Set in 1950s Hollywood this tells the story of three women - Vera, a young woman from Mexico who has cast to play Salome, Nancy who feels she should have been cast, and Salome herself.

Vera has never acted in a professional production, and she initially struggles with what is expected for the part and from a young actress in Hollywood.
Nancy has been working in Hollywood for years but only has a few bit parts to show for it, and in an industry that values youth time is running out. You deal feel a little bit of sympathy for Nancy, but only a little bit as she is a truly horrible person and you are not hoping that she will get her break.
In this story Salome becomes a more rounded person, rather than the temptress that Hollywood usually portrays her as, here she is a young woman trying to find her place while being manipulated by those around her.

This was well written, and really drew you in to the worlds that were inhabited by these women.
With the story set in the 50s the story does include the sexism, racism, and homophobia that was typical of that period.

Moreno-Garcia has done it again. I really don't know any other author whose work I have followed, and loved, through so many genres. The Seventh Veil of Salome is a historical novel that flits between Golden Age Hollywood and the time of Salome herself, a young woman torn between desire and duty. It's a story of passion, of romance and of obsession and one that I couldn't put down.

1950's Hollywood and the name on every actress's lips is Salome, a big budget movie, sure to start anyone's career, but then the director does something no one expects, he cast's a nobody. Enter Vera Larios, an unknown, someone new to Hollywood and the workings of the film business. Vera was never supposed to be an actress, that was always in the starts for her younger sister, or so her mother said, but life never quite works out the way it's supposed to, and it's Vera that finds herself on a plane destined for the shine and glamour of Hollywood. Vera was a fantastic POV to read from, she's both naive, and also so world weary and I loved how Moreno-Garcia showed this contrast to her character. As a Mexican, she has to try and fight every single stereotype, whilst also trying not to step on too many toes, and she quickly realises that as much as Hollywood wants her, it only wants certain pieces, the parts they can bundle up into a nice, neat package. She try's her best to fit in, to play the part everyone expects, but there is a part of her desperate to escape, to show who he really is, what she can really do if let out of the little box everyone tries to keep her in.

Nancy is almost the opposite to Vera in every way imaginable. She's tried and tested in Hollywood, and mostly has been found wanting. Jaded to the point of depression, she is someone who believe's she deserves so much more than her lot in life, someone who is willing to work people until they give her what she wants and then drop them. She was adamant that the part of Salome was hers, this was her shot, so when Vera appeared and she was resigned to the role of 'fan holder,' a resentment began simmering. Nancy will have her time in the spotlight, one way or another. And then there is Salome, almost the most important POV as her story shows us what the movie was meant to be, the great epic. A love story, a story of passion and ambition, all centered around a young woman who loved the wrong man. Her story was one I had never heard before, and I did enjoy the delve into that time in history, seeing figures I had grown up learning about (Catholic School... what can I say) being brought to life before my eyes. She is almost a combination of Vera and Nancy, calculated, resilient and resourceful, and I enjoyed how the author made parallels between Salome's story, and the events happening in Hollywood as the film is being made.

Alongside our three MC's, Moreno-Garcia injects stories from other characters, some of which we meet through the story, these are told in different formats, some interview style, some almost like reading a diary and they all add to the intrigue of the story. From the first page we know it is building to some big event, and these little additions add to the tension and the build up to the inevitable ending that shook me in the best way.

Though these women, Salome and Vera and Nancy grew up centuries apart, Moreno-Garcia allows us to see the parallels in how they were treated as women in extremely male dominated circles. Salome, being pulled multiple ways between multiple suitors, all offering her different things, and Vera and Nancy pitted against one another whether they knew it or not. They were all stripped of who they truly are, made into something more appealing, something they could barter or sell, told how to act, what to think, who to love. She does a brilliant job of showing just how little life for women had changed, Vera and Nancy were still tied to the whims of more powerful men, they simply had the choice to leave, a choice that Salome did not get. All three of the women fight for their stories, their right to be seen and heard, accepted as they are, and it was incredibly powerful, but also angering seeing the parallels brought to life.

Is there any genre that Silvia Moreno-Garcia can't write? I've yet to find one so far. She maneuvers the Golden Age of Hollywood and the ancient world so incredibly effortlessly, interweaving these characters together whilst still giving them their own, utterly unique voices and stories. Her writing style never fails to drag me head first into her stories, and this one was no different. Decadent when required, as well as harsh and almost brutal in other parts, she has this ability to create the exact atmosphere, emotion you need to feel whilst reading certain scenes, and there were plenty that had me on the edge of my seat. It's a story that builds, quite slowly I will admit, but her outstanding character building ensures that we never feel the story is slow in anyway, instead she uses the characters, as well as the secondary POV's we get to build her atmosphere and tension, leading us into an almost inevitable ending that still managed to shock me in it's intensity.

I'm sure no one's going to be surprised when I say I loved this. It's not necessarily something I would have picked up, had it not been written by Moreno-Garcia, but I'm so glad I did. She has brought to life three incredible women who I know will stay with me long after I've finished. It's a story of ambition, of romance, but it's also one of three women simply trying to survive, to thrive in worlds that will never accept them as they are. If you enjoy historical fiction, and don't mind a slow burn plot, especially with characters this well written, I would highly recommend.

It took me a while to get into the story and to understand where it was going, but once I did it was a good read. The three female protagonists are not the most likeable of characters but you get to understand where each of them comes from and how they are at the same time the victim and the agent of their own (mis)fortunes. This is interesting if you want to know more about Hollywood in the fifties, but also gives you a fresh outlook on the Salome story from the bible. Cleverly woven together and well written.

5/5

One can always count on Silvia Moreno-Garcia to provide the book of the summer. Enter 1950s Hollywood, where actresses who pulled themselves up from the bottom fight for fame and the roles of a lifetime. The role that could propel current unknowns to stardom this time around is that of Salome, a legendary figure in art originating from biblical texts. The role of Salome is given to Vera Larios, a former unknown Mexican actress who is now an object of envy and desire. One such envier, Nancy Hartley, has always believed herself worthy of fame and finds that Vera is the one standing in the way. Framed between Vera’s and Nancy’s experiences and the story of Salome, Silvia Moreno-Garcia explores the mythologization of women through art in the past and within the studio system itself. Myths bend with reality and the studio system becomes a playing field for temptation, gossip, and unknowable pain. The Seventh Veil of Salome ties together a racing thriller with historical fiction and in classic Silvia Moreno-Garcia fashion, it’s just brilliant.

Another fabulous book from this author I have loved every one so far and this was no different!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Del Rey/ Random House for the ARC of this book. Having read Mexican Gothic I was so excited to see a new Silvia Moreno-Garcia book coming down the pipeline this year and The Seventh Veil of Salome really didn’t disappoint.
The glittering backdrop of Hollywood in its heyday peppered with themes of jealousy, history, racism and classism dealt with from multiple points of view made this book a vivacious read.
Watching the main character Vera Larios find herself and grow in confidence to fight her own battles and stand up against the biased nay-sayers of the industry made for an empowering story line.
Running alongside this was the ancient tale of Salome herself which was an enjoyable feature of the book however I feel like we didn’t need quite as much of this and maybe more of the Hollywood narrative would have packed more of a punch:
The perspective of Nancy, a jealous wannabe who can never seem to catch a break really lends itself to the tension in the story and at times when I knew I should hate her, I found myself feeling sorry for her for being her own worst enemy. Nancys character really encapsulates the gritty side of Hollywood where people will do whatever they can for their fifteen minutes in the limelight.
Fans of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will love the Old Hollywood glamour and drama of this story. A really enjoyable read overall!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review, thank you!

The story is about the 'real' Salome and about the movie production of 'The Seventh Veil of Salome' in the 1950's. It was the Golden Age of Hollywood (or not?). First we have a lot of short glimpses about the production and how the main actress for Salome got chosen. Vera Larios is from Mexico and doesn't have any experience in filming. That generates a lot of gossip and anger/jealousy from some girls (most of all from Nancy).

As the filming is going ahead we explore Salome's story. How she fell in love and how rejection causes her downfall... Meanwhile Vera is experiencing how racism can cause disadvantages and hate.

I liked that Vera is a humble and honest girl who only wishes to make her mother proud. At the beginning! Her character develops in such a positive way during the story! It's somehow the opposite from Salome.
Obviously, the climax of the book, and the best part is Salome's dance!

I gave the book 4,5 stars. The half star I took away was because the ending... It felt unfinished or rather too fast forwarded... As I wasn't given the chance to process all the events :/ Too bad, because the story was great and really amusing.

I was totally prepared to be blown away by this book, i don’t know what i was thinking, i was expecting some TJR kind of book( evelyn hugo type) but instead i was just disappointed.
I know this is a beloved author for some readers and for good reasons but the way i couldn’t even stand some characters, nancy was awful, really really awful. The definition of i hope something bad happens to her

The salome part… i could’ve lived without them and i honestly skipped some of it because it just didn’t interest me, it added nothing to the story. (IN MY OPINION)
I actually liked vera a lot and i wanted to see her have her hea, and honestly the ending was just for shock value, of all the endings you could pick, you pick this 🤡
I do have to give props to the author for doing her research and having a pretty good representation of the 1950’s hollywood

Unfortunately, this book was only ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc

Old Hollywood, twisty, engaging, great FMCs. I enjoyed this read a lot. There’s some time jumps that are executed well and it’s easy to read once you get into it. Recommend giving it a go

One of my most anticipated reads of 2024! Really really enjoyed, which isn't surprising given the author and the amount of hits SMG has given over the years. The story follows two timelines- multiple characters in the golden age of Hollywood filming the next upcoming blockbuster, and Salome in an early AD period /location sort of unknown?

I preferred the 50s timeline- I just found the Salome timeline much more difficult to follow (everyone having the same name and having to read up on backstory) but it was also interesting considering the movie was based on her life. Overall a solid 4 stars from me!

4.5

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has such a wonderful writing style and I've loved it in previous books, this was absolutely no exception. The jumping between time periods and POV was done so well and I was eager to find out what was going to happen next. The way Vera is treated in Hollywood is vile but sadly, was reality during that time period. I loved how the Salome chapters synced up with the 'real life' chapters too.

I hoped The Seventh Veil of Salome would be fantastic (and crossed my fingers for Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes), but honestly... this felt like a bit of a slog. That said, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's recreation of Old Hollywood glamour and power was excellently done – she's clearly done her research and immersed herself in this world. Hoping to revisit it before publication. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favourite authors and I've read a number of her books. This one lands in the upper middle for me. While The Seventh Veil of Salome is a good book, it had the potential to be so mind-blowingly good. I love anything set in the golden age of Hollywood, especially if it shows the darker side of that world and the author absolutely nails that. Watching the production of the film alongside Salome's story worked really well!

I think the characters were just a little flat, and a number of their storylines felt unfinished and unsatisfying. The ending was so incredibly rushed, to the detriment of the plot. We never really get a big emotional payoff because the climax of the story is totally brushed over. This is one of those rare book where I was looking at the number of pages left in the book and wondering how the hell she was going to wrap it up with less than 4% left!

The Seventh Veil of Salome was a good book that could have been great.

Nella Hollywood degli anni d'oro, una giovanissima, talentuosa ragazza messicana viene selezionata per il ruolo del prossimo, grande kolossal: sarà Salomè, ingenua e seduttrice, ragno e mosca intrappolata in una rete di inganni. Cosa può andare storto, nella Città degli Angeli, a una ragazza - glielo dicono tutti - 'tanto fortunata'?
Magistrale ricostruzione della Hollywood di quegli anni, dell'opprimente clima di caccia al comunista, delle pretese degli Studios, delle tattiche per creare una star, del sottobosco che nasce e sopravvive all'ombra del firmamento cinematografico, questo romanzo è anche la dissezione anatomica di emozioni sempre vive - amore, passione, desiderio, angoscia, invidia, ambizione sfrenata, confusione, - immutate dalla Galilea in cui vive Salomè (voce narrante, punto di vista, pedina e protagonista della propria storia) fino a duemila anni dopo.
Un romanzo magnifico, lussuoso, credibile.

I loved how the author wove this tale with various narratives and the flashes of Salome throughout. Experiencing the dual setting between Golden Era Hollywood and Palestine was remarkable; the writing is so lush that you can’t help but become fully immersed in both!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a beautiful writer and I really enjoyed this depiction of Salome. Would definitely recommend this to lovers of old Hollywood and mythology/biblical retellings!

I've read one Silvia Moreno-Garcia book before and didn't especially enjoy it, but as soon as I heard she was writing about golden age Hollywood, I was seated. And I was far from disappointed - 'The Seventh Veil of Salome' delivers a lush tragedy, darting between two actresses in 1950s Hollywood at different ends of the success spectrum and a reimagined life of Salome herself, drawn from centuries of writings about this mysterious biblical figure. The level of detail is so intricate, so well-drawn, it's a feast for the eyes to read and the parallels between Vera, Nancy and Salome made for thoroughly diverting and interesting reading.

I read half of this book over a few sittings on the Bank Holiday Monday as I was coming back from a family wedding, but the second half took me much longer to read. And reflecting back, I think the second half was weaker than the first. Moreno-Garcia does all this work to set up a fascinating conflict that certainly mirrors the fanaticism of people who believe they've had something 'taken' from them that was never theirs in the first place (think a fangirls un-motivated hatred of the partner their fave celebrity marries), but it starts to falter rather than develop as we hit the 60% mark. The build up to Salome / Vera's dances went on for too long and lost momentum as we kept hearing the same things over and over again, waiting for what we knew would be a significant moment in the plot.

Nevertheless. For lovers of Hollywood's nasty side during the slow downfall of the studios or the rich intrigue of the legends of Salome, 'The Seventh Veil of Salome' should be added immediately to your TBR.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the book in return for my honest opinion .

The story of the old Hollywood was very interesting especially as I am a fan of film . The three main female characters all had differing personality traits with one main theme uniting all three - the need to be loved . This trait led to heartbreak violence and tragedy .

Although i enjoyed the story I felt it was a bit slow in the middle while the ending was rushed in my opinion.

Solid 3.75 ⭐️ would recommend to anyone who loves film and history

In The Seventh Veil of Salome we follow the stories of three women: Salome, the biblical figure, Nancy and Vera, who are both actresses in 1950s Hollywood, starring in a movie about Salome.
I did enjoy the Hollywood setting and I do like Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s writing style. However I did not connect to any of the characters and there just wasn‘t enough plot to keep me engaged.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favourite authors of all time. I’ve read all of her books. So when I found out she was writing a book set in a time and place I have a particular fascination with, I was over the moon. Moreno-Garcia has the incredible talent to be able to effortlessly write across genres. Her books are always standalones (something I love) and they also provide a unique character study within a particular context. She’s written horror, fantasy, historical, crime, magical realism. Here we take a foray into the Hollywood Golden Age. Studios are indulging in sword and sandals pictures. We follow the creation of ‘The Seventh Veil of Salome.’ A historical picture with an ingenue as the star, a receptionist from Mexico who was discovered as having the perfect look for Salome.

Vera Larios is a hard worker, a talented musician who has grown up in the shadow of her sister, the one whom their mother preferred and would see be a star. Vera experiences the bigotry and cruelty of jealous and lecherous people working on the movie. She is polite and well-meaning but her quiet frustration at the behaviour of others grows throughout the book as the callousness escalates. Vera is mirrored by Nancy, an arrogant, prejudiced actress who believes she should be a star. We see both perspectives and see Nancy’s delusions of her own talent and what she is owed. While Vera tries to exist, Nancy demands attention, using and discarding people as it suits her. Nancy’s resentment of Vera intensifies, causing her to spread rumours, lies and luxuriate in the tabloid tales spread around Vera.

We also see chapters of the tale of Salome, framing the movie that’s being created in the 1950s narratives. We experience chapters from many different perspectives in this story, often for only a few pages, providing another view of the events, context to the story or to share information our characters are not party to yet. This felt like far more perspectives than Moreno-Garcia usually provides, but it works, particularly the narrative from the screenwriter, almost acting as a Greek Chorus for the events that unfold.

I was already primed to like this given I’m a fan of the author and the setting. However this was another fantastic example of Moreno-Garcia’s razor-sharp writing, her ability to inhabit the minds of morally grey characters, her skill at exploring new genres, and her beautifully evocative lens into specific time periods and settings.

Salome.

1950s Hollywood, put on a playlist and sit back and enjoy.

I’m not going to love someone in fractions, and I won’t be loved in quarters or in halves.

I felt completely lost in this story. I could visualize everything so well and felt like I was there.

The writing is amazing as always. Loved how Vera grew confident in herself. The ability to show character growth in these short segments we get with each character was really impressive to see.


I hate Nancy. Garbage rat.