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Smoke Screen
Through an inexplicable series of unwanted promotions, Trevor Barnett has become the lead spokesman for the tobacco industry just as it's on the verge of extinction. Plaintiff's attorneys have finally found the weakness they'd been searching for and filed a $200 billion lawsuit that the industry will be unable to appeal.
America's tobacco companies react by doing the unthinkable—they close their plants and recall their product from retailer's shelves. Trevor is charged with going on national television and making the announcement: Not another cigarette will be manufactured or sold until the industry is given ironclad protection from the courts.
As the economy falters and chaos takes hold, Trevor becomes the target of enraged smokers, gun-toting cigarette smugglers, and a government that has been cut off from one of its largest sources of revenue. Soon it becomes clear that this had always been his function—to take the brunt of the backlash and shield the men in power from the maelstrom they'd created.
Abandoned by his friends, his family, and the industry his own ancestors helped build, Trevor finds an unlikely ally in a beautiful anti-tobacco lobbyist who he's secretly loved for years. Together they hatch a plan to fight back...
America's tobacco companies react by doing the unthinkable—they close their plants and recall their product from retailer's shelves. Trevor is charged with going on national television and making the announcement: Not another cigarette will be manufactured or sold until the industry is given ironclad protection from the courts.
As the economy falters and chaos takes hold, Trevor becomes the target of enraged smokers, gun-toting cigarette smugglers, and a government that has been cut off from one of its largest sources of revenue. Soon it becomes clear that this had always been his function—to take the brunt of the backlash and shield the men in power from the maelstrom they'd created.
Abandoned by his friends, his family, and the industry his own ancestors helped build, Trevor finds an unlikely ally in a beautiful anti-tobacco lobbyist who he's secretly loved for years. Together they hatch a plan to fight back...
607 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2003
9 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Mills
33 books2,511 followersI grew up in Oregon but have lived all over—D.C., Virginia, Maryland, London,
Wyoming. My father was an FBI agent and I was a bureau kid, which is similar to being an army brat. You tend to spend your time with other bureau kids and get transferred around a lot, though, I fared better on that front than many others.
One positive aspect of this lifestyle is that you can’t help but absorb an enormous amount about the FBI, CIA, Special Forces, etc. Like most young boys, I was endlessly fascinated with talk of chasing criminals and, of course, pictured it in the most romantic terms possible. Who would have thought that all this esoteric knowledge would end up being so useful?
I came into writing from kind of a strange angle. When I graduated from college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time—a corporate job, a nice car, and a house with lots of square footage.
It turns out that none of that really suited me. While I did go for the corporate job, I
drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a tiny house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood. Most of the money I made just kind of accumulated in my checking account and I found myself increasingly drawn to the unconventional, artistic people who lived around me. I was completely enamored with anyone who could create something from nothing because I felt like it was beyond me.
Enter rock climbing. I’d read an article on climbing when I was in college and thought it looked like an incredible thing to do. Someday, I told myself, I would give it a try. So one weekend in the early ’90s, I packed up my car, drove to West Virginia, and spent a
weekend taking lessons. Unknown to me at the time, this would be the start of an
obsession that still hangs with me today. I began dating a girl who liked to climb and we decided we wanted to live somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Moving to Wyoming was the best decision we ever made. The place is full of the most amazing people. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, or climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal. In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations. Everything was possible for them and I wanted to be that type of person, too.
I was working for a little bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative. Maybe I could make something from nothing. Why not give it a shot?
My first bright idea was to learn to build furniture. That plan had some drawbacks, the most obvious of which being that I’m not very handy. It was my wife who suggested I write a novel. It seemed like a dumb idea, though, since I majored in finance and had spent my entire college career avoiding English courses like the plague. Having said that, I couldn’t completely shake the idea. Eventually, it nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix and about a year after that I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make my living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much. Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I got the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep. And, I still live in Wyoming...
Wyoming. My father was an FBI agent and I was a bureau kid, which is similar to being an army brat. You tend to spend your time with other bureau kids and get transferred around a lot, though, I fared better on that front than many others.
One positive aspect of this lifestyle is that you can’t help but absorb an enormous amount about the FBI, CIA, Special Forces, etc. Like most young boys, I was endlessly fascinated with talk of chasing criminals and, of course, pictured it in the most romantic terms possible. Who would have thought that all this esoteric knowledge would end up being so useful?
I came into writing from kind of a strange angle. When I graduated from college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time—a corporate job, a nice car, and a house with lots of square footage.
It turns out that none of that really suited me. While I did go for the corporate job, I
drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a tiny house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood. Most of the money I made just kind of accumulated in my checking account and I found myself increasingly drawn to the unconventional, artistic people who lived around me. I was completely enamored with anyone who could create something from nothing because I felt like it was beyond me.
Enter rock climbing. I’d read an article on climbing when I was in college and thought it looked like an incredible thing to do. Someday, I told myself, I would give it a try. So one weekend in the early ’90s, I packed up my car, drove to West Virginia, and spent a
weekend taking lessons. Unknown to me at the time, this would be the start of an
obsession that still hangs with me today. I began dating a girl who liked to climb and we decided we wanted to live somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Moving to Wyoming was the best decision we ever made. The place is full of the most amazing people. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, or climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal. In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations. Everything was possible for them and I wanted to be that type of person, too.
I was working for a little bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative. Maybe I could make something from nothing. Why not give it a shot?
My first bright idea was to learn to build furniture. That plan had some drawbacks, the most obvious of which being that I’m not very handy. It was my wife who suggested I write a novel. It seemed like a dumb idea, though, since I majored in finance and had spent my entire college career avoiding English courses like the plague. Having said that, I couldn’t completely shake the idea. Eventually, it nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix and about a year after that I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make my living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much. Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I got the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep. And, I still live in Wyoming...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
November 6, 2016
This is an older book that I read on vacation and enjoyed tremendously. The novel introduces us to Trevor Barnett who has become the lead spokesman for the tobacco industry. He's a slacker and only works for the Terra tobacco company because he's heir to whatever fortune will be left once the courts are finished with them. Trevor is instantly tossed into a televised debate against Angus Scalia, the head legal counsel and spokesperson for the anti-tobacco lobby. He barely survives the debate and Terra decides to shut down its business rather than deal with a $250 billion dollar lawsuit. America's tobacco companies close their plants and recall their products from retailers' shelves. Trevor is charged with the task of going on national television and announcing no more cigarettes will be manufactured or sold until the industry is given ironclad protection from the courts.
Mills does a great job of describing all the complications from the loss of millions of dollars in tax money, to jobs lost in the tobacco factories as well as the farms. I won't even mention the anger of millions of smokers who are suddenly deprived of their cigarettes. The results of these actions and how Trevor deals with them will have you examining the rights and wrongs of the tobacco industry and the right of Americans to make their own choices.
I liked this book and thought the concept was witty and satirical. The characters were very engaging. It's an amusing look at both the politics and the economics side of the tobacco industry. This is not a typical Kyle Mills espionage or action novel but I think no matter what side you are in the tobacco conversation, you'll really enjoy it.
Mills does a great job of describing all the complications from the loss of millions of dollars in tax money, to jobs lost in the tobacco factories as well as the farms. I won't even mention the anger of millions of smokers who are suddenly deprived of their cigarettes. The results of these actions and how Trevor deals with them will have you examining the rights and wrongs of the tobacco industry and the right of Americans to make their own choices.
I liked this book and thought the concept was witty and satirical. The characters were very engaging. It's an amusing look at both the politics and the economics side of the tobacco industry. This is not a typical Kyle Mills espionage or action novel but I think no matter what side you are in the tobacco conversation, you'll really enjoy it.
September 5, 2017
Thought the main character was spineless and was lucky most of the time.
April 14, 2018
Kyle is an awesome writer. One of my all-time favorites. I have been with him since the beginning. This book is an interesting concept and a funny read. His characters are very relatable, real people.
July 4, 2007
i give this to my preachy nonsmoking friends and tell them to suck it. furthermore i didnt realize that big tobacco made powdered doughnuts
October 22, 2020
For anyone who reads the summary of this book, it will not come as a surprise that it is focused on big tobacco and a man who unexpectedly finds himself in the center of events surrounding it. However, if you choose not to read any summary and dive right in, the book will come as a hugely pleasant surprise (as it did to me).
Trevor Barnett is the product of the tobacco industry, a trust fund child of big tobacco, and a young man at risk of going nowhere in life. Through a series of events, Trevor finds himself in the middle of monumental events which will forever shape the country and the tobacco industry. His journey drives this book, his perspective is the reader's perspective, and he is very well done.
Mills's imagination with the plot, character development, and inner dialogue was hugely entertaining and creative. I found myself excited to read and eager to find out what was going to happen next. Moreover, I found myself genuinely thinking about big tobacco and some of the issues surrounding the industry. Fun to read, fun to think about, easy to recommend.
Trevor Barnett is the product of the tobacco industry, a trust fund child of big tobacco, and a young man at risk of going nowhere in life. Through a series of events, Trevor finds himself in the middle of monumental events which will forever shape the country and the tobacco industry. His journey drives this book, his perspective is the reader's perspective, and he is very well done.
Mills's imagination with the plot, character development, and inner dialogue was hugely entertaining and creative. I found myself excited to read and eager to find out what was going to happen next. Moreover, I found myself genuinely thinking about big tobacco and some of the issues surrounding the industry. Fun to read, fun to think about, easy to recommend.
March 22, 2023
What if the tobacco industry shut down? Trevor Barnett is a lowly worker in the tobacco industry despite being part of one of the founding families in the industry. He hates it, but he needs to work there, so he can collect his trust at the age of 60. There a series of mishaps Trevor rises to a vice president position and is a major player in the industry shutting down.
This book was part drama and part comedy. The plot was very unique. I really enjoyed the book overall. I did give it four star because it was very slow starting. I would recommend this book if nothing else than the fact it was a very unique plot and Trevor was an interesting/likable character.
This book was part drama and part comedy. The plot was very unique. I really enjoyed the book overall. I did give it four star because it was very slow starting. I would recommend this book if nothing else than the fact it was a very unique plot and Trevor was an interesting/likable character.
August 13, 2025
I thought Treavor was a bit too nonchalant and lacking any direction in his life. His self confidence didn't really blossom until the end and seemed to happen pretty quickly. I would like to have seen a little more character development for Anne Kimball who somehow let Treavor talk her into working for the tobacco company. It didn't seem realistic that she didn't tell Treavor to "get lost" and somehow continued to go along with him. I guess a little more could have gone into development of this complicated relatioship.
November 22, 2018
Having not read anything by Mills, I wasn't sure what to expect from this but I was really taken by this story as it follows Trevor Barnett, a child of the tobacco industry, as he finally comes to terms with not just his family's business life but its personal life as well. And in doing so he turns the industry and America on its head and even his own aimless life gets a shot in the arm and he discovers abilities and passions he never knew he had. A rather intriguing and engrossing read.
July 18, 2019
If this is true (or based on the truth), this is an eye opener about the tobacco industry and the many factions, i.e., government,lobbyists, anti tobacco, unions, with their fingers in the pie, all wanting a piece of the action/money. Does nobody want to help smokers quit or not begin smoking in the first place? Makes one wonder. Fascinating book about organizations working together, or not, to make money.
June 25, 2025
Different than I expected. Thought this would be along the lines of Mills thrillers but it was much calmer. Trevor is stumbling though life, "working" at a job he hates with the carrot of a trust fund payout when he turns 60. As he becomes an unwilling pawn in a game the CEO of a tobacco company is playing, he starts to discover his backbone and that the does have a talent for the business. Trevor gives new meaning to the term "late bloomer".
October 9, 2025
I've been a fan of Mills for awhile but this one just didn't do it for me.
The story itself as somewhat engaging and some of the secondary characters were teasingly interesting except there wasn't enough development of them.
Mills made an effort to show the main characters growth but I felt that fell flat with him asking too many questions to himself that went mostly unanswered, and was weak and spineless until an unrealistic turn-around in the final few pages.
The story itself as somewhat engaging and some of the secondary characters were teasingly interesting except there wasn't enough development of them.
Mills made an effort to show the main characters growth but I felt that fell flat with him asking too many questions to himself that went mostly unanswered, and was weak and spineless until an unrealistic turn-around in the final few pages.
May 15, 2017
This was a great book. The plot charged off in directions I did not see coming. There were one or two moments where I thought the author had lost the plot, but went along for the ride anyway.
It was a fascinating insight into the financial tentacles of the tobacco industry. I definitely recommend this book.
It was a fascinating insight into the financial tentacles of the tobacco industry. I definitely recommend this book.
December 13, 2021
I knew Kyle Mills because he took over the Mitch Rapp series when Vince Flynn died as few years ago. My son lent me this book and I really liked it: an easy read, timely, wry. For people who want to “like” the protagonist, it takes a while before the reader finds too much to “like” here. But don’t give up.
December 22, 2017
Totally fascinating look into the world of big tobacco. Loved the main character, Trevor, and the humor was awesome in this book. Trevor even had a Great Pyrenees named Nicotine, a man after my heart.
December 30, 2019
Hated the main character for the first half of the book. Almost quit reading multiple times but I’m glad I kept going. The main character does finally develop a modicum of substance and Mills’ description of how big tobacco manipulates the public and government is both genius and frightening.
September 7, 2020
Ok, but not outstanding. I've ready a couple of other standalone novels by this author that i enjoyed more. It was interesting in its references to North Carolina and in at least one instance Greensboro. Wouldn't be my first choice if I were going to read a Kyle Mills novel.
February 14, 2022
Had my doubts through the first third of the book, but it turned out to be quite a good read. First of Kyle Mills that I have read outside of the Vince Flynn continuations, and was pleasantly surprised.
July 10, 2017
Stopped at page 28, no interest in these characters.
November 6, 2020
It was alright, but, just wanted it to end really, so I could get my teeth into something that I know, would enjoy more.
April 6, 2021
A little *too* ridiculous at times, it's still a generally fun novel. Unbelievable to the extreme for the most part, but sometimes it's fun to just have a little fantasy
March 9, 2011
Trevor Barnett is the scion of an old tobacco family. Trevor is 32 and will come into a USD 10 million trust fund when he turns 60 so long as he has been in continuous employment from graduation until his 60th birthday with the cigarette company his ancestor founded. Trevor is consequently not the most motivated person in the world - at least when the novel opens.
At the beginning of SMOKE SCREEN, the tobacco industry is facing a multi-billion dollar lawsuit which could bankrupt the industry. But the industry decides to fight back, and decides to use Trevor to do it. And Trevor may or may not have his own agenda, which may or may not include the woman he loves from afar, who is a lawyer for one of the anti-smoking campaigner groups.
Tevor knows that cigarette smoking kills people, but doesn't really care, believing that smokers have the right to make their own decisions. The tobacco industry is about to lose a $250-billion class-action lawsuit, a judgment the industry cannot appeal. Such a ruling will permanently bankrupt all of the tobacco companies, and Terra's ruthless CEO, Paul Trainer, is not about to let that happen.
After making some snappy and irreverent comments at a board meeting, Trevor suddenly and unwillingly finds himself spearheading a tobacco offensive that shakes the nation. Big Tobacco closes all its plants and recalls all its tobacco products in a clever game of chicken, facing down the courts, Congress, the White House and the antismoking lobby. The result is a catastrophic loss of tax revenue and political donations, and an angry population of smoking voters who want their cigarettes back.
**Review** Trevor is not the most likeable characters that you could read about, nor is the Tobacco industry one that I feel sorry for. Then again, I've never smoked. I can understand the underlying message in that if Big Tobacco were ever to shut down, states like North Carolina would lost alot of money and force them to raise taxes. Not really a good idea at anytime whether it be a bad economy or not.
This is yet another departure from the Special Agent Mark Beamon series, and overall an interesting read. This book has it's humorous moments as well, like when Trevor takes on the Pit Bull for the Anti-Smoking lobby on TV. Of course, Trevor also finds a romantic interlude with Annie, who is also on the Anti-Tobacco side.
At the beginning of SMOKE SCREEN, the tobacco industry is facing a multi-billion dollar lawsuit which could bankrupt the industry. But the industry decides to fight back, and decides to use Trevor to do it. And Trevor may or may not have his own agenda, which may or may not include the woman he loves from afar, who is a lawyer for one of the anti-smoking campaigner groups.
Tevor knows that cigarette smoking kills people, but doesn't really care, believing that smokers have the right to make their own decisions. The tobacco industry is about to lose a $250-billion class-action lawsuit, a judgment the industry cannot appeal. Such a ruling will permanently bankrupt all of the tobacco companies, and Terra's ruthless CEO, Paul Trainer, is not about to let that happen.
After making some snappy and irreverent comments at a board meeting, Trevor suddenly and unwillingly finds himself spearheading a tobacco offensive that shakes the nation. Big Tobacco closes all its plants and recalls all its tobacco products in a clever game of chicken, facing down the courts, Congress, the White House and the antismoking lobby. The result is a catastrophic loss of tax revenue and political donations, and an angry population of smoking voters who want their cigarettes back.
**Review** Trevor is not the most likeable characters that you could read about, nor is the Tobacco industry one that I feel sorry for. Then again, I've never smoked. I can understand the underlying message in that if Big Tobacco were ever to shut down, states like North Carolina would lost alot of money and force them to raise taxes. Not really a good idea at anytime whether it be a bad economy or not.
This is yet another departure from the Special Agent Mark Beamon series, and overall an interesting read. This book has it's humorous moments as well, like when Trevor takes on the Pit Bull for the Anti-Smoking lobby on TV. Of course, Trevor also finds a romantic interlude with Annie, who is also on the Anti-Tobacco side.
Read
August 27, 2013If you told me that a book where talking heads discuss the various perspectives on smoking and also the history of smoking legislation, is actually entertaining, I would have been skeptical. But Mills dramatizes a pivotal moment for the smoking industry. They are about to lose a multi-billion dollar law suit. Between repeated lawsuits, tougher warnings, and hostile public opinion, the tobacco industry is running scared. Will this latest lawsuit ruin them? Put them out of business? Will they even have jobs next year? In this tumultuous climate, a young paper-pusher who processes historic documents is suddenly picked by the boss to go on TV and debate an anti-tobacco spokesperson. Trevor Barnett is a son of an old tobacco family, and the rule of his trust fund say that he has to work for the company his whole life in order to collect. So he does. But his out-of-the-blue promotion from file clerk to Executive Vice President for Strategy is a surprise to everyone, himself included. But the boss, Paul Trainer, has a plan. What would happen if the tobacco industry completely shut down, and cigarettes were removed from the stores? An awful lot of smokers would be clamoring for their return, for one thing. The workers who were out of work would demand their jobs back. The governments who rely on tobacco tax dollars would be scared. Even the anti-smoking lobbies would be in trouble, because their funding comes from the tobacco industry. Sure, tobacco is dangerous, but shouldn't smokers be free to choose to kill themselves if they want to? Isn't that the American way? That's the plot. Can they pull it off? What will happen? Along the way, the hapless Trevor Barnett grows into his new job. He develops confidence. He begins to trust his judgment. He begins to speak the truth. He becomes something more than a tool. He even begins to get the girl. Of course he gets yelled at a lot, and shot at, too, but by the end of the book... well, that's all I can say.
April 11, 2014
This is an older book from 2003 by Kyle Mills and it's
about the tobacco industry. Trevor Barnett is the scion of
an old tobacco family. He is 31 and will come into a trust
fund worth 10 million when he reaches 60 as long as he has
been continuously employed from graduation until his 60th
birthday by the cigarette company his grandfather founded.
Trevor is not the most motivated person and at this time the
tobacco industry is facing a multi billion dollar lawsuit
which could bankrupt them. The industry decides to fight back
and to use Trevor to do it. Even though the government and
the industry appear to hate each other they have been hand
and hand for years. The industry is denying nothing, they
readily admit cigarettes will kill you and they will cause
cancer. They close all of their plants so no one can buy
cigarette and their only defense is that each individual
person has the right to decide if they wish to kill themselves.
I myself did this and I quit 40 years ago but it was very very
hard and there are millions who know this but cannot quit
which is how the industry always wins.
about the tobacco industry. Trevor Barnett is the scion of
an old tobacco family. He is 31 and will come into a trust
fund worth 10 million when he reaches 60 as long as he has
been continuously employed from graduation until his 60th
birthday by the cigarette company his grandfather founded.
Trevor is not the most motivated person and at this time the
tobacco industry is facing a multi billion dollar lawsuit
which could bankrupt them. The industry decides to fight back
and to use Trevor to do it. Even though the government and
the industry appear to hate each other they have been hand
and hand for years. The industry is denying nothing, they
readily admit cigarettes will kill you and they will cause
cancer. They close all of their plants so no one can buy
cigarette and their only defense is that each individual
person has the right to decide if they wish to kill themselves.
I myself did this and I quit 40 years ago but it was very very
hard and there are millions who know this but cannot quit
which is how the industry always wins.
September 4, 2007
SMOKE SCREEN (Thriller-Cont) - G
Kyle Mills – Standalone
Signet-2004, Paperback
Trevor Barnett, living off a trust fund and promised inheritance, is a descendant of the founders of the tobacco industry. He is drifting through his job and life until a one-line report ends up being seen by the company’s CEO, resulting in a promotion and confusing thrust into the front line of a battle between the tobacco industry, federal government and anti-smoking proponents.
*** More a fantasy than a thriller, this story was so engrossing I was more than half way through it before it occurred to me it wasn’t really a mystery. You know Trevor is being set up as a patsy, but are fascinated to see the result. Although I was, occasionally, annoyed by Trevor’s seeming spinelessness, his youth, the relationship with his parents, and background allowed me to accept him. The relationship between the government, tobacco industry and legal system was fascinating. If you’re looking for a book in which to lose yourself for a few hours, or the perfect airplane book, I recommend giving this a try.
Kyle Mills – Standalone
Signet-2004, Paperback
Trevor Barnett, living off a trust fund and promised inheritance, is a descendant of the founders of the tobacco industry. He is drifting through his job and life until a one-line report ends up being seen by the company’s CEO, resulting in a promotion and confusing thrust into the front line of a battle between the tobacco industry, federal government and anti-smoking proponents.
*** More a fantasy than a thriller, this story was so engrossing I was more than half way through it before it occurred to me it wasn’t really a mystery. You know Trevor is being set up as a patsy, but are fascinated to see the result. Although I was, occasionally, annoyed by Trevor’s seeming spinelessness, his youth, the relationship with his parents, and background allowed me to accept him. The relationship between the government, tobacco industry and legal system was fascinating. If you’re looking for a book in which to lose yourself for a few hours, or the perfect airplane book, I recommend giving this a try.
August 20, 2012
In many ways Kyle Mills's Smoke Screen is similar to Christopher Buckley's novel, which was later turned into a film by the same name, Thank You For Smoking both are about a tobacco industry spokes person dealing with the internal politics of the Tobacco industry while trying simultaneously to deal with their complicated love life and Washington's love hate relationship with cigarettes. The difference is that Mills' is the far superior narrative.
Smoke Screen is the story of Trevor Barnett, The last son of an old southern tobacco family plucked from an obscure job as a glorified file clerk and thrust into the limelight to by the company head as spokes person/human target for his bold plan to save the industry. Further complicating Trevor's life is that he is in love with an anti-smoking activist.
Mills manages to tell a riveting thriller with elements of comedy romance and even libertarian political philosophy while creating real believable characters who you can truly care about. Smokes Screen is a thoroughly enjoyable novel well worth anyone's time.
Smoke Screen is the story of Trevor Barnett, The last son of an old southern tobacco family plucked from an obscure job as a glorified file clerk and thrust into the limelight to by the company head as spokes person/human target for his bold plan to save the industry. Further complicating Trevor's life is that he is in love with an anti-smoking activist.
Mills manages to tell a riveting thriller with elements of comedy romance and even libertarian political philosophy while creating real believable characters who you can truly care about. Smokes Screen is a thoroughly enjoyable novel well worth anyone's time.
January 22, 2013
A quirky novel, with a somewhat quirky protagonist, both of which grew on me. Trevor Barnett, 35-year old heir to huge tobacco company, Terra, has never been happy with his adult life. Working in a fairly menial capacity for Terra, mainly to secure his trust fund, Trevor also participates in the anti-smoking group, Smokeless Youth, to assuage his guilt about the harmful effects of tobacco. It is at SY where he meets and falls in love with Anne Kimball, a dedicated SY employee. As Trevor attempts to "find himself," Anne begins to see potential in using Trevor to further the SY cause. She soon takes the job at Terra that Trevor offers her and they begin to work slowly & meticulously to change the underlying culture at Terra. The novel is promoted as a thriller and, in terms of not quite knowing where it's headed, I suppose it is one. For the most part, though, the suspense is very low-keyed and it builds so gradually, it's almost not noticeable. Ultimately, however, "Smoke Screen" reaches a very satisfying conclusion and becomes stronger as a result. Well-written and enjoyable.
March 13, 2011
Trevor Barnet is the scion of a family high in the tobacco empire. His father is a lawyer in the company and Trevor has a so so make work type of a job with the company to meet the requirements of his trust fund. Mainly he is leading a playboy life although not a carefree one. The company is fighting a huge class action lawsuit and if they loose his trust will take a hit along with the company. Trevor is brought into a plan by one of the executives and made an unwitting dupe in his plan to disrupt the lawsuit by shutting down the tobacco industry. Meanwhile Trevor has fallen for a young lawyer who was working for an antismoking lobbying firm. Lots of back and forth maneuvering as the various sides try to get the upper hand. An interesting plot, but some how it was a drag for me. One of those books you have to push your self to keep reading, not one that you hate to put down.
May 30, 2012
By following the bumbling adventures of Trevor Barnet, Smoke Screen takes an highly amusing look at all the various sides of the tobacco industry and the controversy surrounding it. Trevor's situation is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes sympathetically serious, but never boring. He is completely unprepared for the limelight he is thrust into, but as he continues to tip toe his way through public appearances - a televised debate, presenting a speech to union workers, dealing the the anti-smoking lobby, handling the public (especially the media camped on his lawn), and attempting to hold on to his so called friends - he begins to discover more about his own beliefs and abilities.
December 19, 2007
Unbelievably original concept. I really enjoyed this book. I'm not going to go into the plot since so many has already written about it. It's very original and gives both sides of the smoking debate. There are a lot of twists in it that you don't see coming and you fall in and out of love with the lead characters. Mr. Mills leaves you hanging in a lot of instances for chapters while you are trying to figure out what is happening and why. It's extremely well written and I highly recommend it. I will be reading more of Mr. Mills' books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews