Reviews with content warning for Gore - Velvet Was the Night

I found myself drawn in. I enjoyed this more than Gods of Jade and Shadow, which is a surprise, since I usually enjoy fantasy stories more than thrillers. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an author I’ll be reading again.

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kyrstin_p1989's review

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adventurous dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Not my typical genre but I ended up really enjoying this book. It’s a crime/mystery story about a Mexican woman who goes missing and the opposing groups trying to find her. It’s full of violence and intrigue and keeps you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns.

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whatcassiedid's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I may have understood the political background a little more if I was familiar with Mexico's political history but I don't feel like that impeded my enjoyment of the story. This book was riveting and after each of Elvis and Maite's first chapters I could not have predicted where it ended up. This had an act 4 twist that actually made me gasp out loud and had a delightful ending.

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hannahlee's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It was wonderful to see Moreno-Garcia dive into the world of noir! As with all her work I've read so far, she successfully marries a style I know with a setting and culture that I don't, with great results. I really felt for her characters, and enjoyed this fun yet dark romp based on real historical events.

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rebeccaxpaige's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This book is a dark, almost Breaking Bad-esque novel with two different POVs with similar objectives. A missing woman and mysterious film cause mayhem.

I was impressed by this book and how Garcia was able to paint a consistently dark and mysterious atmosphere. It was also somewhat unnerving but I found myself heavy invested in both Elvis and Maite’s stories. Elvis is a long time thug as he calls himself- a criminal who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Then we have Maite, a secretary who wants nothing more than to leave her current employment and perhaps do something else.
Though I am not sure what that is.

This story is mysterious, thrilling and rich. My only critique would be that I needed more emotion evoked in the language- it would have made the story much more impactful. Though, I’m still giving it 4 stars.

This is a wonderful read, so please read it.

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hilarylouise's review

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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katherinenzr's review

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’ve never read anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia I didn’t absolutely love, so it’s no surprise I feel head over heels into this gritty, messy, wonderful story. While the plot itself is electrifying and action packed, the characters are complex and messy and real in a way that left me thinking about them for hours after I finished the book. Start this at your own risk --you won’t be able to put it down.

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