This Velvet Was the Night book review explores how Silvia Moreno Garcia created an atmospheric, dark and suspense-laden noir that satisfied an itch I didn’t know I had. Get ready to dive into the world of Latin American noir steeped in mystery with flawed, morally ambiguous characters you can’t help but empathize with.
Velvet Was The Night Summary
A 1970’s noir historical fiction set in the turbulent political climate of Mexico City. W follow Maite a struggling secretary who lives a boring ordinary life enraptured by her romance comics who becomes entangled in a mystery involving political activists when cat-sitting for her beautiful neighbor, Lenora. Elvis a dispassionate goon who works with an underground organization that usurps political dissidents is tasked with following Maite as she’s suspected of having a valuable item in her possession. He embarks on a bloody search for the truth about his purpose within the organization and life.
Book Stats
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery-Thriller, Noir
Publication Date: August 17, 2021
Author Background: Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican-Canadian author who hails from Baja California, Mexico and has written notable novels such as Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and Silver Nitrate. She embodies the definition of genre-fluid as she’s written books in genres such as Historical Fiction, Horror, Noir and Fantasy.
Key Themes: Political Unrest and Violence, Masculinity and Femininity, Idealism versus Reality, Identity and Belonging
Content Warnings: Graphic on page violence, sexual content, suicidal ideation, drug abuse, and racial slurs. Please research for a full list of triggers!
Why I Picked It Up
I was drawn to this novel because I was desperate to experience a win from this author. I read The Seventh Veil of Salome last winter and didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. However, Moreno-Garcia’s writing style, pacing and storytelling left a stellar impression on me. So, I was eager to try reading another novel by her to see how it worked for me.
My Reading Experience
Emotional Impact
I felt the obvious thrills, tension and anxiety that one feels when reading a noir styled mystery-thriller. However, I also felt immense empathy for Maite and Elvis who I felt were lost souls struggling to find their place in a society where their ideals didn’t align with the reality of how things were.
I also felt the political unrest to be an interesting plot point and perhaps too close for comfort when it comes to thoughts and reflections regarding our current administration.
Representation
Silvia Moreno Garcia’s books are written within the “own voice” framework where we have a Latina author who speaks on experiences, ideas or realities that impact her culture and community. And this novel does just that as it explores political tensions in 1970’s Mexico exploring two vastly different realities and thoughts that were commonly experienced during that time.
Leaving you with a better understanding of the political climate and real situations these characters experienced. And a better understanding of what life was like during that time with the continual threat of violence and political upheaval.
Notable Strengths
The strong characterization and rich atmosphere truly created an immersive read that had me invested in the plot and fate of these characters.
Potential Hurdles
While the plotting was clever it also felt predictable to where you could easily guess the outcome of multiple storylines in the novel. All the way to the machinations and reasons for why these particular things occurred.
Writing Style & Readability
This novel had a fascinating premise and once again I found Moreno-Garcia’s writing style exceptional. I really enjoyed how she created a rich, atmospheric experience for the reader making it an immersive read. I also appreciated the historical accuracy of the time period for the setting. From the vernacular of the characters, their style, mannerisms, societal customs and pop culture everything felt true to the time.
She also managed to create an approachable novel that confidently straddled the line between remaining historically and culturally accurate to the setting and ensuring that readers outside of the culture and unaware of the politics, people and state of Mexico City during the 70’s are able to understand the content. Primarily, through the utilization of context clues layered throughout which aided readers in comprehending these various elements without feeling lost.
Plot & Character Development
The pacing for the plot was steady and balanced the plot-driven and character-driven elements beautifully creating a well-rounded story. Although predictable, there were breadcrumbs throughout the story that alluded to the concluding events creating a satisfying and solid ending.
As for the main characters Maite and Elvis they were multi-layered and questionable with their flaws and idealism taking center stage in many of the factors that moved this story forward. You’re able to empathize with both characters while also being able to identify how in many situations they are the creators of their own madness. However, their character arc was magnificent and we see them work through their internal issues that were holding them back in the beginning.
When it came to the side characters they were excellent at moving the plot forward by contributing to external events impacting the characters and simultaneously influencing internal drivers within our characters for growth and creating tension.
Deeper Reflections
While rich with themes a favorite was the exploration of identity and belonging. How both Maite and Elvis were apart of questionable situations and social groups that were in reality the opposite of all that they stood for. It served as a great antagonist for the internal battles these characters were struggling with forcing them to reckon with the idealized version of themselves versus the reality of who they were.
Who I’d Recommend It To?
If you enjoy reading diverse mysteries and thrilling noir that contains strong character-driven elements and don’t mind a little predictability this will be right up your alley.
Rating & Final Take
I’m glad I picked up this novel! I really enjoyed it primarily for the themes regarding identity and belonging and the strong character-driven plot points and complex characterization. I’m looking forward to my next Silvia Moreno Garcia book!
Engage Critically
Questions to ponder after picking up this novel to further immerse yourself in the story and connect deeply with the themes. I’d love to hear your reflections so make sure to share them in the comments!
- How does Silvia Moreno Garcia utilize noir tropes to critique politics and classism?
- What do Elvis and Maite’s characters reveal about loneliness and longing and the importance for community and connection during times of political stress?
- What parallels can you draw to your life or current societal situations?
