Novel Review: Smoke Screen by Kyle Mills

It is not often that I read non-Star Wars fiction. I have started to branch out over the last couple of years, reading a lot of Matthew Reilly and Sean Williams novels.

A few months ago, I was able to get a pre-release copy of Kyle Mills lastest novel, titled 'Smoke Screen' from work.

Here is the blurb from the back cover:

"What would happen if the tobacco industry closed its doors tomorrow?

What Chaos would ensue?

What would it feel like to become lead spokesman for the industry at the very moment that all this is happening?

Trevor Barnett's life is turned upside down when he is propelled from disillusioned nine-to-fiver to industry mouthpiece overnight. As the economy falters he becomes the target of enraged smokers, gun-totting smugglers, and a government that has been cut off from one of it's largest sources of revenue. Slowly abandonded and made a scapegoat by an industry that his own ancestors helped create, Trevor begins to fight back."

It took me a while to being to read this book. Luckily it was free, and as I didn't spend money on it, I didn't feel any rush to read it. It sat on my bookshelf for a few months, until about a week ago, when I decided to read it.

I didn't think a novel about the politics of the tobacco industry would be interesting, however, I was quickly proven wrong.

Kyle Mills weaves a story that takes an important social issue in an interesting direction (I won't spoil the book for you). The novel has many interesting and most importantly believable characters. Working in a corporate culture, I connected with this novel, which made it all the more believable.

The lead character, Trevor Barnett, is a flawed and believable character, who is quickly thrust into events and circumstances that are often over his head.

This novel has many twists and turns, and what I found enjoyable, was that I could actually imaging the events in this novel happening.

This is the first time I have read a Kyle Mills novel, and it won't be the last. I look forward to reading more of his novels in the future.

 

Has anybody read other Kyle Mills novels?