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.

©2021 Silvia Moreno-Garcia (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[Velvet Was the Night] is a noir with a heart of gold, and it’s a narrative in which the empathy we feel for its characters ultimately reveals an important truth: That Moreno-Garcia is not only a talented storyteller but also an incredibly versatile one.” (NPR)

“An absolute flex...[Velvet Was the Night] left me marveling at what kind of sorceress Moreno-Garcia must be as she reworks genre after genre, weaving in Mexican history and culture, satisfying familiar cravings without resorting to mere pastiche. The most tantalizing suspense of all comes with wondering what she’ll do next.” (Slate)

“Immensely satisfying, refreshingly new and gloriously written.... Moreno-Garcia mashes up Anglocentric genres with midcentury Mexican history, resulting in a brew flavored with love, heartbreak, violence, music and unsettling dread.... The gift of this book, and Moreno-Garcia’s storytelling, is how it imbues this well-worn genre with added strength, grace and even musicality.” (The New York Times Book Review)

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.

Excellent storyline

I loved the story didn’t really like the main character but despite that I couldn’t stop listening to it

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.

Velvet Was the Night

Well paced story that catches your attention from the start. Narrator was easy to listen to. I did not particularly like the characters or feel attached to them which hurt my rating. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Excellent

I learned about this history of these awful events in college. I was stunned to hear so many students were assassinated by the government. This book, while fiction, provided a story one could follow and navigate events that took place. I rooted for Maite and Elvis most of all!

Good book

I enjoyed it. Took a couple of chapters to get into it but afterwards I was hooked.

Another great read!

I have read a few of her books and this one doesn’t disappoint. The performance is great as well.