| I don't read many books that claim
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| | piece of humanity from Newcastle, of
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| membership of a genre. In my humble
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| | which I hope he is not representative.
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| opinion, a work of fiction should aspire
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| | He's a successful young thing, a kind of
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| to create its own world, describe it,
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| | nouveau riche moron, who apparently
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| communicate it and then live in it. I
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| | defines his identity by surrounding
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| want a book's characters to inhabit the
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| | himself with requisite items of designer
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| events that are portrayed, events that
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| | consumption, clearly knowing the price of
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| are clearly influenced by the character's
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| | everything and the value of nothing. He
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| presence, but which are also usually
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| | has everything, does our Donavan, but he
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| bigger than any individual's
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| | is never satisfied. He wants more.
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| contribution. Wars don't exist unless
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| | There isn't a lot to endear us to Donavan
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| people fight them. Crimes are not
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| | Smith. He's a misogynist, and
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| committed without criminals. Love stories
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| | occasionally indulges in some quite
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| are made by lovers and ghosts don't
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| | bizarre behaviour in the bedroom. He
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| exist.
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| | justifies everything with quotes from the
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| For instance, in my own book, Mission,
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| | Bible, a source of justification that was
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| there are four wars, but it's not a war
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| | beaten into him by an abusing mother. He
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| novel. There are at least three love
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| | lets nothing get in his way. He has his
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| stories, but it's not a romance. There
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| | ideas, knows how to achieve them and then
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| are several deaths, one of which is a
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| | ruthlessly destroys anything that might
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| murder, but it's not a crime novel or a
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| | resist. In some ways, he is quite
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| thriller. And then there's a character
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| | creative.
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| who comes back from the dead to haunt an
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| | But one of his conquests becomes an
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| old man, but it's not a ghost story or a
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| | accomplice, because she has inside
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| fantasy. In short, it's Mission, a novel
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| | information about that money that went
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| set in Kenya.
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| | missing in the bank raid. He needs her
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| So I approached Ken Scott's crime
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| | and together they visit people all over
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| thriller, A Million Would Be Nice, as a
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| | the prestigious bits of Europe, Paris,
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| reader unused to the genre's codes and
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| | Cannes, London, the Costas, Newcastle, to
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| forms.
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| | pursue and realise their dream. And
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| Unlike general or literary fiction, I
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| | believe me, this Donavan is nothing if
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| recognise that learning what happens in A
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| | not resourceful and he certainly has a
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| Million Would Be Nice is one of the main
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| | knack when it comes to making things
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| reasons for reading the book. My review,
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| | happen.
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| therefore, cannot reveal too much of the
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| | The story moves at a fast pace. Different
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| plot. Suffice it to say that there has
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| | characters are drawn into the thread and
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| been a bank robbery. It was an inside job
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| | many are inevitably cast aside by Donavan
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| and the scenario for its execution is
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| | Smith, our single-minded, calculating
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| carefully concocted and inventively
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| | anti-hero. And that is as much as I will
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| created. The perpetrator gets away with
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| | relate. A Million Would be Nice claims to
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| it and scarpers with the loot to live it
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| | be a crime thriller, and a crime thriller
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| up in Spain.
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| | is exactly what it is, fast paced, and
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| On an apparently separate thread, we meet
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| | packed with greed, obsession and
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| Donavan Smith, a quite incredibly vile
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| | ruthlessness.
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