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