Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

This one was a really slow start but I stuck around for the interesting characters, most notably, Nancy, who I wanted to see more of even if she’s really awful. Plus, I didn’t know anything about Salome and I’ve learned she’s quite an interesting figure.

All of the characters stories weave together so nicely, and I really enjoyed it despite the pinch it took to get into it.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favourite authors, and this one ranks pretty high on my list. She has an incredible way of reviving past eras for the modern reader.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Another interesting and thoughtful read from Silvia. It is a wonderful feeling when you are kept wondering where it will go next.

I may need to face that Moreno-Garcia is just not for me. There is something solid to this novel, but the different tone of Salome vs the “modern day” characters just didn’t work for me.

I have previously enjoyed reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia's novels.
This one is a bit different from the others I have read .
The story is following mainly Vera Larios, a rising actress of Mexican heritage.
She is cast to play the part of Salome in a big Hollywood picture (Think Ben-Hur)
Her Rival is Nancy Hartley, a down on her luck aging actress.
The third woman is actually Salome, who is telling her story in her own words.

It's a very interesting book with a surprising twist at the end.
Definitely had a film noir/suspense vibe.

Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book.
My opinions are my own

The Seventh Veil of Salome is a behind the scenes look into the Golden Age of Hollywood, surrounding the making of a fictional film about the mythical/Biblical character, Salome, told primarily through the perspectives of three women, Vera Larios, the unknown young woman from Mexico who is cast in the lead, Nancy Hartley, a bit player living in Hollywood certain that she is on the verge of making her big break, and lastly, Salome herself leading up to the fateful night of the part for her stepfather/Uncle's birthday party when she dances for him and makes her demand for the head of John the Baptist.
The book begins as Vera is cast, gradually building a cast of characters in Hollywood, as filming progresses, casting the two women against each other, culminating in a tragic confrontation that coincides with Salome's dance for Herod. The writing itself helps to build the tension behind the scenes between the two women, as well as for Vera as a Mexican woman, ostracized and looked down upon in Hollywood. This book for me functioned as a coming of age as Vera grows up, asserting herself to her mother, and to the director of the film as well, standing up for herself against Nancy and other racists she meets, but this also sets her up for the culmination of the book.
The reason I rated this book 4 stars is because the conclusion, after a relatively slow build up to the climax, felt quite rushed, and left me slightly unsatisfied.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia returns with this novel told in multiple perspectives surrounding the filming of the Biblical Epic "The Seventh Veil of Salome". The main conflict is between Vera, an up and coming star in her first role and Nancy, a bit player with big dreams, and bigger personal demons.

Moreno-Garcia takes the reader through the behind the scenes drama and a look at the studio system. There is plenty to keep the reader engaged throughout and the mini "interviews" with other characters throughout.

This was well-written and interesting but didn’t have enough plot for me personally. I enjoyed reading about these women in the film scene as well as Salome in Biblical times.

This is a nice noir about 1950s Hollywood complete with sexism and prejudice. There is lots of material for discussion.

Unknown Vera Larios is cast as Salome is 1950 in Hollywood. Nancy Hartley wants the role.

This interesting book takes a deep dive into the Biblical story of Salome, her stepfather, King Herod and her mother Herodias. She also shows the corruption and casual racism and misogyny of Hollywood in the 50s and, well, today.) I’ve read several books from this author and this seems to be a bit of a departure, but I quite enjoyed it.

An aspect of the golden age of film we don’t get much insight into is what it was like for women of color. Latinos, black Americans, Asians and so on.

Vera’s story is one of hope and heartbreak. She gets a chance of a lifetime to live the dream of becoming a Hollywood starlet. I love that her character is intelligent, focused and insightful. She isn’t lost in the limelight and truly wants to work hard but when you’re looked down on for who you are, in her case, a Latina actress, her efforts are hardly worth anything. A jealous costar, Nancy, doesn’t help matters and we quickly see what Vera is up against and what she’s willing to put up with.

I found myself forgetting that she is a fictional character because we’re given accounts of her circumstances that feel like a documentary at times. I think readers will find her relatable in that she’s a young woman, the world is her oyster but the world wasn’t ready for women, let alone willing to accept one who wasn’t Caucasian. The prejudice and sexism is alive and well and leads us to imagine how truly awful that world is for women, even today. The manipulation and pressures. What is worth becoming a star … if anything.

The saving grace is a potentially romantic friend she meets along the way, but can he even be trusted??

If there's one thing about me it's that I am always going to read a Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I'm always going to love it, The Seventh Veil of Salome was no different. I love anything about the Golden Age of Hollywood, and this was a fun and twisty exploration into that. I liked the dual narrative approaches a lot.

The writing itself is lovely but I had a hard time getting into the book with all the POV changes. It seems like they were meant to build intrigue but really, up until the final act all they did was serve to slow things down. I was hooked by that final climax though and ultimately ended up glad that I pushed through the initial drag I was feeling (though tbh if this wasn’t an ARC I probably would’ve ditched this by the 30% mark because I was so bored in the beginning).

This book makes me wish SMG had written the Bible instead. Deft, lush, and nuanced, “The Seventh Veil of Salome” is so far one of my favorites in SMG’s body of work.

Fascinating read that jumps between old studio system of Hollywood and a retelling of the myth of Salome in biblical times. It’s a book that explores myth-making, its intersections in misogyny, and the terrible decisions people make in the name of love and ego.

At the center of it all is Vera Larios, a young Mexican actress in her debut role in “The Seventh Veil of Salome.” She navigates Hollywood’s unspoken rules as she comes into her own power. Tragedy strikes, and Vera’s story weaves into Salome’s as Salome makes the decision to martyr John the Baptist. This is also a book thick with meaning, foreshadowing and symbolism, making it an especially fun book to reread.

If you like books with complicated women navigating patriarchies of the past, or books that match their big stylish ideas with layers of substance, run - don’t walk for this one.

I absolutely loved this story set mainly in 1950s Hollywood. There are also biblical references (Salome). This novel revolves around two Hollywood rising stars, Vera Larios and Nancy Hartley. Vera is a Mexican ingenue and Nancy's career is bit parts. There are multiple POVs in this novel and it also is a retelling of the story of Salome. I was absolutely entranced while reading this beautiful novel and loved the parallels that were made. Moreno-Garcia made a phenomenal piece of work!

This book was amazing. It wasn’t what I’m used to in regards to Sylvia’s previous work, but my word did it hit the spot. This one was based on the story of Salome, as you can tell by the title but also life for aspiring actresses in Hollywood and the 1950’s.

Nancy. Ugh I could punch her. She was awful. But necessary.

I didn’t know that around the 50’s Mexicans were not allowed to buy property and had to say they were Spanish instead.

I felt so bad for Vera in so many ways. Her mother and aunt were awful. I had a mother like hers and honestly the toll it takes on you all the way into adulthood is paramount.

I don’t wanna spoil too much, but there were characters I wished different endings for and I would have loved to have seen more.

This book was a 4.5 star from me! I love Sylvia’s work. I cant wait for her next project!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a penchant for transporting readers to a faraway land or distant pasts with the amount of detail she provides in every line. I have been a fan of her ever since I read Mexican Gothic, yet no other recent book of hers has captured me quite as much as The Seventh Veil of Salome. It was quite fortuitous that I found myself in the Chicago Art Institute and saw a few paintings of Salome, each paired with the grisly image of John the Baptist, or Jokanaan, and his head on a silver platter. I instantly recognized it and I felt so much more excitement toward finishing the book. How would Moreno-Garcia tie up all the loose ends and political drama of Salome's world and Vera's struggle in 1950's-1960's Hollywood?

Everything came to a climactic finish at the last 10% of the book, and though it was bittersweet, there were no other ways that it could have ended. Moreno-Garcia tugged at my heart strings until the very end, and I thoroughly enjoyed the parallels of Salome and Vera.

I believe that some readers did not like the switching POVs of the narrative, but I have to say that I personally quite enjoyed it. It played like a documentary one would watch about the dramatic and high-tension filled days filming an iconic movie. I loved hearing the different perspectives and hearing the ominous warnings from earlier in the book about unforeseen events that will come to pass.

Overall, this book is a hit, and the cover is absolutely gorgeous (as many of her books are).

I've been a long-time fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and this is probably her strongest book for me since MEXICAN GOTHIC. I love the way she consistently writes complicated characters, and it's clear that she is very interested in classic Hollywood, both of which add to a well-rounded story about what it's like to pursue a creative career that doesn't value you insomuch as value how lucrative of an investment you are. I adore the different ways her various protagonists -- of which I'm counting Vera, Nancy, and Salome -- take control of their respective narratives. I'm sure this will be another blockbuster for SMG!

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Seventh Veil of Salome</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have read four other books by this author and I am always impressed how the characters and settings are so unique. This novel, with two timeframes, is set in the Biblical land of Herod and in Hollywood of the 1950s. Both settings present a diabolical and political war where women, especially women of color, are the pawns of powerful men. The time may be different but the treatment of women is remarkably similar.

In the Biblical setting, Salome, the stepdaughter of the powerful tetrach, is attracted to the dangerous preacher, John the Baptist. Her future, however, is not hers to contemplate since her body is an object to be traded for power and influence. She must dance a sexually provocative dance for her leering stepfather and others; in return she gains the right to have one request granted without question.

In Hollywood, Vera is a young Mexican actress hired to play Salome in a movie. As a young girl she was always second in her mother's eyes to her younger sister. Vera has a difficult time overcoming her self-doubt under her mother's withering gaze. Others view her acting with derision, especially Nancy, a wannabe actress. Nancy believes that it is only Vera who stands in her way on the road to stardom. Nancy's manipulative personality has been polished with lousy decisions and by men who use her while she uses them.

There is no happy ending here - not for Salome, not for Vera, and not for Nancy. The glittering court of Herod and the bright lights of Hollywood reflect tawdriness and deceit where women are the puppets of the powerful. Even their dreams and aspirations are structured within a man's world.

<i>The Seventh Veil of Salome</i> is an engrossing read.

This was so good!!!! It was giving Yellowface/I, Tonya realness but with the old Hollywood touch, I LIVED