silvia moreno garcia – Toastie Books

I am beyond excited that this book was given a new lease of life by re-publication because it’s absolutely fantastic. A combination of a gripping plot and some of my favourite characters ever written made this a huge hit for me. Just weeks after praising Velvet was the Night, Certain Dark Things is now my favourite Silvia Moreno-Garcia book. I am here for this unique take on vampires in an alternative Mexico City!

Star rating: 5 stars

Atl is a blood-drinking vampire on the run from a different species of vampire after they killed her family. She has entered Mexico City, a vampire free zone where she has to look over her shoulder in every moment in order to not get caught. There she meets Domingo, a young man growing into his adulthood. Domingo grew up on the streets and hasn’t had an easy life, but appreciates every good thing that happens to him and loves music. When he and Atl meet you couldn’t put two more different people (lol and vampires) together. But the two have to get Atl out of the country so she can escape those who pursue her, including investigator Ana Aguirre, a cop with vampire experience, and Nick, a vampire from the family who killed Atl’s relatives.

So I am completely obsessed with the dynamic between Domingo and Atl. Domingo is such a cinnamon roll despite being roped into street crimes since he was young. The guy gives his entire heart to Atl despite knowing she’s a vampire and could kill him in an instant. Atl takes him on as her Renfield, a human assistant to a vampire, despite knowing her family would disapprove of it. Atl is the grumpy to Domingo’s sunshine, she tries everything to not have any emotional connection to Domingo but he does everything he can to change that with his unstoppable caring nature. I love that this book is just a snapshot of Domingo and Atl’s lives but it packs in so much connection and really looks at what it means to be human.

The plot focusses on Nick and Rodrigo searching for Atl, and how Atl and Domingo avoid them. There are fights, there are skirmishes, there are some really tense moments. I also really liked Ana, the detective also searching for the vampires. All of these points of view gave so many perspectives for a relatively short novel, I was blown away by the depth achieved in less than 300 pages. Shoutout to Atl’s modified dog, I love him a lot.

Overall this is definitely my favourite vampire book. The ending couldn’t have been more perfect in all its bitter-sweetness. Love, love, love!!!! Silvia Moreno-Garcia nailed the character connections and I am hear for it.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books have been a bit hit and miss for me in the past but I can safely say that this one was totally awesome. I’ve never read a noir before so I was going in cold, but found the story so gripping! It’s set in 1970s Mexico, naturally a period of history I know nothing about (like most periods of history to be honest), so I learned a lot. Loved the blunt writing style, loved the characters and loved the mystery.

Star rating: 5 stars

Velvet was the Night follows two characters who appear to be a little bit lost in life. Elvis is a goon in a squad called the Hawks. He’s not really happy being a criminal – he hates violence and loves music, but there doesn’t seem to be another place for him in the world. Maite is a legal secretary who lives for romance comics. She lives alone, feels plain and uninteresting and is constantly reminded that she is 30 and unmarried. But her somewhat uneventful life takes a turn for the chaotic when she agrees to feed her neighbour Leonora’s cat. When Leonora disappears, Maite and Elvis’ stories become intertwined as they both look for the lost art student.

So, let’s start with Maite’s character. I LOVED her a lot. She’s a seemingly average person working at a job she doesn’t really like, with dreams of breaking the monotony that she never has the energy to achieve. When Leonora disappears, Maite doesn’t really have to get herself involved but ends up drawn into this world of goons, government agencies and Russian spies, filled with danger and suspense. For someone introverted and quiet, she handles it all surprisingly well, and I view her as a character with quiet steel in her. I also found myself relating to Elvis, doing this job that doesn’t fit him because he lacks choices. Both characters are romantic and have a soft-spot for music, which draws Elvis to Maite even before she knows who he is. I found having these two perspectives so interesting – the characters felt very real to me which is no mean feat in a 300 page novel with as much plot as this one has.

OK, so not going to lie, the big mystery is set around these photos that Leonora supposedly has, and I did guess what it was about. But this didn’t take away my enjoyment from the story, there were plenty of other strange twists to keep me intrigued. There is a whole cast of side characters and it is difficult to work out who Maite can trust. I was shocked on reading some of the history after I finished the book – some of the conspiracy style events actually happened. Such a dark period of time for Mexico.

Overall, this was a thrilling read where relatable characters are thrown into extraordinary circumstances. I loved the blunt writing style, the pace, the tension – all of it was excellently crafted. Never expected I’d like a book about spies and goons but here we are. Silvia does such a great job with the imagery of the whole thing, I think it would make for such an exciting TV show.