Velvet Was the Night

I got an eARC from NetGalley via Random House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This is my second novel from Moreno, who has soundly established herself as an author with a strong voice. My first novel from her was Mexican Gothic, a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and wished she wrote more in the horror/suspense genre. However, Velvet Was the Night is a book decidedly not in that same vein but of political suspense. As noted in the Author's Note, this book is based on a real horror story: government-funded violence against civilians and protestors. As an American, we are shielded from the terrorist acts that the U.S. government funded in other countries, especially in the “war against Communism”. This novel highlights exactly what dynamics are in play during such a high-tension moment in Mexico political history. People killing each other, running away, espionage, the like. The way that one of the protagonists, Maite, spent her whole time before the events of the novel willfully oblivious to the politics and the dangers of the world, yet was dragged in anyway. A wonderful metaphor to how no matter how much you don't read the news or engage with dangerous characters, you are affected by politics and the dangerous games they play with civilian lives.

This book is wonderful and has unique, memorable characters. I only wish there was more to Elvis as Maite is much more flushed out. All in all, I highly recommend this book if you would like a small course in Mexican history.