Velvet Was the Night is classified as a noir—a crime narrative with cynical protagonists and a pervasive sense of darkness. How does the novel fit into this genre? Does it expand the genre in any ways?

Mexico City is a primary focus of the novel. How does Silvia Moreno-Garcia create a sense of place? In what ways does the city play into the novel’s development?

Maite clings to the romantic archetypes of Secret Romance. Why does this pulp, more than any of the others, speak to Maite? How does the plot of Secret Romance mirror or complicate the events of Velvet Was the Night?