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A breathtaking blend of Mexican horror movies and dark occultism from the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.
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, even though she’s been in love with him since childhood.
‘Gripping and unusual’ – Guardian
Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives – even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.
Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her.
As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán might just find out that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies . . .
“Perfection” – Kiersten White, bestselling author of Hide
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, even though she’s been in love with him since childhood.
‘Gripping and unusual’ – Guardian
Then Tristán discovers his new neighbour is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he has a way to change their lives – even if his tales of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.
Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her.
As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán might just find out that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies . . .
“Perfection” – Kiersten White, bestselling author of Hide
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Reviews
Stylish and edgy
A gothic chiller, set in 1950s Mexico, that will clamp you in its icy embrace and linger like a nightmare
Moreno-Garcia is a magician able to switch genres with ease . . . a superb noir thriller
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is unforgettable
Elegant, rich in description and filled with characters that come vividly to life
Simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-mending, a wondrous and magical tale
A coming-of-age fairy tale of haunting shadows commingled with vibrant life
A beautiful work that will draw you in and keep you transfixed and reading far too late
Hip as hell, Silver Nitrate delivers a cinematic and exhilarating punch. Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again with this creepy and unforgettable occultist thriller, teeming with the decadence of old horror movies. It's Mexico City in the nineties, where beepers, cigarettes, and the ghost of an ex-girlfriend come alive as if leaping from the page. I felt cooler just reading it
Clever, slow-burning horror... Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a master of subtle spooks, and this book packed a punch with its unfolding mystery of hauntings, flammables, and Nazi secret societies. I was afraid to put the book down for fear of leaving the spell unfinished!
Gripping and unusual
Highly original, insightful, and magical, too, this is one you want on your summer reading list
Saturated with references and genuine love for genre cinema, with supernatural and cinematic magic seen as often interchangeable
In between references every horror film fan will appreciate, Moreno-Garcia blends occultism with romance with rich characters and a pitch-perfect emotionally fraught atmosphere
In between references every horror film fan will appreciate, Moreno-Garcia blends occultism with romance with rich characters and a pitch-perfect emotionally fraught atmosphere
Whenever I want to read a book I know will be good, I go to Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Her genres are ever changing, 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
Whenever I want to read a book I know will be good, I go to Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Her genres are ever changing, 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
Like its namesake, Silver Nitrate catches fire and doesn't stop burning until the end
An engaging, inventive story of moviemaking and the occult
Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again writes herself to the summit of a new genre . . . a haunting story with evocative atmosphere and Moreno-Garcia's usual attention to detail and strong characters
A popcorn thrill ride into the underbelly of 1990s Mexican horror movies and occultism. Moreno-Garcia crafts a world so rich with details and history that you won't be able to look away
Perfection. No one punctures the skin of reality to reveal the lurking, sinister magic beneath better than Silvia Moreno-Garcia
True to her method, [Moreno-Garcia] succeeds here by knowing when to follow the rules of genre storytelling and when to turn them upside down
Wows you with its eerie atmosphere and deft blend of historical fiction, horror and black magic
Moreno-Garcia makes darkness shine
Another instant classic from one of our best genre authors
Silvia Moreno-Garcia proves, once again, that she is one of the most talented writers publishing today
Silver Nitrate is a world of its own
[A] gripping and atmospheric thriller that seamlessly blends history and magic
Hip as hell, Silver Nitrate delivers a cinematic and exhilarating punch. Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again with this creepy and unforgettable occult thriller, teeming with the decadence of old horror movies
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a treasure and Silver Nitrate is a gem: a chilling roller coaster of a tale that captures perfectly why we love horror movies, scary books, and things that go bump in the night
You don't just read this book, you live in it - and it will charm you, intrigue you, and scare the daylights out of you
A love letter to Mexico City's film industry and an excellent entry into the popular horror subgenre of occult films
This is a knockout
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a diverse and skilled writer . . . Moreno-Garcia's strengths here are creating a menacing atmosphere and weaving real-life films and movie myths with possibly magical and devilish goings-on. The pacing of the narrative is expertly judged and the revelations perfectly placed. This is a writer with a natural feel for horror tropes and a desire to subvert them when needed. This is also a book that digs deep to create a believable framework for all the supernatural happenings. Exemplary stuff
Weaves together elements of horror, suspense, and historical fiction with a deft hand, resulting in a narrative that's as compulsively readable as it is deeply thought-provoking. Each twist and turn is delivered precisely, building up to a climax that will leave you breathless . . . Moreno-Garcia has expertly woven a darkly enchanting tapestry that blurs the lines between reality and the occult, past and present, and fear and fascination
An embarrassment of riches
Summons the fear of what's hiding at the edge of your vision, just out of sight in the dark . . . her sentences deliver tidy packages of imagery like motes of light in the darkness, their beauty so great that sometimes you forget - just for a moment -about the things that go bump in the night . . . Moreno-Garcia's prose is enchanting, full of perfect phrases that dot every page