“The things we do pile up on us, weigh us down. Or hold us in place, at very least.”

There are series characters that are put through the wringer mentally and physically specifically to titillate the reader, Lew Griffin is not one of them. When James Sallis decides to have Lew go in to the dark places of the soul with the distinct possibility that he will not emerge unharmed it is written with such skill, heart and precision that it represents the natural progression for the character, and when Griffin is beaten, shot, stabbed etc. it is not the harmless pain that seems to befall our action heroes who can shrug off physical torture with a few witty quips instead he spends an awful lot of time recuperating, he puts himself in to these positions time and time again, knowing that he could die but not caring, drawn to the lifestyle he has struggled to leave behind like the moth to the flame.

That casual use of the title of this second Lew Griffin novel was deliberate of course, and it is not just a reference to the behaviour of the protagonist, the theme is repeated through the lives of several characters involved in the main investigation in to the whereabouts of a long lost daughter of an old flame. Sallis is demonstrating that each human animal is drawn in one direction and whilst some of us think we're flying away from an undesirable end the reality is that more often than not we cannot escape the glowing blue light in the fast food kitchen of life.

Once more throughout a brief easy to read novel James Sallis demonstrates his abilities as an intelligent writer sensitive to the world around him, creating a special noir protagonist and fully realised support characters all the while taking the reader on a philosophical journey. He really is an unsung genius of modern crime writing.

This book was confusing to me - the plot started one way, veered in a different direction for a while and made it's way back to the main plot, mostly wrapped up that main plot, started a secondary plot, and then didn't really resolve plot number two while going back and making things frustrating with plot number one.

If you're confused, don't worry, because I am too.

4.5 estrellas

http://dsdmona1.blogspot.com.es/2014/09/mariposa-de-noche.html

So, so good. Filled with memories, and such sadness. We pick up right after the end of book 1, and Lew is off to find the daughter of his good friend, the now deceased Laverne.
The story isn’t linear, and Lew takes us through instances in his life, from his youth onwards. There are so many missed emotional connections, but also these tiny, warm moments between Lew and others.
And the relationship between Lew and Alouette...heartbreaking. Actually, I found much of this excellent story to be so.

The second Lew Griffin book was a little more satisfying than the first. Whereas The Long legged fly was very disjointed and had very little in the way of a thread other than as a picture of Griffin who is an interesting character, Moth sees him searching for the lost daughter of an old friend who has recently died. Griffin is a highly literate and intellectual tough guy who's violent side usually takes centre stage when dealing with any problem. A short book I enjoyed the read and he is a character I will read more of.

It has been almost two years since I listened to The Long-Legged Fly. When I had listened to that novel, I was not sure what the next volume would be. Moth is more straight-forward than the first book. Lew Griffin seems, at the beginning of the story, to be in a better place.

Once again, Sallis held my interest in several ways. He starts by creating Lew Griffin who is a fascinating man. Griffin's head holds some interesting information. Then Sallis adds a good story with well-drawn characters. Finally, the is the twist at the end. Not quite as twisted as in The Long-Legged Fly, but certainly not the direction I thought we were going.

If you are interested in New Orleans, Southern fiction or cool characters, you should meet Lew Griffin.