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!

Fantastic read that I ended up parceling out to make it last longer. Takes two sides of the noir genre that typically don’t intersect - the young woman drawn into a situation bigger than she knows and the old hand on the edge of changing times, and draws them together chasing the same woman. One of the unintentional hilarities is that one is chasing her because of some photos of a student/government clash she may have, and the other is chasing her down to give her cat back and get paid. I know vague strokes about this period in Mexico, but this story makes me want to find out more. A love of music and words draws our two mains together, and the female lead is also deeply into romance comics. There’s some real fantastic passages here, most that I feel spoil the story so I’m not going to share them. Just trust me and pick this up when it comes out. You’ll be in for a treat.

This was my first experience with author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I'm told that this is a different genre from her earlier work. I write in the Historical Fiction realm, so I was eager to learn the background of this novel—the story behind the story can be so fascinating.

To discover that there was CIA and Mexican government involvement in a calculated and violent attack upon a gathering of youth protestors in 1971 was astonishing.

Unfortunately, I could not fully connect with the characters in the foreground as much as I was interested in the background history.

This novel has a few delightfully quirky moments but overall fell a little flat for me.

Despite not being overjoyed with this particular one, I still intend to give her other books a try.

I'd like to thank the author, NetGalley, and Randomhouse / Ballantine for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Velvet Was The Night for an honest review.

Thanks to @netgalley and @delreybooks for an advanced copy of this book. I enjoyed it. Although, it did take me until about a quarter of the way through before I got into it. The two main characters are not immediately likable. In fact, they are both quite unlikable. I always think it’s a good author that can make disagreeable characters relatable.
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The story is set in Mexico City in 1970’s. It’s this small moment in time where the Mexican government was hiring thugs to beat and kill student protesters. It was all in the name of preventing the spread of communism but really was just oppression. The book covers a few days time starting with a protest and following a few citizens that are caught up in the tragic events. The story is fiction but based on real events.
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There are two protagonists. The first is a young man named Elvis. He is one of the hired thugs. He is clearly not likable as he is beating and torturing people for a living. As the story progresses the reader sees how he is a young man looking for direction and opportunity. He takes the wrong paths but you have some sympathy for his earnestness.
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The second protagonist is a woman named Maite. She is 30, unmarried, working in an office job that she hates, has few friends, spends too much money, and generally dislikes herself. At first Maite is pretty insufferable. She lies, steals, whines, and doesn’t offer much to the world. As her character develops the reader sees that Maite is trying to breakout of the gender roles that she finds stifling. She maybe goes about it in an obnoxious manner but you do feel for her lack of options.
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These two get involved in the disappearance of a young woman and are both trying to track her down before the government tracks them all down.
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Heads up, there is some language. Overall, it’s a quick read about an interesting period of time in Mexico’s history. This will be released 8/17/21.

3.5/5 stars.


. If you have read any of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novels and are expecting a supernatural or fantasy novel, this is not it. There is also a lot of language in this book compared to her previous novels. Velvet Was The Night is a tense novel that intertwines the very different lives of Maite and "El Elvis" during the 1970s in Mexico City. Maite is a secretary with confidence issues who gets sucked into the mystery of her missing neighbor and missing photos. Elvis is tasked to find the missing neighbor and to follow Maite.

Velvet Was The Night is definitely a book that immerses you in the world it is presenting. Communist threats, student protesters, distrustful acquaintances, and KGB agents are all players in the game. The music of the 60s and 70s and the city lifestyle of Mexico City are all brought to life in this novel. It is marketed as a 'noir' novel and it definitely has a lot of violence and grit as well as twists you may not see coming.

Historical noir fiction is not a typical genre for me to read, but I am glad I read this one! Although this is fiction, it is set within a historic event. This one started out slow for me, there were a lot of details to absorb, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever become vested in the story. Yet, I found myself being drawn in. The action picked up and I found myself caught up with this story and it’s pulp fiction flavor. I think the author created what she set out to write, and this was unique and a nice change of pace. This is reminiscent of a historical crime noir movie.

I loved Mexican Gothic so I was really looking forward to this one, but it was slower than I expected. The time period is the 1970's and we first meet Elvis, a member of the Hawks in this politically charged novel about the conflicts in Mexico. Then we meet Maite and Lenora, two young women who live across the hall from each other. None of these people seem remotely connected until Lenore disappears after asking Maite to look after her cat, and then the action begins. But it's a cat-and-mouse game and we don't know who is responsible or what the end game is. Because it's based on history, I was interested in the events but I just didn't connect with any of the characters. It's gotten some rave reviews so I'm in the minority, and I will read more by Moreno-Garcia as she's clearly a talented writer!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.
Velvet Was the Night is described as Noir Fiction. It takes place in Mexico City in the 1970's. The novel follows dual perspectives, Maite and Elvis. Maite is a 30 something woman who is simply bored with her life. She looks for excitement in the romance comic books she reads and imagines herself in them. Elvis is an enforcer in the Hawks, he hates the violence he is surrounded by in the gang and longs for a different life. The disappearance of Maite's neighbor, an art student who is mysteriously involved in the political unrest and radical college students in their city.
It is worth noting that the events in this book are based on real historical events. Mexico City in the 1970's was a hotbed for government clashes with radical college students and underground crime.
I loved the author's previous book, Mexican Gothic. I flew through that book in no time. Velvet Was the Night however was a story that I struggled through. The biggest reason being that Maite was just unlikable for me. She's bitter and unhappy with her life and enjoys stealing from her neighbors. She lies to her coworkers in an attempt to make her life seem more exciting than it is, which in itself isn't something absolutely horrendous but it just gave me too much secondhand embarrassment.
Elvis was much more interesting to me. He's quiet and introspective and completely out of place in a criminal gang. His internal monologue was more interesting to me than Maite honestly.
I think I'm also unfortunately not a big fan of crime noir fiction. I was hoping that my previous success with this author would improve my chances with this book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I would however recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of noir fiction or historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Velvet Was the Night.

This was not my favorite SMG book. I understand that it's noir, but it was just way TOO slow and boring for me. Sadly, I also couldn't get myself to care about any of the characters. The history and time period was very interesting though!

Silvia Moreno Garcia is branching out. Like many talented authors do. I’ve just read her high fantasy novella and now this, in her own words, a noir novel. Which made me reconsider my definition of noir. According to Wikipedia…in its modern form, noir has come to denote a marked darkness in theme and subject matter, generally featuring a disturbing mixture of sex and violence. But the thing is that pretty much describes a lot of novels and most crime fiction. And the author’s no stranger to straight up crime fiction, check out her excellent Untamed Shore. And, of course, dark fiction is her specialty, though traditionally in my much preferred blend of horrific/gothic themes her earlier books featured. Those were terrific, so good in fact that it takes a while to quit missing them and get into whatever the author dreams up next. Which in this case is a crime drama inspired by the real life political unrest in Mexico in the early 1970s.
I like historical fiction, especially given a chance to learn something new, so this book definitely worked for me on that front. Like most Latin American countries, Mexico went through some brutal regime changes which brought severe social limitations and a pervasive culture of paranoia. That provides that noir required darkness…a time of tragedy, time of spies, time of government agencies competing for control of an increasingly restless society. And on this stage the author plays out a sad and strange version of a boy meets girl story.
The girl is Maite, a lonely secretary about to turn 30, whose only excitement in life comes from the romantic comics she buys and collects and obsesses over. Now an especially likeable or nice character, especially not for a lead, but it works out.
The boy is Elvis, or so he calls himself. A gangster in the making working for a small organization with direct involvement in controlling the protests in universities, among other things. Elvis is a much more charismatic lead, something of a self made man in progress, a criminal by profession more so than by nature. Like Maite he is a music lover and finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, though his job leads him to investigate and follow her.
All of this is over Maite’s gorgeous wealthy neighbor who disappears one day and turns out have a secret worth killing for. So this provides plenty of suspense and some mystery for the thriller fans. Though really it’s just as much if not more of a crime drama.
The thing is, no matter the genre, I love More Garcia’s writing too much not to check it out. Even if the genre really doesn’t work for me, like with her high fantasy venture. She’s just so talented and her books come to life when you read them and play out just like the best of movies, vividly, excitingly. Admittedly, this one wasn’t a personal favorite, admittedly I still miss her supernatural scarier stories. But this was still a very good read. It’s worth reading just for how spectacular of a job she did representing the time and place, the creeping claustrophobia of it all, the desperation of people trying to make a difference and devastation of the naïve (like Maite who spends her time avoiding news) when the real world hits them.
In the end though Maite gets more of an adventure than she might have ever expected or hoped for outside of her comic book pages, awakening to the real world. Which somewhat redeems an initially unlikeable character. And Elvis…well, he’s got his own road to redemption to travel. And irrespective of however much you don’t or do like them, both of their journeys are still compelling enough to draw you in. So yeah, all in all, definitely good. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

“Velvet Was the Night” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, is described as a historical “noir”. The story takes place in Mexico City during the 1970s. The storyline is based on real events involving student protests, and political unrest. The story follows the two main characters, Maite and Elvis. She is a legal secretary who is unhappy with her job, her appearance, and life in general. Elvis does not know where his life is headed as his occupation is to kill protesters for the Hawks organization which is loosely run by the Mexican government.
Maite’s passion is Romantic Comic Books and music. Elvis is Elvis Presley’s greatest admirer and because his education is limited, he forces himself to learn a new word every single day. Maite’s life as she knows it drastically changes and gets dangerous when her attractive neighbor asks her to watch her cat, then goes missing. Maite initially tries to locate her to get the money she is owed, but that changes because Elvis’ Hawks group is looking for the missing neighbor as well, for different reasons. The story goes back and forth between these two characters while they cross each other’s paths, although they never actually meet.
If you enjoy a dark read with interesting characters and a lot of violence, this book is for you. I learned some history and enjoyed this novel for what it was. Thank you to Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Del Ray and Netgalley for the ARC.

I could not get into this author's previous book, Mexican Gothic. I tried several times, but it was just too out there for me. I heard amazing things as her as a writer, so I wanted to give her another chance. I am so glad that I did! This story line was more for me and I loved the characters in it. I got invested quickly and read it in two days. I hope her future books are similar to this one!

"Velvet Was the Night" takes place in Mexico City in the 1970's at the beginning of the Dirty War. Told in dual perspectives, this historical noir begins with the introduction of our two main characters, Elvis and Maite.
Elvis is a member of the Hawks, who were used by the Mexican government to attack and kill protesters. Elvis does not care for the violence but his occupation is woven by violence and intimidation. He wants a new life but feels his options are limited.

Maite is a secretary whose loneliness begins to consume her. She finds solace in a romantic graphic novel that keeps her thoughts of loneliness and need for change at bay. This changes when her friendly neighbor Leonora asks for a simple favor: watch her cat for a couple of days. This favor will change the direction of Maite's life when Leonora goes missing. Maite begins her search to find Leonora while Elvis has been tasked with finding Leonora as well.

Both characters are lost in their lives and have a longing for more. Their world's collide in a way that is both surprising and dangerous. The dual perspectives allow the reader to tap into the individuals mind set, see the relationship progression, and the progressions of the truths they once held to the reality they have by the end of the novel.

The story progression is a slightly slower pace but I believe it added to the author's ability to create characters I can visualize and understand. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is very talented in creating certain atmospheres and moods that are cohesive with the characters, in this case, the extreme loneliness felt by the character. The dual perspectives are key to understanding the story and character development and are well done. Also, the stakes may not feel as high as a typical thriller but that is because it is a historical noir. If you are a fan of historical novels engrossed in a world of crime and unrest, I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Del Ray and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

In Mexico, in the 1970’s, during the Dirty War, two lonely people looking for meaning in their lives and a connection to others embark on separate journeys. Maite, a friendless, poorly paid, thirty year-old spinster/ secretary in a law office spends her free time obsessing over characters in comic book romance stories. She loves music and spends what money she can on American albums. Elvis, a person who does not like violence, is a member of a goon squad that does the government’s dirty work in beating up left-wing activists and anarchists.

Maite is hired by a neighbor, Leonora, in her building to watch her cat for a few days. Needing money to pay a mechanic for fixing her car, Maite agrees. After the neighbor fails to return, desperate for her money, Maite sets out to find her. Maite gets involved with Leonora’s friends and Communist sympathizers who are trying to find pictures Leonora has taken. Simultaneously, Elvis’s team leader has tasked him with finding Leonora and the film. Part of his assignment will be to spy on Maite. In alternating chapters we see the two protagonists trying to solve the mystery.

The tone is very noir. The loneliness and violence serve as their own characters. The tone is lifted as Maite tries to cast her life in romance terms. She suffers from low self-esteem. She invents a relationship with Leonora and with non-existent boyfriends to not let the outside world see her loneliness. Elvis, also not fitting in, sees himself stuck. Music and learning new words each day is his escape.

While Elvis is attuned to the political unrest in the country, Maite is oblivious. We watch her character grow into a more informed being. The character development is exceptional. The descriptions of each setting placed you right in the room with all the action. You are sucked into both lives as they head for the culmination of their efforts. A book you won’t want to miss,

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for this advance copy in return for my honest and independent opinion.