Synopsis:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes Velvet Was the Night, a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir” about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.
1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger.
Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents.
Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ’n’ roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite from a distance—and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.
Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies all aiming to protect Leonora’s secrets—at gunpoint.
Velvet Was the Night is an edgy, simmering historical novel for lovers of smoky noirs and anti-heroes.
Edition:
E-ARC
Disclaimer:
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in electronic format via the publisher and Net Galley. While I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read and review Velvet Was the Night early, this did not in any way impact my review.
My Thoughts:
Velvet Was the Night was exactly what I had hoped it would be. It is noir set in Mexico in the early 1970s. I got what I was expecting. What I wasn’t expecting was how much I liked Maite. Even while reading the book, I was kind of wondering why she was the way she was. I mean, she reminds me a lot of Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone (Kathleen Turner’s character). She’s a not-super-young single lady who just wants to find a love like she reads about in her comics (or writes about in her novels in Wilder’s case). She doesn’t think she’s anything special, and because of that, she’s really not. She’s safe. Maybe even a little boring. She doesn’t want to rock the boat. I should hate her. And yet, I don’t at all. I even kind of relate to her. She has big dreams and a small life – right up until her world gets much, much bigger all of a sudden. She finds herself playing a small role in a very big story.
If you’re looking for a noir story that has some basis in history, look no further. Velvet Was the Night takes place at the beginning of Mexico’s Dirty War, and stars a cast of characters including members of The Hawks – a real life paramilitary group (although the characters are fictional) used by the Mexican government against protesters. But don’t go in expecting action-action-action (remember, this is NOIR, not thriller or action). You’re going to get all sorts of character- and emotion-driven story, and yes, certainly some action, but the action is not the point. Right? Right. Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created a wonderful cast of characters here. Some you will love, some you are going to hate. Others you won’t be sure quite what to make of. But you WILL be invested. I promise you that.
This is also a very musically-driven story. This is because during the era in which the story takes place, the Mexican government under Echeverría was in the midst of censoring music or anything related to the counterculture of the time (anti-war, communism, hippie culture, etc.) lest it lead to civil unrest or a repeat of the Tlatelolco massacre of 1968. I tried to say that as neutrally as possible, and hopefully I succeeded. I’m not here to judge, just to report. But I am judging. Government overreach is upsetting. But since it is musically-driven, the author was kind enough to include a playlist at the end of the book, which I greatly appreicated. It is filled with mood-invoking music of the era.
About the Author:
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and Untamed Shore. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.
Rating:
Velvet Was the Night is top-notch noir, plain and simple. However, if noir is not your thing, you’re probably not going to enjoy it so much. Don’t go in expecting any SFF or horror twists just because it’s Silvia Moreno-Garcia, is what I’m saying.
Mexican Gothic By Silvia Moreno-Garcia Del Rey Published: August 17, 2021 ISBN: 9780593356821 Hardcover, E-book, Audiobook, Paperback 304 Pages Author's Website
