I was so excited to get this ARC. She’s such a fun writer. Her leads are always great and the dialogue is always really snappy and fun. This is labeled as a noir, and I get that, but it really reads to me more as a political thriller. There’s a noirish tone for sure, but it doesn’t have a lot of the elements that I associate with noir, aside from a missing person. Just a heads up for other people who might go in expecting some hard boiled detective story from the description. I would strongly suggest reading the afterward. It’s short, but fascinating. Also, like Mexican Gothic, she curated a playlist on Spotify to act as a sort of soundtrack to the book, so make sure to check that out. It’s really good. I don’t want to get too into plot or anything since this does partially revolve around twists. Just know that even though there are no supernatural elements to it, you’re for sure going to enjoy this book if you’re already a fan of her work. Thanks, Random House!

Moreno-Garcia is just one of those authors where it doesn't matter what they write, you'll always pick up their work. I devoured Mexican Gothic and The Beautiful Ones, and I was thrilled to be approved for Velvet Was the Night. That cover, that title--I couldn't wait to get started.

Set in 1970s Mexico City, Velvet Was the Night follows Maite, a thirty year old secretary who yearns for more. She gets lost in her comics, romantic tales of love triangles with adventure, dashing heroes, and intoxicating damsels, searching for something or someone to rescue her from her mundane life. When her neighbor Leonora asks her to watch her cat, she agrees, but things get crazy when Leonora doesn't return. Teaming up with some unlikely characters, Maite soon finds herself smack dab in the middle of the adventure she always wanted, but what price will she have to pay to have it?

I really loved this book.

Maite was a wonderful protagonist. Quirky and plain yet utterly engrossing, her voice was strong and anything but boring. Her self-awareness made for some humorous moments. Her general unhappiness with her life, wanting more but being completely cognizant of her obstacles, she was an everyman, a person you can relate to regardless of where you are in life, and for that, I think readers will be drawn to her.

Elvis' voice is equally enjoyable, a parallel to Maite, almost, as he constantly searches for more. He wants material things, like a library and music collection, but he also wants the intangibles: love, intimacy, communication, love. As he watches Maite, he becomes a Cyrano figure, harboring an unrequited love but not knowing how to put those emotions into words.

It's also worth noting the significance of music here, how important it is to both Maite and Elvis but also to the people of Mexico City at a time when performances were outlawed. The playlist included at the end of the book is stellar, and I highly recommend.

More than the escapism, Moreno-Garcia gives us the overarching political turmoil of 1970s Mexico. It seems impossible for a love story to be set among the backdrop of unrest, murder, and rebellions, but at the same time, it fits perfectly with the story. No spoilers, of course, but the insight into the real-life events was more than a reflection on a tumultuous cultural standpoint, but an examination of the horrors of El Halconazo and how they apply to current political rhetoric.

Velvet Was the Night is a simultaneously bloody and hopeful story, a brilliant portrayal of love and violence and the gray areas in between. I'd recommend to fans of Atwood, barrio noir, international mysteries with light-hearted humor, or anyone looking to be intoxicated by storytelling.

Big thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Gritty and dark, this noir-type novel will be a great crossover for thriller fans who like Lars Kepler. I had a fun time reading this one.

This was not my very favorite book, I think because it was just a bit too slow pace for me, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. It was definitely very well and beautifully written! It was one that has a very captivating storyline and kept my attention, even with the slower pace. I don’t really know what genre I would call this, but do think it you’re a fan or the author, you’ll likely enjoy. I would recommend to those who tend to enjoy the same books as me’.

Will buzz around platforms and use low Amazon reviewer number on release!

After reading Mexican Gothic, I was excited to read Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s other books. I received an e-ARC of this one and while it was beautifully written, it just wasn’t for me. I was expecting more of a horror or thriller, but this is a historical noir. I had never read historical noir before, so it was interesting to be introduced to this genre, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. If you are a huge fan of noir, you would really enjoy this book as it is full of descriptive dialogue and imagery.

The first thing I want to say about this story is how it felt reading it. I LOVE stories that have atmosphere, where I can feel the darkness, the heat, smell the smoke or feel the noise of the city and this story is the perfect example of that. I was taking, transported into the story in more then just the plot or the characters. This entire story came alive for me and I loved every moment.

This story is a mystery, a noir is a very accurate way of describing the story. When I think about old noir movies from Hollywood this is what I think of, well written plots with interesting characters, places that come alive and a mystery that is not easy to solve and usually based on humanity rather then "extraordinary" means. This is not a supernatural story, there is nothing in this story but humans, at there best and at their worst and oh my goodness it is an amazing one at that.

If you enjoy mystery, people, heart and soul, noir, darkness and near perfection then give this story a try.

I had the pleasure of an ARC via NetGalley and Random House Publishing and I am leaving an honest review. #VelvetWastheNight #NetGalley

Wow! What a book. I went into this book without any knowledge of what it was about, just familiar with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s previous book, Mexican Gothic. I was initially disappointed there was no sci-fi/fantasy element to the story but eventually the characters Maite and Elvis drew me into their world and before I knew it, I couldn’t put the book down.

As Silvia states in the afterward, this is a 70s, noir, pulp fiction tale based on some real happenings in turbulent Mexico City. It is very indie-cinematic, and reminds me of a 21st Century missing girl amateur detective thriller. As always. I love to see how Silvia works with new genres.

This is a lush noir set in Mexico during very dangerous and unsettled 1970s, when the government and other entities worked to disrupt protests, protect the corrupt, and punish dissidents. In this mix we find Maite, who hates her job, is depressed about her life, and loves records. By agreeing to cat-sit for her neighbor, she finds herself completely ensnared in various operations to find and protect or destroy photographs that could be used as evidence to bring down major figures. This is a book rich with description and complex, conflicted characters, and I loved ever minute of it. It would make a fantastic short series; Netflix, are you reading?

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created another awe inspiring book. I admit, this slow burning historical noir style book may not be for everyone. I find the author's use of dialogue and multi character perspective perfect. Chapters transition seemlessly from Maite to Elvis while both are at the same scene. The characters felt beautifully developed and the story line requires focus to follow the twisting plot to find the illusive Leonora. Major bonus of this book is the Spotify play list. It's hard to NOT be transported to 1970s Mexico City when both reading and listening together.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballatine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this author and everything she rights so I knew this would be no exception. She delivered. I loved this story! I’d highly recommend it to people and I think people are gonna love it!

How could I have missed the days of the "Dirty War" in the 70s? After reading this story filled with violence, sex and revenge from the dark side, it feels like I'm a little more up to speed.

The Hawks was a Mexican government group that attacked, tortured and killed student protestors on the left side of politics. One of the main characters was Leonora, an art student and activist who asked her neighbor, Maite, to take care of her cat for a couple of days. Little did Maite know that she was now inside one of her favorite books: Secret Romance which gave her a taste of danger. The big question was: what happened to Leonora as she disappeared after a few days while strange men made their way into her apartment looking for photos.

The book was much different than the author's previous one: Mexican Gothic. I found it to be at a slower pace but at the same time engaging with the historical part opening my eyes. There were a lot of references to Maite's passion for books, comics and music. It shows when life is crazy on the outside, it's what keeps us going. One of her friends pointed out, "Change should come peacefully. We need.a more educated nation, we need to come to agreements." The book leaves the reader with much to think about.

My thanks to Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Random House books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy to be released on August 17, 2021.

This was my first book by this author and I was not disappointed at all. It was engaging and very enjoyable for me to learn more about Mexico’s history throughout reading this novel .

I’m am a big fan of learning about new subjects through books that I read. I will definitely read more of this author in the future. The ending didn’t make sense to me, but I still enjoyed this book for what it taught me.

Moreno-Garcia can write any genre: horror, romance, and even noir.
The plot of VELVET IS THE NIGHT is tantalizing and the book is as much of a page-turner as MEXICAN GOTHIC (although admittedly the characters are not as engaging.)

Thank you so much for the digital review copy!

I picked up this book because I thoroughly enjoyed Mexican Gothic. However, Silvia’s newest novel is a very different flavor. Velvet Was the Night is about Elvis, who works as a thug and is on a mission to find a mission woman, and Maite, a boring secretary who finds herself also searching for the missing woman. This book, though the plot is interesting enough on its own, is extremely character driven. Elvis, despite his line of work, has a loud conscience and a lot of depth. I found Maite to be very unlikable, though I was most intrigued by her. There is something almost childish about Maite’s insecurities and longing for love and adventure. Though I wanted to know how everything would wrap up, I was mostly pressed to keep reading because I enjoyed being in the characters’ heads.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Mexico City in the 70s; political unrest and activism infiltrate city life, thus affecting the young lives of the characters in this Noir novel. At the heart of the story are Elvis and Maite, strangers who are simultaneously on a wild goose chase throughout town looking for Leonora's implicating photographs. Leonora asks neighbor and resident pet sitter Maite to watch her cat, then Leonora disappears. Elvis is a peculiar criminal who dodges spies, agents and hitmen in the quest to find missing Leonora on his boss's bidding. Neither Elvis nor Maite actually know Leonora, yet she pulls them in to her orbit. Their paths ultimately cross in a diner where they have an instant connection when the other pops a coin in the Jukebox and selects songs the other sings from across the room. Take away the task at hand and you'll find two characters who have their own way to escape the political climate. Both enjoy listening to records; Elvis prefers rock n roll to Maite's love songs. Maite daydreams while reading her favorite comic book Secret Romance and hopes to find love so she can act out her favorite scenes in her own life. You would think with all the action - missing person, scavenger hunt-like search, political turmoil, violence, etc. - the story would be fast-paced but it moved slow for me. The characters themselves brought just enough flavor and depth to keep me intrigued. If you read this, listen to the corresponding Spotify playlist to hear the novel come alive!

i received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

dnf @ 24%

as much as it breaks my heart to do this (i love gods of jade and shadow and mexican gothic), this book is not the one for me.

it's putting me in a terrible reading slump, and i'd probably give it 1/2 stars if i finished. better to leave it unrated and unfinished...

Honesty...

I had this whole review written out. Which is normal for me, because I usually type up my thoughts as I read. I was about 75% of the way through this book, and I had my mind absolutely made up about Maite. I thought that she was a mean girl, I kept waiting for her rough edges to smooth out, for her to grow, for her to realize that she was living in adventure like she imagined in her romance comics.

And then the last quarter of the book threw me. I tried to rectify what I had written, and I eventually deleted everything I had said, because this book truly surprised me.

This book was the definition of a slow burn. At first I thought it was a lot of words for not a lot of action. But really, what the author was doing was forcing you to live in a political climate where you couldn’t trust the person sitting next to you. It was truly nerve-wracking.

If you chose this book to read because of Mexican Gothic, just like I did, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. They are nothing alike. And it was brilliant.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Netgalley, Ballantine Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this noir ARC! I can’t say enough with how captivating the cover is and think the cover artist did an impeccable job! This is a beautifully told story of Maite and Elvis as their lives intersect because of Leonora. Leonora is Maite’s neighbor who asks her for a favor to watch her cat while Leonara is away while Elvis is tasked with tracking down Leonora. Elvis falls for Maite from afar and it was interesting to read about his inner struggles with what he had to do for his job. The main intrigue was figuring out who Leonora was and what happened to her. There’s some gruesome parts and it takes a little bit to pick up but once it gets going you find yourself at the end already! I knew this was a historical fiction going into it but after reading the afterword from the author I really appreciated her shedding light on this period of history even more!

⟾ 3.5/5 stars

⟾ CW: violence, mentions of blood, death, gun use, violent language, murder

the cover of this book is gorgeous and it's definitely part of why i requested it on netgalley.
"velvet was the night" is a historical noir mystery set during the 1970s, in mexico city. the book is told in two POVs, maite's and elvis'.

the beginning of the book was so slow that i considered DNF-ing it, but im glad i kept reading. i definitely like the chapters about elvis more than those about maite, mainly because i dislike her character.

however, i did not connect with any of the characters and that made me enjoy the novel a lot less, since it's very character focused. i loved the parallels between them, mainly how lonely they both were, albeit in rather different ways.

elvis was a really interesting character and it was interesting to read about his inner conflict regarding the violence his job entails. on the other hand, maite was insufferable. she was always the victim and while i do understand she got the short stick of the deal, she never tried to redeem herself. she never tried to do good, but she expected everyone else to take pity on her. she did get a bit better at the end of the story, but i still found her obnoxious.

the plot was a plus, since it was enjoyable to read about this conflict going on, but it developed so slow. it had some moments where it picks up and it gets interesting, but overall it fell a little flat. the writing is where this book shines. i loved the descriptions and how the author managed to create two very unique voices for maite and elvis. the story flowed really nicely, writing wise.

overall, i'm glad i got the chance to read it and i'll be definitely checking out other novels from this author!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for offering me an ARC in exchange of an honest review!