Customer Reviews

Moist: A Novel

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This novel is a non-stop, never-put-down, read-it-in-one-sitting kind of book. It reads like a film, except you can dive into the characters' heads and come out the other side. There are graphic depictions of death and sex, and there is 'vulgar' language, but to omit such aspects of the world of this novel, that of the Mexican Mafia, would to do an injustice to the world of the novel. Well written and well done.

Days ago I came across Haskell Smith's second novel Delicious and discovered a new contender to rival Carl Hiaasen or Bill Fitzhugh for the status of best surreal eccentric character filled humorous fiction author. His debut novel Moist, is even better than that one!

Moist takes the reader into streets of LA following the exploits of violent Mexican mafia members, starting off with one who severed his arm with an automatic garage door as he was trying to make his victim's body look like a suicide. It's mistakes like this that can bring an organisation down and this one full of eccentric characters, each hungry to run the organisation themselves. They need to prevent the arm's owner's identity becoming known to the police. A young pathology lab courier is fascinated by the tats on the arm, particularly one of a woman pleasuring a man. Bob's own girlfriend has just told him she can't stand the sight of his own Mr Happy, so he fantasises that the woman on the arm is real. When he is knocked out and thrown into the boot (trunk) of his courier car, Bob is set to become another body in the desert. However power struggles within the Mexican mafia will give him a chance at not only survival but to meet the woman who inspired the tattoo and transform from his slacker life as Bob into Roberto! Throw in a self pleasuring coach (Bob's girlfriend) and a detective who prefers the upmarket social things such as good wine to beer and doughnuts and you've got the funniest mafia adventure ever written.

Besides J. Matthew Nespoli's Broken, this was the best book of the year. Had me laughing from cover to cover. I read it in one sitting, which is rare. Well done, Mark!

An excellent read. Very funny in a dry sort of way. Intelligently written with engaging characters. Great light reading.