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Title: Smoke Screen by Kyle Mills, Boutsikaris Dennis ISBN: 0-06-052040-X Publisher: HarperAudio Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.57 (14 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: The tobacco industry is under fire.
Comment: Trevor Barnett is the protagonist of "Smoke Screen," a new novel by Kyle Mills. Barnett is a young man whose family has made a living by selling tobacco products for generations. While he waits for his trust fund to kick in, Trevor has very little to do. He whiles away his days sitting behind a desk doing nothing for a company called Terra, and he spends his nights smoking cigarettes and playing with his dog, Nicotine.
Terra and other companies that sell tobacco are being plagued by lawsuits brought by sick and dying smokers and their families. Will the lawsuits drive the tobacco companies into bankruptcy? Trevor's life changes dramatically when the CEO of Terra, Paul Trainer, suddenly takes Trevor under his wing. Before he knows it, Trevor becomes a key player in the battle between the tobacco companies, their unionized employees, and the antismoking lobby. Trevor also loses his heart to the brainy Anne Kimball, a lawyer who is a rabid antismoking crusader. Trevor faces a series of ethical dilemmas that force him to take a stand. Will Trevor help his company survive? Is there any way to reconcile the tobacco interests and their opponents?
The problem with "Smoke Screen" is that it has the elements of a thriller, a morality tale, and a satire, and these three elements do not mix very well. In addition, the story is told through Trevor's eyes, and he is a colorless and irritating character. Mills is strongest in his satirical portrayal of greedy and manipulative CEO's, conniving lawyers, ambitious politicians, and voracious reporters. However, his attempt to mix romance, adventure, and controversy is too heavy-handed and it ultimately falls flat.
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting
Comment: See book summary above.
I like Kyle Mill's thrillers. To see him come out with something different took me a little by surprise. I'm not disappointed, though. Smoke Screen is a tale of big business and the tobacco industry. There are arguments for both the anti-tobacco lobby and the Tobacco companys. The solution seems to me to be ideal, but not likely to come to fruition. So whether you're a smoker or not, you'll get plenty of ammo from this novel.
The protagonist, Trevor Barnett, did not strike me as a very likeable character. He seemed naive and wishy washy (not knowing which way to go on an issue).
This novel will have some naysayers, only because their used to the typical Mill's thrillers, but I enjoyed this foray into a different genre (probably because I used to smoke) and will continue looking for Kyle Mills on the book shelf.
Recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Smokin'!
Comment: This book is a radical departure for Mills, and though I approached it tentatively my fears proved unfounded, as the book quickly grabbed my attention, and the narrative sped along.
This book is reminiscent of Christopher Lehman Haupt's book, Thank You for Smoking, but is told at a much more breakneck pace. It has the intelligence of some of Donald Westlake's more scathing books, and a healthy dose of humor and irony help propel it along.
I do admit that the characterizations are weak, but the characters are here as a deus ex machina, and aren't the important part of the story. The important part of the story is the examination of the conflict in our government between the desire to get tax-money from tobacco firms, and the government's desire to protect people from the dangers of smoking. Mills clearly thinks that anyone still smoking has brought upon their addiction to themselves, especially younger smokers who've been brought up in an enviroment where they're taught about the hazards of lighting up as soon as they enter school.
I recommend this book without hesitation, but only if you want to be entertained whlie being educated. If you want a 'critic'-acclaimed level book, this one does miss the mark.
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