notesurfer 's review for:

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

4.0

dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Velvet Was the Night is a character-driven noir thriller, set in Mexico during the Cold War. Despite some pacing issues, this was still a pretty engaging read. Communists, Mexican politics, spies, thugs, and idealistic students, are all set within an evocative historical framework. The narrators' perspectives intersect and diverge to sketch out a story which is itself only a backdrop for their personal journeys. The narrative voice is a bit terse, at times monotonous, but it creates a sense of detachment that drives home the noir aesthetic and the rich environment of urban Mexico. The unique tone made this book well worth reading, despite occasional narrative shortcomings.