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