1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to be Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie. So when the film's director casts an unknown Mexican ingenue in the lead role, Vera Larios becomes the talk of the town. She's also the object of envy of Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she deserves. Two actresses, both determined to make it in Hollywood, make for a sizzling combination. But this is also the story of princess Salome, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretold her stepfather Herod's doom.
In Moreno-Garcia’s skillful hands, you’ll find the satisfaction of richly drawn characters, saturated settings and deftly constructed plot twists ... Salome is "a chimera," Moreno-Garcia writes. "Part lion, part dove." Her novel has that same quality.
Another piece of prose magic ... A page-turning historical drama with mythic overtones that will please readers of her realistic fiction and her more fantastical work alike.
Moreno-Garcia’s novel is told from a variety of perspectives, and she captures each voice perfectly, with dialogue that’s artfully and subtly reminiscent of Golden Age movies. She also proves to be an expert at building suspense ... This foray into historical fiction is intelligent, exciting, and written absolutely beautifully.
