the background of political upheavals.
We meet our main characters, a mild mannered legal secretary whose obsessed with her romance comic books and a petty thief turned enforcer for a gang set on breaking up the protests. The main protest turned bloody is the same one featured in Roma. Our two main characters are on a collision course to meet.. There will be double crosses, informers, foreign interference, and multiple dead bodies.

This was the third book I've read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and, yes, it is a totally different genre from Mexican Gothic and The Beautiful Ones, but I very much enjoyed it. It felt like the perfect read for the height of summer when it's too hot to do anything else and all I want to do is lay around and read (ok, for me the second part is a year-round feeling). I thought this was deftly written and plotted and I especially loved the historical setting (and all of the music mentions!).