Velvet Was the Night

By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Narrated by: Gisela Chípe

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK • From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a simmering historical noir about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of the missing woman they’re both desperate to find.

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, New York Public Library, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, BookPage, She Reads, Library Journal • “An adrenalized, darkly romantic journey.”—The Washington Post

Mexico in the 1970s is a dangerous country, even for Maite, a secretary who spends her life seeking the romance found in cheap comic books and ignoring the activists protesting around the city. When her next-door neighbor, the beautiful art student 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.

Mexico in the 1970s is a politically fraught land, even for Elvis, a goon with a passion for rock ’n’ roll who knows more about kidney-smashing than intrigue. When Elvis is assigned to find Leonora, he begins a blood-soaked search for the woman—and his soul.

Swirling in parallel trajectories, Maite and Elvis attempt to discover the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, encountering hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies. Because Mexico in the 1970s is a noir, where life is cheap and the price of truth is high.

My favorite narrator

Gisele Chipe did an excellent job portraying all the characters. I hope to hear more from her.

Great Noir

This novel is great if you like noir. Organized crime story involving the government and students wanting a revolution.

Entertaining

Rich storytelling. Main characters aren’t necessarily relatable or likable, but realistic. They are flawed individuals who struggle with basic human interactions. This is a wonderful story, not uplifting but also not dark

Amazing, entertaining, and insightful

My biggest critique is that I finished it so quickly. Amazing book I enjoyed the political / historical environment weaved by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This is the 3rd book I've listened to from her, in the last year, and probably my favorite. Wonderful characters, rich musical references that I often found myself listening to in between chapters, and really utilizes the landscape of Mexico City. It has a bit of a Pulp Fiction vibe at times, I'd love to see this as a movie.

Save your credit

I had high hopes as I live historical fiction. Unfortunately the needless explanations and rambling just diluted the plot making me waste time to try and get through it. A disappointment for sure.