If it was written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I read it and, generally, I love it. Velvet Was The Night is not an exception to this rule. Mexico City is vibrant and hot and dangerous, the time and place a character itself. The political upheaval of the 1970s is ripe throughout the story and is presented through two unique perspectives: Maite, a secretary who only dreams of something better but prefers to live through fiction rather than taking action, and Elvis, a street thug who acts on violent orders despite not liking it and loves music.

They both get roped into searching for a student named Leonara but their paths run alongside each other rather than together throughout the story. That was a surprise to me, one I wasn't sure about in the beginning but liked by the end. I thought the pacing was right on-point and I enjoyed the POV characters equally. It took a little bit to get into but the setup was worth it. I greatly enjoyed the end, the very last chapter. To me, it was a perfect wrap-up to it all.

I'd absolutely recommend this book to other readers. If you've never read noir before, this is a great one to start with.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

the world-building in this book was truly beautiful but i couldn’t connect with maite as a character at all. even though i felt like i was literally transported to the locations the author was describing, i couldn’t relate to the characters enough to stay fully immersed.

Someone else described it as Inception set in Mexico City and I was hooked. It wasn't quite that as I got to reading, but it was still very good. Definitely appreciate the musical aspect of the novel and the author's included playlist.

One of my favorite books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Velvet Was the Night is a novel of political activism, Russian spies, and a series of unfortunate events set in the 1970s in Mexico City. Protagonist Maite accidentally stumbles into this dangerous world without warning or necessary context. While the subject matter is serious, there are periods of levity as Maite fancifully relates her adventures to the romance stories she devours each week. Fun, thrilling, with a touch of danger, Velvet Was the Night is a satisfying read with multiple narrators and perspectives weaving together a cohesive story.

"Velvet Was the Night" is so different from Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "Mexican Gothic," and I found myself disappointed by the flattened language and workaday world of the book. The novel focuses on Maite, an unassuming secretary in 1970s Mexico City, and Elvis, a low-level criminal for hire. They're both looking for the same woman, who may have photographs of a large anti-government protest. It's an interesting concept, to have a protagonist as aggressively ordinary as Maite, and I just didn't think it worked that well. The ending of the book is so strong that it rescued it to a certain degree, but overall I just didn't get that invested in these characters.

I loved this book so much. I enjoyed reading from the perspectives of the 2 main characters and I really felt for Maite. I also loved the way the music was woven throughout. It was such a big part of the story and had such an impact on the characters. The atmosphere of the book was amazing and I just can’t stop thinking about the writing and the pictures I had in my head while reading. I can completely see this getting picked up as a movie and would definitely be first in line to watch it!

After several attempts at slugging my way through, I finally made my way to the end. I’m sure this was a home run for many, for me the pacing was so slow I struggled to find interest in the story.

Not as compelling or gripping as Moreno-Garcia's last novel, Mexican Gothic. The characters didn't grab me and I found myself bored pretty quickly.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but found it to be hot and cold in delivery. The main character, Maite, is believable and seems to be the innocent caught up in a situation she has no idea how to control. On the other hand Elvis is a stock character that comes across as a thug "with a heart of gold" which seems too cinematic for the revolutionary backdrop. I really never got a feel of the protest and although danger was repeatedly threatened, the story lacked tension.

I’m not normally a noir fan, so this one was a little outside the norm for me. However, it was a pretty intriguing deviation - with a wild storyline based in history & captivating characters. It is a pretty slow read, or at least it was for me, which is why I’m giving it a 3. But I will definitely have to go back and read Mexican Gothic now that I have a sense of Moreno-Garcia’s writing!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is back again with another perfect story. Velvet Was the Night combines noir, mystery, conspiracy, a touch of fantasy, and a lot of love to make a tale you won't be able to put down.

Velvet Was The Night is my first book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I’m interested to read her previous books, she definitely has a talent for crafting a well written story (Mexican Gothic I’m coming for you next). I did like the story and they way the the characters lives became intertwined. I don’t think I’ve read much noir fiction and while I enjoyed this, it’s not really a genre I would typically go for.

As mentioned, the writing was great and all but honestly my rating would’ve been higher if I cared for either of the characters. I just didn’t really care as they’re not that likable and they’re not even the fun unlikable type, if that makes sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I had really high hopes for this book but sadly it wasn't my favorite. I'm not a fan of slow burn books and I think that's why I didn't connect with this at all. I did enjoy 1970s Mexico City but sadly the mystery wasn't enough to keep me connected.

I'm still eager to read more of what Moreno-Garcia puts out but this one wasn't my favorite.

Very mixed feelings about this one. I loved the writing on a paragraph and sentence level, but overall the plot just really drags. I loved the close scenes of Maite and Elvis, digging into their pasts and motivations… but I’m still not completely sure I understand the overall plot of what exactly Lenora was up to. Still, it hits that slightly grimy noir note perfectly. This book is going to stick with me for a while, even though I found it to be a little slow.

Maite is a secretary living in Mexico City. She lives an unassuming, quiet life surrounded by her record collection and her comic books. Until one day when her neighbor Leonora askes her to take care of her cat for the weekend. When Leonora doesn't come back on the appointed date, Maite starts looking for her, unaware the Leonora is a political activist and there are a lot of people looking for her. There's a price upon Leonora's head and now there's a price upon Maite's head! Maite's once quiet life is now full of adventures and danger, just like in her comic books. Will she make it out alive? Will she find Leonora? And where are the photos everyone is looking for?

Loved this book! The intrigue! The political issues! The music!

I would've preferred that the historical background of this novel be more explained throughout the story, instead of at the end of the book.

The political unrest in Mexico - and all across Latin America and the Caribbean - during the 60's and 70's was so tense! This book resonated with me on a personal level because I have a family member who was surveilled until the 80's by the governed due to her political affiliations. The government had folders upon folders of information about her, like the ones that El Mago provided to Elvis. For years, she lived in constant worry, and we all feared for her life. It was a scary time for people wit different political views...

Velvet Was the Night is a historical noir set in Mexico City in the 1970s. The story follows two main characters, a secretary named Maite and Elvis. The two characters find their lives intertwined while both are searching for a beautiful art student named Leonora. As the search for Leonora continues, Elvis and Maite find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations. My favorite part of this story was the atmosphere. The background was so rich and I felt well explored - I felt like I was transported to this era. This story was captivating and I look forward to trying another novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Phenomenal storyline and writing! I went in with certain expectations of this story, and it completely went another way. Very good.

This book took me a bit out of my comfort zone being more violent than I usually read, but it was very informative and done with heart. I enjoyed learning about aspects of 1970's Mexico that I had not been aware of before. I appreciated how relevant music was to the time period and likely the author, and it added a warm element to the book which at times had a colder tone, mostly due to the subject matter and that half the book is told from the perspective of a Hawk. It was interesting to see this time period through the lenses of the two main characters, who came from interesting and different backgrounds.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Del Rey, and Sylvia Moreno-Garcia for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Velvet Was the Night is an atmospheric noir dive into Mexico City of the early 1970s, a time of student uprisings, police and secret forces and foreign agents, class divisions and criminal underworlds and anarchic collectives. Into this setting, author Silvia Moreno-Garcia inserts a tale of a missing person, a lonely young woman who gets in over her head, and the young thug who dreams of a more glamorous life, set to the tune of great American crooners like Elvis Presley and Bobby Darin.

4.3 STARS

WELL SILVIA DEFINITELY KNOWS HOW TO WRITE HISTORICAL FICTION

If you like Hispanic historical fiction that feels thoroughly authentic, has a sharp, dark edge, and is so centered around the characters that is almost literary fiction... then Silvia is your author and you most likely would love this book!

Silvia's books never disappoint as far as good rep for both culture and historical facts.

This book will take you right back to Mexico of the 70s. So well described, realistic and immersive you could swear you met these characters! You could swear they are REAL PEOPLE. Was it the news you saw? and old newspaper? a documentary you watched maybe? A dreamed you had?

You will be able to smell the cigarettes everyone smokes, see the orange of the 70s wallpaper everywhere, and cut the political tension of the times with a real knife too.

Can recommend this book enough!