Book Review: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Del Rey (July 18, 2023)

Length: 323 pages

Author Information: Website

Silver Nitrate is a book that’s all over the place, but in the best way possible! Leave it to Silvia Moreno-Garcia to come up with a highly original premise with a lot going on, yet she still manages to pull it all together flawlessly.

This story takes place in Mexico City in the 90’s—a time of sea change for Mexican cinema. Protagonist Montserrat Curiel is a talented sound editor working hard to get noticed in the film industry still dominated by men, and in her personal life she has all but given up on a fairy tale ending with her best friend Tristán, with whom she’s in love with since childhood. Both of them are horror film buffs, having grown up together watching the classics on TV. Handsome and charming, Tristán ended up turning to acting, becoming a soap opera star and achieving moderate celebrity until a tragic car accident and his subsequent struggles with addiction cut short his rise to success.

One day, Montserrat gets an excited call from Tristán who has just learned that retired cult horror filmmaker Abel Urueta is his new neighbor, and that he has invited them for dinner at his place. During their visit, the legendary director confides in them an extraordinary tale behind his most famous but unfinished movie, “Behind the Yellow Wall”, whose Nazi occultist screenwriter allegedly believed in drawing his magical powers from silver nitrate stock. It all sounded too incredible to be true, but then, so too had been the claims that the project was cursed yet bad luck seemed to have befallen everyone who worked on it. Abel himself saw his career ended, but he is convinced that he can rid himself of the curse if only he can finish the movie. That’s where Montserrat and Tristán come in. Abel wants them to help him shoot a missing scene which they readily agree to, not knowing that soon, they too will be inviting a dark presence into their lives.

“The curse of the lost film” seems to be a recurring theme in my horror reads lately. Earlier this summer I read The Devil’s Playground which had similar elements—and which was also a very good read. But while both books included a mystery plot and the paranormal, Silver Nitrate sets itself apart with an original setting, a wealth of Mexican film and horror movie history, plus a deeply moving and richly portrayed relationship between the two main characters.

Montserrat and Tristán may have a lot in common, but they also could not be any more different. As children, they bonded over an interest in film and both ended up working in the industry in some way. But while small, unassuming but fiercely independent Montserrat ended up in the technical side of things, Tristán’s capitalized on his good flashy looks to become a TV star. Still, while he may have the swagger and a dashing cinematic presence, his is the fragile personality compared to Montserrat’s bold fighting spirit. By his own admission, he is a coward whose life is a mess, always counting on his friend to save him and make things right. To his credit though, he is also a sweetheart and, like a devoted puppy, is completely loyal to his “Momo.” Relative to him, Montserrat is the one who has her life together and reads like she was born to be a heroine, always coming to Tristán’s rescue and being his emotional support even if he acts like he doesn’t appreciate it sometimes. Even with its ups and downs, the frustration and stresses, theirs is clearly a friendship based on a solid foundation.

Then there was the book’s unique setting. Of course, the backdrop of 90s Mexico City was certainly different, and not only did Moreno-Garcia do a fantastic job describing the visuals, but she’s managed to pin down the uniquely 90s vibe and atmosphere. The story also takes Montserrat and Tristán through many locations in the city, so much so that the milieu becomes as much a fundamental part of the story as the characters and plot.

In terms of the story, Silver Nitrate starts off at a slow-burning pace, gradually introducing the different elements, layer by layer, until the main premise is established. As such, if I had to give one caveat, it’s that a fair bit of patience may be required for the first half of the book. There’s just so much going on—a haunting, Nazi occultism, both the real and fictional magical properties of silver nitrate film, just to name a few things—it won’t be immediately clear how any of it is connected until much later.

However, I can promise that once all the puzzle pieces come together to form the full picture, it is absolutely worth it. Not only that, things wrapped up with a chef’s kiss of an ending. One thing’s for certain—I sure won’t let any more Silvia Moreno-Garcia books pass me by again. Highly recommended.