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!).

Velvet Was the Night is a slow burning historical noir novel, set in 1970s Mexico City. Maite is a low level secretary escaping her boring social life via romantic fiction stories. Her neighbor Leonora is a beautiful, charismatic student involved in the protests and she suddenly disappears while Maite watches her cat. Maite is slowly dragged into the underworld of students protests and political dissidents as she attempts to locate Leonora.

This was a slowly paced book, very different from Silvia Moreno-Garcia's previous work. The Author states that the novel was inspired on true events and a newspaper article that she read about the Hawks : a group secretly hired by the Mexican government during the Dirty War to shut down public protests. I think knowing this upfront clarifies the novel. I had felt previously that the group was too rag tag to be believable!

The characters are not particularly likeable but the story is satisfying and it's an interesting time in Mexico City. Worth a read if you follow the author, like all things Mexican or are interested in events of the '70's and student radicals in general.

This is my first book by this author and not something I’d normally read. However, I did really enjoy it! I had heard so much about Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia that I jumped at the chance to read this.

This is a Noir Historical Fiction and I had no idea what Noir was and had to look it up lol. To summarize, it’s a dark novel and the characters have many flaws. In spite of these flaws, the characters are intriguing, interesting, and have redeeming qualities. I had a hard time getting into the story (hence, my four stars), but I liked the writing style and how El Elvis’ and Maite’s paths eventually intertwine. The author even includes a section in the back to give historical background to the story. As best as I could tell, it’s historically accurate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Once again, Silvia Moreno Garcia hits it out of the park with Velvet Was the Night.

Elvis is a Hawk, trained by the CIA to violently disrupt pro Communist student protests in Mexico in the 1960s. Maite is a secretary who reads romance comics dreams of a hero who will come and take her on adventures. Leonora is Maite’s neighbor who asks her to watch her cat, then promptly disappears.

What follows is a beautifully written, intricately woven noir full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the end. As someone who enjoys historical fiction, the time and storyline in this novel was completely fresh and different from anything currently out on the market.

For fans of historical fiction, action, noir, or simply an excellent read.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a unique take on 70s Mexico. Set against political upheaval, the story unfolds in a noir-like narrative. It is well written, though not really to my taste.

This historical noir was an absolutely stunning read! I also truly enjoyed the atmosphere in "Mexican Gothic" - this was a completely different story and held its own complications, twists, and character connections. I enjoyed the slow build-up and the tension along the journey of the story, but also how engaging it was.

Gritty storytelling of the political unrest in Mexico in the early 1970's. Political ambition, CIA, Russian forces, Communist and student rebellion is all taking place while the story is based around a 30 year old woman, Maite, who purposely doesn't want to know anything of actual news, she only wants to know what is going to happen in her next issue of a romance magazine and sees her world as a character in those magazines. When her neighbor asks her to watch her cat while she is gone for a few days, she agrees for the money she's offered, which then leads her to her adventure as the neighbor disappears. The web she gets caught in, only because she needs the money promised to her, opens her eyes to the world around her and she doesn't like it. Meanwhile the other main character, Elvis is working as a hired thug and he doesn't like this life, but he can't afford to live without it. Maite, and Elvis' worlds cross multiple times and leads to an ultimate chance for them to both to get what each wants out of life. Interesting history weaving through this story with characters easily identified with, thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this story.

4 star. If you love the noir genre then this would be a 5 star for you. Personally, I don't love noir but I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing and I enjoyed the book in spite of the genre so that’s really saying something.

I wouldn’t say this was a “thriller” however it was filled with mystery and lots of action. The pacing was top notch and I appreciated the historical aspect. I learned a lot from reading this book.

Also, let me just say....that cover? Wow! Gorgeous! I feel it really captures the mood of the book.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again with this gritty and intense novel!!

This grungy historical crime fiction will have you turning the pages! Set in 19070's Mexico City and based on true events of the time. The main characters Elvis and Maite, are on a collision course to find a missing person. Maite is 30 years old, single, and working a dead-end job. She's a complicated character. Filled with angst and self-doubt, Maite is tired of boring life and looks for excitement in the pages of her romance comics until one day; excitement comes knocking on her door.
El Elvis is a young 20something, a part of the Hawks, a repressive group for the Mexican government. He is assigned different jobs from his leader, El Mago. Elvis is smart, loves words, and is always looking for new ones in the dictionary. He is intense, thoughtful, and he wants more out of life than banging people up.
This story is filled with historical references, the Mexico City streetscapes, and culture. You'll salivate at the food references, want to listen to music, and ask yourself, who the hell can be trusted?

This is completely different from the author's other books and very much a pulpy noir title. Fans of Meg Abbott will definitely enjoy this take; the ending was well earned (although I could hear a little less about Maites sad eyes) and the history it's based on is tragic and important.

This book takes place in the 1970s in Mexico City in the middle of student protests and political unrest. Maite is a 30 year old secretary who lives for Secret Romance, a romance comic book, and listening to the record collection that she can barely afford. Her neighbor Leonora asks Maite to watch her cat for a weekend and then disappears. Maite finds herself searching for Leonora and getting sucked into Leonora's secret life. Across town, Elvis, a member of a squad created to quell the protests and activists, is also tasked with finding Leonora. Elvis does not like violence or the criminal life that he is now leading. Elvis and Maite's paths cross as various factions are all trying to find Leonora and the secrets that she holds.

This is the third book that I have read from Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I like the fact that they are all very different. The other two that I read had more SFF elements and this one was historical noir. It took me a little while to get into this book as I know very little about what was happening in Mexico in the 1970s. It turns out that it isn't critical to enjoying the story but it helps get you grounded (the afterword provides more historical context).

I enjoyed getting to know these characters even if Maite's character arc wasn't completely believable (is she REALLY going to go through so much trouble for a cat?). The pacing was good--starting slow but building up over time. Very enjoyable and I'll definitely be adding this author to my "pick up whatever she writes" list.

Thanks to NetGalley for and chance to read and review this ARC of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's newest work. This was not at all what I expected given her previous novel. Mexican Gothic was filled with horror and magical realism and this book is somewhat of a 'modern historical' set in the 1970s, a crime noir, and filled with the beautiful descriptive writing we've all come expect from this author. The story was engaging and I can appreciate the broad range of writing styles. For me I felt a longing for the magical grit of Mexican Gothic, as a stand alone Velvet Was the Night will be popular, if you're going into this book with previous works on the mind you might be left disappointed.

VELVET WAS THE NIGHT is a brilliantly written thriller by Garcia set in 1970s Mexico. One thing I love about her writings is that she completely enraptures her readers with her absolutely brilliant writing and the atmospherics she gives to the readers drawing us into the story and leading us deeper on.