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Title: Smoke Screen by Kyle Mills, Ganser L.J. ISBN: 0-06-052042-6 Publisher: HarperAudio Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.6 (15 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Living off his savings....
Comment: First let me say that I loved all of Kyle Mill's previous books. They had great characters, excellent plot development, and enough action/suspense to keep the pages turning fast.
This is not the case with Smoke Sceen and I felt it was more a personal agenda type book that counted on the fans to finance it. Basically we did because we bought it expecting the high quality fiction we had in previous books. I'll admit Trevor Barnett is a likeable enough character (in a hapless idiot turns super-hero way) but this book just never gets its feet under and pretty much plods through from beginning to end never actually making a point or capturing the interest of the reader. It basically reminds me of TOm Clancy's disaster "REd Rabbit" in that it seems to be an effort based on ego instead of any creative design. But...unlike any of Clancy's future novels (all of which I will from now on check out at the library) I must admit that I am looking forward to Mill's next book and will probably buy it quickly...please Kyle..no more diappointments!!!
Rating: 5
Summary: A radical departure in style
Comment: Kyle Mills' work to date has read much like early Tom Clancy, with tight story lines and a technical bent. "Smoke Screen" is more reminiscent of Mike Lupica's Jammer Molloy books, written in first person with a protagonist who's just kind of going along for the ride but has to finally get serious about his life and situation.
Mills still addresses a serious contemporary issue in "Smoke Screen," but he does so with a lighter touch. The body count is down considerably from the author's previous stories, and as a result this book is much more fun to read.
If you buy this book expecting another Mills techno-thriller you may be disappointed. Then again, you may be pleasantly surprised. If you're ready for a book where the the bad guys (for the most part) aren't Evil Incarnate and the good guys (for the most part) don't take themselves quite so seriously, you'll enjoy "Smoke Screen."
Rating: 4
Summary: Fabulous premise
Comment: This book has such an interesting premise, it can't be missed.
That premise is wondering what would happen if the owners and
operators of "Big Tobacco" agreed with the anti-smoking zealots
and government regulators that smoking was bad for us, and they
suddenly, and simply, announced they were stopping all production
and distribution of tobacco products.
Wow. Think what would happen. This author does a very nice
job of describing all the ramifications, from the loss of millions of dollars in tax money to the states and federal govmt, the lack of funding for future anti-smoking campaigns,
the jobs lost in the industry, at both the factory and the
farm ends of that business, as well as the anger of the legions
of smokers suddenly deprived of their addiction. Also raised
is the question of the right of Americans to make their own
informed choices and their right to privacy.
Such ramifications are more complex and far-reaching than
most of us ever thought of, and it will do us good to consider
all of them. Only after studying such possible ramifications
can we begin to fathom the depth of the politics behind Big
Tobacco. Then we can begin to understand the wavering of the
big politicians at all levels on these questions; we get an idea
of the tax dollars the governments now count on, especially
since most states have tobacco-suit settlement money being
grabbed by legislators for favorite projects, and the looting
of the original anti-tobacco purposes by those state legislatures.
It is some very fascinating facts, which the author nicely
combines with some interesting speculations, and the story
is a very worthwhile one.
The only flaw is that toward the end, the author uses the device
of the main characters suddenly, and rather mysteriously,
coming into possession of "secret" facts that allow the story
to go forward to its conclusion.
That fiction device is rather noticeable here, but the book
in any case presents some needed facts and speculations about
Big Tobacco and its history and possible future.
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Title: Split Second by David Baldacci ISBN: 0446530891 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 30 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: Sphere of Influence by Kyle Mills ISBN: 0451209443 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: 02 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Private Sector by Brian Haig ISBN: 0446531782 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer ISBN: 0446530980 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 20 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Free Fall by Kyle Mills ISBN: 0061098027 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 01 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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