Book Review

Velvet Was the Night
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
reviewed by Lou Jacobs



readersremains.com | Goodreads


An evocative noir crime mystery in the style of the best pulp fiction set in the historically accurate Mexico City of 1971, during the heinous time of the “Dirty War.”

The lives of two quixotic protagonists collide with life altering consequences. An immersive tale of revolution, intrigue, and romance unfolds in the midst of political upheaval, along with adoration for rock music, and burgeoning counterculture, and hippie movements.

Elvis, a twenty-one-year-old loaner, joins the “Hawks” out of boredom and the need for “something to do.” He is immediately impressed and envious of the mystique surrounding El Mago, the leader of his cell. Elvis is obsessed with music and daily assigns himself to learn “a word a day.”

The Hawks, under the covert ownership of the repressive government, have been recruited from ex-cops, ex-military, and even juvenile delinquents. The main requirement being the ability to “blend in” with students and inform on the activities of the multitude of these dissidents. They’re basically thugs, hired to do the dirty-work of the government, who can then profess plausible deniability.

Elvis and the other Hawks infiltrate the marching protestors during the day of the Corpus Christi festival (June 10, 1971). What ensues is a scene out of the best of “grindhouse cinema,” a chaotic scene, starting with indiscriminate beatings of protestors and any apparent photographer or journalist, with the culmination of eventual gunfire and ultimate slaying of 120 innocents. During the melee, his only friend is critically injured. Growing unrest and student activism, along with demand for greater civil rights, leads to the government’s indiscriminate use of force. This event was termed the Corpus Christi Massacre and ushered in the repressive decade of torture, beatings, murder, and disappearances known as the “The Dirty War.” It was said that the CIA also had a hand in this, both training and financial.

Next, we’re introduced to the second focal protagonist, Maite, a thirty-year-old legal secretary, bored with her tedious job, who peruses the want-ads, which never results in a follow-up phone call. She is constantly reminded of her failures and frailties by her verbally abusive mother. Why can’t she be more like her older and more successful, married sister, who already has babies? We find her dreading her upcoming thirtieth birthday, when she officially becomes an “old maid.” She laments that she is not pretty, but rather plain and lacks an upcoming date, let alone a husband. She escapes her inner conflicts and “shortcomings” as well as the surrounding political upheaval and uncertainty through her record collection and romance comics and magazines. The pinnacle of her day involves the search for the latest copy of her beloved “Secret Romance” enthralled with the stories of passion and danger.

There is a knock on the door. Maite opens it to find the young, beautiful, and carefree art student, Leonora, who lives across the hallway. She has heard that Maite occasionally will pet-sit for neighbors and pleads for her to care for her cat “for a couple of days, at most.” Maite agrees, while inwardly considering her beautiful green eyes and chestnut hair, and her probable stable of boyfriends. Leonora will mysteriously disappear with a subsequent plethora of people searching for her whereabouts. Elvis is ecstatic when El Mago assigns him an extremely important mission. He needs to search for the missing Leonora and retrieve an important cache of photographs in her possession (the contents of which he cannot disclose).

The search leads him to the doorstep of Maite, and thereafter their lives become juxtaposed. Finally, Maite’s life will approximate the lives of the heroines of her beloved romance comics.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia proves to be a masterful storyteller as she weaves an intricate plot with many moving parts and a cast of colorful and quixotic characters. Utilizing evocative prose, the tension and intrigue escalates among the volatile backdrop of Mexico City. Multiple secrets will unfold with unexpected consequences building to an explosive denouement. Parts will be played by not only Maite and Elvis, but also, secret police, undercover KGB operatives, quasi-governmental thugs and enforcers, and even artists, activists, journalists, and photographers. Percolating in the background of the adoration of rock music and counterculture movement is the possibility of a mole in the activist organization known as Asterisk. A trail of breadcrumbs will uncover the significance of this cache of photographs.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Group – Ballantine books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine

Not my usual read but interesting enough to keep my interest. I enjoyed the imperfect characters, and the historical setting.

Another awesome book by Silvia Moreno Garcia. all of her books are great and this one is also. It’s def worth a read.

I received this an ARC through Netgalley. Velvet Was the Night had a slow build but once I was about 30% in I couldn't stop reading! While this is a work of fiction, it is story I could definitely see playing out in the political and gang theater of Mexico. Silvia Moreno-Garcia delivers a story of mystery, love, finding yourself all wrapped up in a who done it story line.

Absolutely gruesome. Absolutely horrifying. It's historical. It's Noir. I was living in the world that Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created and I didn't want it to go anywhere else. I didn't want to finish the book! But now that I have, I just want to say.... I am about to re-read this again during spooky season, because I'M ALL FOR IT.

When you hear the word Noir, what does it make you think about? For me it brings this dark, velvety, slow feeling. Where everything is smokey, hazy, with a side of loneliness and broken hearts. And it's exactly what this book is. It is a historical thriller. Nothing paranormal, just normal people living in hard times and trying to make it when the political turmoil seems to suck them right in.

It is told from two points of view, one being this lonely secretary, Maite. Her next door neighbor Leonora asks her to watch her cat just for a while, but then disappears, and Maite finds herself looking for her for no other reason, just to get paid. Well maybe to also be nosy and find out what actually happened to Leonora, as she starts learning the girl was more interesting than she appeared. Maite is lonely, and a dreamer of sorts. She reads romance novels and has dreams of how her life should play out. She embellishes her life to her coworkers, meanwhile stealing little trinkets from people she works for, That one thefts draws her into this darker world of political intrigue.

Elvis, is a criminal who works for the Hawks. It is a political group of thugs that make problems disappear. Though Elvis is a dreamer too, he doesn't really like violence, and loves good music and books. He and his goons are sent to retrieve Leonora, and something she possesses. What he finds instead is Maite, who intrigues him. As he follows her, he learns they have more in common than he thought, like finding Leonora, for example.

It wasn't a lovely romance story, or even a happy one. It is just sad people trying to find some kind of happiness in an ugly world. I loved how music played into this, and how both POVs connected over it. It seemed like their lives were intertwined with their tastes in songs. The characters weren’t the ones you could root for as they were more of anti-heros. In the end I still loved how their stories turned out. Add the mystery of the missing girl and I was hypnotized into finishing this book.

I have not read a historical fiction about Mexico before, so I really appreciated the look into the political hardships of the times and place.

This is a book I'd recommend to historical fiction lovers, as it is an immersive one. The writing is beautiful and wraps you up in exactly right mood and notes of noir. Hope you enjoy.

Two things I liked most about this reading experience: 1. It's very cool to learn that this story is based off of very real Mexican history. 2. I love that it didn't have a HEA ending. Don't get me wrong I love a HEA, but there's something to be said for stories that have "real life" endings - maybe that's why I love 500 Days of Summer and La La Land. Now this ending isn't like those movies, either, so read it and see if you're into it.

Velvet Was The Night is totally different from Mexican Gothic, but it's really great in its own right. While I still don't quite know what noir is (I should probably just google the definition), I really enjoyed the 70s vibe. Also highly recommend you listen to the book playlist, soundtrack?, on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7oUAqLnfPuRR3tdXV7tDGH?si=5a3a3a0a54794a49 It really takes the reading experience up a notch.

I really enjoyed Velvet Was the Night! The characters were interesting and unique. The story line was a slow build mystery that deepened and kept me guessing until the end how it would all turn out. I read Mexican Gothic last year and while I enjoyed the writing that book was not not for me. This however kept my interest with the historical story about 1970's Mexico. The main character Maite was asked by her neighbor Leonara to watch her cat for a couple of days while she is away. What she doesn't know is that she is about to be swept up in a world that she did not expect to get involved in. Along the way she meets other people who are also interested in finding Leonara, but some may have nefarious reasons for wanting to find her. As the days go by Maite realizes that Leonara isn't coming back which annoys her but also worries her, She then begins to search for her, but what she doesn't know is that she is also being watched. Can Leonara be found in time before something bad happens? I liked the dark humor writing style, and the descriptions were written in a way that made it easy to picture. Overall a good mystery read! Thanks Netgalley and Random House for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review!

In 1970s Mexico City, a beautiful art student goes missing. Her next door neighbor, a quiet secretary obsessed with mystery romance novels, decides to look into her disappearance. At the same time, an eccentric criminal named Elvis searches for the missing woman, but for darker reasons: to make sure the secrets she knows stay hidden.

This historical noir has all the creepy vibes I wanted! I love the contrast of Maite and Elvis, and there were lots of memorable characters along the way. The actual mystery part of the plot didn't quite live up to the rest of the book in my opinion, but overall, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Velvet Was the Night.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book!

I fell in love with Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing in Mexican Gothic and it so wonderful to see her pivot to the noir genre and write such a wonderful story.

Velvet was the Night was a fantastic noir mystery, written with incredible style and vivid imagery. Moreno-Garcia easily balances a multitude of characters and subplots, never fully deviating from the quest to find Leonora and her photos, just adding more and more to the rich tapestry that she paints. I really loved how even b-plot characters felt developed and singular, no one participated to be a stereotype. And kudos to Moreno-Garcia for writing compelling characters that I didn't feel like I had to like (even when I did) but also wasn't required to hate in order to enjoy the ride.

I loved how the plot always seemed to be moving but never too quickly, giving you a sense of the urgency around what is happening. The final reveal felt obvious in retrospect and yet I definitely did not see it coming! Perfect!

Overall, I thought this was a great ride and I can't wait to go back and read more of Moreno-Garcia's books.

Thank you @delreybooks @netgalley for my review copy!

I hate to do this, but I’m halfway through Velvet Was The Night and it’s been so painful for me just to make it halfway. I’m going to DNF this one. I’m just not that into the story, I don’t care about any of these characters or what happens to them. It’s just not for me. I was tempted to stick it out and try to push through, but it’s taking me forever to read and I just have too many other books I want to get to.

⭐️How I rated other books by this author:
The Beautiful Ones 5⭐️
Gods of Jade and Shadow 4⭐️
Mexican Gothic 2⭐️

I have to admit, I saw the author Silvia Moreno-Garcia published a new book that had a beautiful cover and I added it to my TBR without even reading anything about it. In doing so, I missed the fact that this was not a horror. I also missed the fact that the author expressed that this was a noir. And I will say I did enjoy this but it wasn't my favorite.

The mix of characters were great for the plot of the story. The story comes together through two POV's; Elvis and Maite. I enjoyed Elvis as a character; he was essentially a mobster with a big heart and conscious. Maite seemed to be the most unsure and conflicted. She did things that made me say this chick is a badass and then did other things where I thought this chick is kind of dumb. Though the plot has a mystery element to it, it's certainly not an intense edge of your seat mystery. Based on the cover, I assumed that was our main character Maite and had expected a very different outcome for her.

All in all, I did enjoy the play through of events and of course love Silvia's writing. I will continue to pick up anything she writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine, Del Rey for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like readers tend to "cage" authors into a genre. And when they try stories outside of their realm, readers push back. They liked what was produced and that is what they want to keep reading. But we can't box authors in like that. And I feel like many of these ratings reflect that.

So with her previous publications out of mind, I will say I didn't think this was bad. I actually found myself rather enjoying the historical fiction angle. It was certainly a part of Mexico's history that I had no clue about. And once I realized it was based on true events, I googled and found out more information. In that regard, I think Moreno-Garcia is doing her part in sharing Mexico's history and bringing it to light in today's crazy world. I fear today's world is destined to forget history and repeat away due to a lack of knowledge/interest about the history of our world.

Maite is also a character that is so utterly common in real life. But we don't often shed light on "real" characters like Maite in reading. She is a very average woman. In her thirties, poor confidence is Karen-ish and was in a low place in life and work. Her thoughts and actions were truly familiar. I actually related to her character more than I would like to admit. She wasn't a great character, but I really appreciated how realistically she was portrayed. I swear I read the same character over and over again. This was in a way rather refreshing.

In another way, I totally get the feeling of the book is average. And I blame that on the slow pace. It is rather intriguing to kick off. But it quickly yields and stays at a steady slow pace for a nice little chunk. Which isn't going to work for everyone. Especially when you find yourself asking, "Where the hell is this going?" like I did at one point. But hang in there, it is an interesting story.

Also, I will admit that the whole story revolving around Leonora made little sense to me. Readers are briefly introduced to Leonora. The only way we get to know her is via the apartment and as stories unfold about her from other characters. But I have not a single reason to care or look for Leonora (the rich, pretty girl - this is exactly why Maite is so unique). She really was this phantom character that I was supposed to want to find. But really didn't give a fuck if she was found dead or alive. The author needed to make us care about her disappearance and I literally could not be bothered with that.

Overall, I didn't think the book was bad. I enjoyed it as much as her other novels. It wasn't outstanding, but I certainly didn't find myself bored or not engaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the read.

I've learned from reading several Silvia Moreno-Garcia books to just trust her and go wherever she leads. I don't typically read crime or noir novels and yet that's exactly what this story is. I was surprised by how quickly I was drawn into the intensity of the story; I was also fascinated by this part of history I knew absolutely nothing about. My favorite thing about this book was the music, it felt like a character all it's own. I frequently stopped reading to look up a song I didn't know or just to have it in the background while I read. This book will appeal to Moreno-Garcia fans for sure, but also to anyone who loves a bit of mystery and all the noir vibes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Did I a rare historical fiction reader sit and read this entire book in a day? Yes I did!!
Was it good? Yes.
Did I love it? I’m not sure. 3.75/5

Would you search for your neighbour if they go missing? That too amidst political unrest in 1970s Mexico? Velvet was the night is a novel about a woman who goes searching for her neighbour, stumbles into truth that is inescapable. Though the story reads like a drama, its safe to call this a historical thriller since most of the hitman action happens towards the end of the book. The Noir setting and transporting writing definitely are highlights!

Thank you Delrey via Netgalley for the arc.

Velvet Was the Night is the newest novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of the bestselling horror book Mexican Gothic. Published through Del Rey, this slice of noir explores the historical significance of the horrors of 1970s Mexico at the start of the Dirty War. Using this historical framework, Moreno-Garcia introduces readers to two completely different protagonists whose lives eventually become intertwined through the disappearance of a mysterious and beautiful art student.

Noirs are character-focused narratives with action sprinkled in. What sells this simmering one is the absolute delight of Moreno-Garcia’s characters. We have Maite, a 30-year-old secretary who lives in an apartment that is too expensive. She hates her job but it is comfortable in the life she has made for herself. She is sick of her self-described boring life and leans into her fantastical daydreams through her favorite romance comics and records. She is oblivious to the real-world politics within her city and begins to open her eyes when Leonora, her next-door neighbor disappears. It’s so easy to see one’s self in Maite as she chooses to be adventurous and puts her life at stake navigating the dangers of aligning with political rebels to find Leonora.

Our other protagonist is a man named Elvis (after Elvis Presley) who works for The Hawkes. This is a paramilitary group whose work is utilized by the Mexican government to flag down protestors fighting for societal change. It is through Elvis where readers get to navigate the Dirty War. Elvis loves his rock ‘n’ roll music and has to keep it a secret since the government is censoring music. Rock music is said to be communist propaganda and it pains Elvis that the only solace he finds from his work is through art that he cannot share with others. He is tired of the bloodlust and the pain associated with the high turmoil within the city. Political tensions are high and his friends are constantly dying. Elvis is also a daydreamer in his own right. He seeks to leave his position in the Hawkes but doesn’t know where to go or what to do. He is stranded by himself, involved on the side of politics that goes against his heart.

The drive of both of these characters makes Velvet Was the Night an addictive and quick read. As the mystery narrative picks up, multiple layers begin to unravel. Moreno-Garcia’s pacing is methodical with her cookie crumbs approach to finding Leonora. New characters slowly work their way into both Maite and Elvis’s lives. We meet fully fleshed out, unique people like Rubén, an ex-boyfriend of Leonora who becomes an amateur detective alongside Maite. It is with him we see Maite come out of her shell and witness her understanding of the world through new eyes.

In addition to the wonderfully written and interesting characters, the writing is smooth and lyrical, often reflecting the importance of music within the characters. The luscious writing is what sells the atmosphere. It’s like the words embody a wispy smoke surrounding the sad, lonely world of people attempting to make connections with others. The pacing is much slower compared to a thriller, which is typical of the noir genre, but when the action does arise, it strikes with precision. I felt myself wanting to simply keep reading—Moreno-Garcia’s writing is so captivating.

Velvet Was the Night is a must-read novel. Wrapped in this noir is the valuable historical context for the Dirty War in 1970s Mexico which Moreno-Garcia carefully explains and provides readers in an easy and accessible way, including an afterword further explaining the history. Through daydreaming and lonely characters with a knack for solving mysteries, this genre novel leaves you wanting to encounter a mystery of your own.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is back! Her newest book, Velvet Was the Night, is a slow burning, historical fiction/crime noir novel and a departure from the storytelling of Mexican Gothic. Maite is a single thirty year old secretary, who hates her job, loves romance graphic novels, American music, and dreams of a different life for herself though at the start of the novel she'd rather internally complain about her circumstances than do much to actually change them. Elvis is an early twenty-something who loves American music too, and is an enforcer for the Hawks, a group secretly sanctioned by the government in order to suppress political activists within the city. The story is told from the alternating POVs of Maite and Elvis, who are brought into one another's atmosphere when her next door neighbor, Lenora, goes missing and is presumed to have some politically compromising pictures of a high ranking official. Maite wants to find her in order to get paid for pet-sitting and Elvis is looking for her in order to get those pics. Both of their searches become more dangerous than they could have anticipated. Is Lenora dead? Where is she!?

Additional rambling thoughts: This cover is beautiful. I enjoyed learning a bit more about the political unrest of Mexico in the 1970s, the PRI Mexican Political party, the Hawks, and the Dirty War. Overall, the story was good and I liked it, but the noir genre is not one that I will pick up on a regular basis.....though if you are already a fan of the genre you should check this one out!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine/Del Rey for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Velvet Was the Night is a really good read however it wasn't as gothic as I thought it would be. You can go into this one without reading the summary and really enjoy it. This is the second book I've read by this author and I just like Mexican Gothic, I really enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of gothic and so far he books have been tolerable to no need to fear if you don't like gothic. I highly recommend this book and thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest reveiw.

Velvet Was the Night - 4⭐

One of the things I love about this author is how different each of her books are from the other - you never quite know what you're going to get, other than that it's going to be a treat to read. This book was a cross between historical fiction meets crime noir, and I could so see this playing out on the big screen. Like previous books from the author, this book is definitely slow burn, but in the best way. Chapters alternate between Elvis, a hardened criminal working for a gang called the Hawks, and Maite, a romantic at heart single woman working as a secretary at a law firm. Both characters are so different and you can't help but quickly get invested in their missions. Slowly, their paths began to cross, until their stories come together. This is a book you want to savor up until the very end.

Classic rock was a common interest of the characters and while I don't typically ever listen to music while reading, I pulled up Velvet Was the Night playlist on Spotify and it set the mood for this book so perfectly.

Read if you've enjoyed previous works of the author, slow burn suspense, historical fiction, crime/noir, or if you like playlists tailored to a book

Full review on bookstagram to come.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this novel for an honest review. I think this cover is stunning! And to be quite honest, I am guilty of judging a book by its cover. Honestly I should have read up on this novel before signing up to rate it. This wasn't my style.
I chewed through this for about a week. And finally fished it. 3 stars just because.