this book is just okay. I think the premise was good, but the writing was not the best, and some things were just followed through. Not really that good of a book unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

It's not often that I'll rate a book this highly. But when it's this good, credit has to be given. The author here has delivered a book that is tight, very well paced, doesn't mince hard details sometimes, and is an utterly terrific read.

The Moth didn't start out as a pawnbroker. But that's what he is today, and over the first few chapters we see his progression from childhood to adult, see what has shaped him, what has made him into the man he is today. While the supporting cast of minor characters is varied and numerous, there are never too many characters at any one point and it's easy to follow the flow of the narrative.

Speaking of narrative, this isn't exactly a standard novel where everything flows neatly into one another. Rather, it reads like a series of vignettes into Moth's life, in relatively chronological order. Each vignette could possibly be taken on its own as a short story, but the overall arc is what ties everything together. That appealed to me. Even though I read this book in one sitting pretty much, it would be easy to stop at the end of a chapter and pick things up at a later time.

There aren't a lot of lengthy scene descriptions in this one, just enough to let the reader know the setting. However, to me this book just exudes atmosphere. Atmosphere around Moth, his dealings, successes and failures, attempts to live by his own moral boundaries, and the neighborhood he lives in.

This book is all too relatable for some reason. Not that I am like Moth, but I genuinely could get into his shoes, his thoughts, his actions. Among numerous individuals and organizations, as it were, he finds a way to somehow just manage to come out with almost Pyrrhic victories.

It's not an action-packed book, although there are many scenes of action in it. It's just the overall tone that gripped me and had me devouring page after page. Make no doubt, this is a book filled with emotion of all sorts.

One or two very minor typos, but nothing that takes away from the story.

I highly recommend this book for any reader of general crime fiction.

East L.A. is dirty and grimy and gritty. NICE!!!
The Moth is hoping to rise to the top and be the mastermind.
This book is fun and gritty. If that is your thing, go for it.

Scott Archer Jones’ The Moth is a gritty, noir-infused dive into the underbelly of East L.A., where crime, ambition, and survival blur into one murky existence. The titular character, the Moth, is a small-time hustler with grand aspirations—hoping to rise from the world of pawn-shop schemes to become a criminal mastermind. But in a place where the lines between friend and foe are razor-thin, his shaky moral compass and constant run-ins with local gangs, crooked cops, and backstabbing criminals make for a turbulent ride.

What makes The Moth so compelling is its dark humor and sharp, unflinching prose. Jones crafts a protagonist who is deeply flawed yet strangely likable, navigating a world where every decision teeters between opportunity and disaster. The Moth’s interactions—with the fierce all-female Arpías gang, the detective pulling his strings, and the shady figures drifting through his pawn shop—add layers of tension and unpredictability.

This isn’t a story of a criminal mastermind in the making—it’s a story of someone always a step behind, fumbling toward power but constantly undercut by his own missteps. The novel delivers both action and introspection, balancing streetwise scheming with moments of dark existential reflection.

Final Verdict

The Moth is a razor-sharp crime novel filled with wit, grit, and unexpected heart. Fans of noir and hard-boiled fiction will find themselves drawn into its bleak but captivating world, where ambition is often a losing game, and survival is its own kind of victory. A must-read for those who enjoy crime fiction that’s as darkly comedic as it is thrilling.