Smoke Screen [Mass Market Paperback]

Anne Underwood Grant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 1998

Where there's smoke. . .

Sydney Teague makes her living by using her head, not her heart.  But when it came to Seth Bolick, she couldn't help herself.  He was a man obsessed, plunging his life and soul into one remarkable invention: a safe synthetic-nicotine substitute.  When she agreed to take him on as a client of her small Charlotte, North Carolina, ad agency, Sydney could not imagine the work she would end up doing for Seth: It's her job to find his killer.

The police call it a suicide, and so does Seth's family.  Sydney knows they're wrong.  When she starts investigating Seth's last days and the forces that were gathering against him, she exposes a pattern of lies and murderous violence amid the tobacco-rich fields of North Carolina.  Now Sydney Teague is not just another hard-driving businesswoman who doesn't know when to quit: She's the next, best candidate for murder.  .  .  .

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Sydney thinks she knows the dangers of tobacco, until she takes on the most dangerous client of all. . . .

"Grant paints us a picture of the urban New South with dead-on accuracy, and wit as sharp as a razor."
--Dianne Day, author of The Bohemian Murders

"Anne Grant has a wry wit and a wise grasp of human nature. Her Sydney Teague is a no-nonsense, I'm-not-battin'-my-eyelashes-for-anyone New South woman."
--Teri Holbrook, author of The Grass Widow

From the Inside Flap

Where there's smoke. . .

Sydney Teague makes her living by using her head, not her heart.  But when it came to Seth Bolick, she couldn't help herself.  He was a man obsessed, plunging his life and soul into one remarkable invention: a safe synthetic-nicotine substitute.  When she agreed to take him on as a client of her small Charlotte, North Carolina, ad agency, Sydney could not imagine the work she would end up doing for Seth: It's her job to find his killer.

The police call it a suicide, and so does Seth's family.  Sydney knows they're wrong.  When she starts investigating Seth's last days and the forces that were gathering against him, she exposes a pattern of lies and murderous violence amid the tobacco-rich fields of North Carolina.  Now Sydney Teague is not just another hard-driving businesswoman who doesn't know when to quit: She's the next, best candidate for murder.  .  .  .

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Dell (August 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440225523
• ISBN-13: 978-0440225522
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,869,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read., September 14, 1998

By 

[e-mail](Lynne Pou) (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smoke Screen (Mass Market Paperback)

Smoke Screen continues the series begun with Multiple Listing, featuring Sydney Teague in her second outing. This novel takes us beyond the typical amateur sleuth adventure, covering themes of obsession, family and forgiveness. The journey Sydney takes here is deeper than the solution of the murder disguised as suicide that starts the book - it encompasses a searching of the past, both hers and the victims for answers that extend past the "facts of the case".

The seriousness of the issues is leavened with Sydney's self-deprecating humor, the relationships with her employees and her children (a NY mystery book store owner praises Grant's ability to write about children -"she just gets it" - and I agree), and the gentle pricking of Charlotte, NC's wannabe self absorbtion.

The depth of thought here does not in any way remove the lively pace. I couldn't put it down. A compelling book from an author who has much to give.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent "whodunnit" and more., August 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Ashland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smoke Screen (Mass Market Paperback)

I enjoyed Multiple Listing, Anne Grant's first Sydney Teague mystery. I enjoyed Smoke Screen even more. When confronted with the untimely death of a favorite client, amateur sleuth Sydney Teague is presented with a personal dilemma when the coroner labels it suicide. She can't accept that the man she had grown close to in a short but intense period of time would kill himself. Accidental death is highly unlikely which leaves murder -- or maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought she did? It's a good mystery that includes well-crafted surprises that delighted this mystery buff to the very end.

However, Smoke Screen presents more than a good mystery to be solved. One of the reasons I enjoy amateur sleuths is that, unless they are put into immediate personal danger, their motivations for finding the truth come from within. In Smoke Screen, Anne Grant weaves her mystery thread into a tapestry that explores the nature of friendships, family relationships, and human frailty.

In an early scene in the book, Sydney visits her father's grave and reflects on their relationship. After reading that scene, I put the book down for a while. Not because it interfered with the flow of the book, but simply because I wanted some time to reflect on the thoughts -- like appreciating a good sunset.

Characters which first appeared in Multiple Listing return in Smoke Screen enhanced. I particularly liked the interplay between Sydney and Hart, her art designer. Having them in the same scene for more than a paragraph or two always leads to a good <g> and sometimes a great <G>.

Read Multiple Listing. Then read Smoke Screen. You won't be sorry, and, you'll know why I am looking forward to Anne Grant's next book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anne Grant keeps getting better!, September 5, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Fostoria, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smoke Screen (Mass Market Paperback)

"Multiple Listing" by Anne Underwood Grant was a great read and her new Sydney Teague mystery "Smoke Screen" is even better. Sydney has a new client for her advertising firm. Seth Bolick had developed a new product--tobacco free cigarettes. They will have addictive qualities, but eliminate the toxins of tobacco, tar and the hundreds of other additives. When Seth dies, Sydney is convinced that it is not suicide as reported. The sheriff/coroner/auto dealer, etc. in the small community near Charlotte, N.C. wants it to be suicide as do the residents of the town which relies heavily on tobacco crops. Seth's family believe his obession with his quest for a safe cigarette led him to madness and self-destruction just as it had his father. There are plenty of suspects as well as some knotty social and economic issues. What happens to tobacco growers and others who make their living in the industry? In some ways it is analogous to the fate of the lumber industry as thousands were plunged into unemployment to save some obscure flora or fauna. Grant presents this problem with real compassion for all sides of the issue. We also learn more about Sydney's past, especially her relationship with her father. Buy and read "Smoke Screen," but be sure to read "Multiple Listing" first. Anne Underwood Grant is a real find among mystery writers.