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The Seventh Veil of Salome
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About this listen
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine—but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.
“Whenever I want to read a book I know will be good, I go to Silvia Moreno-Garcia.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, BookPage, CrimeReads
1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.
So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled, and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.
Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.
But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.
Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.
©2024 Silvia Moreno-Garcia (P)2024 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“In Moreno-Garcia’s skillful hands, you’ll find the satisfaction of richly drawn characters, saturated settings and deftly constructed plot twists. . . . No matter the genre—gothic, horror, noir—she’ll embody its essence with a verve all her own. The Seventh Veil of Salome, Moreno-Garcia’s tenth novel, is an old Hollywood tale crossed with fire and brimstone. And like her previous works, it’s a compulsive page turner [and] a shrewd examination of faith and desire.”—The New York Times Book Review
“When I want to read a book I know will be good, I go to Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Her genres are ever-changing, and her ability to take on a wild story each time is incredible. You never know what she’s going to do, but you know it will be a page-turner.”—Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six
“Using a kaleidoscope of perspectives, Moreno-Garcia skillfully depicts the rise of a starlet in 1950s Hollywood, capturing not only the glamour of poolside parties but also the sordid underbelly of the industry. That alone would be a great read, but she also weaves in the original story of Salome, adding rich layers to a story that bubbles with anticipation and will leave you spellbound.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Spectacular
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When I was a little girl, I dreamed a handsome knight would come and rescue me from my wretched mother. He'd ride up on his white steed and break the curse I've been fated to carry since the day I was born. Funny how things changed over time, how the fairytale twisted into something far more crooked—and darker—than I ever imagined. In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was.
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5 STARS
- By AudioObsessed on 03-12-23
By: Keri Lake
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Fahrenheit 451
- By: Ray Bradbury
- Narrated by: Tim Robbins
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family."
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Wish I Hadn't Cliff Noted This in High School
- By Joel on 03-27-17
By: Ray Bradbury
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Mary Jane
- By: Amy Herzog
- Narrated by: Rachel McAdams, April Matthis, Brenda Wehle, and others
- Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
- Original Recording
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Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams stars in Mary Jane, a poignant and intimate drama following a single mother’s journey caring for her chronically ill young son. Set in New York City, the play unfolds in two parts—Mary Jane's small Queens apartment and a pediatric hospital. With unflinching honesty and unexpected humor, we witness Mary Jane's tireless devotion, her interactions with medical professionals, and her struggle to maintain her sense of self.
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Amazing performance
- By Andrew Reynolds on 12-28-24
By: Amy Herzog
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The Grandmother
- By: Jane E. James
- Narrated by: Anna Cordell, Max Dinnen
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince. They’ve come to live with me because their mother — my daughter — was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by. I think Vince killed her. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I said he’d cheat on her — but she wouldn’t listen.
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Not too outlandish
- By Jackie H on 12-14-24
By: Jane E. James
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Brain Damage
- By: Freida McFadden
- Narrated by: Megan Tusing
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now, she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.
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Who Else Laughed, Cried, and Shuddered?
- By Jennifer Chichester on 09-16-22
By: Freida McFadden
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Slaughterhouse-Five
- By: Kurt Vonnegut
- Narrated by: James Franco
- Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Traumatized by the bombing of Dresden at the time he had been imprisoned, Pilgrim drifts through all events and history, sometimes deeply implicated, sometimes a witness. He is surrounded by Vonnegut's usual large cast of continuing characters (notably here the hack science fiction writer Kilgore Trout and the alien Tralfamadorians, who oversee his life and remind him constantly that there is no causation, no order, no motive to existence).
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Don't Quit Your Daytime Job, James
- By Keith on 11-20-15
By: Kurt Vonnegut
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Slayers: A Buffyverse Story
- By: Christopher Golden, Amber Benson
- Narrated by: Amber Benson, Charisma Carpenter, James Charles Leary, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
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Original cast members from the beloved TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reunite for an all-new adventure about connections that never die—even if you bury them. A decade has passed since the epic final battle that concluded Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). The game-changing spell that gave power to all potential Slayers persists. With new Slayers constantly emerging, things are looking grim for the bad guys.
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A dream come true
- By Anonymous User on 10-12-23
By: Christopher Golden, and others
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He Who Fights with Monsters 2
- A LitRPG Adventure (He Who Fights with Monsters, Book 2)
- By: Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 22 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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But Jason Asano is settling into his new life. Now, a contest draws young elites to the city of Greenstone to compete for a grand prize. Jason must gather a band of companions if he is to stand a chance against the best the world has to offer. While the young adventurers are caught up in competition, the city leaders deal with revelations of betrayal as a vast and terrible enemy is revealed. Although Jason seems uninvolved, he has unknowingly crossed the enemy’s path before.
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Contrary to common reviews
- By Karen on 05-21-21
By: Shirtaloon, and others
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Signal to Noise
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Mexico City, 1988. Long before iTunes or MP3s, you said "I love you" with a mixtape. Meche, awkward and fifteen, discovers how to cast spells using music, and with her friends Sebastian and Daniela will piece together their broken families, and even find love.
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Silver Nitrate
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Gisela Chipe
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
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Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood. Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy.
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Good story but the narrator…
- By MAW on 07-21-23
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Untamed Shore
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Maria Liatis
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Baja California, 1979. Viridiana spends her days watching the dead sharks piled beside the seashore, as the fishermen pull their nets. There is nothing else to do. Yet her head is filled with dreams of Hollywood films, of romance, of a future beyond the drab town where her only option is to marry and have children. Three wealthy American tourists arrive for the summer, and Viridiana is magnetized. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape. When one of them dies, Viridiana lies to protect her friends. Soon enough, someone’s asking questions....
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Feminist noir thriller with teeth
- By loves2read on 06-05-21
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Certain Dark Things
- A Novel
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Aida Reluzco
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.
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Pretty good
- By Zachary on 09-27-21
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Velvet Was the Night
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Gisela Chípe
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Amazing, entertaining, and insightful
- By Mogopolis on 09-07-21
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Malas
- A Novel
- By: Marcela Fuentes
- Narrated by: Christine Avila, Victoria Villarreal
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 1951, a mysterious old woman confronts Pilar Aguirre in the small border town of La Cienega, Texas. The old woman is sure Pilar stole her husband and, in a heated outburst, lays a curse on Pilar and her family. More than forty years later, Lulu Muñoz is dodging chaos at every turn: her troubled father’s moods, his rules, her secret life as singer in a punk band, but most of all her upcoming quinceañera. When her beloved grandmother passes away, Lulu finds herself drawn to the glamorous stranger who crashed the funeral and who lives alone and shunned on the edge of town.
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Great story!!
- By Sgrdgz on 02-03-25
By: Marcela Fuentes
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Signal to Noise
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Mexico City, 1988. Long before iTunes or MP3s, you said "I love you" with a mixtape. Meche, awkward and fifteen, discovers how to cast spells using music, and with her friends Sebastian and Daniela will piece together their broken families, and even find love.
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Silver Nitrate
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Gisela Chipe
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood. Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy.
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Good story but the narrator…
- By MAW on 07-21-23
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Untamed Shore
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Maria Liatis
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Baja California, 1979. Viridiana spends her days watching the dead sharks piled beside the seashore, as the fishermen pull their nets. There is nothing else to do. Yet her head is filled with dreams of Hollywood films, of romance, of a future beyond the drab town where her only option is to marry and have children. Three wealthy American tourists arrive for the summer, and Viridiana is magnetized. They offer excitement, and perhaps an escape. When one of them dies, Viridiana lies to protect her friends. Soon enough, someone’s asking questions....
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Feminist noir thriller with teeth
- By loves2read on 06-05-21
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Certain Dark Things
- A Novel
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Aida Reluzco
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.
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Pretty good
- By Zachary on 09-27-21
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Velvet Was the Night
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Gisela Chípe
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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.
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Amazing, entertaining, and insightful
- By Mogopolis on 09-07-21
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Malas
- A Novel
- By: Marcela Fuentes
- Narrated by: Christine Avila, Victoria Villarreal
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In 1951, a mysterious old woman confronts Pilar Aguirre in the small border town of La Cienega, Texas. The old woman is sure Pilar stole her husband and, in a heated outburst, lays a curse on Pilar and her family. More than forty years later, Lulu Muñoz is dodging chaos at every turn: her troubled father’s moods, his rules, her secret life as singer in a punk band, but most of all her upcoming quinceañera. When her beloved grandmother passes away, Lulu finds herself drawn to the glamorous stranger who crashed the funeral and who lives alone and shunned on the edge of town.
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Great story!!
- By Sgrdgz on 02-03-25
By: Marcela Fuentes
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The Trouble with You
- By: Ellen Feldman
- Narrated by: Kathryn Markey
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Set in New York City in the heady aftermath of World War II, when the men were coming home, the women were exhaling in relief, and everyone was having babies, The Trouble with You is the story of Fanny Fabricant, whose rosy future is upended in a single instant. Educated for a career as a wife and mother, she is torn between her cousin Mimi, who is determined to keep her a “nice girl,” and her aunt Rose, who has a rebellious past of her own.
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Excellent!
- By MiMi on 08-06-24
By: Ellen Feldman
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The Beautiful Ones
- A Novel
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis- neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse - and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip. When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled.
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Beautifully Written, Beautifully Boring, Horrifically Slow
- By Mary D on 04-29-21
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Gods of Jade and Shadow
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Yetta Gottesman
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own. Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it - and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother.
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I can’t finish this
- By zoomcity on 08-07-19
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The Daughter of Doctor Moreau
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Gisela Chípe
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman. Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers. The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows.
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High hopes dashed
- By Darryl on 07-21-22
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Mexican Gothic
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
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Lacking, Disappointing, Not Developed
- By Bitten and Seven Forever on 07-10-20
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Anita de Monte Laughs Last
- A Novel
- By: Xochitl Gonzalez
- Narrated by: Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg, Stacy Gonzalez
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten—certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by privileged students whose futures are already paved out for them, Raquel feels like an outsider. Students of color, like her, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.
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Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book.
- By Ulissa on 03-14-24
By: Xochitl Gonzalez
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The Bewitching
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.
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The Storm We Made
- A Novel
- By: Vanessa Chan
- Narrated by: Samantha Tan
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day.
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Confusing
- By Brev on 04-25-24
By: Vanessa Chan
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Catalina
- A Novel
- By: Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
- Narrated by: Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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When Catalina is admitted to Harvard, it feels like the fulfillment of destiny: a miracle child escapes death in Latin America, moves to Queens to be raised by her undocumented grandparents, and becomes one of the chosen. But nothing is simple for Catalina, least of all her own complicated, contradictory, ruthlessly probing mind. Now a senior, she faces graduation to a world that has no place for the undocumented; her sense of doom intensifies her curiosities and desires. She infiltrates the school’s elite subcultures—internships and literary journals, posh parties and secret societies.
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Monotone delivery
- By Patricia M Hart on 11-01-24
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The Possession of Alba Díaz
- By: Isabel Cañas
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.
By: Isabel Cañas
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Dreamlands
- Two Novellas
- By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Maria Liatis
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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A collection of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's short stories, including Prime Meridian and The Return of the Sorcerers or the Diamond Heart.
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Miss del Río
- By: Bárbara Mujica
- Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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1910, Mexico. As the country’s revolution spreads, Dolores, the daughter of a wealthy banker, must flee her comfortable life in Durango or risk death. Her family settles in Mexico City, where, at sixteen, she marries the worldly Jaime del Río. But in a twist of fate, at a party she meets an influential American director who recognizes in her a natural performer. He invites her to Hollywood, and practically overnight, the famous Miss del Río is born.
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beautiful story
- By rosemarie camacho on 05-13-24
By: Bárbara Mujica
What listeners say about The Seventh Veil of Salome
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- Tasha Dagenais
- 08-20-24
outstanding
Wonderful performances from various voice actors. This was a truly riveting listen and interesting story.
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- Bob
- 02-10-25
Didn't enjoy the pacing
I have enjoyed the author's other books, but not this one. I felt like it dragged out forever. The character development was painfully slow and many sections could have been omitted entirely. Then, the ending felt beyond rushed. The book approached the climax and then, just...jumped past it all. Would not recommend.
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- Grace P Kinchen
- 10-02-24
Excellent character development and cultural knowledge.
Very slow start but Silvia is one of my favorite authors so I stuck with the story and it soon had me enthralled.
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- Susan Parks
- 09-27-24
Well thought out.
Enjoyed the story, it was what I needed for a flight home. It’s a bit fluffy & fun but gives one a great feeling of Hollywood in the 1950’s. The audible version is very well done.
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- NTexHiker
- 08-14-24
Predictable
Spoiler: Characters are predictable as is the story. Interesting look into the days of classic Hollywood but you already know ethnic actors and actors of color were discriminated against. You know the rich guy’s parents aren’t going to want him dating a Mexican born actress, Nancy is jealous because she didn’t get the role. You could write the outline for this typical tale without reading this book. It was nicely written but nothing new or exciting here.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Patty Gamez
- 08-08-24
Great Story Telling
I love how Silvia mixes history, myths, etc in her stories. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great, great book!
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- JP
- 10-02-24
It is almost like watching a movie
Hollywood glamor and scandal but with a Hispanic main character! I was blown away by the writing and voice acting.
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- Diego
- 10-14-24
The Seven Veils of Hell?
The first third of the book was painful to get through—a perfect example of excessive description and unnecessary detail that doesn’t add to the story in the end. About two-thirds in, however, the book starts to make great points through Vera’s development, her strong work ethic, and defiance toward her mother. I found myself rooting for greater character exploration, especially as Jay also struggles with family dynamics. Nancy’s relationship with her father could have been an interesting thread to explore further also.
As an entrepreneur myself, I saw my own story reflected in Vera’s defiance of society’s expectations, her strong work ethic, but most of all in the artistic expression of her dance—her craft.
There was a clear opportunity to draw stronger parallels between Vera and Salomon and to explore the tormenting consequences of Nancy’s actions. The ending felt rushed, unexpected, and insufficient.
Nonetheless, if you really think about it, the book offers unique insights and valuable social critiques. Unlike Salomon, Silvia had all the right steps for a great dance, the right ingredients for a great tamale, and still fell short.
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- Priscilla
- 01-27-25
Excellent story!
I started this book without knowing what it was even about. I was greatly surprised at how quickly I was invested in the characters. The different story lines were so well woven together that I couldn't stop listening. Well done!
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- Stefan Filipovits
- 08-08-24
A New Look At Old Hollywood
After ravenously consuming “Mexican Gothic” I became obsessed with the other works of the rising literary titan that is Sylvia Moreno Garcia. She’s become one of those writers whose work I must read as soon as it’s released. I think a big reason for that is because she’s a rare breed of author. No matter what she’s writing, whether it be noir, horror (her strong suit in my humble opinion), mystery, or even just a character piece, she always manages to somehow turn in something readers like myself simply can’t put down. The aforementioned “Mexican Gothic” was an engrossing and addictive gothic pot-boiler that grabbed me by the throat and squeezed tighter with every turn of the page. “Silver Nitrate” was a fun and entertaining thrill ride that felt like it was written by a true horror junkie. “Velvet was the night” was an atmospheric mystery with insightful perspectives and prose that wore its pulp and noir influences on its sleeves. In my mind, she has yet to turn in anything that wasn’t thought-provoking, thrilling, superbly written, and utterly addictive. That winning streak continues here with “The Seventh Veil Of Salome”.
I think part of the reason I respond so much to Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s writing is because most of her works involve in some way cinema and Hollywood history, as well as the influences she’s picked up from what seems like a lifelong fascination with those subjects and years of indulging that fascination. As someone who has also been obsessed with the history, legends, and world of movies since I was 10, I share her palpable love for all things cinema. She has a remarkable way of immersing the reader in that world and getting them invested in it, and thus, the story. She captures the vibe, aesthetic, institutions, politics, and tumultuous change that was occurring in Tinseltown at the time of “The Seventh Veil of Salome” exquisitely. The old studio system was collapsing, New Hollywood and its stars were emerging, and Joseph McCarthy and his absurdly overreaching House Un-American Activities Committee was ruining lives and turning everyone in the Hollywood machine and America at large into paranoid reactionaries. It is in this world that “The Seventh Veil Of Salome” is set.
While this historical setting provides ample opportunities for conflict, intrigue, and very deftly written world-building, it’s the enthralling character work that will stick with readers most. When one of the ubiquitous (for the 50’s) sword and sandal films about the biblical temptress Salome finally emerges from “development hell”, the race is on to find the perfect actress to inhabit the titular role. And while mega-stars like Mansfield, and Russell, vie for top-billing it’s the unknowns that are truly in contention. This is a story of Hollywood and the world of cinema told from people on its margins. A Mexican girl ashamed of her accent despite her undeniable talent, a “pick me up” girl doing ANYTHING to get ahead, a Jewish writer who only wants the best for his script, even Salome herself has her say and each perspective offers something new, insightful, and engrossing while simultaneously conflict, duplicity, hatred, and cruelty abound. The most laudable thing about “The Seventh Veil Of Salome” was that despite how “cinematic” it felt, it was never formulaic. No matter how familiar it was, it was never predictable. No matter how gritty, off-putting, or self-serving the world, circumstances, or characters became, the story was never anything less than enthralling. So, If you’re looking for a new look at old Hollywood, definitely give “The Seventh Veil Of Salome” a listen.
But buckle up and enjoy the ride.
If you enjoyed “The Seventh Veil Of Salome” as much as I have and are looking for similar titles then definitely check out Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s aforementioned earlier works like “Silver Nitrate”, “Mexican Gothic”, and “Velvet Was The Night”. You might also enjoy “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, “The Enchanters” by James Ellroy, “The Devil’s Playground” by Craig Russell, and “The Garden Of Allah Series” as well as “The Hollywood Homefront trilogy” by Martin Turnbull (both of which I heartily recommend) .
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