Reviews

disclaimer : I received a copy free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (bit embarrassing but I got approved for this in 2021... damn i'm behind with my ARCs)

content warnings: violence, blood, gore

rep: mexican characters & setting

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a pretty safe author for me - she never fails to hit the spot. Velvet Was the Night takes place in Mexico in the 1970s & I would describe it as a noir thriller. Not necessarily high stakes but keeps you on your toes enough. We follow Maite, an unlikeable protagonist, while she looks for Leonora - a neighbour that has gone missing & also owes her money. We also follow Elvis - equally unlikeable - who also searches for Leonora for different reasons. Engaging & enticing story with some very morally ambiguous characters & Moreno-Garcia has a knack for creating some great stories with awesome vibes.

axelle's review against another edition

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informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

sumsunalli's review against another edition

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3.0

I think it is perfectly categorized to say this is a "historical noir" novel.

The pacing of this story was pretty slow, but there were no shortage of scenes of violence and mystery. SMG did a great job of weaving the characters together, although I will admit some of the gang members ran together for me.

I never felt like I connected with the characters, but I can objectively appreciate that this novel was written along the same lines as Mexican Gothic. I will continue to look for SMG's novels in the future.

Thank you to Silvia, Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

alicecider's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

nozycozy's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

3.0

The start of this novel was interesting as you get to know Elvis but shortly after it dragged. I felt like it took them too long to realize things. I made it to the halfway point and they were barely trying to figure out the mystery. This is a slow burn with characters that I found a little bland. I was losing interest. Maite was not my favorite she is very insecure with an obsession with being young and beautiful when she’s in her 30’s and also very men centered. Elvis story was sad but not really engaging either. At the 75% mark the story finally picked up and there was action. The last quarter saved it from being a DNF. What I did enjoy was the historical fiction. It was interesting to read the sequence of events based on that time period. Im interested to do some of my own research to learn more about the violent events that occurred in 1970’s Mexico.

coffeeneur's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

2.0

The characters in this story did not work for me. Elvis and Maite are quirky and yet not that interesting! And Maite felt like a spectator in her own life which just didn't carry the story well. Some good atmospherics but not enough to have a solid sense of place. This book is a noir tale around a true historic event and time but this book did not bring all of that into relief for me. So unfortunate because I found Mexican Gothic irresistible!

jgorkaya15's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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