I don’t necessarily seek out historial fiction but I will read anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes. I always enjoy her books. I was kind of anticipating that this was horror but that’s on me the genres are historical fiction and thriller. I’d say VERY light on the thriller aspect.

It’s the story of three women; Vera, Nancy and Salome playing with the theme of desire and at what lengths people will go to meet unfulfilled desire. Set in Old Hollywood at the height of the biblical movie craze Vera and Nancy are actresses trying to make it big and get the role of Salome.

It is written in 3 pov of each of the fmcs and I thought it played really well with the pacing of the plot and was easy to keep track of all of the characters.

Enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an eARC.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's ability to write great books in many different genres never ceases to amaze me. This is straight-up historical fiction, well-researched and deftly plotted, that shines a light on women's lack of agency both in biblical times and in 1950s Hollywood. It's actually pretty depressing how little forward movement there was for women between those vastly different time periods. Moreno-Garcia weaves together the story of Salome, briefly mentioned in the Bible, with the making of an epic movie about her life. Unknown ingenue Vera Larios has been cast in the role of Salome, drawing the hatred and jealousy of Nancy, a woman who has been trying and failing to make it in Hollywood for years. Nancy was a great villain, selfish and thoughtless and brash, and yet all I could feel for her was empathy and pity, as men with power held all the cards for both women. Vera was fantastic, a character who grew throughout the novel and really came into her own. The pacing of this novel was superb and I tore through it in two days. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Del Rey for a digital review copy.

my first silvia moreno-garcia arc book!! thank you to netgalley & random house/del rey books for the copy in exchange for an honest review. i was super excited to get my hands on this book, after (like many) enjoying mexican gothic. though it took me a while to get to it, this book singlehandedly got me out of a two month long reading slump so i'm eternally grateful to it for that alone.

though comparisons can & will be drawn to "the seven husbands of evelyn hugo" for its biographical narrative set in the (not so) glamorous old hollywood era with woc as its leading characters, the stories are definitely very different! and i enjoyed both of them in their own ways.

this one is a fun, immersive blend of the stories of our three main characters: vera, a mexican newcomer to the hollywood scene, cast in the ever elusive role of salome — our second main character, whose story we see unfold as if we were watching it on screen in the movie the characters are shown to be filming. lastly, we have nancy — a struggling white actress attempting to make her big break in hollywood, who finds herself in (a mostly one-sided) conflict with vera, who becomes the target of her racist vitriol and frustrations with the la la land machine.

while i have seen some people frustrated that not a lot seems to happen, i had no problem with the pacing of the novel & enjoyed the character studies and the measured pace SMG took in immersing us in the setting and the differing (yet also similar) struggles that our main characters face across barriers of class, race and even time. we see this demonstrated in both the writing styles and thematic conflicts that the three women go through. though vera and nancy seem to be as if they come from two totally different worlds, we come to see that they are both, in their own ways, a victim of the hollywood scene — its rigidity, its misogyny, and more. the two are further connected with the interwoven story of salome, which also shines a light on how similar things are even in this historical setting. salome, a wholly interesting character in her own right, grapples with issues that both nancy and vera do as well. like nancy, salome is shrewd and cunning — running into her fair share of shady characters in her desire for power and revenge. like vera, salome is burdened under the weight of familial expectations (especially from their shared overbearing, ambitious mothers) and navigating a social system that is all too concerned with public appearances, which forces her (like vera) to be hyperaware of her self-image at all times in order to play the game right. all three women also find themselves at a crossroads which forces them to choose between love and duty/power — or perhaps a path that will allow them to have both?

even in the writing, we see these stories coalesce and take on a life of their own — something we see towards the end of the novel when salome's story comes to feel larger than life. but even before that, i really appreciated SMG's attention to detail. one moment i may have a disproportionately great time with was when joe, a scriptwriter whom vera befriended, mentioned a line of dialogue that he was considering adding to the movie. he mentions debating whether he should, and then in a future salome pov section, we see that very same line incorporated into the writing. it is not done in a way that calls attention to itself, but is a great sort of "easter egg" for readers that i really liked!

all that said, i had a fun time! i found all three women to be interesting characters, and had a great time reading all their pov chapters. even though nancy is a total bigoted racist, she was more than the two-dimensional antagonist she could've been, as there was a surprising amount of depth to her character that still made her engaging despite that. there is a level of sympathy you have for her character's lot in life, despite her egregious faults. however, i do wish we had more time with salome. though i understand that there was only so much SMG could do, considering what a minor biblical character salome was, i'm just biased because i enjoyed reading her pov sections a lot! i also found salome's relationship to jokanaan really intriguing (with its unique set-up and power balances) and was a bit bummed at how little we got with them... though i know that's probably because of what little actually precedent there may have been to go off of? still, it was a shame because i was actually more drawn to what they had going on (in some ways) than vera and nancy and their love interests. but i digress.

my only other critique was that i found the ending to be a bit rushed. i'm of two minds here — since i do enjoy how a lot of the climax of the finale was written (as well as the very end), but i do wish we had spent more time on it all in order to get a greater emotional impact and for things to play out a bit more naturally. but alas.

overall, this was a fun read! SMG has been an exciting writer to keep an eye on, as she's been so experimental in her genres. i can't wait to check out some of her other books that i've yet to get to, as well as see what she has in store in the future!

The Seventh Veil of Salome is yet another wonderfully and creatively written novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The story follows Vera Larios, a young actress starring in her first film as Salome, daughter of Herod, and parallels their intertwined journeys through courage, finding love, and forging their own paths. The novel reads like a dramatic tale mixed with conversations with characters who were there. It’s a thrill til the very end. I loved it!

I adored this book, As usual, Moreno-Garcia sets up her story and stage and readers get drawn into the world of Old Hollywood, as well as the exploration of the Biblical story of the events surrounding the death of John the Baptist. Vera Larios navigates life, work, and love in Old Hollywood as she plays Salome, the niece of Herod whose life we also explore in Moreno-Garcia's book. We see the height of both stories during the climax of the book. My only critique is that I wish we had seen even more of Vera and Salome's stories. I think that if you enjoyed The Beautiful Ones, you will enjoy this book as well.

The Seventh Veil of Salome brings readers into the sumptuous Golden Age of Hollywood. The story follows three women plotting their way through a space dominated by men. Salome's story, historical figure from the bible, is the hot topic of a movie production. Then there is Vera Larios, a somewhat meek Mexican ingenue who becomes more independent as she connects to the story of Salome. And rounding out the trio is Nancy Hartley, an ambitious actress who will do anything to get her dream job.

This is a 'contemporary read which is different from the supernatural horror that I am most familiar with when it comes to Silvia Moreno Garcia. Her writing style shines through as she blends the narratives of Vera Larios, Nancy Hartley and Salome. SMG gives the reader a world that many of us no little about, pulling back the gilded curtain to reveal the 50s Hollywood entertainment industry that very much resembles the modern one. There is also elements of film noir that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Even though this is not my usual choice for a book, I couldn't help but get pulled into this world. SMG is without a doubt one of the best story tellers that we have. She gives us flawed layered characters and rich worlds that one can't be helped to be intrigued by. I highly recommend if you like contemporary historical women's fiction with elements of film noir.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House publishing for providing an ARC of the Seventh veil of Salome.

For those of us who grew up with or grew into a fascination with the Old Hollywood studio system, and the way it thoroughly screwed over everyone involved, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest, The Seventh Veil of Salome is not to be missed.

The story primarily follows the points of view of three women: Hollywood newcomer Vera, recently arrived from Mexico to be cast as Salome in a biblical epic film that has all of Hollywood’s attention; Nancy, a bitter, self-destructive aspiring actress who resents Vera’s “undeserved” success; and Salome herself, with Moreno-Garcia taking occasional breaks from the 1950s narrative to jump way back in time and follow Salome in the days and weeks leading up to her infamous dance of the seven veils.

These three narratives are occasionally interwoven with first-person accounts from other characters in the story, in the style of an oral history, giving perspectives and context apart from Nancy and Vera’s, and while the shift back and forth from first- to third-person narration is a little jarring at first, things quickly settle into a rhythm that feels so seamless, it’s hard to imagine the story being told any other way.

If anything, the addition of the first-person narratives help inject a sense of additional tension into Vera and Nancy’s stories. It’s less what they’re saying, and more what they’re talking around, with the added perspective of hindsight, that makes the third-person narratives feel that much more breathless, and will keep the reader turning the page.

Of course, the book also unflinchingly addresses the pervasiveness of racism, misogyny, sexual assault and double standards that were once so explicit. I hesitate to confine these things to being “of their time” as the only thing that has really changed is the way (most) people no longer say the quiet part out loud. Salome’s narrative is also a nice counterpoint to this, in that the more things change, the more they stay the same. And looking at the times we live in, things aren’t much different either.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is out on August 6. Special thank you to Random House Publishing for the advance copy for review purposes.

4.5

Could not put this down!! Vera as a main character was so interesting, I loved seeing her navigate her passions, her true love, and being so infatuated with her role as Salome. Nancy was so messy and a racist POS but reading her chapters was still very entertaining. And although things still ended that same for her, I would've liked to see her suffer a little more. The separate story of Salome had me confused at first simply because of how many characters there were, it still kept me very engaged with the story and the plot overall.

Overall, I really enjoyed the drama, Vera's, Nancy's, and Salome's perspectives that made up the plot, the writing, and the tragic love story between Vera and Jay.

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a stellar book about Hollywood, agency, and the stories we tell. The book follows three major characters: Vera, a Mexican woman chosen to star in a production of The Seventh Veil of Salome; Nancy, a white woman working as an extra in the same production; and the fictional character of Salome. As these stories progress and become entwined with one another, a catastrophic turn of events is slowly revealed.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is a whirlwind of a book, moving at a quick pace befitting the tempestuous pace of the film production. The story quickly shifts between the three main characters while also interspersing first-person interviews with other minor characters regarding the disastrous production. She is not afraid to confront the rampant racism and sexism of the time and includes a few eerily on-point gossip columns to highlight these bigotries.

Moreno-Garcia does a fantastic job of giving unique voices and distinct personalities to all her characters, making it easy to keep track of the large cast. Nancy and Vera work as fantastic main characters due to their wildly different stories and worldviews, while still allowing for moments of comparison. The scenes with Salome felt less engaging, as it required a switch to a completely different time period and cast of characters, but the parallels drawn between all three characters were done remarkably well.

As a fan of Moreno-Garcia's work, The Seventh Veil of Salome stands out as one of if not her best work yet. The characters are beautifully rendered and the structure keeps the reader guessing until the end.

Silvia has done it again! She has a habit of writing books
I normally wouldn’t read. But because it’s her, why not!? I loved this multi time, multi POV story. I was aware of the history behind Salome but this one was a fantastic retelling. Vera was a star I couldn’t help but root for! I have nothing bad to say about this one! 5⭐️

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The lives of three young women -- two residing in 1950s film-mad Los Angeles, one inhabiting a Biblical past -- intertwine in this noir thriller with distinct feminist undertones. When Mexican newcomer Vera Larios is chosen to portray Salome in a major studio's sword & sandals epic, she runs afoul of Nancy Hartley, an experienced bit player with a racist streak and a nasty temper. Nancy had expected the role for herself, and her ego is far larger than Vera's. Through no fault of her own, Vera also collects a second enemy when she refuses to submit to her leading man's entitled advances.

Interspersed with the stories of both actresses are glimpses of the court life of Salome herself. The tone of these is more than a bit Technicolor. Salome has two aspiring suitors, a lecherous uncle, and a passion for the doomed prophet Jokanaan, but her interior life still manages to mirror Vera's and Nancy's. As all three young women hurtle toward fates hinted at (but never disclosed) from the beginning of the novel, the reader is left wondering who, if anyone, will be left standing.

And most likely guessing wrong.

A note about culture: although racism and sexism are not the plot's main emphasis, Moreno-Garcia's view of 1955 L.A. is in no way sanitized. Nancy's vicious comments about her rival receive far less criticism than they might today, and both Nancy and Vera must cope with men unable to see past their measurements. In true Salome style, Nancy at least manages to weaponize her situation.

This novel is painstakingly researched, with author's comments at the end for those of us who geek out on such things, yet Moreno-Garcia's research never gets in the way of illusion. Above all, The Seventh Veil of Salome is pure dark entertainment. I was expecting to miss the author's usual speculative / supernatural touches, but I never did. I was too busy clicking pages, breath held for the finale.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is the first Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel that I have read, but it is unlikely to be my last.

It is a historical fiction work focusing on the 1950’s Hollywood production of a movie of the same name. Vera Larios is the unknown Mexican actress selected for the coveted role of Salome. Nancy Hartley is jealous and vengeful as she once again has a small role in this film and is tired of waiting for her big break

While based on a woman of Biblical times, there are original ideas, and well-developed plot points. The novel tells the stories of Salome, Vera and Nancy from their points of view as well as from the views of many other characters. We explore Vera and Nancy's lives on and off the movie set. At times, I found all of the points of view overwhelming. Nonetheless, The Seventh Veil of Salome is a solid story with interesting characters. Nancy was racist and conniving and yet I still enjoyed reading about her.


Thanks to Net Galley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.



4 stars

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an auto-read author for me through and through. Not only does she come up with such original stories to share with readers, the design team really goes the extra mile to design the most gorgeous covers! Moreno-Garcia is infamous for her supernatural and paranormal stories, but sometimes she throws a curveball and leans into historical fiction (for example, Velvet Was the Night).

In her newest novel, THE SEVENTH VEIL OF SALOME, the story takes place in 1950s Hollywood where the production team is trying to find the cast for a new film, The Seventh Veil of Salome. The leading actor is a big name in Hollywood and this is planned to be a big-budget film about a legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times (think of mythology/theology). The firm's director eventually casts Vera Larios, a no-name Mexican actress, for the leading role of Salome. Vera gets intertwined with Nancy Hartley, a bit player who is jealous of Vera's opportunity. When the two actresses begin to compete for success during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the women realize that this world may not be exactly what they think it may be.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite authors, but this book was a bit unexpected for me. I wanted a bit more horror and supernatural to this story, but this is a very strong historical fiction, women's fiction novel. I think if I went into this novel differently, I would have had my expectations at ease. The book's set up at times is a story within a story, which is a plot point that I do not enjoy. I tend to get confused when authors use this type of writing style. Overall, I loved the 1950s Hollywood gossip and scandal and appreciated the author's ability to writing varying genres in such an entertaining way. I hope the author goes back to horror and science fiction, but will gladly pick up anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes—whether I feel it's my type of genre of not.

WOW. I finished this three nights ago, and I’m still mind blown by what I’ve read! 4.5 Stars!

**I was provided an e-ARC by Net Galley and Random House publishing. Thank you! My review is honest.**

I am a SMG fan, and unlike many, my favorite thus far has been Velvet Was The Night. I was ecstatic to read another historical fiction, noir, suspense novel by SMG. It was everything I hoped it to be.

This is a story with 3 FMC, primarily set in the 1950s in Hollywood. First, there is Salome herself. There is Vera, the newly discovered actress cast to play the role of Salome. Finally, there is Nancy, a party-girl/actress who believed she deserved the role of Salome. SMG exquisitely layered the three characters’ stories. However, there’s also multiple POV from supporting characters, portraying the MC from different perspectives. The result: the novel feels alive.

This book oozes love and lust and fame and jealousy and tragedy. The Seventh Veil of Salome is the most cinematic book I’ve read this year.

I liked the Hollywood aspect and creativity that went into this. My interest waned during the Salome perspective chapters. It was just ok for me. I will still be interested in future books by this author.

This book. Goodness gracious. I love the writing and the characters. The Hollywood setting was spectacular! I have no coherent thoughts. I loved the interview format and all the POVs. This books hit so many boxes for me and I love it

Salome is not a particularly notable character in scripture. Tragic, sure, but not very memorable. Yet I came out of this experience fascinated by how Moreno-Garcia used her story as a device for the greater book. The seedy atmosphere of Hollywood put next to the corrupt environment of Biblical times is really quite interesting.

The novel is technically about three women, but it is more accurately described as being two separate stories that meet at the end. One about a tumultuous 20th century picture starting a Mexican actress playing Salome as a pathetically unimportant extra tries to sabotage her, and one about the real Salome. Though there is a clear emphasis on the former. The Hollywood plot is intriguing and rather horrific. I really adore Old Hollywood movies, but I love the drama they used to have even more. Through the way the book is written, we’re able to see how rumors used to spread and how people really felt behind the scenes. It’s an especially interesting look into being a non white performer at a time where you were viewed as nothing more than a laughingstock. It’s equally an exploration on how truly ingrained hate and bitterness can be, and how some people will do anything to become stars.

The other story the book is trying to tell is, perhaps, not as compelling. It seems to be almost a genius and creative choice to include Salome’s narrative interwoven with the story of others trying to recreate her in a picture. But the execution is… boring. Salome’s chapters are really, really boring. And I understand why they’re there. In fact, I think they’re really brilliant near the end of the book. But only near the end. Before then, I dreaded getting to them. They distracted from the far more appealing narrative to tell us something that we sort of know already. I think there maybe could have been a different way to weave them in? I don’t know.

Anyway, I don’t want to get too caught up in that. SMG and I have a tumultuous relationship in that I don’t always find their books the most interesting, but I really did enjoy this. It was a bit sad, a bit thoughtful. Everything I tend to enjoy.

I am so sad to say this, but this Silvia Moreno-Garcia story wasn't for me. I just couldn't get into the story of Salome herself. There is no doubt that Silvia Moreno-Garcia can write, and from the cover and the synopsis I was hyped for this. However, again I couldn't get into what is undoubtably a big chunk of the story

I don’t think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is capable of writing a bad book. As per usual, she knocked it out of the park. Often multi-POV stories can get convoluted, but SVG did a wonderful job of weaving the pieces together run a way that provided a clearer picture of the story. The interconnection of Hollywood and a Biblical story was also really interesting and I thought SVG did a wonderful job of capturing the story in a way that did not feel drawn out, but kept you reading. Her books pull you in and this one was no exception.

An old Hollywood rivalry of Biblical proportions

The Golden Age of Hollywood was for many a storied era of handsome leading men and gorgeous starlets, where epic movies tantalized theatergoers in all their letterbox and technicolor glory. But for Vera Larios, her introduction to Hollywood was vastly different. Scouted at her father’s dentist office in Mexico she was an unknown thrown into a major epic production. Cast as Salome in the highly anticipated retelling of the biblical tale, Larios was starstruck, but determined to conquer the task ahead of her. Accompanied by her overbearing mother, aunt and cousin, Vera begins to navigate Hollywood while her mother attempts to direct her career. But not everyone is happy for the starlet’s debut. Nancy Hartley is furious that Vera has landed the lead role. She thought herself to be a shoo-in with her connections and experience, but now she must stand on the sidelines as a nameless extra and watch her role be played by an inferior actress. The duo embarks on a smoldering rivalry that results in rumors, scandal and romantic entanglements as Hartley is dead set on taking the rookie actress down a peg. And when fame and love are at stake, all bets are off.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is the newest novel by author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Coming on the heels of Silver Nitrate, Moreno-Garcia returns to an “old Hollywood” setting, but instead of horror, The Seventh Veil of Salome has more of a Noir feel. I really loved the different story lines going on throughout the story. First there is Salome’s view, basically the movie scenes playing out the big screen production. Then you have Vera and Nancy’s behind the scenes “real time, real life” storylines that give insight not only to the mechanics of the movie set, but also the personalities of the women themselves. These differing views helped to illustrate the tone of the era where the story takes place. In a world where “me too” had yet to be thought of, the sexism and racism was jarring and at times hard to read but I felt very necessary to completely set the tone and immerse the reader in the overall story. At times it felt as if I were reading two different books, taking a break from the Nancy and Vera drama to pick up the historical Salome story. But the further I got into the narrative, Moreno Garcia masterfully brought the two narratives closer and closer until they merged into the final act. Overall, the story begins a little slowly, but rapidly develops and it held my attention. As I found myself reading though, I was eager to see not only the final scene of the production, but also the conclusion of the real-life rivalry playing out. I could not have even imagined the conclusion, however, when it was all said and done it was very fitting.

If you are a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Noir, or old Hollywood stories with multiple concurrent storylines The Seventh Veil of Salome would be a nice addition to your bookshelf.

Full disclosure: I was provided a copy of this title by the author or their authorized agent, however, have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own. The Seventh Veil of Salome is scheduled for an August 6, 2024 release