Smoked

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press;St. Martin's Griffin
• Year: 2006,2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 189 KB
• Category: Fiction

✦ Synopsis

From Publishers Weekly

James "Smoke" Duggan, a natural-born bomb maker, plays an unwitting role in a heinous tragedy when his talents are exploited by a New York mob boss; nobody's fool, Smoke double-crosses the mob in a final, lucrative play and then goes into hiding in Portland, Maine. In pursuit, world-weary hit man Denny Cruz begins to see in Smoke a role model for escaping from New York and from crimeunless, of course, Denny and his disparate crew succeed in killing him. Graphic action and exhilarating chases ensue as Quinlan's characters play cat-and-mouse through Portland, giving a memorable look at the city's patchwork culture of industrial shipping, tourism, yuppies and foreign refugees. Denny and Smoke share an unlikely, endearing sensitivity and intelligence, and Smoke's girlfriend, Lola, is a fierce delight. This is Maine resident Quinlan's debut, and it makes one hope that Smoke hasn't quit the life entirely. (Apr.)
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Review

"Smoked should absorb any fan of Bruckheimer blockbusters and everything else that goes boom." --Entertainment Weekly

"Graphic action and exhilarating chases ensue as Quinlan's characters play cat-and-mouse through Portland. Denny and Smoke share an unlikely, endearing sensitivity and intelligence, and Smoke's girlfriemd, Lola, is a fierce delight. It makes one hope that Smoke hasn't quit the life entirely." --Publishers Weekly

"A sizzling crime caper paced at NASCAR-style velocity, Smoked features a shillelagh-toting bomb maker on the run, an alluring martial arts vixen and a setting as exotic and unexpected as Portland, Maine. Quinlan's taut thriller is already garnering the kind of electrifying buzz that reminds Hollywood that there are engrossing stories to be discovered beyond the Universal Studios backlotA turbo-charged tour de force." --Mark Griffin, PortCity Life

"Smoked is a first novel rich in characters lovingly drawn and mercilessly executed. Often literally. Gives the whole expression 'character assassination' a brand new meaning." --London Times

"Tarantino-esque first novel about the past catching up with an ex-criminal turned children's toymaker, and by extension with his young girlfriend Lola. Lots of villains and violent deaths plus likeable characters and some quirky humour. The first chapter - in which Lola busts her way out of a thoroughly nasty rape scenario with karate-kicking panache - would hook anyone." --The Bookseller **(*UK*)

"A tight and compelling novel.You will not be able to put Smoked down. My shaking hand was turning pages.What a debut. Patrick Quinlan is a wonderful new writer." --Carolyn Chute, New York Times bestselling author of The Beans of Egypt, Maine
"Smoked is one cool read. Tough, suspenseful, gritty and raw. I enjoyed the hell out of it."--Victor Gischler, Edgar-nominated author of Gun Monkeys and Suicide Squeeze