Smoked

by Patrick Quinlan

Book Overview

Smoke Dugan is on the run. A bomb-maker by profession, he dropped out of sight because of a misunderstanding with his employers about an airplane crash and $2.5 million in cash. Unfortunately, they've... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312349351
• ISBN13: 9780312349356
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Griffin
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic first novel!

This book is an awesome debut by Patrick Quinlan! The story was fast-paced, exciting and borderline brilliant. I enjoyed every page of this book and can't wait for more from Quinlan. His characters are intriguing, his story line solid and action-packed. Great job! Another exciting thriller I read recently that takes place wholly in New York City is Ladykiller by Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony. I recommend that book as well for anyone who enjoys Smoked.

Quick and clever debut

Maine author Patrick Quinlan brings some real bad actors - most, but not all of them, from New York - to Portland in this first novel, a crackling, non-stop action thriller with talented, likable protagonists and a vivid sense of place. The story opens with one of the protagonists, lovely 25-year-old Lola Bell, about to be raped during what she thought was a modeling-job audition. But Lola was raped once before as a teenager in the Chicago projects, and she swore it would never happen again. Now, in an office on Congress Street, her nine years of martial arts training finally get a work out. When the breathless scene is done two guys who really deserve it lie bleeding on the floor, their cameras smashed, Lola exhilarated. Lola's roommate thinks she should go to the police or, failing that, at least tell her boyfriend, aging Smoke Dugan, a gentle man in his 50s who walks with a cane. But Lola decides to keep the excitement to herself, despite the fact that these guys have her address. Smoke has his own secrets. An arsonist and bomb maker from New York who was always careful never to kill anyone, his last bomb was used to bring down a passenger-packed jet. Heartsick, he kills the mafia boss responsible, steals $2.5 million from him, and flees to a quiet life in Portland. But he knows time is running out. Denny Cruz is a hit man with scary eyes. He works alone so it makes him nervous that two young punks have been sent with him to Portland. Do the mob boys know he's getting tired, thinking of the impossible - retirement? The younger boys get real joy out of killing - though one prefers stealing cars, not that he'd admit it. The only reason Smoke survives his first encounter with this charming trio is their intent to capture him alive and find out where the money is hidden. His own careful planning and quick wits do the rest. But the hit men know about Lola and karate kicks can't save her this time - or her librarian roommate, a nice girl pining for adventure. The hit men snatch the girls and tell Smoke to give himself up or they die. There's only one problem. Lola's beaten camera boys arrived on the scene in time to see Lola and her friend shoved into the trunk and they've decided to follow and get in on the action. Quinlan packs enough twists and turns into this zany chase to keep your pulse pounding. He switches viewpoints among all the characters and gives even the worst of them at least a glimmer of human feeling. His flair for character is as quick and stylish as his deft hand with action and plot. While not every event is 100 percent believable (starting with street-smart Lola being taken in by a couple of dressed-up trailer trash) it's all so clever and fast you'll be delighted to find he leaves room for a sequel. --Portsmouth Herald

An impressive debut remniscent of Elmore Leonard

Smoke Dugan is living a life in hiding. As a former explosives expert to the mob, he is on the lam for stealing 2.5 million dollars from a mob boss before killing him. But Smoke is a good guy. He was angry because the bomb he created was used to bring down a commercial airline. Now, he is living in Portland Maine and has a girlfriend Lola Bell. The mob has caught up with Smoke in the form of a trio of deadly hitmen. Lola could be used as a pawn- so they think. They are just not aware that she is well versed in the area of martial arts. What ensues is a thrilling semi-comic bloodbath. SMOKED is all about the characters in the same vein as an Elmore Leonard novel. Sure there is a decent and rollicking plot. The strength is the portrayals of both the bad and the good as real people each with their own set of problems. They all have great depth so that even the most wicked come off as semi-human instead of the usual cartoonish stereotypes. From the reader's standpoint the book is pure fun. The author truly knows how to pace his stories. This is an impressive debut and comes well recommended.

action packed crime thriller

New York mob king Big Vito and his competitive peers employ James "Smoke" Duggan, as his bomb maker of choice because the guy is better than DOD with his precision so that only the target dead. However, Smoke finds one objective holding 2.5 million dollars of Big Vito's loot and decides that would make a nice down payment on a new life. He absconds with the money and relocates to Portland, Maine knowing that Big Vito will send his toughest thugs after him if found. Vito uses some sick sadistic SOBs, but for Smoke he sends his craziest. Denny "Murderous Eyes" Cruz, Stick and Moss are coming to kill Smoke after they remove his eyes and otherwise torture and mutilate him. As a bonus they will also rape his girlfriend Lola in front of him before maiming her. However, Denny sees Smoke as a hero who escaped the literally dead end of their occupation for the good life of luxury with a sexy woman and considers how he can get a piece of that instead of camaraderie with killing apes who will probably come for his killer eyes one at a time one day. This action packed crime thriller starts off with plenty of Smoke that leads to a delightful abundance of fire until the climatic confrontation, but throughout contains a wonderful contrast between the residents and regular visitors to Portland and the thug invasion. Not surprisingly readers will root for Smoke and Lola to win, but also want Denny to convert. Though graphically flowing in blood, fans of hard core tales will want to read this battle between criminals as the outcome remains in doubt (with the Vito mob having the overwhelming edge) until the final twist. Harriet Klausner

An exciting chase and hunt

I really enjoyed the book! You can't help but get caught up in the excitement of the chase and the hunt. The characters and the book itself are hard-edged, edgy and most definitely interesting (this book is not for the faint of heart). An excellent first book for Quinlan - I'll be watching for more books to come from this author.