Moth Smoke

Mohsin Hamid's searing debut plunges into the heat and chaos of Lahore, following Darashikoh Shezad—Daru to his friends—as his life spirals from privileged banker to small-time criminal. Set against the backdrop of Pakistan's 1998 nuclear tests, this is a visceral tale of desire, class division, and moral disintegration. Hamid writes with electric intensity, capturing a society on the brink and a man watching his world go up in smoke. Perfect for readers who love their literary fiction dark, atmospheric, and utterly unflinching.