Book Review: “The Seventh Veil of Salome” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

An old Hollywood rivalry of Biblical proportions

The Golden Age of Hollywood was for many a storied era of handsome leading men and gorgeous starlets, where epic movies tantalized theatergoers in all their letterbox and technicolor glory. But for Vera Larios, her introduction to Hollywood was vastly different. Scouted at her father’s dentist office in Mexico she was an unknown thrown into a major epic production. Cast as Salome in the highly anticipated retelling of the biblical tale, Larios was starstruck, but determined to conquer the task ahead of her. Accompanied by her overbearing mother, aunt and cousin, Vera begins to navigate Hollywood while her mother attempts to direct her career. But not everyone is happy for the starlet’s debut. Nancy Hartley is furious that Vera has landed the lead role. She thought herself to be a shoo-in with her connections and experience, but now she must stand on the sidelines as a nameless extra and watch her role be played by an inferior actress.  The duo embarks on a smoldering rivalry that results in rumors, scandal and romantic entanglements as Hartley is dead set on taking the rookie actress down a peg. And when fame and love are at stake, all bets are off.

The Seventh Veil of Salome is the newest novel by author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Coming on the heels of Silver Nitrate, Moreno-Garcia returns to an “old Hollywood” setting, but instead of horror, The Seventh Veil of Salome has more of a Noir feel. I really loved the different story lines going on throughout the story. First there is Salome’s view, basically the movie scenes playing out the big screen production.  Then you have Vera and Nancy’s behind the scenes “real time, real life” storylines that give insight not only to the mechanics of the movie set, but also the personalities of the women themselves. These differing views helped to illustrate the tone of the era where the story takes place. In a world where “me too” had yet to be thought of, the sexism and racism was jarring and at times hard to read but I felt very necessary to completely set the tone and immerse the reader in the overall story.  At times it felt as if I were reading two different books, taking a break from the Nancy and Vera drama to pick up the historical Salome story. But the further I got into the narrative, Moreno-Garcia masterfully brought the two narratives closer and closer until they merged into the final act.  Overall, the story begins a little slowly, but rapidly develops and it held my attention. As I found myself reading through, I was eager to see not only the final scene of the production, but also the conclusion of the real-life rivalry playing out. I could not have even imagined the ending, however, when it was all said and done it was very fitting.

If you are a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Noir, or old Hollywood stories with multiple concurrent storylines The Seventh Veil of Salome would be a nice addition to your bookshelf.

Full disclosure: I was provided a copy of this title by the author or their authorized agent, however, have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own. The Seventh Veil of Salome is scheduled for an August 6, 2024 release.